The SECOND LAGATAW INVITATIONAL CLIMB

Alvin Evangelista on top of the Carrot Rock at Mt Tenglawan

I have decided! The destination for the Second Lagataw Invitational Climb is Bakun, Benguet! I’m planning to organize a BAKUN TRIO (Tenglawan-Kabunian-Lobo) Expedition from April 21 to April 24. (Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday). The budget is 2k-2.5k per person depending on the rent for the monster jeep!

The town of Bakun is in the northwest of Benguet. It is bounded by Mankayan, Benguet on the east and Ilocos Sur on the west.  It is 86 km away from Baguio City. This town of Benguet is difficult to access. If you want to use public transportation, there are two daily trips to Sinacbat (the jumpoff to Mt Tenglawan) at the Trading Post (KM5). The trip to Sinacbat takes about six hours. As the bus turns off the Halsema Highway at Sinipsip, the road gets bumpy and dusty! 

The highlight of the Tenglawan climb is the carrot rock. This resembles Pico de Loro’s monolith. Only, it looks as if it’s about to fall! It juts out of the surface at an angle of around sixty degrees to the horizontal. There was a metal cross fixed on top of the carrot rock when I climbed it in 2008. The hike up Mt Tenglawan is not very taxing. It’s probably just like climbing up Tarak Ridge from Papaya River. Me and my buddy Alvin Evangelista didn’t rely on water sources, although, we saw a clear brook on the way to the summit. 

The descent from Mt Tenglawan to Bakun dam is breath-taking and precarious at the same time. The views as one approaches the chasm that divides Tenglawan and Kabunian will remind you of the New Zealand you see in movies! The wall of Kabunian which backdrops the verdant plateau near Tenglawan is lined with long waterfalls. My guide in Mt Tabayoc showed me a video on the Legend of Kabunian. It talks of a man (or a god) who got fixed to the boulders of the mountain whose ‘lingam’ turned into a fountain of healing water! Or something to that effect! The final descent to the dam is one of the steepest I’ve experienced. There’s a rope on the near-vertical trail of loose pebbles but I hope this is enough to make you overcome your vertigo!

I can’t vividly describe the scenes in Mt Kabunian cuz we trekked it at night! But from the fence that lines the trail I could tell that it is even more vertiginous! The photos of others who have climbed Kabunian are spectacular! This is the best place to practice your skill in nature photography!

The wall of Mt Kabunian lined with waterfalls

The last leg of the expedition is Mt Lobo. This is the easiest of the three and can be trekked in a day. It’s an open trail so we'll need cover against the sun!

I want to limit the number of participants to just sixteen carefully chosen individuals. A lot of friends have been making reservations but I can’t guarantee any slot. I require training climbs before the expedition. I’m sorry if I have to disqualify some of you! I reiterate, I DON’T REQUIRE FEES! I JUST REQUIRE SPEED, ENDURANCE AND GOOD MANNERS!

TRAINING CLIMBS are scheduled on the first three weekends of April.

ARAYATRAV (day hike)

TARAK RIDGE (overnight)

MAKTRAV (dayhike)

Participants should attend at least one of the three.

I am very much hoping that I could provide an event shirt for this. AND THE SHIRT IS OPTIONAL. It’s expensive! So I discourage you from buying it! And for those who attended the First Lagataw Invitational Climb, I really hope I could have the shirts made before the Second Lagataw Invitational Climb kicks off!

ITINERARY COMING OUT SOON!

For a preview of the expedition click HERE