Lost in Mt. Ugo Adventure (Ligaw sa Ugo)

(View in Mt. Ugo)

This was my first mountain since March & heck my 1^st major climb also. But this wasn’t a climb this was sky run training for our race in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. My weekends were usually filled by running 21k’s in the metro or going to provinces for the past 6 months. This was different haha and I was a bit sceptical but like always I would just enjoy what I do. Me & Ate Erl went for dinner at SM Makati before going to Cubao to meet up with the PSA group at Victory Liner. The evening was rainy, my feet was wet (I hate getting my feet wet). The first person we saw was Ate Che, then the rest of the group arrives, we left around 11pm on a bus bound for Baguio & arrived around 4-5am in Baguio City. It was cloudy and really really cold lucky enough we were able to buy sweaters before the trip. We then headed straight to Zola’s for breakfast. I had pork tapa & me, Ate Erl & Ate Che shared a blueberry pancake. I got to say the food is okay, but it really took awhile before our breakfast arrived. After that we fixed our stuffs, geared up & bought supplies in 711 like water & trail food (next time I will bring more water, I was lucky to see a faucet along the trail to refill my water bottle hehe) and our packed lunch in KFC (1pc Chicken with rice, yum :).

(Breakfast @ Zola’s)

(Wieeee Pork Tapa :))

(A stop before heading to Itogon’s Baragay hall (picture taken by Ms. Cheryl Bihag))

(Sky Runners w/ Kapitan @ Itogon, Benguet’s Barangay Hall (picture taken by Ms. Cheryl Bihag))

This was the last training of the PSA & me & Ate Erl’s first at Mt. Ugo Itogon, Benguet with 20 skyrunners. From Baguio we rented a jeepney that took us to Itogon, Benguet’s Baragay Hall where we were met up by elders & the Barangay Officials. We then registered, some drank coffee first then we proceeded to jump off & had our final briefing. The group was divided to 3 groups, the lead pack, middle pack & as Ate Josaw joke us the back pack.

(Registration Done J)

On the briefing we were told wherever we were on 2pm we should turn back (I had that in my mind when we were sky walking/running/trekking along the trail). That day was really rainy, but I really felt a bit of heat due to the pack I was carrying (note to self use hydration pack because a regular back pack no matter how light the weight you are carrying seems heavy hehe). We were the last ones on the trail I was happy to be with Ate Erl & Ate Josaw. I really had fun running in between the rice fields though running there seems a bit dangerous because the edge part of the road is a bit mossy. So if you’re going to run there next time run in the middle portion. Next after the rice field was the hanging bridge, good thing it was made of steel I remember crossing the bamboo bridge in Bohol, I wouldn’t run that. Then came the mountains wheeeew it was uphill uphill and more uphill, kidding we had a bit of flat ground but it was really tiring because I am not used to climbing nor running this kinds of terrain. I would love to do it again, I would in kota. But it can’t be compared to my Ultra marathon Run in Tagaytay to Nasugbu even if it was 50k I think that was a bit easier for me.

(wiee drinking water, a faucet in the mountains J)

An hour or so of running with me, Ate Erl I don’t know whats up but I was leading her (not the usual). Then I heard her calling my name I was a bit far already & I went back & saw that she was pale she got dizzy while we were running along the trail. Ate Josaw went back also & we told Ate Erl to rest for awhile & we can continue till she got better. After a few minutes she told us she was okay & we started running again. We then came upon a road which has two directions we chose the one leading up only to find out it was the wrong way. We covered the other side of the road (trail sign). The road was really small fitting just your two feet and on your right was the irrigation, it was slippery & you have to skip a bit because there were gaps. As soon as we were about to turn back Ate Josaw then slipped, she has quick reflexes so she was able to hold on the side of the road. If she hadn’t that would have been scary because it was a cliff. She got a bit bruised up on her knee & the sides of her rib cage were hurting after the run (I hope she is doing well). Then after a few minutes TJ was there a bit of chit chat he was our sweeper. He told us he got lost along the trail also.

(View @ Mt. Ugo)

(Ate Josaw & the View @ Mt. Ugo)

(Me & Ate Erl & the View @ Mt. Ugo)

(Ate Erl & Me & the View @ Mt. Ugo)

We then continue to track were we made our wrong move & went back to climbing. We told TJ & Ate Josaw to go ahead were going to run a bit slow. So they did & just ran along the trail at bit of slow pacing. Ate Erl was enjoying picking & eating bayabas along the trail while I was simply enjoying the mesmerizing view of the river, terraces, the clouds, and the mountains. I was breathing nature & the mountains again after a really long time.

(The view along the trail)

(The view along the trail)

(A Flower I saw along the trail :))

While we were running we saw this guy at the other side of the mountain carrying a big wood. Then after a few minutes we saw him right in front of us, man he was fast. After a few hours we decided to eat lunch, we were really hungry; it was 12:16pm when we had our lunch. We rested a bit and continued trekking. The rain was really falling hard on us, we were cold so when we saw the Sadiatan Lusod Waiting Shed we decided to take a rest and stay there. We took pictures of the view and slept for awhile. I even put up my alarm to 1:45pm and woke up Ate, she told me to rest again. Hahaha being obedient I woke her up again in 2:00pm then we started trekking back. The rain subsided a bit but it was still cold. Going down we saw Ate Che & Carlo, we were relieve to see people we know heading back. Then Sir Alex mimicked a bark of a dog behind us that got us startled hehe. They ran going down lightning fast. But us we just enjoyed going down. As we near the end we saw several of the group going down also. I really had fun going down & up this mountain because I break danced several times (I fell, but didn’t get injured, thank god for that). As we near the jump off we saw several locals & greeted them I was amazed how the women carry their loads on top of their head. I will try that someday, I think that’s really hard.

(We slept here J)

(Admiring the view)

(This was the view while going down J)

(The Trail)

(Welcome sign which I had the chance to take a picture of going back)

(Stop @ the rice field)

(In the Bridge)

(Adios Bridge)

(View @ the Bridge)

When we got back down we asked the locals if they saw our friends they did but they told us they went ahead and the only way to go back at the barangay hall was to walk (oh no!!!) But luckily going up I saw I jeepney I hailed it (Ate Erl had to think twice if she would take the jeepney with me, I know she’d really glad she did for it was going to be a looooooooooong walk uphill). It was the cheapest & most worth it jeepney ride I had of all of my trips (10 pesos and we reached the Barangay Hall).

(My Favorite Jeepney Ride Ever J)

(Back to the Barangay Hall)

We saw our friends back at the Barangay Hall & realized only a few of us made it to summit & the rest has a story of his or her own to tell. Most of us got lost; some made it to the terraces, to the villages, to another mountain, & some to the summit. To sum it all up it was a thumbs up training, a real adventurous one. Lessons learned for most of us, & also made new friends along the way. I’d like to thank PSA for the really good training we had here in Mt. Ugo, Thanks Glenn & Nina, Ate Che J To Ate Josaw for being with me & Ate Erl on the early parts of the trail & to the rest of the sky runners thank you J Thanks also to Sir Alex for providing us a really scrumptious dinner I really loved the pancit & asado, & the beer (I only had a sip but that helped also). See you guys in Kota :).

(Mt. Ugo I promise I’ll be back J)