Mount Pulag

What to wear in Mount Pulag, Benguet

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Lately, my friends have been asking me about Mount Pulag in Benguet. What should I wear? What should I bring? Should I do some training? Is it really cold up there? So I’m writing this post for people who are first time hikers to Mount Pulag.

YES! IT IS REALLY COLD UP THERE!

Trekking at Mount Pulag

But if you have the proper gear you’ll be able to survive the harsh temperature of my favorite mountain.

The technique is all about layering. You wear something and when you feel cold, you put something on top of it to add layer.

Here’s what I wear in Mount Pulag.

Head

Bonnet – to cover my head and ears.

Handkerchief – Tied around my head to cover my nose and lips.

Torso

Drifit shirt – 1st layer

Fleece Jacket – 2nd layer

Wind Breaker – 3rd layer

Fleece Jacket

Hands

Gloves – can be knitted or fleece.

Mount Pulag Guides and Porters

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In the span of 5 years, I have climbed Mount Pulag 5 times, 3 of which I arranged. One thing I like about arranging trips is that I get to talk a lot with the locals, guides and porters. And my climb last March 5-6 was one of the best talks I had with the locals, guides and porters.

CAB Urban Travel Magazine and Friends with Ma'am Mereng

Ma’am Mereng is the current Protected Area Superintendent (PASU). I admit one of the reasons why I love going back to the National Park is because of her lecture. She requires everyone to attend the lecture. When I say everyone, it means EVERYONE. The lecture will not start when one of the climbers is not in the room. But who’s complaining, her lecture is not the boring type. You’ll end up laughing throughout her serious lecture. You’ll ironically memorize and respect the mountain. I’ve attended her lecture twice. The 2nd time I thought it will no longer be as comic as my first but I was surprised that she did not use the same jokes as she did on my first time.

What I love about her is her passion to protect Mount Pulag and the locals that live within the area of the National Park. One time when we were logging out of the park, we chatted about the widening of the trails to the summit due to the established trails being muddy from the rains. She proposed that small rocks be put on the trails to lessen the mud effect. She also challenged me when I return, for added challenge, to carry a rock and place it on the trail.

Friends, Guides and Porters on a Rainy Morning (Photo by Mhelanee Bulabos)

Kuya Roy has been guiding people up Mount Pulag since 1987 and he was the guide in front of our group. He told his story about guiding more than 100 people up the mountain and he was the only single guide. Many of which got lost because they could not wait for Kuya Roy. He was

Mount Pulag with CAB Urban Travel Magazine

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I’ve always been curious about travelling with contributors, writers, editors and other officers of a travel magazine. Though much can be learned from what is written, it’s a totally different experience to be with them during their travels. So when a friend of mine approached me and said if I could organize a Mount Pulag climb for the CAB Urban Travel Magazine I could only say yes to feed my curiousity.

For a trip to Mount Pulag, I’ve always required a preclimb. This is to prep up the participants on what the highest mountain in Luzon has to offer. A stunning view, different flora and fauna, the people and culture, the long trek and the best part of it all, the cold temperature which could go below zero degrees celsius. A totally different weather from what most of us expected of the Philippines, the all sunny whole year round where Sunshine Corazon’s name came from, except for the monsoons.

During the preclimb, I explained that there are no

The Best Place I’ve Been to in the Philippines (Nov 2010)

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Even after climbing the highest peak in the Philippines, Mount Apo, I still consider Mount Pulag to be the best in terms of magnificent view.

View of the Peak of Mount Pulag from Saddle Campsite

But what I’m asking myself is where is the best place I’ve been in the Philippines in terms of best in overall experience.

The best in terms of hospitality I’ve experienced was in

Mount Pulag Climb

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One of the reasons I run is to guide people on the outdoors. I like the outdoors and I like to enjoy nature at its rawest form. I like making itineraries and organizing climbs and my climb last weekend was one of them.


Group Picture at PAWB

Group Picture at PAWB


After 6 hours bus ride and 5 hours of jeepney ride and the 30 minutes fun orientation by PASU Mering Tamiray, we finally arrived at Babadak Ranger Station, the jump off point of Mount Pulag via the Ambangeg trail. We talked to the Ranger and arranged for our guides and porters and started our trek.

I knew I was prepared for this climb, but the first 100 meters was intense. I could hear my heart beating and my lungs were gasping for air, this is because we are about 2,000+ meters above sea level. The air pressure is lesser making the air thinner. Lucky for me the others were moving slower, so my rest and my gasp for air looked more like waiting than a rest stop.