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Mt. Pulog...Earth's "Bald Pate"
Posted on Friday, 8 August 2014
Mt.
Pulog…earth’s “bald” pate
By Apolinario Villalobos
For nature lovers, climbing a mountain,
though tedious, is a respite to release tension and pressure from daily
routines. The Philippines is pockmarked with elevations for this purpose, from
the lowest, Taal Volcano, in Batangas of Luzon, to the highest, Mt. Apo between
Davao del Sur and North Cotabato in Mindanao.
The first time, I climbed Mt. Pulog
(poo-lag), I just thought it would be an easy climb, in fact, just a trek, when
the organizers informed us that going up to its peak would be a breeze on
“clean” trails. Mt. Pulog, with its height of 9,623 feet above sea level, is
the pride of the Cordillera mountain range. Nevertheless, we were told that the
climb would just be easy.
The climb, organized by PAL Mountaineering
Club, was made in November 1979, when the trails leading to the mountain’s peak
were not yet so much trodden by local as well as foreign trekkers. As it was my
first time to climb the mountain, I was excited no end, for I have already seen
photos of its spectacular terrain that leads to its peak – treeless
protrusions, endless field of grass, interspersed with flowers and dwarf
bamboos, and thin wisps of clouds that hide some portions of neighboring lesser
peaks. Mt. Pulog, in the vernacular connotes baldness, an appropriate name,
considering the aforementioned description of this peak.
From Baguio City, we embarked on a
four-hour drive to Ambangeg, an old logging camp, for a trek to Lebang Lake,
where the trek to the summit was to start. Along the way, we were fascinated by
mountainside sceneries – all breathtaking, including those of the Binga and
Ambuklao dams. The continuous upward trek to Lebang Lake was arduous and a
knee-buckling experience. It was all the
way up, that required rest every fifty steps in my case. We were however, compensated with the view
from the winding road that we were trying to tame. Finally, at seven in the
evening, we reached Lebang Lake under the boastful glow of the moon, relieved,
especially when we met Apo Usok, the mountain’s “sentinel”, who had spent more
than fifty years of his life in his smoke-blackened hut.
We immediately opened our cold packed
dinner for a few bite, as the cold to which most of us were not used,
practically, penetrated the double layers of shirts we wore, on top of which as
the final layer was the parka. We took time to visit Apo Usok who told us
stories about the mountain, while enjoying sips of gin that we brought to
counter the bite of the cold night. Those who did not have enough strength to
pitch their tents, spent the night in the comfort of Apo Usok’s hut.
The following early morning, we assaulted
the peak which was shrouded yet with clouds. On our way up, the clouds seemed
to follow us, while gingerly finding footing on the slippery trail that winded
through a forest of elfin pines, and clusters of wild strawberries. We found
relief in a cool spring that we found along the way, where we refilled our
water canteens. We could not help ourselves but get delighted by the ring of
forest that girded the mountain, for the surprises that it gave us. One moment,
we were groping our way through a fog, and the next moment, we were out in a
clearing practically carpeted with grass, flowers, and dwarf bamboos!
The most touching moment was when we were
trudging on the carpet of soft peat moss that wound through moss and
lichen-covered trunks of gnarled centuries old trees. In an instant, the
fatigue that overwhelmed me during the first hour of my trek disappeared. As if
on cue, the fog thinned out when we reached the border of the forest from where
the majestic panorama of the summit enfolded. Everything was green with the
undulating blades of grass, all the way up to the waiting bald pate crowned
with a thin lace of cloud. The only distraction to this seemingly endless vista
was the winding trail. It was just a great scene to behold!
We were all overcame with awe, everybody
was emotional. We solemnly walked in a single file towards the summit where
some ribbons of clouds covered us up to our knees. There was a general feeling
that it was not a trek, but rather, a “pilgrimage” to a “high place” where we were
to meet Him, to pay our homage. At the moment we set foot on the summit, we
felt a strong attachment to Mother Nature, so that we were reluctant to leave
the grassy pate, when it was time to trace our steps back to Lebang Lake.
On our way down, we picked up candy
wrappers, empty cans of sardines and soft drinks, cigarette butts…every sign of
the modern time that we found along the way, and which the unscrupulous “nature
lovers” dropped, to be brought down to where they belong – the garbage can. Our
group has been espousing the dictum, “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing
but footprints, kill nothing but time”.
(Aside from Ambangeg, another way towards
Lebang Lake, where the trek to the summit starts, is via the village of Ellet,
onward through the Abukot sawmill, from where a logging road can be followed
towards the lake. The best time to climb Mt. Pulog are during the summer months
of March and April, however, “heavy traffic” of trekkers is expected. It is
important that climbs be coordinated with the Baguio City Tourism Office, to
check guidelines updates on restrictions as regards the rules on the mountain’s
preservation.)
