MT TIMBAK - MT PULAG Over The Weekend

Kabayan Cantral

Stats

Covered Distance on foot	38.1km
Moving Time	10 hrs 38mins
Total Ascent / Elevation Gain	9117 feet
Max elevation	9633 fasl
Pacing	Moderate to Fast
Load	Day pack

For the third time this year, I traversed the route from Akiki to Ambangeg. This was supposed to be our training for the Skyrace on November 26 (which has been moved to February next year). The skyrun is supposed to be a 33-km out-and-back trek and run in Mt Ugo. The longest I had run was 21-km and the two had an 11-km under their belts. The initial plan was a Luzon 3-2-1 (Timbak-Tabayoc-Pulag) expedition but with limited budget and time we settled for a Mt Timbak- Mt Pulag expedition.

It was the first time my two buddies Kevin and (Daniel) Buyco would be able to set foot on Baguio and the famous Mt Pulag so they were both excited. They were so excited that they opposed my proposal to just put off the training climb since the race had been moved to a later date. They said they had been preparing for the climb and that they might spend their budget on other stuff if the climb should be postponed. So we headed for Benguet.

OUR PACKS

The Columbia Mobex

We carried only daypacks. I and Kevin used our Columbia Mobex and Buyco used his Conquer daypack. We distributed the components of the tent among ourselves—the body with me, the flysheet with Kevin and the metal parts (pegs and poles) in Buyco’s side pockets.

In my Mobex were:

1.           one set of clothes and an extra shirt
2.           my kikay kit
3.           handheld GPS device
4.           camera
5.           food (a can of luncheon meat; 2 cans of San Marino corned tuna; a pack of Quaker oat cookies; milk (in a 330-ml carton); a pack of hopia; 2 packs of pineapple tidbits
6.          flip-flops
7.          shades
8.          sleeping bag
9.          medicine kit
10.          the body of my tent

Yep, minimalist! We wanted to be back in Manila on Sunday. And that’s one of the lessons my two protégés learned that day—Duration = Load and vice versa. If you’re expecting a 3-day-2-night journey over the Akiki-Ambangeg trail then you’ll have to bring a heavy tall pack; reciprocally, if you bring a heavy pack your journey will be lengthened. The thing with bringing a heavy pack is you’ll be agonizingly carrying that burden throughout the journey for a long time. Small light packs on the other hand, will give you comfort and will save you a lot of time. I only bring a big backpack if my goal is to enjoy the length of the journey—that is, if I want to have sinigang at the campsite, witness the sunrise/sunset and enjoy one day not walking. To meet these goals will entail bringing more stuff like cook set and stove and butane gas canisters. A longer stay means more food and more clothes, so I’ll really need some extra space for my extra stuff. But if my goal is just to reach the summit, I’ll do it on a day’s hike with a small pack. Tall packs do help you be self-contained. But a daypack is never a big impediment to being self-contained. It is just the way you plan your itinerary. And my buddies just saw how an Akiki-Ambangeg trek in Mt Pulag can be accomplished in less than ten hours with small light packs.

The big question probably is how we were able to do away with stoves, cook sets and butane gas on a journey many consider a major climb. Well, this required knowledge and experience of the place. I had actually already done the same journey before. There were just a few changes in the itinerary. This knowledge helped me polish my itinerary. The same knowledge also helped my friend Dennis Hisanan accomplish the same feat recently. I know that Timbak can be traversed in four hours and Akiki-Ambangeg in 5-7 hours. Between the two mountains there is a town center where you can eat one meal and have another meal to-go. In the same town center, you can get a room for P200. We could actually have left our tent in Manila but the two wanted to experience camping within the Mt Pulag National Park. For more details check our itinerary.  

Our Transportation

Victory Liner Terminal in Baguio

We took the Genesis bus which was so cramped my shoe could barely fit in the gap between my seat and the backrest of the seat in front of me. It’s just 20 pesos cheaper than the reliable Victory Liner.

Now, the biggest problem for most hikers travelling in small numbers is the transportation from Baguio to Mt Pulag. Y’see the monster jeepneys that can negotiate with the rough roads at Ambangeg can be chartered for a hefty 8 thousand to 10 thousand pesos. Splitting this price among three members of a climbing team is insanity. But my experience and familiarity of the Benguet highlands have taught me that the best route to Mt Pulag for a real hiker (not just a tourist or a photographer) is through Mt Timbak. This is very economical and convenient. You just have to have endurance and the zeal to enjoy the scenery while trekking.

The Timbak-Akiki Route

Red : Halsema Highway; Orange and Brown: Beckel-Daclan; Yellow: our trek

The traditional game plan to penetrate Mt Pulag is to gather more than ten people and charter a monster jeepney that will take the group from Baguio City to the DENR station and then to either the jump-off of the Akiki trail or the Ambangeg ranger station. The thing with this game plan is that it is only budget-friendly to those who travel in groups (especially to the organizer). This logistical constraint necessitated me to find another route to Mt Pulag that eliminates the hassle of chartering a jeepney. And with my hands-on familiarity of the Kabayan landscape, I found a route that is friendly to the solo trekker. This route starts at KM 55 of the Halsema Highway and traverses Mt Timbak from west to east down to Kabayan Barrio and on to the Akiki trail.

From Baguio, take any bus that plies the paved Halsema Highway. You can find a lot of these at the Slaughter terminal. For a trekker who would rather walk a mile than pound his bottoms and shower in the dust, this 2-hour ride on a paved highway is definitely better than the 4-hour dusty bumpy ride through the Itogon-Bokod-Ambangeg road. The trade-off is that you’ll have to trek longer. And this 30-km trek is on the steep slopes of Mt Timbak and Akiki trail. You double this distance if you back track and decide not to exit at Ambangeg. Here’s a comparative analysis of the two routes—Baguio-Halsema-Timbak–Akiki and the traditional Baguio-Beckel-(Ambangeg) Daclan.

Halsema-Timbak-Akiki (light pack; few members)	Beckel-Ambangeg (heavy pack; many members)
2-hour smooth ride on paved highway from Baguio to KM 55 ð  2-hour smooth ride	4-hour bumpy dusty ride from Baguio to DENR + 2-hour bumpier/dustier ride from DENR to ranger station (or + 1.5-hour dusty ride from DENR to Akiki Jumpoff) ð  5.5 / 6-hour rough ride
-          1-hour assault on concrete from KM 55 to Mongoto School -          10-minute trek on level ground from Mongoto to Timbak mummies -          2-hour steep descent from Timbak mummies to Tinongchol burial rock -          20-minute descent from Tinongchol to Kabayan Barrio -          50-minute trek from Kabayan Barrio to Kabayan Central (check out Opdas burial cave) -          50-minute trek From Kabayan Central to  Akiki Jumpoff -          50-minute descent from Akiki Jumpoff to Eddet River -          4-hour assault from Eddet River to Pulag summit ð   10 hours of knee-breaking walk	-          2 hour smooth trek from Ranger Station to Mt Pulag summit OR -          1 hour and 20 minutes descent from Akiki Jumpoff to Eddet River -          7-hour assault from Eddet River to Mt Pulag summit ð  2-hour smooth trek (Ambangeg)          or ð  8-hour tough trek (Akiki)
Way back If you’re avoiding the dusty bumpy ride, you can go down Akiki and climb up to Halsema highway. But this will be another 10-hour trek. If you wanna take chances, see if you can hitch a ride at the ranger station. But you’ll have to deal with the bumpy dusty ride.	Way back The same dusty and bumpy ride.
Sights outside Mt Pulag -          Timbak vegetable terraces -          Timbak mummies -          Tinongchol burial rock -          Kabayan Museum -          Opdas burial cave	Sights outside Mt Pulag -          Daclan Sulfur Springs
Expenses (Baguio-Pulag-Baguio) -          P75:       fare Baguio – KM55 -          P200:     park fees (students get discount) -          P1800:  (÷ number of participants or P1000 for solo climber) guide fee (Akiki-Amba/Akiki) -          P400/pax: hitching rate from Ranger Station to Baguio if you choose to take the Ambangeg exit . For a group of 3pax ð  P950 / pax (out and back) ð  P1275 / pax (Ambangeg exit)	Expenses (Baguio-Pulag-Baguio) -          P8500  (÷ number of participants) Ambangeg-Ambangeg jeepney rent ---------or---------- -          P9000 (÷ number of participants) Akiki-Amba/Akiki jeepney rent -          P200 park fees -          P1800:  / 7pax guide fee (Akiki-Amba/Akiki) + P100/excess pax ---------or--------- -          P500:  / 7pax guide fee (Ambangeg-Ambangeg) + P100/excess pax For a group of 10pax ð P1310 (Akiki-Akiki) ð P1130 (Ambangeg-Ambangeg)
Trekking Distance 56km Halsema-Pulag-Halsema 38km Halsema-Pulag-Ambangeg Ranger Station	Trekking Distance 21km Ranger Station-Pulag-Ranger Station

Daclan Sulfur Spring

Although it may seem like I am popularizing the Timbak-Pulag route, I am appealing to each trekker to just bypass the summit of Mt Timbak. The owner of the Mini Calvary forbids the entry of visitors into the mini-Calvary. If you wish to summit Mt Timbak, you may head for the towers. They are the ones at the summit. The Mini-Calvary is at a lower elevation. Please be careful not to step on the vegetable plots. Or better yet, just don’t go to the summit. The views are better at Mt Pulag. You may just head straight down to Kabayan Barrio from Mongoto Elementary School.

Itinerary and Track Logs

Waypoints	Time	Elevation (fasl)	Coordinates
DAY 1: Mt TIMBAK
Baguio; Slaughter terminal; ETD for KM55	0630	4524	N 16˚25.249’ E 120˚35.582’
Halsema Highway KM 55	0900	7633	N 16˚39.353’ E 120˚46.606’
Mongoto School	0944	8346	N 16˚39.605’ E 120˚47.106’
Ate Josie	1007	8731	N 16˚39.357’ E 120˚47.107’
Mini Calvary	1017	8894	N 16˚39.236’ E 120˚47.120’
Back at Mongoto School	1046	8346	N 16˚39.605’ E 120˚47.106’
Timbak key keeper	1110	8265	N 16˚39.029’ E 120˚47.798’
Lunch	1200	Bought eggs and cooked at the key keeper’s place. He’s got a store and you can use his cooking stuff. Paid him P60 for 3 eggs and some rice. That should include the pay for the use of his utensils that we washed. Don’t pay much. Think of it this way, at restaurants where they’ll cook and wash for you, isn’t P20 for a scrambled egg and a cup of cold rice reasonable?
Resume trek	1230	Paid another P20/pax to view the mummies. Taking pictures is prohibited.
Timbak mummies	1249	Forgot to mark the waypoint
Tinongchol burial rock	1436	3903	N 16˚38.057’ E 120˚49.099’
Kabayan Barrio	1455	3623	N 16˚38.076’ E 120˚49.387’
Kabayan Central	1540	Forgot to mark the waypoint
Snack; Buy packed dinner (fried chicken thigh and rice = P60)	1550	There are a lot of stores and eateries here. The Kabayan Lodge also has rooms at P200 a night. I spent one night here during my first Timbak-Pulag trek beforeI headed for Akiki Visitor’s Center. At this point you should already be calling the park ranger at the Akiki Visitor’s Center about your arrival.
Resume trek	1620	Just follow the road to the southeasterly direction. You may opt to drop in at the Opdas Mass Burial Cave along the way. The pay is P20/pax.
Akiki Visitor’s Center. Answer the call of nature. Refill trek water bottles. Register. Get a guide. Keep the receipts. You’ll need to show them to the park ranger at Ambangeg if you’re planning on a traverse.	1712	4194	N 16˚36.601’ E 120˚50.452’
Start trek to Eddet River	1810	You’ll need your headlamps.
Eddet River	1943	4206	N 16˚36.398’ E 120˚51.909’
Dinner; Pitch tents	2000
Lights out	2100
DAY 2 (Mt PULAG)
Wake up call; Break camp	0400	We had a quick and light breakfast. (oat cookies, milk and some bread)
Start Trek	0500	You won’t need your jacket when you walk. As you move your body will get hot.
Cow Country	0550	5678	N 16˚36.420’ E 120˚52.327’
Cow Country bench	0610	6086	N 16˚36.387’ E 120˚52.448’
Helipad	0647	6967	N 16˚36.241’ E 120˚52.700’
Mossy forest water source	0755	8171	N 16˚36.184’ E 120˚53.112’
Mossy forest exit; Dwarf bamboo field	0835	8898	N 16˚36.154’ E 120˚53.432’
Saddle Campsite; Brunch	0909	9179	N 16˚35.835’ E 120˚53.771’
Mt Pulag summit	1001	9625	N 16˚35.865’ E 120˚53.927’
Camp 2	1041	8916	N 16˚35.061’ E 120˚54.401’
Camp 1	1131	8463	N 16˚34.774’ E 120˚53.587’
Ranger Station; Lunch	1207	8074	N 16˚34.330’ E 120˚52.814’
ETD of shared monster jeepney for DENR	1230	If you’re not lucky to find a group with whom to share a monster jeepney, you may hire a habal-habal (P300) or a monster Jeepney (P2000) to take you to the DENR office. In our case, we just had to pay P400/pax from the Ranger Station all the way to Baguio.
DENR (Ambangeg)	1432	Inform the Park Superintendent that you went through briefing at the Akiki Visitor’s Center. But when there’s more than seven of you, she’ll tell you off for not going through orientation from her before going into the Mt Pulag National Park.
Daclan sulfur springs	1512	It’s just a short turn-off from the road to Baguio. This is an undeveloped area where you’ll see a gray pool of boiling sulfuric liquid.
ETA Baguio	1710	We bought some wet tissue at the 7-Eleven beside the Victory Liner Terminal. We cleaned up and changed at the restrooms of the Terminal
ETD for Manila	1830	We decided to take Victory Liner on our way back because the ride to Baguio had not been comfortable and reliable with Genesis.
ETA Manila	0030

Kevin at the summit

 OUR EXPENSES

Genesis bus fare	P432 (P342 / student)
Baguio – KM 55 bus fare	P75
Park and camping fees	P200
Guide fee	P1800/3pax = P600
Hitching fee	P400
Others (food stuff)	~P500
Total	< P2500

Team Lagataw: Me, Kevin and Buyco at the KM 55 entry point

For related articles please click on the following links:
Ultimate Pulag
Mt Timbak