-The Great-

Outdoors Experience the Cool Mountain Breeze

The Philippines uniquely wonderful geology and geography has given us

stunning environments to explore and admire. With the Philippines’ moun-
tainous landscapes, hiking and camping are the highlight activities to be done
on these places. These activities should be a nice change of pace over the city
life, giving us a sense of separation from the typical and the mundane.

Cordillera
Mountain Range
The Mountainous Terrains of

Mt. Pulag
Located between the borders of Benguet,
Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya, this is
the highest peak in Luzon. Mt.
Pulag is characterized best by it’s
Sierra Madre
Mountain Range
LUZON
blanket of clouds and the fantas-
tical view of the Milky Way Galaxy
at the break of dawn.

Third Highest Mountain in the PH

2,922 m above
sea level

Easiest Trail to the Summit

The Ambangeg Trail Mt. Daraitan

Located in the southern part of the
Sierra Madre Mountain Range,
Mt. Daraitan is the perfect climb for
Mt. Pulag Peak Seasons
city-dwellers and novices. With its
February to May and
proximity to the city, it would be a great
November to December
day hike for anyone to have a short
break between their nine-to-fives.

Feast your eyes with nature’s wonders

Caves, Tinipak River, and the

Sierra Madre Mt. Range

Time to reach Mt. Daraitan’s summit

3 to 4 Hour Hike

Principled Recreation

LEAVE NO TRACE
We need to minimize our impact when we are outdoors or doing recreational activities so
that we can let others enjoy what we enjoyed, and to keep the ecology of the place intact.
These principles can be applied anywhere that you go and any outside activity that you do.
These are some practices that you can follow when mountain climbing.

Plan Ahead
Any outdoor activity must require planning, even if it’s extremely
simple. Planning is important to minimize your impact and ensure
the safety of yourself or your group. Here are some tips on how you
can plan your next climb:

01 Research about the mountains that you would like to

climb, it’s most optimal routes, and the needed permits.

02 Create a route plan on which places in your climb you

Dispose your
would visit or use as resting/camping.

Waste Properly
03 Gather your gear and supplies. Some of the most
important are toiletries and proper climbing attire. Hiking mountains gives us a chance for us to recreate and appre-
ciate the beauty of nature, but the mountains didn’t need us and it
definitely doesn’t need our waste. To pay respect to the satisfaction
that climbing mountains give to you, please know how to take care
04 Before you do your climb, recheck your gear and check
the weather to see if it’s suitable to climb or not.
of the waste that you produce during your hike.

Most Common Forms of Wastes

Produced in Hiking

Leave What
you Find
In the same vein as keeping your wastes Nature’s other call After a hearty meal Pack it in and pack it out
in check, it’s paramount to keep the place Human Food Plastics &
you stayed in your climb the same way you
Stacking rocks is not
Waste Waste Recyclables
found it before. By doing this, you allow recommended, since hikers
others to have the same sense of discov- might mistake it as trail
signs and lead them off trail
ery that you had in your hike. Principled
recreation means paying it forward, that is
why leaving the places the same way you
In most locations, burying human waste correctly is
the most appropriate way of disposing.
01
had it is an essential tenet of being a good
traveler, and a good human being.

Plan your meals to avoid making food waste. Packing

out kitchen waste is vital for the safety of the wildlife.
02
Philippine
Brown Deer
native to Mt. Daraitan and
Mt. Pulag Luzon Pygmy Plastic, paper, and recyclable wastes can be packed out
03
Fruit Bat to be disposed on a different place.
native to Mt. Pulag

Be Mindful Be Considerate
of the Local All of the practices given are intended, not only for the welfare of

Wildlife
the environment but for the sake of other visitors as well. Recre-
ation gives us a chance to unwind and be more connected to nature,
so let’s not be selfish and keep these experiences to ourselves.
Mountains contain wildlife and as fasci-
nating as these creatures can be, they are
wild: they’re as much of a danger to you
as you are to them, so observe at wonder
from a distance.
Northern
Rufous REFERENCES
Hornbill
Department of Environment and Natural Resources. (2000, August). Mt. Pulag National Park. Retrieved from faspselib.denr.
native to Mt. Daraitan gov.ph: https://faspselib.denr.gov.ph/sites/default/files/Publication%20Files/Pulag%20GMP.pdf

Fernando, C. (2021, June). 8 Most Spectacular Spots for Hiking in the Philippines Perfect for Pros and Beginners. Retrieved
from Zenrooms: https://www.zenrooms.com/blog/post/hiking-in-philippines/

Klook. (2022). Mt. Daraitan Day Hike from Manila. Retrieved from klook.com: https://www.klook.com/en-PH/activi-
ty/11230-mount-daraitan-guided-day-hike-from-manila/

Leave No Trace Org. (2021). The & Principles. Retrieved from Leave No Trace: https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/

Muzones, G. (n.d.). 10 Best Mountains to Hike in the Philippines: Sea of Clouds, Beautiful Views, Bucket List Destinations.
Retrieved from Guide to the Philippines: https://guidetothephilippines.ph/articles/adventure-and-outdoors/best-phil-
ippines-mountains-hike

REI Co-op. (2022). How to Plan a Mountaineering Trip. Retrieved from rei.com: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/
how-to-plan-a-mountaineering-trip.html

Solatre, J., & Balcita, J. (2000, September). Mt. Pulag Profile. Retrieved from IAPAD.org: http://www.iapad.org/wp-content/
uploads/2015/09/profile_mt_pulag.pdf