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Mount Isarog

hike | 2023-04-20

The most feasible route we identify from Davao to Naga involves flying through Cebu. While this option requires changing airlines and rechecking our luggage, the overall experience is reasonable. Thankfully, we don’t encounter significant delays and arrive on schedule. Upon our arrival at Naga airport, we are welcomed by sunny weather and high temperatures. Interestingly, some passengers use umbrellas as they walk from the plane to the terminal. An added bonus of the airport is its vantage point offering a splendid view of 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 takes us to the hot springs resort at the foot of the mountain. It’s a logistically perfect place to stay, but getting in is complicated. Everyone entering the area has to pay a small fee, including guests. After a dozen of minutes of negotiation, we succeed and the dear guests are 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 arrive and take us to the entrance of the park. From the closed gates, we have to walk another kilometer or so to get to the ranger station. Finally, we meet the park ranger with a pile of papers, a guide, and a porter. There is a lot of bureaucracy involved in getting a permit, which is probably why the porter comes to meet us. He seems a little upset to learn that he has nothing to carry and can go home. Nevertheless, after a quick registration, we are 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 come to the rim, where our guide declares that we have reached the highest point. He offers us the chance to enjoy the beautiful view of the clouds. And we do; it is 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 is a little skeptical about our initiative to visit a real summit, but he joins us and almost makes it to the top.

Maps and visual observation suggest that the summit is a few hundred meters to the south. We bushwhack through dense jungle without a trail, which takes some time. I can see some signs that people have been here before us; some bark was removed from trees long ago, and there are old broken branches in our “path”. It doesn’t seem to happen very often. We pass a few more bumps along the way and finally, in very dense bush on a steep cliff (dangerous), Rob finds the high point. Petter and I soon join him, the whole bush-moss-tree structure is shaking. It’s hard to tell where the stable ground is, but it’s certainly close. Our guide watches us from a distance and starts to smile when he sees we aren’t going forward but back. After about twenty minutes, we’re back at the rim and take a short break before descending the same way we came.

Rob with a true summit smile. There’s so little space on this tree-bush-moss formation that it’s 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
There are many health benefits of sulfur springs..
..every theory needs proof… so I test it. For sure i feel much healthier now. so, true

It is a very interesting hike, especially because we find and visit the true summit, not just a touristic one. The bushwalking is tough, but the reward at the top is so sweet. Afterwards, we have a nice dinner in the resort, accompanied by cold beer and hot sulfur springs, which quickly restore us. The next day, we are ready for our trip to Mount Labo.


Mount Isarog2000 m altitude
1951 m prominence
55.92 km isolation
RangesPhilippines - Luzon
Countries/regionsPhilippines - Bicol Region (V)
Distance8.90 km up8.90 km down
Elevation1669 m gain1669 m loss
Time
4h30 up
0h05 other
4h20 down
8h55 total
Trailhead430 m altitude13.6716380, 123.3206110
RouteWe leave the hot springs resort on motorbikes, but a kilometer or two from the park entrance, there's 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's clear that the summit is only a few hundred meters 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 meters away. Back the same way to the rim viewpoint, then down to the park entrance and by bike back to the hotel.
DifficultiesA few hundred meters of serious bushwhacking to the real summit. The last few meters to the overgrown summit, we approach from the inside of the crater via a steep grassy slope that sways with the growing trees-bush-moss. Approaching from the outside of the crater looks a bit safer.
LinksGPX trail
  • Philippines 2023
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  • Mount Labo »

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TRIPS

2024
Southern Africa 2024
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2023
Mongolia Ranges 2023
Philippines 2023
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2022
Andes 2022
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Malay Archipelago II 2022
Anatolia Mountains 2022
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Atlas Mountains 2022
North France-West Rhine Area 2022

archaeology (3) climb (157) food (2) hike (155) p30 (17) p50 (4) p100 (24) p300 (12) p600 (17) p1000 (11) p1500 (76) ribu (10) sight (46) summary (16) trig (44) ultra (76)

1 591 km walked, 121 298 m climbed

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