Mt. Ampacao

a view of Mt. Ampacao from the ranch

After our Sagada Cave Connection spelunking in the morning, we proceeded to do hiking at Mt. Ampacao. We had quite a morphinic energy that day. Mt. Ampacao is the first mountain I climbed this 2012. The ranch is a 30-minute away from the mountain summit. Most tour guides in Sagada would take visitors to the ranch then to Lake Danum where groups can also camp.

the ranch

Going to the ranch was an easy traverse, walking on plain paths, nothing too strenuous yet I found myself breathing hard. I remember what a cardiologist told me before: “One valve of your heart pumps out blood quite slow. But there’s nothing to worry. It is not a serious one.” Later, I casually asked one of my companions if he had difficulty breathing while we were hiking. He said yes. That lessened my worry but I was still somehow worried.

resting at the ranch. clouds brought in rain

Curious, I researched about breathing specially when in high mountains and I found out about acclimatization. Mt. Ampacao is at 1,880 masl (almost half of Mt. Apo) and is the highest in Sagada. The ranch may be at around 1,000 masl. The higher the mountain, the more it is difficult to breathe. Whew! And I thought I would suffer a heart attack.

 

the only glimpse of sunset we got

I noticed also that my pacing is slow. Madalas nahuhuli ako or kung nasa gitna man ako, I created a big gap between me and the person I was following. I never knew I walk slow until that day. Na-curious tuloy ako kung paano sila maglakad. I observed my companions and tried to imitate their steps only to get lost in thoughts whenever I see a nice view.

 

It was cloudy when we hiked the ranch of Mt. Ampacao. We wanted to witness sunset and how it would paint mountains with different hues of orange. But it was cloudy. The view before us was nevertheless impressive! Lush, verdant mountains everywhere! I love the cold climate up there. The air is fresh. You can feel it going into your body and stays in your lungs for a moment then move out of your body along with all the toxins the city life had caused you. Refreshing! Better than Vicks!

 

cloudy but the view was still perfect

After some wacky photo shoots with my buddies, we and another group headed to Lake Danum. We walked a long, narrow path bounded by tall shrubs, pine trees and flowers on either side. There were lots of butterflies! And some frogs! When the rain poured, they hide. But everything became foggy. I felt walking through clouds. The birds were chirping above us. It was like a magical scene! I’ll never forget that part. Perfect for meditation.


OTHER NOTES:

• Check the Saggas website for guide, contact information and fees
• It's nice to camp there but many preferred the camp site near Lake Danum, which is a 15-30 minute walk from the the Mt. Ampacao ranch