Mt. Pokis / Smith Volcano
Please go to: https://www.thegreenwayfarer.net/mt-pokis-smith-volcano/ for the complete account with pictures
A four hour boat ride from Calayan brought us to Babuyan Claro Island- the northernmost of the five islands of Babuyan. Culturally distinct from the other four islands, Babuyan Claro is inhabited by the Ibatan Tribe who holds the whole area as their ancestral domain.
Here is the real start of our expedition. As we approached the island, the beauty of the conical Smith Volcano cannot be disregarded. Already, we can see its barren slopes and sparse vegetation which provided a stark contrast to the forested Mt. Babuyan Claro looming beside it.
In touch with their culture and language, the locals call Smith Volcano Mt. “Pokis” which in their language, means bald.
We proceeded to the “Centro” first to meet with the Ibatan chieftain and inform him of our intention to hike. Since the chieftain has already left, we were entrusted to a local official who ensured us of a homestay for the next two nights and other needs such as food, guides, and transportation.
Everyone we met were very helpful and though we encountered some delays, we were able to hike on the afternoon as planned. We hired a local boat as required by island ordinance and arrived at the jump-off after about 45 minutes of sea travel. The waters were choppy and the searing heat posed a huge challenge for everyone, at the same time, we were continuously mesmerized by view of Mt. Pokis from the sea.
There is no dock for the boat at the jump-off so we have to rafted two/three at a time to reach the rocky beach. Rock formations were beautiful, even made more so by the thought that it was a product of ancient volcanism, and the continuous weathering of natural forces.
We walked on the boulders and reached the foot of the volcano. Covered by cinders, it is devoid of any vegetation making the heat feel heavier and more intense. It was also very quiet- no wind, and if there are winds, there are no trees to rustle. When we stop speaking, only the crunching of the cinders under our feet is heard.
A little more walk and we reached some grassy patches. From that point onwards the slope started to ascend giving way to a steep landscape of loose rocks characteristic to that of cinder cone volcanoes. What’s surprising here is that though rugged, the whole slope is dominated by so much pitcher plants!
Locals mentioned that they usually go to Mt. Pokis to let their cows and goats graze. Even so, there is no visible trail once in the mountain and one just follow the slope and wherever ground is most stable.
The summit is reached in just two hours. By the time we got there the sun has lowered itself on the horizon, coloring the landscape and the sky with shades of gold, red and orange. Such a beautiful reward after an afternoon hike!
Going down was much more difficult because of the steep descent on loose rocks. We took our time here, and since we hiked a different trail going to Asgad (another area of the island known for its black sand beach and coastal hot spring) where our boat was docked, the hike ended a little past 2100H.
It was already 2230H when we reached our homestay. Most of us have no appetite to eat anymore but we were greeted by many members of the community upon our return. On the table were fresh fish, heaping plates of rice and root crops, and off course, the much requested lobster. Only then we felt how famished we were and thus we ate with much gusto.
