Hiking Guide: Mt. Damas

Jump-off: Brgy. Papaac, Camiling, Tarlac

Elevation: 680+ MASL

Difficulty: 6/9, Major climb, Trail class 1-4

Source: www.pinoymountaineer.com

ABOUT MT. DAMAS

Mt. Damas is a part of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-Zambales mountain range, located in San Clemente, Tarlac. Though the origin and etymology of the mountain's name is not clear, many locals say that the first mountaineers who finished the attempt to reach the summit gave the mountain its name. Damas is one of those unexplored mountains that has recently received attention from mountaineering hobbyists. According to the locals, hiking in Mt. Damas started four years ago and the boom of hiking started two years ago.

At 680+ MASL, Damas provides a 360° view of the Tarlac-Pangasinan plains, the Dueg Resettlement, a home and relocation for most of Aetas living in the region, and the mountain ranges of Tarlac, Pangasinan and Zambales including the San Jose Circuit, Mt. Semilya, Mt. Tapulao.

Unlike most of the mountains with comparable elevation, the difficulty of Mt. Damas was attributed to the nature of the trails. Most parts of the trail are exposed to sun and you will be experiencing mostly 70° assaults during the climb. The trail starts at Brgy. Papaac, Camiling, Tarlac with a relatively flat trail that will take you to a junction of two trails -  one on the right will lead you to Si-El Falls and the other one on the left will lead you to river trekking to Damas base.

Taking the trail on the left will bring you to series of river trekking and rock climbing that can be finished within two to three hours. It is on this part of the trail where you will witness numerous unnamed falls. After which the trail leads you to the base of Mt. Damas, the trail commences to a 70° continuous assault to the summit that may be finished within two hours. Campsites are available around the summit. The summit, however, is small that it can only accommodate six tents at most.

On the second day, the descent from the summit may be taken for less than an hour depending on your pace. Upon reaching the base of the mountain, you may choose to take the previous trail or go right to visit Ubod Falls, a 120-ft high drop waterfalls that resembles much more of Pagsanjan Falls. Backtracking the trail will lead you to a fork. Again, one can have the option to trace the old trail or may choose to go right to do a traverse. Going right will lead you to a 70° assault trail that leads to a peak of 300+ MASL elevation, after which the trail suddenly changes to a steep descent trail. This will lead you to a common part of a river where the trail going back to Brgy. Papaac can be traced back.

Highlights of a typical Mt. Damas hike include sights of the plains and mountain ranges of Central Luzon and numerous unnamed falls, including the Ubod Falls. According to a reliable source, the waters in Mt. Damas is one of the cleanest in the Philippines. Interesting enough, one can visit this mountain in an attempt to witness a sea of clouds, as most of the hikers who repeatedly visited Mt. Damas had a glimpse of this on the summit.

ITINERARY

(First day)
5:00 AM	Assembly at McDo Motorway, Tarlac City, rent a jeepney to Brgy. Papaac
5:30 AM	ETD Tarlac City
6:30 AM	ETA Camiling Town Proper. Buy food and things for hike
7:00 AM	Resume travel to Brgy. Papaac
8:00 AM	ETA Brgy. Papaac, Camiling, Tarlac. Secure guides and porters.
8:30 AM	Start trek
10:00 AM	ETA junction. Go left for river trekking
12:00 PM	Rest. Take lunch on the riverside.
1:00 PM	Resume trek
2:00 PM	Arrival at the base of Damas
5:00 PM	ETA summit. Explore viewpoints. Pitch tent and campsite.
6:00 PM	Dinner and socials
8:00 PM	Lights out
(Second day)
5:00 AM	Wake up call. Witness sea of clouds if any.
6:00 AM	Breakfast. Break camp. Prepare for descent.
7:00 AM	Start trek to Ubod Falls
10:00 AM	ETA Ubod Falls.
12:00 AM	Resume trek.
4:00 PM	ETA Brgy. Papaac, Camiling, Tarlac. Tidy up.
7:00 PM	ETA Siesta Bus Station, Tarlac City.

IMPORTANT NOTES

Transportation: The easiest way to go to Brgy. Papaac jumpoff is to rent a jeepney. Jeepney rentals cost around Php 2000 - Php 3500. For private vehicles, one may drive through Romulo Highway. Upon arrival at Malacampa Elementary School junction, turn left to Mayantoc, Tarlac. Follow the main road until going to another junction that directs a sign to Brgy. Papaac.

Guides and porters: Though there are no systematic guide system, guides and porters are readily available at the jumpoff. Fees range from Php 500-700 per day.

Hiking and camping notes:

1. Prepare for scorching heat from the sun. There are parts of the trail, especially the assault to summit, where thorny plants are present. Use appropriate clothing for the hike proper. One may opt to do night hiking or start the trek in the afternoon; however, only a few have done it.
2. One may opt to use sandals during the entire trail due to river trekking. Nevertheless, always bring extra sandals or slippers if you don't want to get your shoes wet.
3. There are no windbreakers on the campsites especially on the summits - make sure that the tents are pitched properly. Prepare for strong winds during the evening.
4. Several parts of the trail require the use of ropes especially on the river trekking trail.
5. Cellular signals are sporadic throughout the entire trail.
6. There are several water sources on the trail; however, the last water source is located before the final assault to the summit.
7. There are no presence of limatiks in the trail; however, most parts of the trail are infested by mosquitoes and insects.
8. Extra precautions on hiking during rainy season is important as trail can be loose and muddy.

Estimated budget: Php 700 - Php 1000

NARRATIVE

The Mt. Damas climb was an invitational hike organized by GAME-NEST, a group of mountaineering enthusiasts from Tarlac. I first came to know Mt. Damas upon searching for mountains in Tarlac and since I frequently visit Tarlac for work-related matters, it has been my initiative to experience the beauty of Tarlac. Of course, the best way to enjoy it is through mountain climbing. Yay!

On the day of the hike itself, I met Mike, the organizers, together with the first timers to Mt. Damas. After preparing all our stuff, we started the trek. The first part of the trek is relatively easy - the heat from the sun is the only problem. It actually reminds me of the first part of the trails to Tarak Ridge. Upon reaching the junction, we started to take the river trekking trail. We have an option to go straight and take the trail that leads to Si-El Falls, but Mike told us that the trail is really steep and more exposed to sun. Moreover, the guide has told us that the river trail is less discovered, that's why we opt to choose for that.

The river trail is also relatively easy. You just have to be sure that each step on the rock is rigid as you can never tell the stability of a rock in a river trail. The thing on the river trail is that once you see a falls, prepare to do rock climbing as you will be required to traverse the trail on the sides of the falls. On these parts of the trails are ropes really important. I mean it when I say really important.

Upon arrival on the base of Damas, most of us are surprised on how the trail changed. It became very steep. With our bags fully packed on our backs, we started to endure the heat and assault, and I would say, it was very tiring. We had a lot of stops just to catch our breaths and rest. When we can no longer endure the heat, I and some of the hikers decided to stop and just wait until the sun sets. We commenced our hike at around 4:30PM until we reached a marker tree, signaling that we are near the summit. Another hour and we reached the summit. We had our dinner. It was actually my first time to reach a summit with a fully packed bag. The night was peaceful; however, signs of thunderstorms became prevalent that I was very afraid since the summit is bare. I have some sort of fear to thunders and lightings so I think it's pretty much understandable. Luckily, there has been no rain.

I woke up very early the next day to witness a sea of clouds. By the way, the reason why I wanted to hike Damas is because of this thing. Unfortunately, there are none but the view from the summit is still very rewarding. We started our descent, and thanks to the steepness, the descent became easier. We headed to Ubod Falls and along the trail to Ubod Falls, you will see three different falls which apparently gets higher and higher until reaching the Ubod Falls. Upon reaching the foot of the falls, I was amazed. It was majestic. It was the highest falls I've seen and it was just jawdropping. Of course, I enjoyed the waters of the falls and it was indeed the best way to reward yourself. We had our lunch and resumed our trek to Papaac.

We chose to take a different trail. Since the guides told us that it was faster taking that trail, all of us agreed without knowing that we are about to face a steep assault trail. That was again a test of endurance but the good thing is, the assault suddenly shifts to a descent trail upon reaching the peak of that trail. Upon reaching the river trail, we rested and resumed our trek until we reached the jumpoff.

This hike was so far the most tiring and challenging hike I've done, next to Mt. Irid. Nevertheless, the hike was so rewarding. This was the first mountain from the north that I conquered and the best part is that the mountain is not that yet explored. Moreover, I got to meet a new set of friends from GAME-NEST. Yay! I'm looking forward for more explorations on Tarlac!

OVERALL RATING OF THE HIKE: 7/10. Recommended for those who want to try some challenge on the north.

PICTURES

I would like to thank GAME-NEST for sharing this wonderful hiking experience to Damas.