After 5 Years: Second Time with Mt. Ugo Traverse

by lakwatserong tatay

An invitation coming from my co-xplorerboy Caloy, a climbing friend he has wants to celebrate a birthday climb to mountains of Nueva Viscaya and Benguet named as Mt. Ugo. At first i was hesitant, because i know it would be really grueling trek....^_^. It's been 5 years since i've been there, i was really active when you say mountaineering, quite thin and much younger however nowaday, i'm a bit fat and 5 yrs older....tsk..tsk...tsk..so what i will be expecting, i'll be again to this mountain together with new sets of friend, together with two of my climbmates 5 years before....paul and...mam ? (wag kana magalit...).

And the birthday climb been set...3rd week of February this year....i'll be back again in Mt. Ugo's trail from Kayapa, Nueva Viscaya to Itogon, Benguet....sana lang kayanin ko pa.....pero since nakwenkwento ko ngayon kinaya ko pa po siya...pero promise di na po ako babalik.....ng ganito ko kalaki dun....^_^

Our bus ride bound to Nueva Viscaya

The xplorerboyz.....from left.....ekoy, coy (sayang di siya nakasama kasi biglaan nagkadengue siya at kakagaling lang niya) , me and melvin...thanks Carlo for the wonderful group shot...^_^

the x-plorerboyz.....^_^..

We arrived quite early on our expected time, so had few minutes to take a quick breakfast courtesy of the eatery at Aritao, Nueva Viscaya, Victory Liner bus stop station and where we will fetch by our rented monster jeep to Kayapa, Nueva Viscaya.

our co-climbers.....^_^

the monster jeep (?)

Were still on our itinerary, we arrive at Kayapa quite early, few stores starts to open and some of us including our group take our breakfast here and bought our food for pack lunch. We register ourselves to Police station and secures our 2 guides. Our target place to have our lunch is the Indupit Village.

group shot before we start....^_^

Were greeted with paved stairs, infact i don't even remember if that trail was establish 5 years ago....it was really tiring. That time i was really thinking if i could still make it...^_^.

This 1st part up to Indupit village requires almost 4 hours of walking, consist of open and wide trails with some pine trees and some steep latter part. Here are some of our happy photos daw (?)

From Indupit village, where we stop to take our lunch, for other groups that taking this mountain for 3 days, this village serves as their overnight camp. However for our groups target is to camp near the summit which is around 20 minutes away to the metal mark signage summit of Mt. Ugo....^_^

beautiful pine forest

From Indupit, upon trekking of one hour you will passed by the summit of Mt. Samiento (1730MASL). Sad to say i wasn't able to take a souvenir picture because the house that marks the summit it on repair that time.

After reaching the summit of Mt. Samiento (one of trekking), add another three hours or four depending on the facing of your group. You will reach one of the major stopover for Mt. Ugo traverse trek. The Domolpos village. Most of the trekker tends to stay on this village rather than Indupit or the campsite near the summit.

Domolpos village at far

From this place, you may choose to refill your water because this would be the last source before reaching the summit. Also from Domolpos, the summit is around 2.5-3 hrs away. The trail for this last part is all ascend and from our choice campsite a brief stint of mossy forest awaits us.

this is one of our ascend trails

As far as i remember we did not choose this campsite from my 1st visit on this mountain. but we also did not take the Domolpos overnight camping too.....Our initial plan supposed to be for the night was to have socials and celebrate the birthday of Del, the organizer of this traverse trek. However due to our stress and super tired bodies (kasama na ko dun...^_^) most of us choose to have just early dinner and took a very nice sleep for the much awaiting descend tomorrow. But it was one of the heck windy night i experience in my life....in fact one of the tents of my co-climber was destroyed due that super windy night...

our campsite

We just have photo opps that night, prepare our dinner as fast as we can and eat as fast as we can too....^_^

melvin's photo opps before sleeping..

Most of us had a nice sleep however few of my co-climbers got problem with their tents last night.....But all of us manage to stay safe that night and all of us got up early to prepare breakfast....and of course we will not miss......

happy birthday sir del....^_^

the lover's....

After breakfast, we breakcamp as soon as possible, for us to be first on the summit and also to finish early with out traverse. 

were almost done....

we have a successful climb....^_^

group shot before we bid goodbye to this campsite...

trail to summit from our campsite

In few minutes, we reach the metal marker signage Mt. Ugo that indicates where in Brgy. Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet in 2150 MASL....yahooo...........my 2nd time around in this mountain....^_^

summit group shot...

x-plorerboyz with bday boy sir del...

From the summit, major Cordillera mountains are in view. Mt. Singakalsa, Mt. Pulag, Mt. Tabayoc and Mt. Napulauan.....

lakwatserong tatay with SPIMC group (my group too)

wild berries are present on the summit...

From this point, we will start our descend going to Itogon, Benguet to do our traverse trek trail. The trail is consist of steep descent trail with pine forests view as you along the way...

a 15 kms descend trek.....whew....

where at 14 kms already...

one of the steep descend trails....

the pine forest view towards to Lusod...

From the summit one of the first major landmark is the old saw mill which is approximate 3.5-4 hrs away and add 30 minutes for our major stop that day to take our lunch, Lusod village, where we also take our quickie nap to regenerate our strength because it would take us another 4-4.5 hours to reach the Itogon and barangay hall to finally finish of traverse trail....^_^.

the other guides

melvin on sleeping mode...

me and carlo also too in sleeping mode...

So after having a sumptuous lunch and regenerating nap....we continued our trek....

were 6.5 kms away....

few of cliff trails...

were getting near....

Agno Rive afar...

So after trekking for more than 8 hours we finally reach the Kawayan village, were we first zip a 1.5 liters of COKE....sobrang sarap....whew.....we just stayed there for few minutes to wait our other co-climbers.

Itogon village

At last it was 0.5 kms away to Barangay Hall ,the marker where Ekoy take a souvenir shot few meters away to the hanging bridge. and another 0.5 kms quite ascend going to Barangay hall to finally end of Mt. Ugo Traverse adventure....^_^

The hanging bridge in Agno river

our photo opps....^_^

At last at Brgy. Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet Barangay Hall, this serves as the last stop. We had a bath and freshen up a bit and wait our chartered jeep to arrive that will bring us to Baguio.

X-plorerboyz @ Itogon, Benguet

Our Proposed Itinerary: (This could used also on a traverse trail - Itogon, Benguet to Kayapa, Nueva Viscaya)

Day 0:
2200 meet up Victory Liner Pasay Terminal
2300 ETD Bus bound for Bambang, Nueva Viscaya

Day 1:
0500 ETA Alight at CCQ stopover at Aritao, Nueva Viscaya (optional quickie breakfast)
0530 ETD to Kayapa, Nueva Viscaya
0630 ETA to Kayapa, register at Police Station & secure guides
0700 Start trek
1100 ETA Indupit village (lunch)
1200 ETA Mt. Samiento
1600 ETA campsite near the summit (chillax time)
1700 Prepare dinner early
1800 Dinner and slight socials
1930 Early lights out....^_^

Day 2:
0530 Early wake up and sunrise viewing
0700 Taken breakfast and breakcamp
0730 ETD to Lusod
1030 ETA to Lusod village (lunch and nap break)
1200 ETD to Kawayan village
1500 ETA Kawayan village
1600 ETA Brgy. Hall Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet (log out & freshen up)
1700 ETD for Baguio
1800 ETA Baguio, buy pasalubongs and wait for deaprture to Manila
2100 ETD to Manila 

This itinerary was based from our trek however we got stock in Baguio. Due to Penagbenga Season that time so we opted transfer from Baguio to Tarlac and Tarlac to Manila....^_^

Lakwatserong Tatay @ Mt. Ugo Summit....