Mt. Pulag (Ambangeg Trail) | En Route to My Dream

I'm almost there, just a few more steps to the summit, so I ran as fast as I could. Suddenly I found myself floating in a sea of clouds, surrounded by a battalion of angels. They were rejoicing, singing and dancing and playing with their golden trumpets. Inside me was an inexplicable delight...  

"Terminal na po! Terminal na po!" - Victory Liner Bus Conductor upon reaching the City of Pines

Oh, it was just a dream... the same old Pulag Dream I've been dreaming for eversince I fell in love with the mountains. To see the sea of clouds slowly engulfing the grassy summit of Mt. Pulag, to witness the sun battling the darkness on a breakday, to feel the cold breeze that would numb every inch of my body, to proudly stand on top of Luzon's highest - that's my Pulag dream.

"Hey Ivan, top load your bags when you're ready, the red one is our jeep" - Osep, the Team Leader

Alright, I'm with a group of strangers who probably share the same dream as mine. We're all excited, our destination - Kabayan, Benguet.

"Who wants to top load" - Osep

Yes to topload (again).  Cordillera's finest views can only be seen on a topload ride. I must not miss this chance (again). Slopes, river, and zigzag road dominate the view. I even had an awesome glimpse on the awesome-looking Ambuklao Dam. Yes it's hot on top, but my wide-brimmed hat did the trick. Doing a topload, is it worth the risk? It sure is. I can say that every topload experience I had on the roads of Cordillera is truly rewarding.  

About 1.5 hours was spent on top, and I shared it with 5 other adventure-loving souls. Congrats to their first topload ride.

"Everyone is required to watch this presentation before climbing Mt. Pulag" - Orientation Master at the DENR office.

Leave no trace principle, that's the core of the orientation! The mountaineers' credo. I always practice this principle in all my climbs and I strongly believe that everyone must do so as well, even in the urban jungle. She [the orientation master] is funny, I like the way she discusses the things to remember, bravo. After about an hour, we proceeded next to the ranger station via a rough road, and I really mean ROUGH ROAD.  

"Porter mam/sir?" - Porters at the jump-off 

I got dizzy from that rough road ride. But thank God, I arrived safely at the main jump-off. I started to prepare my bag, which is quite heavy at 8 kilos. A lot of porters stand by, waiting for potential costumers aka 'the weaklings'. I am a weakling, but I won't be needing a porter this time, not that I want to brag, it's just that I really can't afford it (LOL). So I began the trek (via Ambangeg trail). The sky doesn't look promising, but I'm still hoping that I'll experience my Pulag Dream.

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This is a preview post for my Mt. Pulag Hike (via Ambangeg Trail) last May 26-27, 2012. The climb I never thought to happen so soon. My big thanks to Trail Adventours and Sir Gideon of Pinoy Mountaineer.

Continue reading here: Mt. Pulag (Ambangeg Trail) | The Trail, The Camp, and The Jaw-dropping Summit View