After two years, I decided to go back to these three mountains this year for different reasons. Unlike my revenge hikes to Mt. Daraitan and Mt. Mariglem, my return to Mt. Batulao, Mt. Pulag, and Mt. Ulap is like a homecoming.

Mt. Batulao and the old trail

When I first went to Mt. Batulao, we did a back trail via the new trail. Our tour guide back then pointed at the old trail to us, saying that it was the tougher trail than the new one that they opened. I got curious, and I carried that curiosity for two years.

In February 2025, I set out to finally experience that old trail of Mt. Batulao. I specifically asked the organizer if we’re going to take on the old trail because I wouldn’t go with them otherwise. Thankfully, they took us to Mt. Batulao via the old trail, traversing via the new trail.

Indeed, the old trail was tougher, but a lot more fun! What made it tougher was the strong wind that hit us a few meters before the summit where the open trail got narrower onto a ridge. At some point, we had to crawl on all fours to avoid getting blown off the trail. We held on to the not-so-tall grasses that we can grab. On the rocky parts and steep ascents, we did some scrambling and rappelling on the way to the summit. We were screaming and laughing at ourselves, scared and thrilled at the same time. Unadulterated hiker’s high.

When we got to the summit, the strong wind didn’t let up. Clouds covered us, depriving us of a clearing. I felt sorry for those who experienced Mt. Batulao for the first time, because the view from the summit is one of the reasons why I love this mountain. There were brief moments where the clouds would part, though.

The beautiful view of the summit and the surrounding hills and mountains were just as spectacular as I remember as we descended. We amused ourselves by counting all 12 peaks of the mountain all the way back to the jump off point.

The major difference this time around? I fell off a sharp slope, about 5 feet to the ground. Well, it was more like I fell on our tour guide who was luckily watching me from below as I navigated down the slope. It happened like a slow-motion sequence. I missed a step, got disoriented, and saw the rope right in front of me. “Grab the rope!” was all that was going on in my head as I began to fall. It was right in front of me, but somehow, I wasn’t able to catch it in time. As always, my guardian angel was working hard again, taking the form of our tour guide this time around. Yes, I’m sure it was my guardian angel because I came out unscathed from the fall (so did the tour guide).

Mt. Pulag and the other summit

My second hike to Mt. Pulag via Ambangeg trail was different because I did not go to the main summit where most of the hikers usually go. Always the one to avoid the crowd as much as I can, I went to the tower summit or the grassland summit instead.

This was unplanned. I found out about this other summit from a fellow hiker a few hours before we started the hike around 2am. It worked out for me because I had zero sleep when we set out for the hike. By the time we reached camp 2, I was exhausted and nauseous from lack of sleep. It was still early (around 4 am), so I asked the group to go ahead without me so I could catch at least an hour of sleep in a small hut near the camping ground. I was the only one who wanted to take the grassland summit, anyway.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to sleep at all. The hut was already occupied by three other hikers, and I couldn’t find a comfortable spot for me to sleep in. By this time, I was already shivering from the cold and weak from exhaustion. My teeth chattered involuntarily. At that point, I decided to stand up and just wait for the sun to go up before I make another decision from there.

A little after 5am, another hiker and her tour guide were kind enough to let me join them in the hike up the grassland summit. Apparently, she was also forced to be left behind by her group because of fatigue. That’s the hiking community’s version of bayanihan — we help and look out for each other.

The climb was steep all the way. It was the first time for the other hiker, so I really felt her struggle. We had to make several stops to catch our breath, and by the time the summit came into view, I went ahead and did my own thing. It was running on pure adrenaline!

There was no sea of clouds that Mt. Pulag is known for, but the mist blanketing the nearby mountains and hills were just as breathtaking. Since this is the less popular summit, there were only a few of us there. I found the other hiker minutes later, congratulating her for making it to her first summit. After the sunrise and usual photo taking, we just sat in the grass and enjoyed the sun that blended well with the crisp air to give us a warm and cozy embrace.

Would I go back to Mt. Pulag? Absolutely, for as long as my knees and fighting heart would allow me!

Mt. Ulap on a sunny day

The first time I was here, we were right in the middle of super typhoon Goring. I almost got blown off the trail because of the strong wind, and we didn’t get a clearing at the summit.

This time, March 2025, it was a completely different experience that reaffirmed why I love this mountain despite having experienced it during a super storm the first time.

The start of the hike was slow not just because of the cold air, but because of the low visibility. The trail was covered in early morning thick fog that gave the towering pine trees their mysterious silhouettes throughout. We were way too early, so I told a couple of fellow hikers to take it slow so we have a better chance of getting a clearing at the summit. Try as we must, we were never slow enough as we often found ourselves in the middle of the pack. There were about ten groups during the hike, so much so that it looked like the entire Metro Manila went to Mt. Ulap that day.

By the time we reached the first peak (Ambanao Paway), the sun was already rising above the horizon. We were still enveloped in a sea of clouds for a few minutes, until the clearing set in and we started to feel the heat. Regardless, the view was too beautiful to ignore.

At the second peak (Gungal), I finally got that coveted photo by the popular rock formation. Since there were so many groups waiting for their turn, we were only given 10 seconds each for the photo op. Funny thing is, it’s a sloping rock so rushing means “death defying”, so to speak. Funnier still, our big group of 24 was so quick during our turn that we looked like pros giving our photographers one pose after another in quick succession.

Finally, at the summit, I saw the backdrop that I missed the first time I was there. It was a 360 view of Benguet, and what a sight it truly is! I felt a bit of sadness as I wished that my inaanak was back there with me. It was his mother mountain, and he truly loved his experience despite the storm.

The trail on the descent has improved a little bit, but it’s still the steep traverse trail that most hikers dread. Although there was no strong wind to blow me off the trail this time, I did trip on my own foot at one point that almost threw me off a ravine. I swear, my guardian angel is always on power mode every time I go hiking.

Overall, compared with my first hike to Mt. Ulap, there was very little cow dung along the trails this time around. We didn’t encounter any of the cows along the trail, but they were there lazing around in campsite 2. They own the place, but they were happy to share the spot with the campers.

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Would I recommend all these three mountains to new hikers? Definitely! Just remember to do your cardio and strength training at least two weeks before your climb, and read up on what to do and bring with you for the hike. Take the Ambangeg trail for Mt. Pulag, and not the more technical and difficult trails. Happy hiking!