You’ve Got to Have Guts in Ugo

‘Expectation is the root of all heartache.’

The long and winding road

The first day of the tenth month of each year is special to me. It’s my natal day. This year, I decided that having a climb on the exact date of my birth would make it more special, considering that the mountain is located in the Cordillera region, it made me more ecstatic because of my fascination with Cordilleran mountains. It didn't occurred to me then that what we’re doing was a one day traverse hike, a deviation from the typical two day Mount Ugo traverse hike. Although doing an Ugo traverse day hike is rare, it is still possible, as I was told. It was with confidence that I willingly accepted the challenge, believing that I can manage the task. Unbeknownst to me, it will become the longest and hardest climb I’ve ever done in my life.

During the day, I woke up early and traveled to Manaoag, Pangasinan to attend the holy mass at Our Lady of Manaoag Shrine. The travel going to Manaoag and back was exhausting. I barely had time to rest during the day since I also had to prepare the things I needed to bring for my scheduled hike. I was all around the house doing things before I realized that I haven’t slept yet. It was too late, and at nine in the evening I was traveling again, - this time to Pampanga. Two hours later, I arrived at a San Fernando fast food restaurant and waited for three other companions living within the area. The rest of our group members were by then plying the North Luzon Expressway on their way to fetch us.

Before midnight, the group arrived albeit, delayed. Minutes later, our van traversed the North Luzon Expressway and then the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway, before finally making an exit at Tarlac City. We then headed to Nueva Ecija. The route brought back memories of our Batad trip earlier this year. We made a stop over at a gasoline station along San Jose City. It was a relief because I was getting irritated and uncomfortable sitting inside the van. It was crowded inside and we barely had enough space to move our bodies. I already expected this, but I was hard to get used to it. After asking around, I was shocked to learn that there were four more hours before we reached Nueva Vizcaya. I never expected that the trip would take that long. I just sighed and braced myself for the long travel to our destination.

After more than thirty minutes, we continued with our journey to Nueva Vizcaya. Since there was still a long way to go, I tried to take a nap, but failed miserably. It was really uncomfortable inside. Although most of my companions managed to sleep, I stayed awake. Then, we began traversing the zig-zag road, which was one hell of ride. The pain of being pinned to the side of the van every time the vehicle made a left or right turn was unbearable. I had to endure the pain and agony for more than 3 hours. We reached the small town of Kayapa at around five in the morning. It was still dark when we arrived at the jump off point. We parked our vehicle at the front of the police station beside the Town Hall and opposite the Kayapa Public Market. 

Since it was early morning, the place was deserted. It was a bit cold during that early morning. While waiting for our local guides, we began sorting our things. We were doing a traverse climb, but unlike our previous traverse climbs, this time our van will be waiting for us in Baguio City and not at our exit point in Tinongdan in Itogon, Benguet. Needless to say, we had to carry all our belongings all the way up and down the mountain. Upon our descent to Itogon, a chartered jeepney would be taking us to Tinongdan Barangay Hall (where we will be tidying up), and then to Baguio City where our vans and drivers will be waiting. The good thing is that Alvin, the coordinator of this event, decided to hire our guides as porters to carry some of our belongings. It was a relief because it meant that I won’t have to endure carrying a heavy load during the duration of the hike.

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‘Hope but never expect. Look forward but never wait.’

The way to the summit

We did the usual group photo shoot in front of Kayapa Town Hall and then we started the trek at six in the morning. We started climbing sets of concrete stairs going up the mountain. It was a steep ascent but was still manageable. As we went along the trail I began to notice the prevalence of Pine trees and some Guava trees. We managed to pick some Guava fruits to munch on as we were walking. As we continued, I noticed the similarity of some parts of the trail to the Akiki trail of Mount Pulag. The steep ascent was short but still reminded me of the dreaded ‘Killer Trail’ of Pulag.

After one hour, we reached Indopit Village. It was a small community of around ten families. There was a sari-sari store in the village and beside it was a resting area cum-cottage. We settled our selves in the cottage and decided to have our breakfast there. Most of us ordered instant noodles and some boiled eggs. I contented myself with the burger I bought earlier, although I managed to buy a cold soda from the store. While at the village having our breakfast, I begin to contemplate on how long the journey to Ugo’s summit will be. The guides told us it would take four more hours. But what worried me was the way going down. It seemed that no matter how fast we go, it would still take a lot of time for us to finish the trek. Another thing that added to my worries was when our guide told us that it rained every afternoon there. I was dumbfounded with the information and at that moment wanted to proceed with the trek to finish early just to avoid the expected downpour. Unfortunately, we spent more than an hour in the village.

After more than one hour we decided to leave the village and proceeded with the trek, leaving behind some members of the group. The trail beyond Indopit led us to a wide road carved on the sides of the mountains. The Indopit-Ansipsip Foot Trail was easy and the scenery from there was amazing. This part of the trail somehow resembled Mount Ulap with the surrounding mountains covered in mist and clouds. Another similarity to Ulap was the abundance of wild berries growing along the side of the road. 

As we went along the easy trail, I can’t help myself from uttering wishfully that the trail would continue like this until we reach the summit. We walked effortlessly along the road and enjoyed the scenery with constant stop over for some photo shoot. It was also a delight that there was no intense heat from the sun during that time. It was a long walk along the road until we finally reached the  Domolpos waiting shed. We made a stop at the waiting shed to take a rest and waited for the rest of the group. We met another group there that were on their way back to the jump off point in Kayapa. A makeshift store situated beside the waiting shed sold coffee, cold beverages, breads and some fruits. We tried to be adventurous and tried some of the fruits which included guavas and passion fruits.

We stayed at the waiting shed for half an hour. After some individual and group photo shoot, we continued with the journey. The trek to the wide road continued until we made a steep descent, passing a water source and then continued again on a wide and flat surface passing Domolpos Village. We encountered a herd of cows in another waiting shed. As we were fascinated by the cows, we stopped there to take pictures of these bovine animals. Suddenly it was decided that we will take our lunch in the waiting shed.

Immediately after our lunch, what I feared the most happened. It began to rain. It was a mild drizzle at first. I didn’t bring a raincoat with me, but luckily I had an umbrella with me. It proved to be useful and I had to share it with Abby, a female companion. The downpour continued and we had no choice but to brave the rain and proceed to the summit, which was just a few kilometers away.

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‘Know your limitations and then defy them.’

Mind over matter

It was raining on and off as we were headed to the summit. The trail become wet and muddy but it was still manageable. It was a steep assault to the summit and we made at least one more stop over. By then fog began engulfing the whole mountain. It was disappointing because it deprived us of a good view of the surrounding mountains. The constant drizzle continued until we reached the campsite. The place was spacious and we decided to take a rest there. Despite the rain, we took time for some photo shoot while others were brave enough to climb one of the two bald pine trees in the area. We began to shiver due to the cold weather brought by the constant downpour so the group sat in one corner and took the opportunity to partake some of the liquor bought by one in the group.

After an hour we all headed to the summit, which was a merely twenty minutes away. We then went to the summit point where the marker used to stand. The Ugo marker, according to our guides, was presumably stolen by hikers. I think it's absurd to steal such a thing whatever the reason was behind the act. Vandalism and littering can be a usual habit to some irresponsible mountaineers, but stealing is forbidden. Disappointment about the missing marker led me to the story on how Mount Ugo was discovered. According to some articles it was discovered in the aftermath of an aircraft crash on June 26, 1987. A plane bound for Baguio, crashed in the slopes of the mountain, killing all 50 people onboard. The search for the crash site and subsequent operations paved the way for trails that soon made Ugo a new hiking destination.

We had our individual and group photo shoot at the exact location where the summit marker used to stand. After that, we hastily left and started our descent. It was hard on the way down as the rain proved to be a nuisance together with the cow dung that were scattered everywhere. Cows are a familiar sight at the mountain, serving as their grazing area. We encountered a lot of these animals during the duration of our hike. I had avoided most of the cow dung, but not for long. As night fell in Ugo, my nightmare began. I started to trail behind the group. I was glad that two close companions, Fred and Abby, were with me all that time. We stayed together as night began to unfold while most people in the group were already ahead of us. I was struggling and not even my head light proved to be helpful. Good thing the rain already stopped, but it didn't matter because it left behind a muddy trail. Inches of thick mud and fresh cow dung became normal and at that point I didn’t mind what I was stepping on anymore. I just continued walking as the darkness became imminent. We reached Lusod Village but we hardly had time to roam around the place as we were in a hurry to finish the trek.

We hastened our pace to make it down early. We also limited our rest to a few minutes even though we all were really exhausted. I remembered that we only took at least four short breaks on the way down. The steep and muddy trail went on for forever and was too much to bear. This led Abby to mumble, ‘Be it mind over matter.’ I took it to heart. As my legs were already numb and my toes were aching, I told myself that I would be able to do it. I decided to push myself because I know I can still do it. We have to make it down as soon as possible. Reaching the next kilometer marker was dreadful, as we counted how many kilometers more before reaching kilometer 0 or the end of the trail. Another annoying part of the trail during our way down were the presence of wooden gates and fences that we had to climb to get to the other side. It was something we did carefully because it may be fatal in case we accidentally slipped.

After some time, our distance from the rest of the group widenned. The three of us continued to trail behind them. The other guide stayed with us as we lost sight of our group. The four of us endured most of the challenges along the trail. I’ve lost count of how many hours had passed as I dragged my feet on the endless trail. Then after seven hours, we were reunited with the rest of the group. We all made our way to the place where the monster jeepney was waiting to take us to the barangay hall. We walked another hour, much to my dismay, because I though the agony was finally over. We walked in the middle of rice fields, crossed a long hanging bridge, passed along row of houses before finally reaching the kilometer 0 marker. There, we saw the jeepney waiting for us.

We rode the jeepney almost automatically and we headed to Tinongdan Barangay Hall. We arrived at the barangay hall a few minutes later. Soon after our arrival, we began attending our belongings and then hastily took showers. I didn’t mind the cold water in the bathroom as I was already stinking. After taking a bath and donning fresh clothes, I took time to sit and rest my aching body. I was also starving that time since it was already 12 midnight and we haven’t eaten yet.

After everyone was done we all hopped on the jeepney. The jeepney then took us all the way to Burnham Park in Baguio City where our vans and drivers were waiting. It was late midnight by then, so after settling our belongings and ourselves inside the van we began our journey back to Cubao. The group dropped me off at Tarlac City at around 3 in the morning. I was finally at home.

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‘No one lives a life free from pain and suffering.’

To return or not

My Ugo journey is something to remember, not just for the fact that it was my birthday climb, but because it was my longest and hardest day hike ever. It was an excruciating and grueling trek which lasted for almost 17 hours. Prior to the climb, I had no idea that it was going to be a hellish trek. I had no idea what a 36-kilometer trail would entail. It was a struggle to say the least, with the mild downpour and darkness: two things I detest the most during a hike. The descent to Itogon was challenging and really exhausting. It almost took forever to accomplish. With only limited time to rest and with the trail covered in inches of thick mud, it was hard to go on with the fatigue, hunger and pain you try to battle with. Faith, fortitude and determination are essential during those times of struggles. By God’s grace, I was able to embrace them. I was also deeply grateful that I made it back home safe with only aching legs that burdened me for days.

One lesson I learned from my Ugo day hike climb is to always prepare for the worst and never under estimate a 36 kilometers long trail. Prepare physically if you must because it will help you cope with the challenges ahead of you. Arm yourself with lots of guts, as it’s crucial to conquer and survive this Cordilleran mountain. Although feeling accomplished after surviving Ugo, I never thought that there’s something that will spoil the fulfillment. The certificate I received as proof of my Ugo conquest almost made me scream in utter disappointment. Just imagine receiving your award in half. Mine came in a piece of paper complete with a letterhead and dry seal of the town of Itogon but one important thing was missing - the signature!

After my Ugo climb, I realized that doing a traverse day hike climb was not at all worth it. While it was true that we maximized all the opportunity during our ascent which commenced in Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya, we missed a lot of amazing scenery and opportunities on our way down to Itogon, Benguet. Honestly, I have no vivid recollections about the descent except darkness, mud and cow dung. Had we made our descent during the day, for sure, we would have appreciated the beauty along the way like the Pine forest, the Villages and the rice fields.

Ugo, in my opinion, is very diverse compared to other Cordillera mountains. Some of its features are typical of a Cordillera mountain, but Ugo has a lot to offer. I saw in Ugo parts of Ulap, Pulag and Batad, three Cordillera mountains I’d been to. Maybe I swore that I would never return to Ugo even for free after my feat. But honestly, I want to give the mountain another chance. Yes, I would want to return there soon, but this time I might consider a two days itinerary. That way, I would be able to appreciate more of its beauty and have the chance to interact with the locals. Unexpectedly, my Ugo experience did make my birthday more memorable. The challenges granted me wisdom and strength, the best intangible gifts I have received on my special day. Cheers to that!