Mt. Ulap- A Scenic Dayhike near Baguio
December 6, 2015- Officially opened to hikers just last Nov. 1, 2015, the Mt. Ulap Eco- trail at Ampucao, Benguet is one cool and scenic day hiking destination near Baguio City. It features immense views of Cordillera mountains, pine forests, grasslands reminiscent of the grasslands of Mt. Pulag, and beautiful rock formations.
For this hike Richard Tan, Rex Lim and I together with other hikers joined Basecamp Laguna’s 3rd Mt. Ulap hike. I never imagined doing a day hike in Baguio as I consider the place too far away that one should stay for a few days to get most of the long travel. But looking back to my other day hikes with travel time of 5 hours or even longer, 4-5 hours travel which is the average time going to Baguio, is not that long.
I thought that we will be hiking up to the summit of Mt. Ulap but due to untold reasons we only hiked up until the “Gungal” or ridge. It was a bit disappointing not being able to reach the place you were expecting but all is well- I will just go back and finish the traverse next time.
We started hiking at about 8am. Though drizzling, the chilly, pine scented Cordillera air wafting around us, the birds and crickets chirping and welcoming another morning made the day beautiful and ideal for hiking.
Trail to Mt. Ulap goes through a pine forest
We were advised that the hike is estimated to last for 3-4 hours, the first hour of which is characterized by ascents and the remaining hours by rolling terrain. I do not know what to expect in the hike as I did not read any accounts of the day hike. I passed by a few pictures while browsing facebook but didn’t really looked at them as I would like to see the place in reality and not just in a computer screen.
To go to the trail we have to walk 10-15 mins from the Ampucao National Highschool. Mt. Ulap’s eco-trail is very established as it is used by the locals even before its official opening as way to get to the cow pastures. It goes through a beautiful pine forest, then opening to the grassland and continues to the “Gungal” where picturesque rock formations are located.
Grassland area to Mt. Ulap reminds hikers of Mt. Pulag's "Marlboro Country"
The trail to Mt. Ulap offers immense views of the Cordillera. Some mountains we have identifed are Mt. Ugo, Mt. Sto Tomas and Mt. Arayat.
The Cordillera mountain range can be most prominently seen when hikers enter the grassland part as there are no pine trees to block the view. The only downside of not having the pine trees of course is that there will be no shade- this is not a problem during our hike in the morning as the temperature is a cool 21-22 Co. However in the afternoon, the heat will be truly felt as one goes through the grassland.
We completed the hike at about 1:30PM in the afternoon and then walked the few meters to the high school where we washed and refreshed.
Mt. Ulap's "Gungal" or ridge is one of the most photographed spot in the entire hike
In retrospect
Though not completed, the Mt. Ulap hike is one beautiful and scenic day hike. I enjoyed walking in the trail while trying to take in all the wonders of the Cordillera mountain range. I am so mesmerized by the view that I can’t help remembering Murakami’s Norweigan Wood again. There was one part on the trail where I sat on the ridge, tried to comprehend the immensity of the view and listened to Beatles’ Norweigan Wood (in LOW volume so as not to disturb wildlife. Promise! haha).
I also noticed the many clouds hanging on the blue sky while hiking because of the name of the mountain. There were different kinds of clouds that day- some looked like scales, other like flour smeared in the sky; some were just wisps and others tower over the horizon in cotton candy like blobs. I thought I could compile all them and make a cloud atlas! I’ve been hiking for quite some time now and I have to admit that I’ve only noticed the differences of clouds just during this hike.
Apart from appreciating the view, it was also nice to be back at my second home- Baguio. I will definitely be back to finish the traverse!
Come, hike with me!:)
