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Mount Tapulao

hike | 2023-04-25

It is very surprising to see such a beautiful pine forest on this peak, as opposed to the usual jungle in the region. We all agree that this walk reminds us of the Alps in Europe, although there are some differences, such as the leeches we find along the way. Fortunately, I do not get any, but I do see them. Knowing that the path might be open and without shade, we set off early in the morning before sunrise. After registering, we drive along the paved road for a while, then walk and pass a few houses before climbing up a wide, gradual, and rocky path, easy on the way up but more slippery on the way down.

Morning views
Much of the path is rocky, not bad, but you have to watch your step most of the way
Sunrise
Unexpected, but few leaches spotted on generally wide trail
Surprisingly, we see a beautiful pine forest higher up
Unspoilt nature along the trail

There are beautiful pine forests all around us, with nice views through the trees. There is a campsite before we enter the moss forest, the last bit of jungle is less than a kilometer and there is a relatively easy climb on the well-visible trail.

Peter, Rob and I on the summit

The top is a rock in the bush. There isn’t much to see due to the vegetation and the clouds. I take the last picture with my primary mobile phone. It already has a cracked screen, and when I drop it again on a sharp rock, it shatters completely. The photos are later synchronized, but I am never able to use the phone again. On the bright side, the end of one thing is often the beginning of another. Now I have no reason to put off replacing my phone!

Grassy path at lower elevations

Rob and I detour to a small sub-peak that looks quite prominent, but Rob later measures it to have a prominence of 18 meters. We have time, so Petter, Rob, Win and I then detour to another peak on the southwest ridge which has a prominence of 49 meters. Soon we meet a team of motorcyclists practicing on the ridge. This is the second surprise after the pine forest.

The Malabar Melastome is a plant with many names, including Melastoma malabathricum, Indian Rhododendron, Singapore Rhododendron, Planter’s Rhododendron and Senduduk.
Red.. something ??
??
Mussaenda frondosa, commonly referred to as the wild mussaenda or dhobi tree

This climb is a quick win and we count five out of seven ultra peaks on this trip. The next planned summit is Luzon’s highest point – Mount Pulag.


Mount Tapulao2044 m altitude
2022 m prominence
105.54 km isolation
RangesPhilippines - Luzon
Countries/regionsPhilippines - Central Luzon (III)
Distance11.50 km up11.50 km down
Elevation1560 m gain1560 m loss
Time
4h30 up
0h10 other
4h00 down
8h40 total
Trailhead483 m altitude15.4469440, 120.0411380
RouteAfter registering, we drive a few more kilometers to the end of the tarmac road. Nickel has been mined here in the past and may still be mined. We follow a wide, rocky path up to the pine line, then an easily recognizable track. The last few hundred meters are in a moss forest. On the way down, we make a short detour to two low humps on the ridge.
DifficultiesGoing down on the rocky trail is slippery in places
LinksGPX trail
  • Philippines 2023
  • « Mount Labo
  • Mount Pulag »

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Algeria
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TRIPS

2024
Southern Africa 2024
Mid-Atlantic Islands 2024
North America 2024
Anatolia 2024
Korea-Amur Area 2024
East China 2024
2023
Mongolia Ranges 2023
Philippines 2023
West Africa III 2023
West Africa II 2023
Iberian Peninsula 2023
West Africa 2023
Central America 2023
2022
Andes 2022
Northwest Europe 2022
Malay Archipelago III 2022
Malay Archipelago II 2022
Anatolia Mountains 2022
Iberian Peninsula 2022
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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