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| An amazing view on the summit of Mt. Tabayoc. |
One of the most prominent mountains in Luzon is Mt. Tabayoc because it is the second highest mountain in Luzon (2842 MASL) and is one of the most preserved virgin forests in the Philippines, with a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. Your hiking experience will definitely be rewarded with the breathtaking beauty of the sea of clouds, an artistic view of the surrounding terraces, cool weather, a relaxing green ambience, and a life-changing tranquillity by the lake. Also, there are a lot of mouth-watering low-cost and fresh-harvest vegetables in the area.
Our travel from Mt. Timbac to Tabayoc was a long journey - it's within four hours. So, after the relaxed hike on Timbac, next was sleeping while traveling. No lunch yet - pero busog naman ang mga mata namin sa napaka-gandang tanawin. Subalit, kahit anung hanap ko ng appreciation yung ganda, hindi parin maipasok sa isipan ko, ramdam ko parin ang gutom ko. Sabi ko nga: "Kahit gaano ka busog ang mata mo, di parin ito matatanggal ang pag-kalam ng sikmura mo, tama diba?" Infairness, masarap ang fresh carrots huh, para tuloy akong rabbit. It was a long, curve-y, uphill road. And at around 1600, we finally reached Ballay Ranger Station.
Ballay Ranger Station is at Tabayo, Ballay, Kabayan, Benguet. It was cold—I noticed that when I opened the door and went out of the van. Low temperatures in this area are normal because of its elevation, and it is still part of Mt. Pulag National Park. Since the sun was almost setting, upon arrival, we set up our camp, changed into cold-weather outfits, and prepared our dinner.
While the sun was waving goodbye, the bluish sky started changing its colour into gold. The sky set a perfect backdrop as it showcased a golden reflection on Lake Tabeo. It was already dark when we finished the dinner preparation. The next part was a sumptuous dinner with rice and a hot, creamy sinigang. After dinner, I rested while thinking, "I am not going to summit!"
Second Day: Te Bing woke me up by shouting, " Ang ganda ng mga stars, dali! Bumangon kana!" I hurriedly grabbed my DSLR and opened the tent door. Anndddd... okay... the stars were fine in the skies, but they weren't astounding because of the clouds blocking them. We prepared our cold and moisture-proof outfit and served hot coffee and bread as our super light breakfast. Around 0200, we started ascending to the summit.
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| The staircase goes up to the view deck of Tabayoc. |
As expected, the challenging part of hiking Mt. Tabayoc is the steep and assault trails to the summit. Plus the very cold wind mixed with moisture - ay talaga namang may tutulong sipon sa ilong mo ng hindi mo namamalayan. In fairness, the ambience in the morning was relaxing, and I heard birds singing—the sssshhhh sound created when the wind blows. The trails have no access to moonlight, so a flashlight is required! Finally, I reached the summit at around 0530.
The summit has no open space; the management created an improvised view deck situated on top of the trees. Since it's improvised, it has a limited weight limit (it can only accommodate a maximum of 3-4, depending on your weight). While I was waiting for my turn to climb up to the view deck, the sunlight started penetrating the trail. When I totally saw the surroundings, I was stunned by its healthy forest; the mosses, ferns and orchids were happily hanging on the branches. It was my turn; upon standing on the wooden view deck, I was mesmerised by what I saw. There's a 360-degree view, with Mt. Pulag in the background and its famous "sea of clouds."
We stayed on the view deck for about 20 minutes because another group had just arrived. Descending on a steep downhill trail was a bit challenging, but it is one of the most preserved virgin forests in the Philippines, so there's a rich bio-diversity of plants, such as the colorful flowers by the trail and orchids hanging on the trees—really pleasing to the eyes. The soprano voices of the birds singing added a more relaxing ambience. Syempre hindi ako papatalo sa mga birds, sinasabayan ko sila gamit ang mala Mariah Carrey ko na whistle.
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| Another view deck with Lake Tabeo. |
The trails of Mt. Tabayoc are covered with trees, so the only access to view the surrounding villages and the beautiful terraces are the summit and the view deck (photo above). Posing at this spot wasn't easy because the only way to capture this photo was to walk on a horizontal tree trunk hanging on a cliff; this knee-shaking photo shoot was worth it! There's a clear view of Mt. Pulag, hiding on the white cottony clouds, and the terraces are just so artistic - I can personally compare this shot to the early civilisation of Machu Picchu in Peru, Google it!
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| A drone shot with Lake Tabeo in the background. |
Based on my camera timestamp, the descent is within two hours - this includes an unli picture on the trail. The only proof that you're by the lake is the farmlands - the trail doesn't have access to view the villages. Upon arrival by Lake Tabeo, the sun just showed its hot shine that stopped the cold ambience. At the camp, we had our breakfast part 2 and tidied up. Then, break camp. Hiking Mt. Tabayoc is highly recommended to those people who are searching for a virgin and mossy forest.
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| A group photo at Good Taste Restaurant, Baguio. |
I had a headache during our climb because of lack of sleep, but I enjoyed it. The next part would be the long, winding journey to Baguio City for an eat-out. Travel Period: 3 hours and 30 minutes. In Baguio, we were surprised by the heavy traffic due to heavy rains. It's hard to find parking, so we decided to have a break at Good Taste Restaurant.
HOW TO GET TO MT. TABAYOC: I can't provide specific details about the commute since we chartered a van for our transportation. PM me on my Facebook page, @SirangLente, and I'm happy to answer all your queries.
EXPENSES: Guide Fee: 4000 pesos (group of 11), Entrance Fee: 175, Camp Fee: 50, Heritage Fee: 150, Transpo Manila-Timbak-Tabayoc-Manila: 15,000 (group of 11).
REMINDERS: Registration is a must! Guides are required (1:7 ratio). The temperature is really low (like Mt. Pulag), and weatherproof jackets or fleece are required (ramdam ko talaga yung panlalamig). Water supply is available. However, there are times when they give priority to watering their farms. Toilet and bath are available. Sari-sari stores are available, and charging at the local houses is allowed (of course, with a golden price).