Continued from Hiking matters #863: From Leslie’s campsite – which was surrounded by fireflies and animated by the cooing of owls at night – we woke up early and after a quick shot of coffee, we excitedly started the attempt to reach the summit of Mt. Dos Cuernos at 0430H.

In less than an hour, we were back in Mt. Gida where we paused to contemplate the rest of the trip as we beheld the stil-distant majesty of Dos Cuernos.

Fortunately, the trail was mostly intact throughout the ridgeline that led to what we might call the ‘Junction’ – the spot where one has to make a turn for another ridgeline that connected to Mt. Dos Cuernos (Is this the “Mt. Hamut” that old hikers spoke of? Not even our guides were sure but it could be) There were signs of recent human activity – from Skyflakes wrappers to more silô. Slowly but surely we negotiated each of the ‘bumps’ – little peaks that had 50-150m of prominence but were cumulatively still very challenging; our altitude ranged from 1350-over 1500 MASL. Meanwhile the sun rose, casting a glorious glow in Dos Cuernos, the mountain that was now fully visible.

Just before the final peak of Gida ridge, we saw another hunters’ tent similar to Leslie’s campsite. From the Junction, the trail gets a bit more confusing; we tried to stay as close to the ridgeline as possible but even the old trails had vanished: an unsurprising fact given that the last known ascent – with SMOC and Archbishop Sergio Utleg -was back in 2012. Fortunately by 0800H we still ended up in the mossy quicksand that the old guide, Randy, mentioned as one of the hallmarks of the trail. From this point, it took us another two hours – through a couple more mini-peaks – to reach the base of Dos Cuernos, around 1350 MASL.

There was no sign of the trail whatsoever and we had to hack and scramble our way to the top. This arduous and thorny process took hours, and it was already 1345 when we reached Cuerno Norte or Roy’s Peak. Minutes later, we were perched at the fragile tower of trees, moss, and pitcher plants that marked the very summit! There were no traces of human presence but it was clearly the highest point.

From Cuerno Norte, there was an option to reach for Cuerno Sur or Chang’s Peak – the higher of the two horns – which loomed large in front of us. In the past, the connection between the two peaks would have taken just a few hours, as per Randy. However, this would have meant more hours of trail finding and blazing across even denser foliage. With time running out – and no assurance of a water source – we decided to commence the long descent at 1500H.

It took several hours of trekking to return to high camp, and several times, we struggled to retrace our steps. But our mistakes on the way up allowed us to take the old but overgrown trails that we missed, and we managed to avoid passing through the quicksand. Still, it was past 2200H by the time we reached Leslie’s campsite; altogether we trekked for over 18 hours on our third day!

The fourth day was more relaxing; relieved of the pressure of climbing Dos Cuernos, we were more attentive to the wildlife; I saw a Philippine hawk-eagle while Daryl spotted a gorgeous green snake. The lunch of river snails was a welcome treat at Shamag – plus a final dip in the river- and so was the dinner of pansit when we were back at municipal hall.

Overall, what a great experience! Again, we are most grateful to the LGU especially Ms. Maria Ellena Baui, DOT, and Sir Guy Tiongson. Kudos also to our guides, especially Leslie who joined us all the way to the peak and back! Hopefully our hike can pave the way to sustainable and responsible ecotourism in San Pablo and the rest of Isabela.

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On April 16-19, 2026, I had the distinct honor of climbing Mt. Dos Cuernos, the highest mountain in Isabela at over 1780 MASL and a storied, elusive destination for Philippine mountaineers, with the last hikes dating back to the early years of the past decade. In the process of climbing this legendary two-horned mountain, we stumbled upon  Mt. Gida – the northern peak of a 1500-meter ridge, which we realize to be a beautiful destination in itself! Backed by the LGU of San Pablo, Isabela and the Department of Tourism, and with the guidance of Sir Guy Tiongson of Sierra Madre Outdoor Club (SMOC), I was accompanied by my longtime hiking buddy Daryl Comagon (AMCI) and three guides (Leslie, Alex, Tatay Rudy) who did a reconnaissance a week prior and assured us that they had reached the summit of Mt. Dos Cuernos and that it can be reached in 3-4 days. Some police officers also escorted us to the base camp. We had the best possible weather conditions for the Northern Sierra Madre but as my two-part account will recount, we still had to overcome numerous obstacles in order to reach our goal!

It was already 1310H when we started trekking on our first day – after paying a courtesy call to Mayor Miro and the LGU officials and making final arrangements. This first day – perhaps the most relaxing – involved trekking from where the road ends in Brgy. Simanu Norte to a mini-village called Shamag, named after an Ifugao patriarch who settled in the area from Mayoyao. Getting to this place involved a Talamitam-like trek across dry slopes – beware the heat index! – reaching modest elevations (300-400 MASL) before descending to a river and then gently ascending again to Shamag.

It was a beautiful place, perched atop a riverbend, wit      h several wooden houses built in the style of Pat-yay or Cambulo; Shamag himself – now in his 70s or 80s – regaled us with Ifugao songs and we bathed in the river, slept in one of the huts.

The following day, we thought we were already on course for a very long day to reach the summit; the guides had conducted a reconnaissance a week before and based on their information and our own navigational calculations, an alpine-style ascent was feasible with a very long ‘dayhike’ from Shamag. It soon became clear, however, that just as we had suspected, what the guides reached was not Mt. Dos Cuernos but a place called Mt. Gida, and that a three-day itinerary was impossible.

This realization came as we negotiated the trek from Shamag (starting at 0500H)  to where the guides camped: a trek that involved ascending open slopes called ‘Santiago’ (after the migrants who settled there from Santiago, Isabela), entering the forest, and sharply descending through overgrowth to reach the hunters’ trail from Peñablanca, Cagayan, to the deep mountains. We saw many silô (hunters’ traps) and a poor civet that got caught in one of them; we faced numerous rattan thorns, and managed to gain 1000 meters of elevation before reaching where the guides camped – a hunters’ tent with makeshift ‘stretcher beds’ made from rice sacks. 

At that point – at around 1000H – the guides told us that we could reach the ‘summit’ in just an hour, but we knew – with further confirmation from Daryl’s drone – that we were nowhere close, so we made the decision to  just stay put in Leslie’s campsite (a hunter’s camp that we are naming after one of the guides), an hour away from Mt. Gida, and do the attempt up Mt. Dos Cuernos the following day – notwithstanding our limited supplies. In the afternoon, we decided to go up Mt. Gida anyway, also to have an idea of just how far Mt. Dos Cuernos is, and what the trail conditions are past Gida. In an hour, we reached the summit: not the one we were dreaming of, but one that is beautiful and worthy of a hike in and of itself! There were dead trees reminiscent of Mt. Kalatungan, a panorama of the towns of Northern Isabela and Southern Cagayan; there was also a partial view of the horns of Mt. Dos Cuernos. 

As we headed back to Leslie’s campsite, we were filled with trepidation and excitement over what lay beyond. To be continued in Hiking matters #864. 

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It has been my longtime dream to climb the highest points in all the Sierra Madre provinces, and climbing Mt. Dialanese (pronounced “djalanis”), the highest peak in Quirino, would be a big step closer to the goal – which is why I lost no time in taking the opportunity to do it, with the help and support of the Quirino-based Kiyaw Mountaineers led by Chris Garcia and Hassan Agcaoili. Like the province itself, Dialanese is home to Dumagat, Bugkalot, Gadding, and other indigenous communities and like the other Sierra Madre high peaks, Mt. Dialanese lies deep in the forest. From Manila, we – myself, Daryl, Charina, Kate, and FR – traveled  overland via the scenic Malico road. As we approached Maddela, the appearance of Mount Dialanese itself, majestically rising to over 1,800 meters above sea level, boded well for our team.

From Maddela, we took a 4×4 monster jeep to the trailhead, Sitio Dialanese, and we started trekking at 0504H, in a bid to complete the entire hike – normally a three-day affair, in one long day. Immediately, we went through woodlands and some river crossings. before entering the deep forest.

We saw a green pit viper along the trail, and there were giant beehives above us that we dared not disturb! . Incredibly, we could hear the barking of the deer while ascending the forest.

By 1108, we reached the campsite, where we decided to have lunch – and wait for the rest of the team. At that point, however, it became clear that the entire would not make it to the summit at the rate we were going, so Daryl and I proceeded, together with the guide, to aim for the summit on behalf of the whole team. From that point, the trail was overgrown and required a lot of acrobatics through the mossy forest. We reached the summit at 1424H, after 2 hours 20 minutes of trekking from the campsite!

We were back at the campsite by 1615, and then it was still a long way to go – we reached the trailhead at 2023H, after 15 hours! As if to bid us farewell, thousands of fireflies put on an unforgettable show on our way back from the mountain. Overall, it turned out to be a challenging hike, a worthy member of the pantheon of mighty Sierra Madre peaks—some of which I’ve also climbed like Cagua Volcano in Cagayan, Mount Bintuod in Nueva Vizcaya, Mount Kemalugong in Nueva Ecija, and Mount Mingan in Aurora—and I wish the Kiyaw Mountaineers all the best in their efforts to document and establish more trails in the province.

Pinoy Mountaineer thanks the Kiyaw Mountaineers for welcoming us in their mountain! 

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I have long dreamed of climbing Mt. Malindang – one of Mindanao’s great mountains that is mostly in Misamis Occicental but also straddles Zamboanga del Sur and Norte – only to face numerous logistical hurdles over the years. I came very close last year – we were already on the mountain and camped near the beautiful Cobra Falls – only to be told that our permit didn’t allow us to go to the summit! Disappointingly, the highest point we reached on that two-day hike (which involved scrambling up a wall from the river) was a spot along the Penacio ridge that the local guides called ‘Pinukis’, which stood around 1700 MASL – a far cry from the mountain’s highest point.

Thankfully, with the help of my Mindanao hiking buddy Kristina Alonzo (who made my White Peak, Makaturing, and Kampalili ascents possible) and mountaineer Eugene Villantes, I was able to realize this dream with a three-day ascent of the mountain via. Aside from Tina and Yue, we were joined by Palaweño hiker Julius de Vera. 

The first day consisted first of going down a valley and taking the uphill cemented path to Brgy. Gala. There, a village elder conducted a ceremony, which involved the ritual sacrifice of a chicken, to pay respects to the mountain and wish for a safe ascent. From the barangay, what followed was sitio-to-sitio trek , until we finally entered the forest at 1100 MASL. The giant almaciga were most impressive! At around 1500 MASL, we reached Camp 1 and spent a restful – if rainy – night in our tents.

The following day, we left Camp 1 at around in a bid to teach the peak, carrying only light packs. The weather was nice, but the trail was overgrown, making our progress slow. We reached the High Camp, from this point the trail was even more overgrown and convoluted – with fallen tree trunks and other obstscles. It was already 1300H when we finally reached the summit, over 2450 MASL (Officially 2404 MASL but it seemed higher based on our altimeters). The descent, as you can imagine, felt even longer than the descent; by the time we reached the campsite just before sundown, I was so tired that I decided to just eat what was left of our packed lunch, then went straight to sleep!

The third day, I left very early in the hopes of reaching Ozamiz by lunchtime, catching my good friends and hosts Ton and Maebel in Ozamiz, and not missing my flight back to Manila. Thankfully, our plan worked – we were back in the barangay by 0900H and finished the trek at just over 1000H.

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ISABELA CITY, BASILAN – When I went to Tawi-Tawi almost twenty years ago, I passed hy the peaks of Basilan and Sulu as I was about the ferry from Zamboanga, and I harbored the dream that someday, I could climb those peaks. Today, a year after hiking Bud Tumantangis and Bud Dajo in Sulu, this dream has become fulfilled in full,  with the first official hike up Punu Ulayan, Basilan’s highest peak and the highest point in all of the Sulu archipelago. As it turned out, so many people shared my dream, including the people of Basilan who had long wanted to discover what lies in their island’s summit, as well as government officials who recognized the significance of the project.

It was a confluence of many factors. I’ve long asked my friends and contacts – everyone I met who has any connection to Basilan or BARMM – to help me with information on how to Basilan Peak, but I was always told that security concerns made it virtually impossible; and I was called crazy for even aspiring to climb this peak. The mountain, after all, was a notorious hub of the Abu Sayyaf within Basilan, even as Basilan itself has been tarnished by its association with terrorism and conflict for many decades.

But over time, things can change – and sometimes for the better! Earlier this year, Basilan was officially declared Abu Sayyaf free, and the end of the election season (often a precarious time) signaled the end of political strife and a new beginning. It was also a rare alignment of people who embraced the idea of climbing Basilan Peak,  including Gov. Mujiv Hataman and Gen. Sales of the 101st Infantry Brigade. My request to hike the mountain – facilitated by the Department of Tourism through various channels, particularly through Dr. Paulo Tugbang, a good friend, and Usec. Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar – served only as the catalyst; by the time we arrived in Isabela City, so many people had already pitched in to help, including the good people from the PENRO and MENRE DENREO-B (Lamitan City) who welcomed us at the port, and Isabela City Councilor Ameen Camlian, who was introduced to me by our common friend Ica Fernandez. He also gamely agreed to join the hike, as did Gov. Hataman, Gen. Sales, Tuburan mayor Durie S. Kallahal, former Maluso mayor Hanie Bud, and many other military and civilian officials. On my side, I was accompanied by three hiking buddies: my trusted aide Julius de Vera, from Puerto Princesa, my brod John de Castro, and the nutritionist Charina Javier, who had been instrumental in arranging some of our previous hikes.

And so on September 14, 2025, we all gathered in Sumipit, Basilan, to climb the mountain. The starting elevation was almost 600m, and the first part was a logging road that led to secondary forest through a trail that was quite gradual and increasingly more verdant. By the time we reached 800 meters, the trees were mossier, and pitcher plants began to appear: a remarkable feature that I hope someday will be documented for the possibility of new subspecies or species. At time, the trail was quite steep, but we were aided by the roots and branches in our ascent, and I was delighted to breach past the 971-meter mark (the official elevation),

The advance teams of the military already cleared the path (as did the MENRE folks from another, more northern trail), so even  with our relaxed pace, it just over 2.5 hours to reach the two summits, the first being marked by an ancient tree, and the second by a gravesite of village ancestor. At those points we were nearly (if not above) 1000 meters above the sea level, making it the only point in Sulu archipelago to approach or breach past the 1000-meter mark.

The convivial atmosphere continued throughout our brief bivouac at the summit, with Gov. Mujiv even holding a Facebook Live session, and everyone else celebrating the historic moment. The descent took us much faster – just over an hour – although it took others much longer, given the understandable challenges posed by the slippery trails. As we ended the day at the beautiful beach of Malamawi Island, I could only thank God for a dream come true and for the ascent – symbolic and real- for the people of Basilan, and for our country. Inshallah, peace will continue to reign and more people will discover Basilan’s once-inaccessible mountains.

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PUNU ULAYAN (BASILAN PEAK)
Sumisip and Al-Barka, Basilan
Major jumpoff: Mahatalang, Sumisip, Basilan (6°32’18″N 122°03’03″E)
LLA: 6°32’53″N 122°4’25”E (+400), 1001 MASL* (unverified)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 3-4 hours
Specs: Minor; Difficulty 4/9, Trail class 1-3
Features: Tropical rainforest, historic and cultural significance, views of Sulu Sea
Article history: Created September 15, 2025
Author: Gideon Lasco

BACKGROUND
Punu Ulayan (or Puno Uleyan and variants thereof), more popularly known as Basilan Peak, rises to around 1000 meters above sea level from the rainforests of Basilan, the northernmost large island of the Sulu Archipelago just off Zamboanga Peninsula. Throughout the region’s deep history, Punu Ulayan has served an important landmark for the Yakan people – and navigation guide for Tausug and Maguindanao traders passing by the waters of Sulu and Celebes Sea. As part of the Basilan Natural Biotic Area, Punu Ulayan is home to various fauna and flora and is known to be a bird sanctuary, with sightings of the Colasisi, Philippine Fairy-bluebird, among other avian nobles; the author personally saw some sunbirds and a Zamboanga bulbul during his hike, as well as Nepenthes sp. in the upper reaches.

During the American colonial period, Punu Ulayan and other Basilan mountains were heavily logged and exploited, taking a toll on the island’s biodiversity and economy, contributing to the sociopolitical conditions that fueled insurgency and terrorism. Although declared a national park for decades, the peak was inaccessible to hikers and locals alike, and was a hub for the notorious Abu Sayyaf group. In 2025, however, Basilan was formally proclaimed Abu Sayyaf-free and the first official hike up Punu Ulayan took place in September 14 of that year, with Gov. Mujiv Hataman and the author in attendance, among various military and civilian stakeholders, formally opening the peak to eco-tourism.

The hike itself is very similar in terms of profile and environment to the other peaks in Sulu Archipelago, including Bud Tumantangis. Starting at around 600 MASL from what is currently a rough road in Mahatalang, Sumisip, that hike meanders through a logging path until it transitions a steeper, forest trail. Past 800 MASL, the forest becomes more dense and verdant, with various mosses and ferns. The first summit is marked a giant tree (Ficus?) and the second, marginally-higher summit is marked by a grave, said to be that of a ancestor of some of the locals. As a sacred space, the highest peak of Basilan calls for reflection and quiet celebration: of the numerous sacrifices involved, of the many years it entailed, to make peace – and being there – possible.

ITINERARY

(From Isabela)

0500 Leave Isabela for the trailhead in Mahatalang, Sumisip
0700 Courtesy call in military camp; other formalities if necessary
0730 Start trekking
0800 Rest along the way
1000 ETA first summit
1030 Visit second summit
1100 Start descent
1300 Back at trailhead.
1500 ETA Isabela; possible sidetrip to Mahamawi Island

PRACTICALITIES: BUD TUMANTANGIS

PUNU ULAYAN (BASILAN PEAK) PICTURES

TRIVIA

Like most Philippine mountains, there are no real technical barriers to reach Basilan Peak and some locals have reported being able to visit the summit in the past. However, Basilan Peak has never been documented as a hiking destination and the first official hike was conducted in September 14, 2025, with details captured in the following announcement the author made:

Pleased to announce the historic first official hike up Punu Ulayan, also known as Basilan Peak, the highest point in Basilan and all of Sulu Archipelago at ~1007 meters above sea level (higher than the map elevation of 971m)! Once an Abu Sayyaf stronghold and passageway, Puno Ulayan is a beautiful mountain especially in its upper reaches, with pitcher plants, mossy trees, and views of Sulu Sea peeking out of the canopy.

Honored to have initiated this hike and most grateful to Gov. Mujiv Hataman for organizing and joining the hike and hosting us in Basilan. I also thank Brig. Gen. Frederick Sales of the 101st Infantry Brigade for leading the military contingent made up of 32nd and 45th IB and Special Forces; people from MENRE, PENRO, CENRO; to all the military, police, local officials, and civilian participants – including former Abu Sayyaf members – who provided support, company, and cheer throughout. And personal thanks to Isabela City Councilor Ameen Camlian for his generosity, Ica Fernandez for the guidance, and for Julius Devera, John De Castro, and Charina Javier for accompanying me to Basilan. Finally, I thank my good friend Paulo Tugbang and Usec. Myra Abubakar, both of DOT, for facilitating my visit!
May peace, development, trust, and a spirit of camaraderie and friendship all thrive and continue allow people to experience our great outdoors! I will leave Basilan with much gratitude for the hospitality and beauty that we experienced, and with hope that I can go back not just to climb more mountains but to deepen my connection with this incredible island.

The author’s hike up Punu Ulayan on September 14, 2025 will be chronicled in Hiking matters.

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Continued from Hiking matters #740

The next day, we started the hike at 0626H. In contrast to volcanic Mt. Aso, Mt. Sobo was a forested mountain, and the late spring greenery was a refreshing sight. From the tsuga (Japanese Hemlock) in the old growth forest,  we entered sections of lovely Japanese beech (Fagus crenata). By 0920H, we could glimpse at the verdant peak, and by 1007H we were at the summit, 1756 MASL.

By 1311, we were done with the hike and fortunately the guesthouse staff gave us a ride back to Ogata Station, since there was no bus and we couldn’t get a taxi either. Overall, a really great experience to restart my Hyakumeizan quest!

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From Kumamoto, we took the train to JR Aso Station, stayed in a nearby guesthouse, and took the bus the next day to the Furubochu Trail Head to climb Mt. Aso. Starting the hike at 0755H, we were immediately greeted by the sight of azaleas in bloom! The rest of the hike was through volcanic gravel, and  steam rising from the surrounding craters was a sight to behold. By 0938H we were at the 1506-meter Nakadake peak and by 0959 we were at the summit, known as Mt. Takadake, rising to 1592 MASL.

From the summit, it was a quick descent back to the trailhead, but we were not done yet, as we had to undertake another long ride to get to our next destination, Mt. Sobo.

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SAN JOSE, DINAGAT ISLANDS – For decades, the Leave No Trace (LNT) principles have served as guiding tenets for mountaineers. These seven principles, namely (1) Plan ahead and prepare; (2) Travel and camp on durable surfaces; (3) Dispose waste properly; (4) Leave what you will find; (5) Minimize use and impact of fire; (6) Respect wildlife; (7) Be considerate of other visitors, are required reading and memorization – as part of Basic Mountaineering Courses (BMCs), as well as the application process for hiking clubs.

Even those who are not well-versed in the actual LNT principles may be familiar with its central ethos of leaving the mountain as undisturbed as possible, as the famous expression puts it: “Don’t change the mountain, let the mountain change you.” Or, in the language of what has become the LNT mantra:

Take nothing but pictures
Leave nothing but footprints
Kill nothing but time

These principles has undoubtedly been beneficial in keeping many of our trails and campsites free from littering. Moreover, the LNT principles have served as an ethical vocabulary with which to hold visitors accountable for littering on the trails or vandalizing rock formations.

LNT, however, is limited in scope; it says nothing about the larger, and far more significant threats affecting our mountains today. Even if every single hiker were to adhere to LNT, it won’t save the mountains from destruction.

I was reminded of this on a recent hike, when I commented on the pristine state of the trails and the guide said that it’s because they had just undergone a ‘BMC’ and they were called upon to enforce LNT principles. “But actually,” he told me, “The mountain will be destroyed anyway because of the mining operations.” Indeed, as we were having that conversation, we were in full view of mining operations all over, carving the mountains slowly but surely; we could also hear the sound of chainsaws. Without understating the damage of trash-filled campsites or downplaying the environmental damage of plastic waste along the trails, it was very clear to me that the devastation posed by mining, quarrying, and other environmentally-destructive activities is far greater and longer-lasting.

Some mountaineers have been at the forefront of addressing these broader environmental issues, but as a whole, the hiking community has confined its ethos to how to behave responsibly on the trails, and this is true not just in the Philippines but in many parts of the world. As Simon and Alagona (2013) put it, “LNT does not challenge program adherents to go beyond protecting designated recreation areas. Nor does the program implore followers to promote the kind of interconnected sense of environmental citizenship that would link practices of individual consumption with structures of global production.”

This stance is not tenable given the many threats our mountains face today. We can insist, we might even feel good, that we are taking nothing but pictures, but people are taking everything but pictures, from rocks and minerals to flora and fauna. We can say we’re leaving nothing but footprints, but mining companies are leaving nothing left to nature, as the gaping holes in Mt. Redondo showed. And we may kill nothing but time, but those same destructive projects are killing everything in the name of greed, including entire forests and species, not to mention whole ecosystems and ways of life.

Of course, we will not agree on every issue. Some might insist in the possibility of responsible mining even in fragile ecosystems like Dinagat, Palawan, and Sibuyan Island. My view is that the Philippines – with our biodiversity and numerous communities co-existing with the forests – should err on the side of safety, and in any case, make sure that any project should not only be sustainable but actually beneficial to local communities.

Regardless of our specific views on particular issues, we hikers can surely find common ground in the need to protect our mountains themselves, not just the trails. We are in a unique position to bear witness to ecological changes and environmental devastation; we have the privilege of listening to and learning from local communities; and we have the unique position from which to speak out on these matters and ally ourselves with those who do.

If we are to truly minimize our impact and ‘leave no trace’ in the environment, we need to go beyond the LNT principles and help in the fight against larger threats to our mountains.

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MT. PALHI (BABAENG BUKID)
Libjo, Dinagat Islands
Major jumpoff: Sitio Maytubig, Brgy. Bayanihan, Libjo
LLA: 10.20263410 N, 125.63748827, 730 MASL (+730)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 3-5 hours
Specs: Minor; Difficulty 5/9, Trail class 1-4
Features: Ultramafic and bonsai forests, unique biodiversity, scenic views
Article history: Created August 21, 2024
Author: Gideon Lasco

BACKGROUND
Located in the town of Libjo in Dinagat Island, Mt. Palhi – also known to locals as Babaeng Bukid – offers a spellbinding array of flora and fauna as well as scenic views of Dinagat; although its elevation is ‘only’ 730 MASL, the hike starts from sea level and it has the feel of a major mountain with dense forests, steep ascents, and a majestic summit. Unlike Mt. Redondo which has been devastated by mining, Mt. Palhi has managed to be one of the relatively-intact mountains in the island province, although there is always the threat of future exploitation. Moreover, Palhi involves an actual sea-to-summit hike: one that can be completed in half a day with an athletic pace, or as an overnight hike for a more relaxed immersion in such an unusual island forest.

The hike starts from the village of Maytubig, in the mouth of the river that empties into the sea. An immediate ascent through ultramafic rocks takes the hiker to a dense forest with relatively-stunted trees; there are pitcher plants and other unusual flora and fauna throughout the trail. Past the rattan and other thorny hurdles, the final ascent features the same bonsai forests as Redondo, and offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and islands – including Homonhon, Siargao, and the Southern tip of Leyte; if not for the mining areas, the summit would have offered a vantage point with view to view the Dinagat Islands as pristine fjords, as the earliest, precolonial, navigators from Butuan and elsewhere would have surely seen it. Nonetheless, even today, there is a loftiness in Mt. Palhi that makes it one of the best hikes not just in Caraga, but all of the Philippines.

ITINERARY

(Note: Instead of starting from San Jose or other areas and having to wake up very early, hikers can add a ‘Day 0’ and opt to stay in Sitio Maytubig for an early start)

Day 1
0300 Travel from San Jose to Brgy. Llamera
0400 ETA Brgy. Llamera; take pumpboat to Sitio Maytubig
0450 ETA Sitio Maytubig; register and secure guides
0500 Start trek from Sitio Maytubig
0530 Reach first viewpoint
0645 Arrival at Campo Uno; rest stop
0700 Resume trek
0900 ETA summit
0930 Commence descent
1230 Back in Sitio Maytubig; Lunch
1330 Head back to
16t00 Back in San Jose, Dinagat Islands (in time for last trip to Surigao City)

PRACTICALITIES: MT. PALHI (BABAENG BUKID)

MT. PALHI PICTURES

TRIVIA
An account of the author’s hike up Mt. Palhi is narrated in Hiking matters #803.

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