With only a Mt. Maculot day hike experience, I can’t believe I survived Mt. Ulap. Though it is good for beginners, I am still amazed that Mt. Ulap is my second hike ever.
MT. ULAP ECO-TRAIL
Itogon, Benguet
From Pinoy Mountaineer
- Entry point: Brgy. Ampucao, Itogon
- Exit point: Brgy. Sta. Fe, Itogon
- LLA: 16.2904 N, 120.6312 E, 1846 MASL (Mt. Ulap)
- Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2-3 hours
- Specs: Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-3,
- Features: Grassland and pine ridges, scenic views of the Cordilleras, burial caves
Mt. Ulap Eco-Trail
The trail is around 8 kilometers through several peaks along Ampucao-Sta. Fe Ridge and it can be completed for around 4-6 hours so it is feasible for a day hike. Since we took our time to take pictures, rest and eat, we finished the trail in 8 hours. Hehe.
The start of the trail is already amazing. Photos are not enough to describe how beautiful the scenery is. I’m dumping a lot of photos here, but these aren’t everything you see!
Ambanao Paoay (1788 mASL)
The first peak welcomes you with Pine trees, grassland, hills and slopes, and a view of Cordillera.
Gungal (1814 mASL)
The Gungal peak is popular for the huge Gungal Rock where taking photos is a must. Take note that to organize taking pictures, there’s a time limit of 10 seconds per person. It’s quite short, but I think it’s better that they have this regulation so that everyone will get a chance to have their photo taken. While waiting for our turn, we had our lunch first.
There’s no clearing when we went so that’s all just fog in the photo. I wanted to do a revenge when the sky is clearer but I have to think about it. I don’t think I would be able to survive the trail if the sun is out. Haha
Mt. Ulap (1846 mASL)
This is the last peak, but the scenery is getting better. On Camp Site 2, there’s a huge grassland where you can see cows. Do you think this view can be compared to what you can see in New Zealand?
Descent
The descent was difficult for me because it’s a trail of very steep terrain with pine trees. If not for the make-shift stairs, I can’t imagine how I would be able to go down. Halfway through, my knees start to feel weaker. Haha.
Itinerary
This is a DIY itinerary created by the same group (TEAM BES) we’re in during our Mt. Maculot Day Hike. Not everyone were able to join this time but it’s good that there are new friends. :)
Take note that this is not the exact itinerary we followed when we went there, because we got lost on our way so we started late at 8:00 am. But feel free to use this itinerary or make some adjustments. :)
Day 0
- 11:00 PM – Meet-up Cubao
- 12:00 AM – ETD Cubao to Benguet
- Breakfast along the way
DAY 1
- 04:00 AM – ETA Baguio
- 05:00 AM – ETA Brgy. Ampucao,Itogon,Benguet
- Registration
- Secure local guide
- Warm up and prayer
- 06:00 AM – Start trekking
- 09:00 AM – ETA Gungal Rock
- Photo ops
- 10:00 AM – Proceed to Summit
- 12:00 PM – ETA Summit
- Lunch/Rest
- 02:00 PM – start baguio tour
- 05:00 PM – Dinner at GoodTaste (Own expense)
- 06:00 PM – ETD Baguio to Cubao
- 11:00 PM – ETA Cubao
Notes
- You may need sun protection if the weather is sunny. When we went, it’s a bit cloudy so there’s no need to apply sun block creams.
- Ampucao and Sta. Fe both have showers, restrooms and stores available.
- Burial Cave is closed when we went so we finished the hike a little earlier.
- There are no water/food stations along the trail so make sure to bring water, trail food and packed lunch.
- Observe Leave No Trace policy. Let’s keep the mountain clean. Keep your garbage and dispose them properly after the activity.
- For the photo ops in Gungal Rock, think of your desired poses beforehand. There’s a time limit of 10 seconds per person on taking pictures, so that everyone will get a chance to have their photo taken, without consuming too much time.
- Mt. Ulap Eco Trail Tourism is now limiting the number of hikers to maximum of 500 people for Saturday, Sunday and holiday hikes and 150 people for Monday to Friday hikes. Each group (organized or not) is also limited to maximum of 20 persons only.
- Mt. Ulap also requires reservation prior to your hike. You may check their Facebook Page for more details.
Expenses
This is a DIY hike organized by our group, TEAM BES. We were 15 persons in the group and the total amount we paid is 900 per person.
Inclusions are the following:
- Registration: Ampucao Barangay Hall Complex (100 per person)
- Tour Guide: 600 a day for 7 persons (as of March 2017)
- Transportation: Van (Cubao to Benguet and vice versa)
- Bag tag
- Driver’s food expenses
Here are some contact information:
Ms.Celine Palubos
Mt.Ulap Council
0918 278 8625
Ate Tina and Kuya Lito
Mt.Ulap Tour Guide
0910 342 4194
Sonnie
Van Rental
0995 322 4063
I highly suggest Mt. Ulap for beginners, because even if I only have a Mt. Maculot day hike experience, I was able to survive Mt. Ulap. I think it also helped that the weather is chilly and a bit cloudy because I don’t think I can survive that trail if the sun is out. Haha. It was a long trail but the scenery all throughout was amazing. Everything is instagrammable and you wouldn’t believe that these photos are not enough for all the beautiful spots we’ve seen. Take your time appreciating its beauty! :)
You may also watch our travel vlog here:
It’s your turn!
- Have you been to Mt. Ulap? How was your experience?
- If not, are you planning to hike Mt. Ulap? :)
Credit
Some photos and information are from TEAM BES.
Comments
Gellie
May 2, 2017Thanks for sharing your hike. I can only admire the view from photos (for now, at least). My knee is kind of weak so I can’t do too strenuous activities especially hiking. But someday, I will. I need to get well soon and start working my knees out. :)
xoxo,
Gelleesh.com
Richel V.
May 7, 2017I liked the photos you posted on IG. Glad to read about the whole hike now! I would probably do Mt. Maculot first before Mt. Ulap. Need to practice my legs first haha.
xx, Richel V.
Heide
May 8, 2017Oooh. Going to add this to my list. But I won’t be climbing anytime soon because it’s summer. I want to spend more time at the beach.
Elaine Dogelio
May 8, 2017Love your photos from this trip, Mei and nice vlog! :)
Gillan
May 9, 2017Wow, congrats on conquering Mt. Ulap! The view on the three peaks is stunning!
I would also love to hike but my friends and I keep cancelling our plans due to our busy schedule :( Thank you btw for your hiking tips! Will definitely keep them in mind whenever I go hiking :)
And the hike only cost you 900 per person? That’s amazing! This is surely one of the first mountains I’ll try to hike :)