In the Realm Called the 'Playground of the Gods'

‘The bold adventurer succeeds the best.’

Day 0 - The Invitation

‘So, you’ve been to Pulag?’

Expect this rhetorical question once you’ve let the information that you’re a mountaineer slip during casual conversation. In my case, it took me ten mountains before I was able to triumphantly answer ‘Yes’ to that question. I pursued Pulag through the difficult route and that is via the ‘Killer Trail’ or the less taken Akiki Trail. We did a traverse climb of Pulag in a two-day hike, ascending from Akiki and descending to Ambangeg. It was a long and memorable journey towards this famed Cordilleran Mountain, with this being my first overnight hike. A lot of things happened which led to some self-realizations and some discoveries.

It took a long time for an opportunity to climb Pulag to come. So when that opportunity finally came, I instantly accepted the invitation. It didn’t occur to me at first that it was a two day journey, that I had to shell out a significant amount of money, and whether I was physically and emotionally prepared for the climb (one of the contributing factors to this anxiety was the harsh climate in the mountains). I immediately arranged my work schedule and hastily bought necessary hiking gear suitable for an overnight hike to the highest peak in the Luzon Island.

The planned trip was going smoothly until barely a week before the actual climb, problems surfaced. There were supposed to be 20 participants and we initially planned on taking a bus to Baguio City and then ride a jeepney to Kabayan in Benguet, but then participants started backing out until only eleven of us were left. We decided to go on with the climb even if it meant an increase in our individual contributions for the expenses. This also led to a change concerning our mode of transportation. Due to the dwindled down number of participants, we ended up renting a private van that took us all the way to our destination.

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‘Not all those who wander are lost.’

Day 1 - The Journey

It was Monday evening when I left home to wait for the group in Mabalacat, Pampanga. I waited for almost two hours before they finally arrived. There were only eleven passengers in the van so it was quite spacious. I thought that I would be able to take a nap inside the van since it would still be a long drive to Benguet, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to do so because I was uncomfortable with my position, given my stature. I was able to endure the whole trip up until we reached Baguio City. We made a stopover at a convenience store just near a bus terminal. It was our first stopover so we grabbed the chance to go to the bathroom. It was expectedly cold in the city of pines that early morning and it made me shiver so I decided to buy a cup of hot chocolate to keep me warm.

Before we resumed with the journey, I switched seats with one of our companions, Christian, who was seated at the back. He had seen my uncomfortable situation so he volunteered to take my place instead. Thus, as the journey continued I was able to relax and rest my back comfortably. From Baguio City, it took more than three hours to make it to the Akiki Ranger Station in Kabayan, Benguet but we made another stopover in Ambuclao to eat breakfast. From Ambuclao, it was a long way to the jump-off point. It was an endless route amidst zigzag roads and dizzying turns that proved to be unnerving. I was awake the entire journey as I braced myself for the worst. I am not exaggerating as I was fully aware of the condition of Cordillera roads,especially during rainy season. Fallen debris and rocks scattered along the side of the road became a familiar sight.

I only felt a sigh of relief when we finally reached the Akiki jump-off point. We immediately unloaded the van and made the necessary preparations before making our way to the ranger station. I changed into my hiking attire and sorted my things. We left some of our belongings inside the van. Since it was a traverse climb, the driver would be waiting for us at our exit point located in the Babadak Ranger Station. We did some photo shoots at the Akiki jump-off point marker just beside the road. From that point, we had to walk to a path of stairs leading to the ranger station. The ascent to the ranger station was brief but a bit exhausting.

We reached the ranger station and realized that we were the only group there. We registered and submitted the necessary required medical certificates. Most of the people in the group decided to hire the service of a porter. My backpack was quite heavy, obviously because I packed for an overnight hike. My technical pack contained my thermal clothes, food and water supplies, and sleeping pad and bag. Considering that I don’t like to hike with a heavy backpack, I initially thought of hiring a porter, but in the end decided against it. Having a porter for my food supplies, which will be ultimately consumed later, was not a logical decision. I just asked a companion, Joel, if he can spare some space in his backpack for some of my supplies. He agreed to have some of my canned goods which made me grateful.

We paid the necessary fees and secured our guides. We started the trek after everything was settled. We made our way to the back of the ranger station where the ‘Killer Trail’ commenced. It was an easy trek at first, although I was apprehensive. Somehow it had something to do with the realization that this was to be my first overnight hike and I didn’t have any idea what lay ahead of us. I was also beginning to get the feel of walking with a heavy backpack. We started at a moderate pace and the trail seemed to be manageable until we reached Camp 1 or the Eddet Campsite. We rested there until ultimately deciding on having our lunch there. There was a water source and a comfort room in the area so that was a relief. The campsite overlooked the Eddet River.

After almost an hour, we decided to proceed with the journey. We made our way down and crossed the river by passing a hanging bridge. We stopped after reaching the end of the bridge for some photo ops and to rest. We resumed with the trek after a few minutes. That was the start of the seemingly endless assault to Camp 2. This was the difficult part of the trail. It was a four hour trek amidst 60 degree slopes of pine forest. It was so exhausting that it was absolutely necessary to take a breather after only a few minutes of walking. I observed that some parts of the trail were not fully established which may be attributed to the fact that only a few people take the Akiki trail. There was an instance that I just continued walking without following the trail. I just walked straight as I observed that the only way to go was up.

The ascent was so exhausting, and depending on your stamina, you would need to take a breather once you’re tired. Others in the group required a longer time to rest, to rejuvenate while others required less time. This situation resulted in some of the members of the group leading the trail and the others trailing behind. We ended up trekking individually and by group with a distance of a mile to a kilometer apart. After four gruesome hours of scaling the pine forest, I reached the Marlboro Country campsite/Camp 2 alone. I was fully exhausted when I arrived there and found two of our companions already lying down and resting. It did not take long before other members of the group arrived. As we waited for the remaining members of the group, we manage to do a photo shoot in the picturesque campsite. The view overlooking the pine trees and mountain top covered in clouds was just stunning.

When the rest of the group finally arrived, we came to a discussion. It was a crucial time to decide on where we were going to set-up camp. It was a choice between camp 2 and the saddle as originally planned. Since the camp 2 had the advantage of having a water source, we agreed that it would be best if we stay there until after dinner and then continued the trek to the saddle and set up our camp there. Thus, we began preparing our food. It was almost evening and we were beginning to feel the cold because of our high altitude. After our food was cooked we had our dinner. It was getting late and we still had a four hour trek to the saddle, so after eating, we immediately attended to each individual ritual. After everyone was ready, we began the trek to the saddle and braved the cold of the night. After a few meters, we reached the entrance to the mossy forest. We were fully clothed due to the cold weather, but as we went along the trail we began to perspire and our bodies became warmer. It was dark on our path and the ascent to the long and winding mossy forest seemed to be endless. After the last water source en route to camp 3,there was still a long way to go. The winding road to the mossy forest continued for hours. We constantly took short breaks as the ascent proved to be exhausting enough.

When we finally exited the mossy forest, there seemed to be a slight drizzle although it was simply the fog coupled with gusting winds. The harsh environment became eminent upon setting foot at the bald ridge of Pulag. This was the moment when I first saw the dwarf bamboo endemic of this mountain, although I didn’t have the time to examine them carefully. We hastened our pace and limited our breaks to about a minute or two. We were in a hurry because it was already past midnight and it was really cold. Since the grassland was an open area, the dropping temperature and low visibility became a struggle. I ended up as the last in the group with our guide behind me. I was having a hard time catching up to the group because night trekking is something I detest. I could barely see my surroundings as the fog was engulfing the whole place. I was dead tired, but I reminded myself to take my time and be cautious with my every step. I made it a point to always prioritize my safety more than anything else.

At last we reached the Saddle campsite. The others were already pitching their tent. I was to share a tent with Joel since I didn’t bring one. After our tent was assembled, we hurriedly went inside. It was such a comfort settling down at our temporary shelter after a whole day of trekking. I immediately changed into clothes that will keep me warm and then settled myself in one corner of the tent. I immediately fell asleep as I was really tired.

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‘Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.’

Day 2 - The Guardian

It was cold during the early dawn and I was grateful that the layering of my clothes was doing just fine. My choice of sleeping bag and earth pad didn’t let me down as well. My cell phone alarm woke me up at 5 in the morning, but it took another 15 minutes before I finally got up. I woke Joel up as the others were already awake and preparing for our ascent to the summit.

After a few minutes I was prepared and out of the tent, but it seemed that some of us were still inside their tents, perhaps still sleeping. It took time before everybody was ready. We had to wait for the others and proceed together to the summit. It seemed that we were out of time to catch the sunrise and the famous ‘sea of clouds’ of Pulag.

Our guide was leading us as we made our trek to the summit. It was not an easy ascent as I thought because we had to pause and rest after a few minutes of walking. The thin air exhausted us a lot faster. It took us almost 30 minutes before reaching the summit. There were already a few people there. There was the sunrise, but unfortunately no sea of clouds. Still, the view from the summit was breathtaking. The surrounding mountain tops covered in grass were just magnificent as the sun rose from the horizon. There was a good view everywhere you turn your eyes to.

Interestingly, while doing photo shoots, a big black dog suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The female canine was roaming around the summit and seemed to be gentle. We took the opportunity to have our pictures taken with the dog. Well, it’s not very often that we see and meet these kinds of creatures during a climb. It never occurred to me though, where she came from as we were all smitten by this friendly and adorable dog. I fondly called her ‘Blackie’ taking a cue from her shiny black fur.

The summit was for us alone during that time. Since it was a weekday, there was no crowd of trekkers at the summit. As we got near the Pulag summit marker, we encountered a couple of hikers, but they left after we arrived. It was an opportunity again to take pictures. The cold atmosphere made the moment special. Blackie was still lingering around the area as we were busy taking pictures.

The sun was already up when we decided to return to the campsite. As we made our way down, Blackie followed us. Upon arrival at the campsite we began preparing our breakfast. It took time for the food to be cooked so I opted to eat instant noodles while waiting. Blackie seemed to be starving as well as she was constantly bugging us. We decided to feed her with the leftovers. The dog often disappeared and reappeared which made me think: did the Gods send her to serve as our guard? Maybe she was tasked by the Gods to watch over us and make sure that we’re worthy visitors in their realm.

After our breakfast everybody took a nap. It was hot during that time and I was not able to fall asleep, so I just lingered around the campsite. We were the only group in the Saddle so I roamed around freely. It was then that I noticed the restroom not far from where our tents were located. Unfortunately, there was no water source in the Saddle unlike in Camp 1 and 2. Another disadvantage of setting camp there is that it was an open area and you are exposed to the elements whereas camp 1 and 2 are somehow safe being located within the pine forest.

It was 10 in the morning when we started breaking camp. It was time to take the route to Ambangeg or the Babadak Ranger Station for our exit. The trek to Babadak Ranger Station took four hours. We took a rest at camp 2 and camp 1 and some short breaks along the way. Unlike the Akiki trail, the Ambangeg trail is relatively easier with no steep and endless assaults. The trek to Ambangeg started on rolling hills all the way to camp 2. After camp 2 was the mossy forest area up to Camp 1. Then after camp 1 was the pine forest area. After that, we reached an unpaved road that led us all the way to the ranger station. Blackie appeared from time to time as if guarding us on our way down.

We arrived at the ranger station at 2 in the afternoon with our guardian dog still trailing behind us. I immediately bought soda from one of the stores there as I was craving for a cold beverage. We didn’t take our lunch yet so we bought something to eat. After that we took our bath. I was stunned upon learning that the water in the shower room was extremely cold. It seemed like it came directly out of the fridge. After some hesitation, I had no choice but to brave the cold water as I was already stinking.

I felt good after taking a bath and donning clean clothes. I began sorting my things while waiting for the others. A few minutes more and everyone was done and set to go. We left the ranger station and began another spine-chilling journey on Benguet’s zigzag roads. Upon our return to Baguio we took our dinner in the city and then continued with the trip. Our van traversed the Mac Arthur highway all the way to Tarlac which made me grateful as it meant that I would be home earlier. Indeed, I was home before midnight.

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‘The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.’

Epilogue

The path to Pulag’s summit via the Akiki Trail was not an easy one. Although the ‘Killer Trail’ would not really kill you, nevertheless, it was still daunting and it was still a test of patience and stamina. The endless assault from Camp 1 all the way to Camp 2, as well as from the mossy forest to the grassland took time and energy. It entailed a long walk and with the cold climate come nightfall, it was really something to be reckoned with. However, taking the Akiki Trail came with the opportunity of witnessing varied scenic landscapes like Eddet River, Marlboro Country campsite and the pine forest. Difficult as it may seem, but the Akiki Trail is in reality the best path to take to better appreciate the beauty of the realm of the Gods.

While our journey did not reward us with witnessing the breathtaking ‘sea of clouds’, which was one of the reasons I went there, it was a relief that we didn’t experience a downpour during our two-day stay in Pulag. Even the cold climate was manageable during our visit. The view from the summit at sunrise was surreal, with the surrounding mountain tops covered in grass. The absence of the usual crowd of trekkers at the summit also made our stay even more memorable. On second thought, maybe the Gods did reward us after all. Our failure to see the elusive ‘sea of clouds’ was just their way of saying we should make a comeback. I will definitely set foot again on this mountain, although no more Killer Trail, the Ambangeg or Babadak trail would suffice. And upon my return, I hope to see and meet our canine friend again to stand as a companion and guardian on our way to the ‘Playground of the Gods’.