The Heartache that was Bulusan

Team Bulusan: Pau, Adel, John, Ruth, Aris, Sir Frank, Analene, Gen, Me, JB

This was perhaps, the longest, continuous travel I ever took on a single vehicle. I crouched on a cramped bus seat, feeling a plethora of unpleasant sensations - hunger, boredom, numbness. We have already reached the province of Sorsogon - a butt-aching ride of 14 hours, but Irosin was still two hours away. I couldn't count how many times I uttered, "Ang tagal naman!" I was so relieved when we finally arrived in Irosin that I wanted to kiss the ground.

I didn't put much hope on this climb given PAGASA's bleak weather forecast for the weekend. While we were having our breakfast at a carinderia, the rain fell, exactly as PAGASA forecasted. Then the rain stopped. From Irosin, we took a trike to the park office which is beside Bulusan Lake. The rain stopped, reduced to a drizzle, stopped and rained again while we were on our way. There's no denying that we were indeed at the southern tip of Luzon, infamous for its erratic weather. The sky was overcast when we reached Bulusan Lake. There we met Mr. Phillip Bartlett of AGAP-Bulusan who conducted a short orientation in front of a diorama of the natural park.

A 30-minute preclimb orientation

Mr. Bartlett explained that our hike will consist of the following: a kayak ride across the Bulusan Lake, a 4 hour hike to the campsite beside Aguingay Lake where we will spend the evening, and a final assault to Mount Bulusan before dawn, where we expect to see yet another lake (the crater lake, that is).

Medical personnel at the park checked our BPs first before we were allowed to proceed, the first on any mountain I've been to. And come to think of it, this is perhaps one of the most organized climbs I have ever experienced. Bulusan is off-limits to walk-in climbers, and the park implements a strict limit of only 20 climbers per day. Bulusan is a prime example of how the local government and NGOs (such as AGAP-Bulusan) can team up to promote sustainable ecotourism, a big contrast to popular hiking destinations (Maculot, Pulag and Romelo immediately come to mind) which have seen considerable environmental decline due to the unabated number of climbers.

Kayaking across Bulusan Lake

Our kayaks docked on the other end of the lake

For ordinary tourists, the main attraction in Mt. Bulusan is Bulusan Lake. Kayaks and pedal boats may be rented for a fee. Lucky us, the kayaks were part of the P350 reg fee. I have never kayaked before, and I was more than excited to get it. After a few strokes on the paddle, however, I realized that kayaking is no walk in the park. It takes effort to make the kayak go where it's supposed to, and I was slouched in a single position for twenty minutes that my back started to ached and my legs have numbed.

We started hiking when we reached the other side of the lake. The trail was relatively easy. Certain portion were muddy but they were nonetheless manageable. Every now and then we would encounter blood leeches - the one thing I feared most. I've heard nasty stories of leeches creeping inside places such as eye sockets and genitals. One of us came with the idea of applying salt to our skin. I'm not sure know if this sort of leech deterrent actually worked (or if I was just lucky), but while some of my companions who didn not apply salt had leeches clinging on their legs, arms and even face, I never had a single of these creepy crawlers on my skin.

An almost-pristine rain forest

After two hours, we reached the ranger station - actually just an empty tree house. We spent half an hour planting seedling around the area. As we came closer to Aguinay Lake the rains feel even harder and the trail steeper. Some parts of the trail were so flooded that we felt like trekking on a shallow river.

Tanim tanim din ng puno pag may time!

Reaching the campsite was like a exiting from a wormhole - the landscape immediately changed. The guides told us that we were standing close to the foot of the volcano, but a thick layer of fog covered the whole area that there was nothing much to see but the nearby cogon grasses. Volcanic sand lay scattered around making the place look like a beach.

As we waited for others to arrive, the wind began to slash, making the already cold air even more unbearable. After a dinner of sinigang na baboy, a few rounds of booze (which I skipped), we finally retired and crept on our respective tents. We have a very slim chance of getting a clearing tomorrow, let alone a chance to reach the peak. I figured the winds would probably we stronger as we ascend, and probably enough to knock us down (our guide would later confirm this). If there was anything that kept us from absorbing the gloom that surrounded us as we anticipated an unsuccessful climb, it was the knowledge that Bulusan had failed numerous climbers before. A clearing at the summit has always been a hit or miss. I've also read one blog which told of a climber who risked getting hypothermia. That evening, though, I was more worried about surviving the night with wet clothes on. I underestimated Bulusan and came severely unprepared for the climb. It was booboo that would teach me a lesson - the painful way. For the record, I have always been well prepared during my early days into hiking. In Pulag, for instance, I even brought everything from knee and ankle straps (in case I sprain myself) to several pieces of extra underwear. For this particular climb, I had nothing but one underwear and an extra shirt - which I left at the park office to make my load as light as possible. I reached the campsite with not even a blanket or a jacket to keep me from the cold; all I wore was a dry fit shirt (which I hoped would dry before I sleep, but didn't) and shorts. Eventually, weakness and the strong urge to sleep kept me asleep for a good four to five hours.

The campsite, featuring our freshly set-up tents.

When I woke up at around 5AM the winds were slashing heavily against our tent, as though fingers were running against the fabric from the outside. The rain has also gotten stronger that two tents have flooded, including the one I was in.

We only had instant noodles before starting our ascent. It was still dark, and the weather hasn't improved. The thick fog made our headlamps useless, and with limited visibility it even took a while for our guides to figure out where trail is. The rains continued to pour, turning the trail into small gullies. The poncho failed to keep me dry. Our guides warned that the conditions could be far worse near the summit. Cold, drenched and miserable, we finally decided to abort the climb. It was a decision that was wise and bitter at the same time, and without a doubt extremely heartbreaking.

Fake smiles all around! Haha

To make up for the lost opportunity, we decided to spend more time for photoops near the lake. It was only then that I finally got to appreciate its beauty. The sandy lakeside was like a wide, eerie desert, a landscape whose grayness and gloom was unlike anything I've seen before. I felt like we were Frodo and a band of Elves out to brave the uncertain wilderness of Middle Earth.

Le Middle Earth on Earth. LOL!

A hut at the campsite. It has a sink, tables, sleeping quarters for the guides.

Back at the campsite, we had a sumptuous breakfast of tocino, longganisa and a special tuna dish.

I couldn't tell if I was still carrying a heavy heart while we descended. I enjoyed the campsite, I enjoyed hiking through the rainforest - and as the trail wasn't too difficult, I had the opportunity to marvel at the wilderness around me.

Back in Bulusan Lake, we spent our last hours at the park swimming, kayaking and taking pictures. As promised, we were handed our laminated climbing certificates - a token of an achievement we did not actually achieve.

Goofing around at Lake Bulusan

Sporting our undeserved climb certificates

It was during the jeepney ride to the bus station in Irosin that I finally had a glimpse of Bulusan. For a few seconds the clouds parted, and the peak finally showed itself, greeting us with a sinister goodbye.

I would count Bulusan as the most otherwordly and fascinating mountain I've been to, and yet we haven't event seen half of what it had to offer. Our group has already planned a revenge climb. May we be as lucky as Rica Peralejo next time.

MORE CLIMB DETAILS

1. As I mentioned earlier, a procedure must be followed before one can secure a climbing permit in Bulusan. An NGO called AGAP Bulusan arranges the climbing permits. You can reach them via the following :

Smart: 0919.223.1536

Globe: 0916.522.1500

You will only get your climbing permit once AGAP Bulusan has confirmed the availability of the date you chose (only 20 climbers are allowed per day), deposited the reg fee of P350/pax on their bank account and submitted the accomplished reg forms by e-mail. Your climbing permit is good until the year ends, i.e., you won't have to pay the P350 fee if you decide to climb again on the same year.


2. Be prepared for the worst weather. If there's anything you can wear that can keep you warm and dry, bring them. The mountain is also limatik infested, even at the sandy campsite.

3. There are several bus lines at the bus terminal in Araneta Center that ply the Manila to Irosin route, most of which leave by 5PM or 7PM. Ticket prices: Airconditioned P900, Ordinary P500. It usually takes 10-12 hours to get to Irosin. Ours took 16 hours via the St. Martha line with its rusty-old-relic bus. Don't fall for the P100 that they may offer - it's not worth your four hours. AGAP Bulusan recommends the Elavil bus.

4. You can buy food and other supplies at the wet market in Irosin.

5. Guide fee is P1000/ day/5 pax, which you will pay once you get to the park.

6. One to two liters of water will be enough for the nearly three hour trek from Bulusan Lake to Aguingay. Your guides will fetch your water supply at the campsite.

7. There are only two bus trips at the bus terminal in Irosin. It's very likely that you will catch the last trip in the afternoon, which leaves at 7:00 PM. Take your dinner in advance as the next stop over will be in Quezon (some four to five hours from Irosin). You can also opt to wait for buses along the highway (ask the locals on where exactly to wait). These buses arrive nearly every hour.

8. Here's the itinerary:

Day 1
8:00 am - Arrival at Irosin (Breakfast/Grocery/Market)
8:30 am - Rent tricycle to Bulusan Lake (P350.00/3-4 pax). For larger groups, your contact person from AGAP can arranged a charter jeep.
9:00 am - Arrival in Bulusan Lake (Registration/Orientation)
10:00 am - Departure for BVNP Rangers Station via Kayaking across Bulusan Lake
12:00 nn - Arrival in Rangers Station (Lunch/Rest/Tree Planting)
12:30 pm - Departure for Aguingay Lake Campsite
4:00 pm - Arrival in Aguingay Lake (Snacks/Camp In/Exploration/Photo-ops)
6:00 pm - Dinner/Socials

Day 2
3:00 am - Rise/Breakfast
3:30 am - Ascent for Bulusan Volcano
6:30 am - Arrival in the summit/crater of Bulusan Volcano (1565masl)
7:30 am - Departure for Aguingay Lake
10:00 am - Arrival in Aguingay Lake
11:00 am - Rest - Lunch -Camp-out
12:00 pm - Departure for BVNP RANGERS Station
1:30 pm - Arrival BVNP RANGERS Station
1:45 pm - Departure for BVNP RANGERS Station
4:00 pm - Arrival Bulusan Lake (Snacks/Fill-up & submit evaluation form/Claim climbing certificate/Log-out)
5:00 pm - Rent tricycle back to Irosin

More pics are available from the Bulusan Volcano Mountaineering facebook page.

Photo credits: AGAP Bulusan, JB Galedo, John Sotto, Genesis Quilantang, Analene Moralidad ang Francisco Uy.