It’s been a while since the last time I hiked (and
camped), and one of the items on my bucket list this year is to be back in the
mountains! Climbing Mt. Ulap has been a dream of mine for quite some time now
so, I thought that it was about time to fulfill that dream. We decided to climb
Mt. Ulap last February, one of the coolest months north, and it was worth all
the wait I did all year long.
Knowing Mt. Ulap
Mt. Ulap, located in Itogon, Benguet, is standing 1,846
MASL with a difficulty level of 3/9 making it famous among beginner hikers. And
I can attest to that! The trail is easy and manageable, you don’t need any
special mountain gear or to do any rock climbing just to get to the summit. The
whole trail is about 9 km traversing from Brgy. Ampucao is your entry point to
Brgy. Sta. Fe as your exit point.
How to go to Mt. Ulap
Brgy. Ampucao is about 40 minutes away from Baguio City so if you want to do DIY, make your way to Baguio City and ride a jeepney bound to Brgy. Ampucao. But if you prefer a less hassle trip, especially if you’ll be coming from afar, you might want to join a joiner tour like how we did. We area fan of DIY trips, but just for this instance, we wanted to book an organized tour for a change.
Recommended tour page: Lakbayan Pinas Travel and Tours
We really had a great time with the group and KuyaJorge’s service was superb!
Day 1 Journey
We reached Ampucao Barangay Hall at around 7:00 AM, followed the registration process and sent out stuff for porting. Yes, if you want to have a porter to bring your things up to the camping site, that is possible.
15 kg – Php 1,200 (two-way) or Php 800 (one-way)
We had our tent and sleeping bag ported to carry a lighter weight on the trail. The weather seems to be having an intense mood swing, and it frequently changes from drizzling to sunny (vice versa) during the first hour of our trek. Regardless of the weather, there’s no doubt that
the view along the trail is scenic, one of the most beautiful trails I have ever seen. The trail is a combination of grassland and pine forest. Navigating your way through the grassland would make you appreciate Benguet’s mountain ridges while steering through its pine forest would make you feel the cool breeze of Benguet.
Ambanao Peak (First Peak)
Gungal Rock (Second Peak)
There were a lot of hikers lining up for a chance to take a photo on the famous Gungal Rock, and we decided not to fall in line anymore. We just took some group photos from afar having the famous rock as a backdrop. We continued our trek until we reached the campsite.
Mt. Ulap’s Campsite 2 is located just below the main
summit but we didn’t hike the summit yet as it was scheduled for tomorrow’s
sunrise. We left our things in the campsite area and had our lunch in the
nearby stores. Yes, you read it right! There are stores just near the campsite
and they even call it “Ministop” and “7/11” Haha! Aside from the usual snacks
and drinks, they also sell cooked meals. I would say, their food items are
reasonably priced compared to the other mountains I visited before.
After rewarding ourselves with a meal, we set up our tent
and took some rest. I was really happy this time because it’s been 2 years
since the last time I had an overnight camp, and I really missed the feeling of
lying on the ground and just being there to reconnect with nature. And there,
the time for dinner finally arrived. Our tour package includes both dinner and
breakfast. We had our dinner set up outside our tent, and I would say this was
more challenging for me than the hike itself! The night weather was so cold,
that all of us were shaking and freezing while fighting the urge to make
ourselves full for dinner. I made sure to sit in front of the bonfire just to
get through dinner, probably the best chicken tinola and adobo just because it
was prepared and eaten about thousand miles above sea level. We had a good
dinner and got a very good sleep!
Day 2 Journey
We woke up at around 5 AM just to prepare for the sunrise
on the main summit. We started our trek at around 5:40 AM since the ascent
would only take about 20 minutes. It was still cold and windy, but we really
wanted to finish the final summit before it got crowded once again. The sunrise
was not that colorful but it was still beautiful and the view is simply
breathtaking. After indulging ourselves with a lot of photos and mesmerizing
views, we went back to the campsite to have our breakfast. We fixed our tent,
cleaned up the campsite, and prepared for our descent.
The descent only took around 2 hours, and the way down is mostly stairs – mind you, endless stairs (haha)! But for me, it is easier definitely compared to the ascent. The exit point was in Brgy. Sta. Fe where you will take another kind of challenge – take a shower with a very cold water.
Since it’s near Baguio City, the tour includes a quick
trip to Baguio where we took a late lunch and bought some pasalubong. If you’re
looking for a hike that is beginner-friendly with a beautiful view while
enjoying a cool breeze along the trail, Mt. Ulap is the perfect mountain for
you. What are you waiting for? Mt. Ulap is calling you!
