Poblacion, Bakun fet. Mt. KABUNIAN (Kabunyan)

"To begin with, I just want to see their waterfalls. Instead of waterfalls, I ended up climbing Mount Kabunyan. Near the summit, I was hesitant to go further up but I did it and it was good"

-pagnapagna

This was my second attempt to go to Bakun, Benguet. The first time was when i arrived late at La Trinidad and the only bus going to that place had left. The person manning the public toilet nearby said i can still catch the bus if i ride a van going to Bugias and wait for the bus at Sinipsip. I can do that but i decided to just go back home. (Later on, I've known that the bus, most of the time, has many stopovers as they do some errands for their town-mates like buying breads, construction materials, rice and other basic needs and not to mention the stop-over for "call-of-nature" and snacks).

My second attempt happened last August 20, 2014 and it was a success.

If you find this story/blogpost interesting and/or had helped you in any way (in your researches, works, travels, blogs, adventures, homeworks at school, a personal project and more), I'd like to hear a word or two from wonderful people like you or simply Like "pagnapagna" in Facebook. I'd be very thankful. It gives me inspirations. Cheers!

-my pagnapagna-

Getting there 

(August 20, 2014 - Wednesday)

I arrived early at Kilometer 5, La Trinidad, Benguet (5:28 am). The bus was already parked at the side of Petron Gas Station fronting the fastfood chain Jollibee. The bus came from Bakun the other day and had an overnight stay in La Trinidad and goes back to Bakun that early morning.

The bus at La Trinidad

I rode the bus that left La Trinidad at 6:41 am. Along the way, it had to drop-by at some hardware store for one of their passengers, who was also their townmate had to buy some steel bars and other construction materials. Along the way again, the other passenger had to buy some sacks of rice while afterwards the bus had to stop at a bakeshop (Valley bread). At 8:16 am, we were at the toll gate of Halsema Highway. It was 9:54 am when the bus dropped-by at Al's restaurant (km.62 Nan-agto, Natubleng, Buguias, Benguet) for snack/meal. We arrived at Sinipsip, Buguias, Benguet and left turned to a road where there was a Bakun welcome arch (10:40 am). About an hour later, we were at barangay Amposongan (the town proper of Bakun) (11:44 am). 

At Barangay Amposongan (town proper). Bakun, Benguet

Afterwards, the bus turned back to the same road to get to another intersecting road (12:10 pm) that goes to barangay Poblacion (Bakun Central). 
It was 1:30 pm when we had a short stop-over at barangay Poblacion welcome arch and also a stop-over at an area where their "Food Terminal Association" is located. We finally arrived at the barangay Poblacion proper at around 2:30 pm and it was there where the bus trip terminated.

From the bus, i went to their Barangay Hall. Barangay Councilor Leo Munoz was there at the front desk to whom i talked to and later on Mr. Peter Diclas took over. He let me sign a form/waiver  (containing whom to contact in case of emergency, etc.) and let me pay the environmental fee.

I said that my priority was their waterfalls and burial caves but they offered me Mt. Kabunyan. We were going to Tekip falls that afternoon  but the "Libo-o" (fog/clouds) came and afterwards it rained. So, it was cancelled. 
Later on, barangay Councilor Munoz accompanied me to where I'll be staying.

They also suggested that i can ask at one of the stores to cook food for me. I let one of the stores cook rice (a potful that lasted my whole stay) and just bought canned foods.

Where I stayed

Located at the central portion of the village and elevated up on a hill was the old elevated wooden Municipal Hall of Bakun. It was my abode for my entire stay in Bakun. It has a lobby area (wood plank floor) where there is an office room at one side (which is still being used by one government clerk) and another 3 rooms at the other side that serves as bedrooms. At the back, detached from the main building was the concrete kitchen-dining bungalow (where one can cook) with toilet and bath (the toilet was closed and perhaps out-of-order at that time. I have to use the public toilet nearby).

The old Municipal Hall where i stayed alone one night.

At first, since I was alone, i was hesitant to sleep at the old Municipal Hall and contemplating on sleeping at the kitchen instead. 

I borrowed a blanket from them (barangay officials) and slept at the bedroom at the rear end of the old Municipal Hall. Anyway, a barangay tanod (local civilian police) is on post just nearby fronting the old Municipal Hall.

The old Municipal Hall area

To Mt. Kabunyan 

(August 21, 2014 - Thursday)

Early morning, i just ate lot of rice on a pot which was still plenty. Afterwards, my guide arrived.

At 5:55 in the morning, our hike started with a walk at the back of the village. We went down from the residential area through a concrete steps with g.i. pipe handrail overlooking Mt. Gedgedayan. 

Mt. Gedgedayan

Passed by a hanging bridge at Lon-oy dam (6:19 am) and another one at 6:25 am. 

Lon-oy Hydroelectric power plant

We rested on areas where there were pine trees. 

Time to stop and rest. Here my guide "Digno" sits under the shade of pine trees

Passed by the welcome signage to Mt. Kabunian and rested again on a waiting shed where there was a spring flowing, we got drinking water from it. 

Welcome signage to Mt. Kabunian 
(either spelled with an "I" as in Kabunian or with a "Y" as in Kabunyan)

Here is what the Welcome Signage says:

 "WELCOME

TO

MT. KABUNIAN

BAKUN BENGUET

ELEVATION

1,400.00M ABOVE SEA LEVEL

 THE HISTORY OF DOLIGEN

MOUNT KABUNYAN AND DULIGEN THE LEGEND

THIS IS THE ENCHANTED MOUNT KABUNYAN.

THIS TRAIL CROSS OVER THE MOUNTAIN TOP

VIA KAYAPA TO SUGPON AND ALILEM UPLAND

TRADERS OF THE FAMED IGOROT GOLD PASSED

THIS PATHWAY HEAVY WITH SALT IN PORCELAIN

JARS: BRONZE GONGS AND PORCELAIN PLATES

FROM CHINESE TRADERS OF OLD.

DULIGEN, A MORTAL WALKED THIS PATH.

RESTED IN A CAVE AND PRESTO ... FOOD

AND WATER WERE BEFORE HIM. HE FINISHED

HIS MEAL, TOOK THE PLATES WITH HIM AND

DIED AT HIS HOME.

FROM THEN ON, THE FOOD AND WATER SERVED

BY UNSEEN HANDS WERE NO MORE. ON THE CAVE

WITH CLEAR AND COOL WATER SPURTING FROM

ITS PENIS. FOR COUNTLESS YEARS, THE WATER

REFRESHED TRAVELERS. AGAIN, THE HUMAN ROCK

AND WATER DISAPPEARED. NOW IS A SPRING JUST

BEFORE THE TOP OF THE HILL FOR PEOPLE TO

DRINK. REMEMBER, THIS MOUNTAIN IS GUARDED

BY SPIRITS."

Just nearby at "Lop-ot" were privately owned carabaos (water buffaloes) left to roam in that area. Our guide said that they get near if you give them salt.

One of the carabaos at "Lop-ot" staring at me perhaps waiting for some salt.

A carabaos' shelter was provided at "Lop-ot" area.

The views along the way were picturesque and not to mention the trails that gives a thrill to the bone. 

Shrouded with clouds, Mt. Tenglawan as seen from Mt. Kabunyan

Most parts of the trail were truly at the edge, one wrong move and down you go. 

The Mini-Hydro Plant as seen above from the trail to Mt. Kabunyan

Thanks to some improvements, some parts were provided with railings for safety.
We came across a part called "Tinnag Kamsit".
"Apay nga pinanaganan da ti Tinnag Kamsit?" (Why did they called it Tinnag Kamsit?), I asked Digno.
"Kamsit ket nagan ti tao" (Kamsit is a name of a person), he answered. "Ditoy natnag ni Kamsit" (This is where Kamsit fell) he added. 
Learning that, I went silent.

Approaching a dangerous portion of the trail. 
Thanks to the railings which made it safer

Handrails were constructed to make the ascend and descend
 safer at "Tinnag Kamsit". 
Just imagine people before, when they cross these mountains, 
they don't have this safety railings.

Along the way my guide improvised a hiking pole for me which made my hike lighter.

Walking along the ridge to get into the main peak, my endurance was getting low something is telling me to just stop and go back. With every step i stride going up i get a real heavy breathing that brings me to a halt. I even had to take something for my weak knees. Step by step, i moved on with lots of rest stops and taking pictures while resting.

At Mt. Kabunyan going to its summit. The summit is seen here at the background.

"Makitam diyay puraw idianay? Kalding dagidiay" (Do you see those white ones there? Those are goats) my guide said. 

I was amazed there were goats in those rock cliffs. He told me that those were owned by a group of people who let them loose and roam free up in this part of the mountain. They put some marks on the ears of their goats to identify them. From time to time, they visit their goats to check them and so again, these goats love salt. (Saying this, I have read an article about (wild) mountain goats, salt and hikers. The link to the article is at the end of this blog post.)

(Some of the people from Poblacion made a wire fence protecting the coffin area to stop those goats from entering and eventually destroying it).

So I kept on striving to move up. We reached another spring area (boxed in concrete) where we got fresh cold drinkable water. Few more minutes and we were walking on a ridge up to the summit area.

We finally reached the summit area. My guide sat on the trunk of a fallen pine tree while i slouched on the ground.  

"Datoy ti boundary ti barangay Poblacion ken Kayapa" (This is the boundary of barangay Poblacion and Kayapa) he told me pointing at a marker on the ground and said again "Ay haan nga makita ti Tagudin tani naulap" (Tagudin can't be seen because of the clouds).  

Tagudin is a low-lying municipality of Ilocos Sur. 

We rested for a while, ate a snack and afterwards got ready for our hike going back.

At the summit of Mt. Kabunyan

A marker at the summit of Mt. Kabunyan that denotes the boundary
 between barangays Kayapa and Poblacion

We went down faster but with much caution as not to stumble or slide and fall down. Well what do you expect, i trailed behind. It's better to be slow and surely safe. Thanks again for my improvised hiking pole. Along the way my guide also made himself a hiking pole. It was really a great help while hiking on that part where there were loose gravel on the sloped ground.

While walking our way down, I've learned through my guide who had a handheld transceiver/radio (walkie-talkie) that some 20 hikers from Manila had just arrived and they need the key to the old Municipal Hall which I've got it in my pocket. The duplicate key was with my guide who was also the guard for the school at the back of the municipal hall. So they don't have any option but to wait for us. I did my best to go faster but i can't specially on going up those concrete steps to the residential area. My legs were killing me so i have to rest most of the time and walked up slow.

We finally got to the old Municipal Hall and there they were, the 20 hikers from Manila at the entrance of the old Municipal Hall. I gave the key to someone and they opened the accordion steel door. I went inside to the room where i had slept and changed my sweaty shirt and went back outside to visit the Tekip Falls.

 (my Tekip Falls hike CLICK HERE)

After visiting the Tekip Falls and arrived at the old Municipal Hall, it began to rain. The janitor was there and the jeepney driver (of the 20 hikers) was sleeping near the door while the 20 hikers were away as they went to hike Mt. Lobo. Surely the hikers was caught in the rain. After some hours, still raining, the 20 hikers began to arrive one by one. I was told, they did not got to the summit due to heavy rains.

Mr. Peter Diclas came to check on them. He said to me "Makikinayon ka paylang a kenyada anya" (For the meantime, just be with the group). 

Mr. Peter Diclas with the old Municipal Hall

My Last day

(August 22, 2014 - Friday)

Morning came and i woke up early, around 3 o'clock in the morning and the fluorescent light was turned on the whole time. I turned it off and went back to sleep with the blanket covering the whole of me from head to feet. After a while, i noticed that there was something blinking and noticeable even from under the blanket that covers my head. I thought it was the fluorescent bulb flickering. I uncovered my face and saw a "firefly". Then there was another one and finally there were three inside the room. I really enjoyed it. It placed a smile on my face.

Here is a glimpse of one of the fireflies as it blinks. I hope you notices it in this really dark actual short video

It was around 4:30 in the morning when i took a bath outside where the water was overflowing from a concrete water tank. I supposed to take a bath at the kitchen (where there is a bathroom) but it was still padlocked and the key was with the "20 hikers" who were still asleep at that time. It was surely icy-cold as i took a bath. After that sort of "ice-bucket challenge" I went back to my room and got ready to go home. 

Later on around 6 am, one of the 20 hikers offered me coffee. I learned that they were going to hike Mt. Tenglawan that day and they will be staying in Bakun until Sunday (August 24, 2014). 

Early morning at a store in Poblacion. The one with cowboy hat
 will be the "guide" of the "20 hikers from Manila"
 for Mt. Tenglawan. He came from the neighboring barangay of Sinacbat
where Mt. Tenglawan is located

The "Bakun Central Multi-Purpose Cooperative" bus ready to go to La Trinidad

Got some last photos on the area and rode (6:45 am) the only bus for La Trinidad, Benguet so i can get back to Home Sweet Home. 

-end of pagnapagna-

Here is the link to an article (U.S.A.) about mountain goats:

Mountain Goats Basics: Give the Goat the trail

Subject : Poblacion, Bakun, Benguet
Location: Barangay of Poblacion (Bakun Central)
                Municipality of Bakun
                Province of Benguet

How to get there:  
From Manila ride a bus going to Baguio City then you may either ride a jeepney or taxi going to La Trinidad. Just remember that there is only one bus bound for Poblacion, Bakun and it departs La Trinidad as early as 6:30 in the morning. 

Note on the Bus Schedule:
The lonesome Bus parks and waits for passengers at Kilometer 5 (at the side of Petron Gas Station just fronting Jollibee) departs as early as 6:30 in the morning.
Before, they have three buses  where one departs from La Trinidad, the other departs from Poblacion (Bakun) while the third one rests, all at the same time. But now they have only two buses and sometimes they still practice that rest day meaning there maybe no buses at some days in the departure areas (La trinidad and Bakun).

UPDATE as of NOVEMBER 16, 2015

The only bus to be seen parked at the Petron Gas Station is the one going to SINACBAT, the bus going to Poblacion is said to have been removed in the area and had transferred somewhere farther from the public market and before Provincial Capitol building at "Kenwayne".

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