Sea of Clouds and Sacred Ground: Our Mt. Pulag Journey

This is a late upload. I took these pictures last year.

Mt. Pulag is considered the highest mountain in Luzon. See that 2,922 masl? That's how high this mountain is; it is 2,922 meters above sea level. .

Even though this mountain is located across three provinces—Benguet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya—we came here via Itogon, Benguet, with Ptr. Allen and the youth of Evangelical Covenant Church Manila (ECCM).

Climbing the mountain is not easy. There are three stages. We left the foot of the mountain around 5 AM. It took us 5 hours to reach the summit.

As we start our long, arduous journey, the first difficulty we encounter is the hot weather. There are no trees to provide shade. That is why the locals call this the "bald mountain." Reaching the 3rd peak, it took us one hour more to reach the summit.

The view at the top is super! Nature is indeed amazingly astounding and beautiful. No wonder this mountain is popularly known as "the playground of the gods" and "the sea of clouds."

If you plan to visit Mount Pulag, you have to bear in mind several things.

Indigenous groups consider the mountain sacred. Mountain climbers are prohibited from shouting. You are also not allowed to take pictures without clothes. Respect the spirits that live in the mountain, lest you be banned. Bringing home plants is not allowed. You must not loiter and keep the place clean.

What I find surprising is the higher you climb, the more difficult it is to breathe. The air is thin, and it hurts the skin, and even I feel my hair frozen. Other climbers bring portable oxygen with them. That is why you have to physically prepare before planning to climb Mt. Pulag. A medical certificate is required.

After two to three months, I got inspired to paint the second stage in our journey. It took me two weeks to complete the painting below:

I think this is the part of the mountain where that "bald name" was given. Even though it's treeless, it looks like a gold minefield for me.

After that exciting journey, I took a rest for eight months and next visited Mount Batulao, Batangas, and that is a story for another day.