Trail spotting
Get to know another side of the Cordilleras with a trip to Maligcong
The one thing I envy most from travelers is their ability to sleep soundly inside moving vehicles. This is the reason why I purchased an extra seat to have a comfortable ride up north towards Bontoc, Mountain Province.
The groggy feeling due to lack of sleep seemed non-existent as I went down the bus and looked for a place to eat. I already missed the first jeepney to Maligcong because the bus arrival coincided with the departure of the first jeepney, so I took my time eating breakfast.
Scared that I might not get a seat on the next trip, I decided to spend the remaining time inside the jeepney. Locals arrived with their purchases from the town market. We left Bontoc with a jeepney full of locals, red rice, beans, vegetables, and construction materials.
After close to 30 minutes of non-stop ascent and bends, I reached Maligcong and was welcomed by Vilma in front of her homestay. She guided me to my room for the night and told me that lunch will be ready in an hour.
The room, which was made from wood, was modest but clean. I was joined by two vacationers, Mel and Kat, over a bowl of hot chicken tinola. After a brief rest, Jonathan (Vilma's younger brother) soon arrived to accompany me towards the summit of
Mt. Fato for a sunset hike.
The typical hike up the Cordilleras begins with navigating several houses on concrete paths, which then change to the natural dirt trails in a matter of minutes.
From houses, the surroundings also change to closely knitted pine trees. It was a continuous ascent towards the summit.
After a few short rests and a little over an hour, we reached the summit of Mt. Fato just in time for sunset. The top part of this mountain has a large limestone boulder where you can climb with the help of a short wooden ladder. The view from this point is mesmerizing as you can see a 360-degree view of the mountainous region.
I woke up early the next day to tackle another summit: Mt.