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Mount Isarog

hike | 2023-04-20
2000 m altitude, 1951 m prominence, 55.92 km isolation

The only reasonable route we found from Davao to Naga was to fly via Cebu. It wasn’t bad, but we had to change airlines and recheck our luggage. There were no major delays and we arrived on time. Naga airport greeted us with bright sunshine and high temperatures, so some passengers used umbrellas as they walked from the plane to the building. Another nice feature of the airport is that you can see Mount Isarog in all its beauty.

Naga airport is very compact
Umbrellas instead of buses, a nice and efficient solution
We can see Mount Isarog as the airport staff unload our luggage

A taxi took us to the hot springs resort at the foot of the mountain. It was a logistically perfect place to stay, but getting in was complicated. Everyone entering the area had to pay a small fee, including guests. After a few minutes of negotiation, we were successful and the dear guests were granted free entry.

Futuristic public transport in the Philippines, somehow this reminds me of Mad Max movies.. uhh, so long time ago..
Bikes can’t go through the gates, although there’s a good tarmac road behind them
Paved road after the gates and Mount Isarog. Surprisingly it looks much lower than it is

In the morning, at the agreed time, three motorbikes arrived and took us to the entrance of the park. From the closed gates we had to walk another kilometre or so to get to the ranger station. Finally we met the park ranger with a pile of papers, a guide and a porter. There was a lot of bureaucracy involved in getting a permit, which is probably why the porter came to meet us. He seemed a little upset to learn that he had nothing to carry and could go home. Nevertheless, after registering, we were ready to go.

At the trailhead. Rob, me, Petter, our guide and porter (from left to right)
Some sections slightly steeper

Most of the way is a typical jungle trail with not much new to see, especially in the clouds. Finally we came to the rim, where our guide declared that we had reached the highest point. He offered us the chance to enjoy the beautiful view of the clouds. And we did; it was truly magnificent cloud.

The official summit is on the col on the rim, with a viewpoint. I think on a clear day it must offer an impressive view of the crater… but not today.
The “path” to the true summit
Our guide was a little sceptical about our initiative to visit a real summit, but he joined us and almost made it to the top.

Maps and visual observation suggested that the summit was a few hundred metres to the south. We bushwhacked through dense jungle without a trail, which took some time. I could see some signs that people had been here before us; some bark had been removed from trees long ago, and there were old broken branches in our “path”. It didn’t seem to happen very often. We passed a few more bumps along the way and finally, in very dense bush on a steep cliff (dangerous), Rob found the high point. Petter and I soon joined him, the whole bush-moss-tree structure was shaking. It was hard to tell where the stable ground was, but it was certainly close. Our guide watched us from a distance and started to smile when he saw we weren’t going forward but back. After about twenty minutes we were back at the rim and took a short break before descending the same way we had come.

Rob with a true summit smile. So little space on this tree-bush-moss formation that it was hard to get a photo
Petter and I on the true summit
I could see some evidence of people visiting this place, but it’s certainly a very rare occurrence
Few kind of tracks, or maybe just imagination..
Kingdom of fungi
Fern
Many spiny plants, even if no spines are visible
So humid that only a few photos were taken with a wet cammer
Banana or plantain in the hotel restaurant
Health benefits of sulphur springs
Every theory needs proof… so I test it. For sure i feel much healthier now. so, true

It was a very interesting hike, especially because we found and visited the true summit, not just a touristic one. The bushwalking was tough, but the reward at the top was so sweet. Afterwards we had a nice dinner in the resort, accompanied by cold beer and hot sulphur springs, which quickly restored us. The next day we were ready for our trip to Mount Labo.


Mount Isarog 2000 m altitude
1951 m prominence
55.92 km isolation
Ranges Philippines - Luzon
Countries/regions Philippines - Bicol Region (V)
Distance 8.90 km up 8.90 km down
Elevation 1669 m gain 1669 m loss
Time
4h30 up
0h05 other
4h20 down
8h55 total
Trailhead 430 m altitude 13.6716380, 123.3206110
Route

We leave the hot springs resort on motorbikes, but a kilometre or two from the park entrance there is a closed gate. The bikes can't get through, so we walk on the tarmac, meet our local guide and then follow the reasonably good track up to the official tourist 'summit'. Which is actually a saddle on the rim. Clouds obscure the view, but it is clear that the summit is only a few hundred metres away. This idea is supported by a topographical map. Some serious bushwalking, passing some lower peaks on the way. The summit is a moving structure of bush, trees and moss. Impossible to say where the highest ground is, but certainly somewhere not more than a few metres away. Back the same way to the rim viewpoint, then down to the park entrance and by bike back to the hotel.

Difficulties

A few hundred metres of serious bushwhacking to the real summit. The last few metres to the overgrown summit we approached from the inside of the crater via a steep grassy slope that swayed with the growing trees-bush-moss. Approaching from the outside of the crater looks a bit safer.

Links GPX trail
  • « Crocodile Hill
  • Mount Labo »

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2023
Philippines 2023
West Africa III 2023
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West Africa 2023
Central America 2023
2022
Andes 2022
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Malay Archipelago III 2022
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archaeology (3) climb (86) food (2) hike (85) p30 (7) p100 (13) p300 (10) p600 (13) p1000 (6) p1500 (40) ribu (5) sight (37) summary (12) ultra (40)

1 018 km walked, 77 129 m climbed

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