Mt. Ulap Traverse

Situated in the Cordillera mountain ranges of Benguet, the trail that leads to Mt. Ulap consists of Pine Trees and grassland ridges with stunning views of the mountain ranges, even a glimpse of burial caves, and hanging bridges. Mt Ulap is a perfect dayhike from Baguio City which is only 1 hour away from the city proper by public jeepney. The complete traverse spans around 8 kilometers through several peaks along the Ampucao-Sta. Fe Ridge  and can be completed in 4-6 hours (I managed to complete the whole trail in 4.5 hours).

Only 20 percent of the trails are covered with trees (Pine trees) and most are exposed grassland slopes- it's a good thing that the soothing cool breeze of Benguet compensates the scorching heat of the sun. The first part of the traverse will be greeted with a full assault, an ascent of 900 ft in just an hour of trek and from there on, rolling terrains of hills will lead you to the highest point which is Mt Ulap (5820 ft above sea level). 

There are a number of peaks and points of attraction that can be seen in the traverse trail from the grassland slopes of Ambunao Paoay (Camp 1) to Gungal Rock - the site for rock balancing (Camp 2), and then to the highest point, Mt. Ulap (Camp 3). The descent from Mt. Ulap to Pong-ol Burial Caves (Camp 4) is steep with almost 1400 ft descent via a pine-forested terrain of cliffs and ravines. The Burial Caves themselves are a nice attraction but the Pinoy Solo Hiker opted not to take any pictures out of respect.

Vlog Version:

How To Get There:

1.) From Baguio City, you can ride a jeepney bound to Ampucao (terminal is in Lakandula St.)

2.) Once in Ampucao, register and secure a guide.