21 April 2023
Elevation - 2,928 masl
Elevation gained - 704 m
Distance - 14.8 km
Total time taken - 7 hrs (2 days)
Climbing period - November to March
Difficulty - 2/5 easy (easy compared to other 2D1N hikes and good for beginners!)
Trail type - Pine forest, mossy forest and grasslands
Requirements - Permit is required
Mt Pulag is Luzon's highest peak at 2,928 masl and the 3rd highest mountain in the Philippines. It is also a regarded as a sacred site, hence referred to as the playground of the Gods! It is famous for the sea of clouds, but unfortunately while we were there we only got a peek of it from a distance at the summit. We did the Ambangeg Trail with a tour package, which is the easiest of the 4 trails there. The hike was pretty leisurely with only a 700 m elevation gained in 2 days, so it is definitely recommended for beginners!
Trip Planning
A permit is needed for this hike. To make it convenient for ourselves, we had gotten a tour package from Mt Pulag Expedition which included a pick-up from the airport, homestay at the jump-off before the hike, guide, permit, porters for the camping equipment, meals during the hike and transport back to Manila (in our case we customised the package to also include a side trip to Pinatubo).
Costs
Tour Package - PHP 10,000
*Note that this cost include the tours for both Mt Pulag and Mt Pinatubo
(For Mt Pulag tour it includes: guide, permit, transport to and from town, food during hike, accommodation at jump-off, camping equipment and portage)
cost indicated is per pax
Getting There
The tour provider picked us up directly from Manila airport and from there it was a 5 hour drive to the homestay at the jump-off, we stayed a night at the jump-off before beginning the climb the next afternoon. I doubt there are any public transport to the jump-off so it is advised to get your own driver, or get a package like us.
Day 1 - Hiking through the pine and mossy forests
0000 | Reach homestay at the jump-off |
0630 | Go for medical examination, breakfast then registration and briefing |
1200 | Pack and have lunch |
1300 | Start of hike! |
1530 | Reach campsite for the night |
1830 | Dinner is served! |
0000 | Reached homestay at the jump-off
Our flight touched down in Manila at around 1pm. Our driver then picked us up to get a quick lunch before the drive to the homestay. Our first meal in Philippines had to be fried chicken with mushroom sauce and spaghetti! But since the Jollibee on the way was closed, we decided to settle for something similar at KFC. From there, it was a long drive to the jump-off and before heading into the mountains, we stopped for dinner at Baguio. The restaurant we had initially wanted to go had a crazy long queue so we went for some grilled meat on a hot plate instead! It was then another long bumpy ride up the mountain roads to our homestay for the night. It was already midnight when we reached the homestay and it was pretty cold out, about 10 degrees or so. The homestay was pretty simple with a few bunk beds in the room, but since we were the only guests for the night we got the private rooms. Since only toilet was outside the building and out in the cold, so we had to be efficient with our toilet visits!
0630 | Go for medical examination, breakfast then registration and briefing
The next morning we were up bright and early to go for our medical examination just further down the road. I was slightly confused at first since they brought us to a convenient store, but I soon realised the 'clinic' was a small booth just behind the shelves of snacks in the convenient store. The process was pretty fast, we had to fill in a medical check-up form and they would call us in one by one to ask some health related questions and check on our oxygen levels etc. After that we had a simple breakfast at the stall just opposite and watched the sheeps run around the village. One of my friends didn't realise how cold it was and didn't bring any long pants, so he had to do some last minute shopping lol.
We were then brought to another nearby building for registration and a pre-hike briefing. The guide was in a rush to register as apparently only the first 40 can get camping permits. I honestly didn't catch much of what was said during the briefing since they were speaking in Tagalog half the time, but my key takeaways were: do not run around naked, you can only poop and pee at the 2 designated toilets at the campsites and you can't party unless you invite everyone lol.
1200 | Pack and have lunch
After the briefing, we were brought back to the homestay to pack for the hike and get a quick lunch. Since we had some time on our hands, we took a short walk around the area to admire the views from the town. We then stocked up on our water supply at the mamashop nearby and had some fried chicken for lunch!
1300 | Start of hike!
We finally begun our hike after a hearty lunch and all the administrative processes that morning. The trail starts only slightly further up from our homestay. The first section was a leisurely walk through the pine tree trail winding up the mountain. We could still see the paddy fields and the town from there. Soon the trail goes into the forest with some short sections of climb. After winding through the forest for awhile, we finally reached the first rest hut near camp 1, and gladly took a break.
The next section was mostly a hike through the mossy forest. Mossy forest trails are one of my favourites because of the cooling temperatures and how the forest looks mystical with the moss covered trees and surrounding mist. The guide brought us to a photo spot with the tree trunk stretching outwards, and we took turns to climb the tree for photos. The sky soon began to turn dark with some slight drizzle, so we wore our rain jackets and kept going.
1530 | Reach campsite for the night
I took a few more photos in the beautiful mossy forest right before we arrived at the campsite past 3pm. The tents were already pitched for us by the porters who had came up earlier. We had a nice private spot to ourselves among the bushes. We checked out the toilets at the campsites (you are only allowed to poop and pee at the campsite toilets and not just anywhere on the mountain!). The toilet was pretty bare bones with a squat-type toilet bowl set into the ground, the door (or more like the tarp flap that is a door) does not close fully, so I got my friend to stand outside while I used the toilet.
Just as we got back from the toilet, it started to pour heavily. With the heavy rain pelting down on our tents, it started to leak a little and we tried desperately to cover the leaking areas with our jackets. Luckily the rain stopped soon after and we went out to survey the area. It became pretty muddy, but we were glad there was a small trench dug around the tents to prevent flooding.
With the sky cleared up, I took a short walk up to a higher vantage point with my friend as the day's hike felt a bit too short and we wanted to venture out further. From the vantage point we could look out to the grasslands beyond, that was to be tomorrow's hike. Because of the different temperate climate on the mountain there were 3 types of vegetation, pine tree forest, mossy forest and the grasslands. We could even see the clear distinction where the mossy forest transited into the grasslands.
1830 | Dinner is served
As we returned to the campsite, we saw our guide preparing a sumptuous dinner. The sky gradually turned dark, and it became increasingly cold. We huddled around to eat the the piping hot chicken soup with rice which tasted so good and soulful. It was pitch black by then with the only light source coming from our headlamps.
Day 2 - Summit for sunrise
0330 | Wake up for breakfast |
0400 | Begin our climb to the summit |
0530 | Reach the summit for sunrise |
0615 | Start our descend |
0715 | Reach viewpoint for sea of clouds |
0800 | Reach campsite for breakfast |
1100 | Reach homestay and pack up |
0330 | Wake up for breakfast
After a whole night of shivering in the tent (I honestly didn't think it will be this cold and I was already wearing a fleece layer while huddling in the insulated sleeping bag) we woke up at 3.30am to have some warm cup noodles before the start of our ascend. The toilet queue in the morning was crazy long, as there were only 2 cubicles serving the entire campsite and obviously no one wanted to visit the toilet in the dead of the night.
0400 | Start of summit climb
After finishing our toilet runs, we joined the trail of lights towards the summit. The trail up to the summit was mostly easy flat grassland trails, with only some climbs nearer the summit. In the dark of the night, we could only make out the silhouette of the mountains in the distance and the steady trail of lights meandering towards the peak.
0530 | Reach the summit for sunrise
After catching our breaths before the last climb, we raced to the summit just as the sky started to light up with the glow of the sunrise. In the light, we could now see the layers of mountains stretching out all the way to the horizon and the sea of clouds streaming in. With this majestic views, it is no wonder Pulag is also known as the playground of the gods. After soaking in the views, we did the usual drill to queue for photos with the summit sign.
0615 | Start our descend
The guide told us that there was a viewpoint along the descend route that was good for seeing the sea of clouds so we headed there. Also, if you don't have a camping permit, you are only allowed to watch the sunrise from the viewpoint and not from the summit. I suppose they do this to manage the crowd. In the light of the day, we could finally see the places we had past in early morning. The open grasslands gave an unobstructed view of just how vast the mountains were, stretching out in all directs. To get to the viewpoint, we diverted left at the junction towards the campsite and continued to climb upwards. The guide and one of my friends went back to the campsite first to rest and prepare breakfast.
0715 | Reach viewpoint for sea of clouds
Panting as we reached the top of the viewpoint, we were slightly disappointed as there were no sea of clouds that morning. Nonetheless the view was still stunning and we had the place all to ourselves. My friend who regretted coming up, stopped and sat down at the small clearing right before reaching the viewpoint lol. It was then a steep descend back to the campsite, and on the way down we passed the area we had explored the day before right after the rain.
0800 | Reach campsite for breakfast
When we reached the campsite, breakfast was already prepared for us by our guide. It was sausage and broccoli with rice. While packing up, the cat at the campsite came to our tent to snuggle and play with us. We then headed down the same way we came up, passing through the cooling trails of the mossy forest, the beautiful and fragrant pine tree trails before catching sight of the familiar rice paddies, a sign that we were closed to town. We took a short break at the iconic big pine tree and bought a cup of juice to share before continuing our journey.
1100 | Reach homestay and pack up
It was around 11am when we reached our homestay, and it was a lot more bustling than the day before as more tour groups had arrived. We bathed and took a short nap before heading to the dining area, where our driver had cooked a huge pot of stew for everyone. Feeling refreshed and satisfied after our meal, we had to rush to drive out of town and towards our next destination - Pinatubo, as the rain clouds loomed ahead.
My Thoughts
Mt Pulag was an easy yet fulfilling climb with beautiful views along the way. Definitely a good climb to start off if you are new. It was amazing how, though short, the trail passed various terrains, from pine forests to the mystical mossy forest and finally to the vast grasslands. Although we didn't catch the sea of clouds in its full glory, the view was still stunning and Mt Pulag definitely deserved to be called the playground of gods!
Also do watch our trip video below (I took a lot of time to make it)!
Reference Map
Day 1:
Day 2:
Comments