Preparing for the Mt. Ulap Traverse

The last time I hiked a mountain was eons ago, when I was still in college. Back then, I loved the tranquility and isolation it offered. Up there, you and your friends could shout and laugh your hearts out because nobody would mind. 20 plus years and a bald head later, I climbed a mountain for a different reason.

To borrow Eivind Kjorstad’s reason for climbing mountains, “It’s healthy. I’ve got a job where I sit in an office in front of a computer most of the day. As such, there’s a high and real risk that I’ll suffer health-problems or even die because of inadequate physical exercise. Hiking in the mountains is probably the (healthiest) vacation possible. Beyond the exercise there’s also health-benefits like zero stress, like fresh air, clean water and friendship.”

In a nutshell, Mr. Kjorstad summarized what I thought of. Aside from that, I am at a point in my life where I wanted to open that little notebook of mine again and tick one item off my bucket list. So I got my phone and started searching for local hiking trips.

Mt. Ulap at 1,846mASL is a relatively easy climb for beginners. 

This led me to MDF Outdoor. Upon opening the page, you would see at least 4 budget friendly trips that the company is organizing. The ones I saw were day tours.

The trip I chose was for the Mt. Ulap traverse because I think it’s a relatively low enough mountain for beginners. The traverse costs P1,200.00 per person inclusive of van transfers, a guide and registration fee. Fees do not include food. You could bring your own breakfast and lunch like canned tuna or sausage or the Filipino staple adobo and rice. If you don’t have time to run to the grocery or to prepare the food yourself, you could just buy food from sari-sari stores in at least 2 resting stops there. They sell an assortment of food such as instant noodles, canned sardines, grilled hotdogs, or home cooked meals. The price for one viand and a cup of brown rice or white rice is P90.00.

A light breakfast and lunch composed of a couple of
canned tunas and biscuits for the hike.

   

The group met up at in McDonald’s Centris branch at 11 p.m. At 12:30 a.m. we were ready to pull out as the last guest has arrived. I dozed off as soon as we were already in NLEX. At 4:00 am, we arrived at the jump off point, Barangay Ampucao, in Itogon. Since the trek was at 5 a.m., we still had time to kill.

Upon going down the van, I could already feel the cold morning air. I immediately grabbed my windbreaker as I do not intend on catching a cold during this hike. Upon closer look at the whole place, I realized that the parking lot is in a barangay hall that could possibly double as a multipurpose hall for the different activities of the barangay.  A few feet away from the vans were rectangular wooden tables neatly lined up against the wall. Upon closer inspection, I realized these were “stalls” where locals sell instant coffee, cup noodles or lugaw with boiled eggs and junk food. The other tables were selling gloves, bonnets and wooden walking sticks made of pinewood. The walking stick cost P25.00. I highly suggest buying a stick if you are not that athletic or if you have minor physical issues on an uphill climb or a downhill trek. It will definitely come in handy, I swear!

I made 3 mistakes in this hiking trip. 1). I brought a heavy backpack. This is a major boo boo. I should have brought a lighter backpack instead. 

2). I made the mistake of bringing everything with me during the hike. I should have just brought the essentials like the go pro, cellphone, battery packs, food, and water. I should have left my slippers, towel and change of clothes in the van. After all, the lighter your load is, the easier your climb would be. 

The essentials: quick dry shirt, windbreaker, shades, a bonnet or a head gear, sleeves, and a belt bag
to keep your cellphone, wallet or anything you need to get instantly.

And 3). I should have bought that walking stick! Ever since I can remember, I have always had knee problems. I haven’t gotten around to visiting the doctor for this though. The trek up was easy. It was fun actually. The hard part for me was the downhill trek, which took a toll on my knees.   For the beginners out there, beware. You have been warned.

Essentials: camera, tripod or selfie stick, a flashlight, a battery pack and your cable connectors for charging your gadgets.

The travel essentials

back pack (choose one that isn’t heavy)

1.5 to 2 liters of mineral water

quick dry shirt

shorts or pants

hiking shoes (choose one that isn’t heavy)

windbreaker

bonnet

flashlight

camera

cellphone

battery pack

cable chargers

hiking cane

first aid kit

medicine

towel and change of clothes

slippers

To be continued...