Mt. Pulag: The Playground of The Gods

Mt. Pulag is the highest peak in Luzon, and it's beautiful. Oh so beautiful!

It was raining the week before our climb so we were hesitant. But it was difficult to get a schedule because it easily fills up. The day of the trip there though, it was sunny, so we got our hopes up. However when we arrived at the Ranger's Station, it was already raining. It was bloody cold! Considering we were used to the 32 degree Celsius of Manila, we were welcomed by an 11 degrees! We arrived in the afternoon and decided to eat dinner then went to sleep for the wake up time was 1 AM. But I wasn't able to sleep properly. It was so cold and there was no heater in the room. Aside from the fact that I woke up because I heard myself wheezing. I thought I was having an asthma attack only to remember that I don't have asthma. I kept waking up and realized that as time passes by, a lot of people started wheezing too. I was sharing a bed with my best friend, he snores when he sleeps by the way. And when someone snores while sleeping means that there is something blocking their air passage. I was worried that he will stop breathing that whenever he snores, I wake up. Thus, the set of eye bags the next day.

We had breakfast and prepared for a rainy and cold hike. I forgot to bring gloves but luckily I was able to buy at one of the stores at the ranger's station. we also bought Mylar blanket or an emergency thermal blanket. And the ascend started.

We were hiking for about an hour and a half when we reached Camp 1. It was rainy, and muddy and slippery. My best friend was kinda pissed because he bought a new pair of shoes and it only got muddy and dirty plus the fact that he was wearing eye glasses so the rain hinders him from having a good vision. That was why when a couple decided not to continue with the hike, he immediately said that he won't too. I also wanted to back out however I invited two colleagues and it was the first hike of one of them. I had no choice but to continue.

We continued with the ascend for another 2 hours. Before reaching Camp 2, I was already longing for a shade. I was longing for something or anything that has a roof. When we arrived at Camp 2, however, we were welcome by grass land. There were these dwarf bamboos endemic in Mt. Pulag. It was a massive land of dwarf bamboos. No shelter. No roof. Only a vast area of freezing cold, howling wind and drenching rain.

They piled up to take a group photo but all I wanted was to take shelter. To hide from the rain and the cold. LOL! I wasn't usually this picky. I never minded the dirt, the mud, the aching muscles, but I definitely do mind the cold! My fingers were already swollen I feared I might die of hypothermia. After the group photo from action cameras we went inside a bushy part. I was surprised to see a shed that I immediately went under and wrapped myself with the Mylar blanket under my raincoat. We ate a sandwich and went on with our way. I thought the Mylar jacket would help but it didn't. About half an hour after Camp 2 I told the organizer that I\d just go back . That I wouldn't push through with the hike because I was extremely cold. The others said that the summit was near, that it would only take about another half an hour. I was convinced to push through. It was the longest 30 minutes of my life. And I wasn't exaggerating.

On the way to the summit though you can see the beauty of the mountain even though it has almost zero visibility and there was no clearing. Imagine how beautiful it would be with sea of clouds while the sun rise. There was this trail that was covered with stones that creates a paved path. I remembered the golden pavement on the way to the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz. Even with the wind howling and the fog covering all of the mountain, it still looked like a playground built only for the Gods. I pictured them running and laughing under a stormy day. Sending thunder and lightning to one another. Showering each other with rain, hitting the others with a strong wind. That was how beautiful Mt. Pulag is. It has the magic to make you imagine. It has the magic to re-live the child in you.

When we reached the summit, the group went straight to the sign welcoming hikers to take photos. What I did was I hid under and in between the dwarf bamboos to cover myself from the cold and the rain. But it did not do any difference. I wish could be like Elsa and say that the cold never bother me but it definitely did. I was hoping for a clearing for at least a few minutes but I knew it was impossible. We stayed on the summit for about 5 minutes because we couldn't bear the cold.

When we were on our way to descend, and as I was looking down the trail, I could imagine how beautiful it would've looked like if there was no rain. It would've been majestic. I know, it would make me feel alive and thankful for mother nature and for being alive. Like I usually feel whenever I am on the top of the mountains. I am looking forward to experience that kind of feeling when I go back. I have decided that I will definitely do a revenge climb. I will see those sea of clouds. I will watch the sun rise above them. I will hike the mountain as if I was playing with the Gods.

Major jump-off: Ambangeg Ranger Stn, Bokod, Benguet Days required / Hours to summit: 4-5 hours / 1-2 days Difficulty: 3/9, Trail class 1-2 2922 MASL

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