Mt. Pulag: My Year-Ender Hike

There are moments in life that feel too full for words — when joy, awe, and gratitude all rush in at once and your heart can barely contain them. Standing on the highest peak of Luzon on December 14 was exactly one of those moments.

I chose Mt. Pulag as my year-ender hike, and it turned out to be the most fitting way to close a chapter. As the final weeks of the year wound down, I was winding up — literally — through mossy forests, mist-laden trails, and crisp mountain air that filled my lungs with something that felt a lot like perspective. Every step upward was a quiet reminder that persistence is beautiful, and that nature has a way of restoring what the busyness of life slowly wears away.

The Playground of the Gods

Mt. Pulag is known by many names, but perhaps the most evocative is its indigenous title: Playground of the Gods. The Ibaloi people, who have called these highlands home for centuries, considered the mountain sacred — a place where their ancestors’ spirits reside. When you finally witness it for yourself, it’s hard to argue with that reverence.

The reward that greeted me at the summit was a sea of clouds stretching endlessly in every direction — soft, rolling, impossibly white — with the peaks of nearby mountains emerging like islands in a dream. I stood there in quiet disbelief, whispering a prayer of thanksgiving. Lord, you truly outdid yourself on this one.

“Through misty trails, moss-covered forests and crisp mountain air was a reminder of the beauty of persistence and the gift of nature.”

A Little About Mt. Pulag

Before you lace up your boots and hit the trail, here are some things worth knowing about this magnificent mountain:

The mountain sits at the heart of the Cordillera mountain range and is recognized as one of the most biodiverse areas in the country. The summit plateau is blanketed in dwarf bamboo — a rare high-altitude grassland ecosystem found in only a handful of places in Southeast Asia. It’s not just a hike; it’s a walk through a living, breathing, sacred landscape.

The Trail: What to Expect

Most hikers, myself included, take the Ambangeg Trail — the most accessible route that begins in Kabayan, Benguet. While it’s labeled the “easiest” among Pulag’s trails, don’t let that fool you into packing light on preparation. The cold is real (temperatures can dip well below 10°C near the summit), and altitude sickness is a genuine concern as you ascend above 2,000 meters.

The trail takes you through three distinct ecosystems: the mossy forest, the mossy-pine forest transition zone, and finally the open grassland summit. Each zone has its own personality — the mossy forest in particular feels utterly enchanting, dripping with hanging lichens and ferns, as if you’ve stepped into another world.

Tips If You’re Planning to Go

Start your summit push at 2–3 AM to catch the sunrise and the sea of clouds at their most magical.
Layer up seriously. Cold, wind, and fog can all hit simultaneously near the top.
Stay on the trail. The dwarf bamboo ecosystem at the summit is fragile and protected.
Bring your own water and snacks — there are no stores along the trail.
Practice Leave No Trace: every piece of waste you carry in, carry out.
Go with a guide or a registered mountaineering group, especially on your first attempt.

Carrying the Mountains into the New Year

As I made my way back down, legs tired and heart full, I thought about what it means to end a year on a summit. There’s something quietly profound about choosing to climb — to do the hard, beautiful thing — as a way of marking time. The sea of clouds doesn’t care what year it is. The mountain doesn’t keep score. And yet, somehow, standing there at the top felt like the perfect answer to everything the year had asked of me.

Mt. Pulag, you filled my heart with memories I will carry into the new year and beyond. You reminded me that the most meaningful moments are rarely the comfortable ones — they’re the ones you work for, step by cold, misty, magnificent step.

May I continue to seek more adventures, live more awe-inspiring moments, and keep a heart that never stops being grateful. 💛

FoAnne — Blog Signature

FoAnne

Mt. Manabu 2018

It’s been a year since my last hike, that was February 2017 in Mt. Maculot.

Since I was so fed up and stressed in my current job, I filed a 3-day vacation leave. I said to myself that I have to go somewhere to spend my 3 days’ vacation. And since my friend is also mending her broken heart, she decided to go on hiking so why not join her.

We agreed to climb Mt. Manabu in Sta. Cruz, Sto. Tomas, Batangas. One of our friends already climbed Mt. Manabu so we decided not to have a guide.

At 5:30AM, we’re at the registration point already. At 6AM, we arrived at the starting point. (Exciting!!) So nagsimula na kaming umakyat, sabi nila visible naman daw ang trail and kailangan lang namin sundan yun. Meron ding mga guide map so push! Narating namin ang Station 2 around 7AM. Nakakapagtaka lang na parang hindi naman paakyat yung dinadaanan namin. Good thing, may napagtanungan kami, yun pala naliligaw na kami. (yikes! lol) Sabi ni kuya, papunta na raw CALABARZON ang labas namin. Nakakaloka, sa halip na bundok ang mapuntahan, toll way ang mararating. (LOL)

Medyo mahabang lakarin ulit pabalik ng station 2 pero keri, pawis pa mooore! Nung nakabalik na kami sa station 2, tinandaan na namin ang sinabi nila na derecho lang ang daan.

Patarik na ng patarik ang dinadaanan namin kaya feeling namin tama na yung tinatahak namin. Thanks God, narating namin ang Station 5 o kung tawagin nila ay Kapihan ni Tatay Tino. Dito sa station na ‘to libre ang kape at take note, hindi basta kape ha, civet coffee lang naman ang iinumin mo- kape na galing sa poop ng alamid.

Nang makarating kami sa summit kung san nandun ang malaking krus medyo foggy pa kaya hindi pa masyadong kita ang view.

Honestly, I need more of this. Less worry, less stress. Yung happy lang, yung payapa lang ang nararamdaman mo. Panatag ang pagkatao mo.

At pag bumalik na tayo sa realidad ng buhay, mas handa na tayo. Meron na ulit tayong sapat ng lakas at determinasyon para harapin ang lahat.

Rookie of The Rockies 2017

Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.” – Barry Finlay

It”s been a week since my friends and I went hiking. We climbed the peak of Mt. Maculot, one cold Saturday morning.

Mt. Maculot is situated in Cuenca, Batangas, which is about 947m tall. It has three parts- The Rockies, Summit and Grotto. You can reach these three destinations through traverse day-hike. While some just took the route to the Rockies only, we decided to choose the Rockies-Summit-Grotto traverse and it cost us Php 800.00 for the tour guide.

We arrived at the town of Cuenca around five in the morning. We had our registration and we also met our tour guide, Kuya Elmer. It is our first time hiking as high as Mt. Maculot. What we have in this hiking are just one loaf of bread, bottles of water, chips, body strength and courage.

We had our prayers first, for our safety and guidance. We started our trek about 6AM, and our first destination was The Rockies. The trails is really challenging, it will test your stamina real hard. I lost count how many times we took a rest, and while we are resting, sabi samin ni ate na nagtitinda ng suman, “naku pag narating nyo na ang tuktok ng Rockies, sabihin nyo naman worth it.” At yun naman ang gusto namin, kaya tuloyy ang trekking.

Hindi birong pawis ang nailabas ko dito, agang work-out. When we hiked, the weather was not so fine, medyo umaambon, so sabi namin walang sunrise kasi maulap. But we keep on praying na sana pagdating namin sa taas may clearing and ta-daa! Yaaay! Worth it nga!

You’ll have a perfect view of Taal Lake. Ang sarap sa feeling! Ito yung pakiramdam na pagkatapos ng paghihirap, walang kapantay na saya ang malalasap mo. (Literal, ito yun mga bes!)

At sobrang naappreciate ko at natutuwa ako sa mga tao na nakakasalubong namin na naghahike din. They’re saying “Good morning, Ingat kayo and God Bless!” They are so friendly and approachable. All you have to do is wear your genuine smile and you’ll have a circle of friends in just a snap.

After Rockies, Summit naman. But before going to Summit, we had our lunch first to have our energy back. Going to summit, the stuggle is real. Parang four times yung hirap kesa papuntang Rockies. Dahil nga sa medyo hindi kagandahan ang panahon, medyo umulan ang foggy pa, kaya talagang maputik at madulas yung daraanan. Grabe talagaaaaa!! I slide and stumble twice because of the thick mud and slippery trail. I felt like my knees are shaking because of tiredness and maybe muscle pain. Thank you to our tour guide, if not for him, I think I could not make it.

Lesson learned: Before you hike, prepare your body well. Do some stretching to avoid body pain.

After an hour or two, here we come Summit. Lamig!

Final destination: Grotto. Pagbaba ng Summit, super rapelling talaga ang kailang gawin. Dahil sobrang tarik ng dadaanan, kailangang humawak sa mga lubid para makababa. Konting lakad pa ang ginawa namin at Grotto na. You’ve got the perfect view of the whole town. Sobrang relaxing!

Pababa sa grotto, sementado na ang daan siguro para mas madali sa mga bumibisita lalo na kapag Holy Week para sa Station of the Cross.

At 2:30 PM, matagumpay kaming nakababa ng Bundok Maculot. Sobrang nakakapagod, talagang mauubos ang lahat ng lakas mo pero sobra din nyang worth it. Sobrang fulfilled ka pagbaba mo ng bundok. Talagang napakaganda naman nga ng kalikasan.

Lahat ng pawis, putik, tawa at saya ay babaunin ko sa aking alaala. Napakagandang experience ang pinalasap sakin ng Maculot.

Nakaya ko, kaya mo din. Conquer Maculot and fall in love in it’s beauty.