Climbing Mount Pulag

"The best climber in the world is the one who's having the most fun." - Alex Lowe



One fine evening I sent one officemate a message:

Me: Let's Pulag ourselves
Officemate: Sige kelan?
Me: sa April
Officemate: Sige, yaya ka pa ng iba para madami tayo
Me: Ok

After 10 minutes...(well as far as I can remember)

Me: meron na akong nayaya
Officemate: ilan na tayo
Me: kasama ko tropa ko at gf nya, tapos 3 pang officemate
Officemate: sige mag budget na ako

I've been dreaming of climbing Mt. Pulag after conquering Mt. Pinatubo last January 2008. Dub as the "rooftop" of Luzon, it has the record of being the highest in the Luzon island. The best part of climbing Mt. Pulag are the trails that it offers for its climbers; for first timers I suggest Ambangeg-Ambangeg trail. Although this trail is said to be the "easiest" still there are parts of the trail that will challenge your strength and endurance. But once you reached the summit, all of the challenges you encounter along the trail will be just a memory of the past. The feeling of reaching the top most part of the mountain was definitely the best part of the experience.

Getting Ready
This is my first time to climb a mountain like Pulag so here's a list of what I did before the climb:

Exercise. Most important of all, this will prevent or if not lessen muscle cramps and pains.
Look for the perfect Shoes.
Backpack. from the looks of it, long are the big backpacks, i guess pack light is always the way to go.
Trail Food. sweets to raise your energy along the trail.
Happy and Funny People. because climbing Pulag is a Fun-Climb
Sturdy Tent. cause winds are strong when your on top.
Alcohol on the side. helps you to stay warm during the cold nights at camp.
Picture, picture.for photo lovers and hobbyist bring extra batteries and tripod for that night shoot and star trails.

That's about it... you can always consult expert climbers if you think this list is not enough.

The next best thing about climbing Mt. Pulag are the porters, they' are like angels; a heaven's sent for lazy city dwellers like me. You just need to pay a minimal amount. Also, before climbing you will attend a short but very informative orientation at the DENR office. Here you will log in your names and group names. Then you will proceed at the ranger station. This will be your last stop before the climb so do your rituals here.

Have a Safe Climb! I'll tell my adventures and misadventures on my next post.

Pulag Series:

Climbing Mount Pulag 
First of Summer
Race to The Top
Attack of the Gummy Bears