Hiking Chronicles: Mt. Ulap

Mt. Ulap Traverse(1846+ MASL)
Jumpoff: Brgy. Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet
Exit Point: Brgy. Sta. Fe, Itogon, Benguet
Mountain specs: Difficulty level 3/9 | Minor climb | Trail class 1-4

FACTS ON MT. ULAP
Mt. Ulap is a relatively new hiking destination in the north. Though hiking activities are present since 2008, the mountain officially opened itself to the public just last October 2015. Mt. Ulap is called such literally because of the clouds. According to the locals, clouds start to migrate to the summit of Ulap every afternoon.

A lot of posts identify two trails leading to the summit of Mt. Ulap; however, the municipality of Ampacao clarified that only the Ampucao-Sta. Fe trail exists and is allowed for hiking.

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Last December 29, I decided to do my annual year-end hike at Mt. Ulap. Luckily, two of my hiking buddies, Kim and Ivy, joined me on my first escapade to the north. Yay! Even the hike wasn't that much planned, we still chose to pursue the hike.

We met at Victory Liner Cubao at around 10 PM and rode a bus bound to Baguio. The bus left the terminal at around 11:45 PM and arrived at Baguio City at around 6:00 AM. Upon arriving, we rode a taxi to bring us to Petron Harrison Road, where jeepneys to Philex Ridge can be found.

Touchdown Baguio. With the girls on our way to Mt. Ulap.

The first trip of jeepneys bound to Brgy. Ampacao leaves at 6:00 AM. However, since we're a little late, we took the next trip that leaves at 8:00 AM. The trip itself was refreshing and majestic with unlimited sights of the Cordillera mountains. We reached Brgy. Ampacao at 8:30, proceeded to the barangay hall. Due to the recent influx of hikers, the barangay implemented a no guide, no hike policy. Registration and environmental fees cost Php 100 per person, guide fees are fixed at Php 400 per day, maximum of ten persons per guide. Since it was Christmas break for most of the students, the barangay officials allowed them to serve as guides until the school resumes.

A welcoming signage in Mt. Ulap, revealing the regions of Mt. Ulap.

We started the hike at around 9:00 AM. The trek to the summit is divided into five stations, each of which has features unique for each station. The trail starts at Totombek, an uphill woodland region of Ulap. It is a thirty-minute continuous assault trail and one may start experiencing shortness of breath due to altitude. It's pretty much manageable though, and one would be welcomed by several pine trees and panoramic views of the Cordillera mountain along the trail.

On the trails of Totombek. 

Hello, pine trees! Stepping on one of the rock formations seen along Totombek.

The trail continues until it leads to Ambanao Paoay. According to locals, the word ambanao paoay means a bare piece of land with no trees attributed to the apparent grassy character of the region.

To the grasslands of Ambanao Paoay.

Cattles are of usual sight in this part of the mountain. One of the highlights of this part of the trail is the man-made rock tower installed by hikers on an region overlooking the mountains of Cordillera. According to the locals, the tradition of piling rocks emerged with the belief that the higher the tower is, the nearer you get to the keepers of the mountains, making your wishes come true. Though the same practice remains until today, these rocks have been one of the famous sights of Mt. Ulap.

Rocks, clouds and mountains.

Now we can say that this selfie of my friend truly rocks. Yay!

After Ambanao Paoay, the trail commences with one-hour walk to Gungal Rock Formation, the rock formation that made the mountain famous for its picture perfect shots. Along the way, there are rocks similar to Gungal, though much smaller, are also picture-perfect.

Reaching new heights. Taking alternatives. One of the most breathtaking shots taken in Mt. Ulap.

Locals say that Gungal Rock Formation was an aftermath of the collapse of once a tall rock statue because of an earthquake. Extra precautions are needed when assaulting the rock formation as it is steep and can really be slippery.

At the Gungal Rock Formation with my hiking friends.

Got cotton candies on the background. Braving myself to stand at the edge of this majestic rock formation.

From Gungal, the summit can be achieved in an hour or less. The trail, though majority of which are assault, is gradual. From here, since the altitude gets higher, the sights become more remarkable. One will be rewarded by the panoramic views of Benguet and La Union, extending to Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Vizcaya and Aurora, with sights of Mt. Ugo, Mt. Sto. Tomas, Mt. Cabuyao, Mt. Timbak, Mt. Tabayoc and Mt. Pulag from the summit. We arrived at the summit at 12:00PM.

Final assault to the summit.

Playful clouds on the background. Conquered Mt. Ulap!

From the summit, one can see how clouds start to play along the peaks of Mt. Ulap. We stayed for an hour before traversing to Sta. Fe. We actually witnessed how clouds travel to the summit at exactly 1PM. It was Mt. Ulap after all. From the summit, one can actually opt to backtrack the previous trail but a traverse trail will lead you to another destination in the mountain, the Pong-Ol Burial Caves. The descent trail is steep and continuous, but trail supports are installed. The burial caves can be accessed through a different trail and extra precaution is required as the trail is loose and slippery. There are three burial cave sites on the trail, each of which has legends and stories that are yet to be discovered. Though the identity and estimated age of those buried on the caves are still unknown, the locals believe that the mountain has more burial sites that are yet to be explored as well. We actually advise the guide to ask the elderly of the folklores about the mountain to enrich the culture of the mountain and share it as well to the hikers. Barangay protocol prohibits hikers from photographs of the burial caves and sites, which of course, we followed; however, some of the hikers seem to not understand and still took photos of the sacred artifacts of Mt. Ulap. Again, as I always emphasize, we always need to show respect not only to the people but to the protocols set by the officials. It is their way to preserve what they have and as visitors of the mountain, we should do our part in protecting these hidden treasures as well.

The trail ends in a hanging bridge to the community of Sta. Fe, where one can take a bath before proceeding to Baguio. From Baguio, one can opt to explore the city's rich night life and ride a bus bound to Manila afterwards, or go to Vigan or La Union for a side trip.

ITINERARY

Mt. Ulap (Ampucao-Sta. Fe Traverse) Dayhike
Day 0
10:00 PM	Assembly at Victory Liner Cubao. Take bus bound to Baguio City.
Day 1
06:00 AM	Arrival at Baguio City. Proceed to Petron Harrison.
06:15 AM	Take jeep bound to Philex Ridge.
07:00 AM	Arrival at Brgy. Ampucao. Proceed to barangay hall.
07:15 AM	Register at barangay hall. Secure guides.
07:30 AM	Proceed to jumpoff. Start trek.
08:30 AM	ETA Totombek.
09:30 AM	ETA Ambanao Paoay.
11:00 AM	ETA Gungal Rock Formation.
12:00 PM	Arrival at Mt. Ulap summit. Lunch. Explore area and viewpoints.
01:00 PM	Start descent to Brgy. Sta. Fe
02:15 PM	ETD Pong-ol Burial Caves
04:00 PM	ETA Brgy. Sta. Fe. Tidy up.
05:00 PM	ETD Brgy. Sta. Fe.
05:30 PM	ETA Baguio City. Explore area for side trip.
10:00 PM	Take bus bound to Manila
Day 2
04:00 AM	ETA Manila

SPECIAL NOTES
Transportation: Baguio City is accessible via public or private transportation; however, Brgy. Ampucao can only be accessed through jeepneys going to Philex Ridge. Bus fare going to Baguio City costs Php 455 as of 2016, while jeepney fare to Brgy. Ampucao costs Php 50. Based from experience, Philex Ridge-bound jeepneys only leave their terminal at Petron Harrison once the jeep is or almost full.

During peak season of hiking in Mt. Ulap, jeepneys and FX bound to Baguio wait at the exit point at Brgy. Sta. Fe. Though jeepneys coming from Philex Ridge or Ampucao passes through Brgy. Sta. Fe, they can really be seldom and arriving late at the exit point can be a problem. Usually, the last trip of jeepney passing though Sta. Fe arrives at 06:00 PM.

Registration, guides and porters: Individual environmental fee of Php 100 is collected at the barangay hall. Guide fees are fixed at Php 400 per day for a maximum of ten persons. Porter fees follow the same rate. Upon finishing the traverse, an additional Php 20 is collected in Brgy. Sta. Fe. The officials of Brgy. Ampucao strictly implements a no guide, no hike policy.

Hiking and camping notes:

1. Cellular signals are sporadic along the trail.
2. Do not be deceived by the cold weather. Majority of the trail is exposed to sun. Wear proper clothing and apply sunblock to protect yourself from ultraviolet rays.
3. Do not attempt to climb Mt. Ulap when raining. Trail can be muddy and slippery. The weather in the mountain can also be unbearable during the rainy season.
4. Camping sites are available in Mt. Ulap, specifically at the summit and at Ambanao Paoay.
5. Remember that the locals consider Mt. Ulap as one of their sacred grounds. Observe proper LNT principles.
6. Do not attempt to take photographs of the burial caves as it is prohibited by the local officials. Observe silence especially when passing through these sites as a sign of respect.
7. There are no water sources along the trail.
8. Altitude sickness and shortness of breathing may be experienced while hiking Mt. Ulap. Prepare accordingly.

Estimated budget: Php 1000 - Php 1500

Credits to Ivy Cadalzo and Kimberly Aspa for the photos.