Mt. Kalatungan: When the universe conspires to lead you to the best plan

Hello Hive!

How are you? I was supposed to write a month-ender blog post last May but life (or more like work) has been really demanding — however in a good way. Anyway, I won't bore you with corporate stories as I have something better to share with you all.

After its temporary closure last February 2022, the 55-hectar Kalatungan Mountain Range, is reopening its trails to outdoor enthusiasts this coming June 9, 2023.

And what better way to celebrate this than to recount one of the best Plan B of my mountaineering life?

An unexpected climb to Mt. Kalatungan

You get that feeling when you know exactly you’re about to do something big? It’s like all the small moments pile up into something bigger and momentous, and you find yourself saying, “No going back now. This is it.”

That was how my friends and I felt during our Mt. Kalatungan climb last 2019. After all the plot twists — from a series of earthquake swarm in Mindanao, the closure of our original destination (Mt. Apo), two typhoons wreaking havoc in the country few days before our trip, to our organizer (Shiela) almost left behind at the airport — we found ourselves onboard a plane heading to Davao.

The universe must have conspired to make things happen for us despite the mishaps, right?

Upon arriving in Davao International Airport, we looked for our van and took another 3 to 4 hours of road trip to the province of Bukidnon. At 4:30 PM, we reached the tourism office of Pangantucan where we were told about the dos and don'ts of climbing this highly protected area.

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After a brief orientation and signing of waivers, we went straight to the jump-off area at Brgy. Mendis where we were welcomed by Datu Eryong Inahan and introduced to our guides and porter guides. They told us that the hike going to the View Deck would take 1 to 2 hours — depending on our pace.

And boy, we were fast. Not because we were “harkor” mountaineers, but because we were forced to do so. The rain started pouring. Hard. Even with our waterproofing and ponchos, we were soaked. We didn’t have time to appreciate the fields we passed by,and soon, the world dimmed. There was nothing but our headlamps to light our way. After an hour of agonizing hike, we arrived at the View Deck. It was a two-storey platform in the middle of the woods built by locals to serve as a stopover for bird watchers and hikers. What started as a hot and scorching day ended with a full blast storm. Once settled in our pads, we called the night early to replenish our strengths for the hike at dawn.

Experiencing nature at its finest

Mt. Kalatungan is the 5th highest mountain in the Philippines at a height of 2880 MASL. It may not be as towering as Mt. Apo but it has a higher trail difficulty level at 8/9 as opposed to the latter's 7/9. Knowing this made us both excited and anxious.

Following the itinerary, my friends and I woke up at 2 am. It was still pitch dark when we got ourselves all geared for the hike. With limited depth perception, walking on the trail became a guessing game for everyone. But one advantage of hitting the trail early is the cool wind. It made the arduous climb a lot more bearable.

Hours passed and we finally saw the morning light gently unfolding in the sky. The great thing about Mt. Kalatungan’s trail is the presence of signage along the way. It gave us something to look forward to. A reason to push through despite our huffing and puffing and our trembling knees.

The open trail of Buko Buko Sa Anay welcomed us and we knew right then it would be a long and steep hike. This section was called as such because of the ridge which resembles the back of a sow.

Another advantage of starting early is you get to avoid the scorching heat. We worked our way through the cogon grass until we finally saw a glimpse of the Muleta Falls.

This part of the trail was marked as a Danger Zone for its cliff. Those who want to take the iconic shot with Muleta Falls in the background must be brave enough to stand on the ridge of the mountain.

After a quick breakfast and picture taking, we proceeded to the forested trail — thankful for the momentary shade. It was here that we started experiencing Kalatungan’s mossy forest. We were tired but pumped up after a beautiful weather and a clearing.

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By 10 am, we arrived at the junction area where the jump off for the 30-min trek to Mt. Kalatungan’s summit is. Our group was divided into two since the 12 of us have different pacing and also to avoid crowding one area during photo ops. The first group were Shiela, Ate Sherlyn, Kim, Zan, James and I. The second were CJ, Kevin, John, Jovy, James and Junji.

Majestic is not an exaggeration when it comes to describing Kalatungan’s vast montane. The trail is lined with trees wrapped in thick moss. We were so immersed in this dreamlike encounter that we didn’t notice we’ve finally arrived.

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Truth is, there is nothing too scenic in Mt. Kalatungan’s summit — at least not in the physical sense. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Wiji (Mt. Lumpanag) fronting the southern part of the Kalatungan Mountain Range. Other than this, the peak is an open area, like that of Tres Marias, surrounded by shrubs and trees.

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But what makes it one of most rewarding climb is the experience you get along the way. The pride of surviving the assaults with our heavy loads. Those moments of almost giving up but choosing to move forward. And of course, the chance to witness the whole of Mt. Kalatungan’s beauty in clear view.

We were actually way too ahead of our itinerary, reaching the summit at 10:30 am when we’re supposed to do it at 2 pm. Kuya Babu and the rest of our porter guides suggested that we take our lunch in the Bamboo Camp (the campsite) instead of the Junction Area.

The way to the Bamboo Camp a steep decent. The steps became fewer in number, bigger and farther apart. We even agreed that the trail looked like a combination of Mt. Talinis and Mt. Aminduen, with the addition of the mossy forest. After navigating through the muddy steps and fallen logs, we finally reached the campsite.

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Arriving four hours earlier than our expected time, we pitched our tents, ate our sumptuous lunch and sipped our well-deserved coffee. By nighttime, the temperature dropped lower and we were on layers of clothes. There was no socials that night after dinner and we hit the bed with excitement for tomorrow’s climb.

In the end, this climb taught us the value of enduring — surviving and savoring each moment. A lesson I'd carry for the rest of my days.

Thanks for reading. Until next time. 😁

_{Maria is a hopeless romantic who travels in pages and places. She is an INFP who loves sunrises and moonlight nights and reading books in between. On weekdays, she works for a self-publishing company as a copywriter. On weekends, she lives for life as a poet or hiker. She hopes to share her love for words and the world with you here on HIVE.}

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