Kibungan Circuit

December 6-8, 2013
Kibungan Circuit
Kibungan, Benguet

Jazz meets TAPIK

Thursday night of December 5, we are bound to Benguet for another adventure, this time I will be joining the TAPIK Mountaineers for their Year End Climb. When we arrive at Baguio we rode a jeep to Kibungan, it is another 4 hours of travel from Baguio. Since its a long travel to Kibungan, we stop over for breakfast at Rajen's Bakery and Restaurant which is 1 1/2 hour from Kibungan barangay Hall. The serving of their food is good for 2, we decided to also buy our packed lunch there. After breakfast, we continue our travel to Kibungan. We arrived at the Kibungan Town Hall around 9am.

Kibungan Benguet Town Hall

When we arrive at the town hall, we register and buy some supplies and secure our guide. After registration and supplies checking, we go to the jump off which is 30 minutes from the town hall. In the Town hall, there is a miniature model of the town where you can see the mountain terrain in a mini version. Kibungan Circuit is a 3-in-1 Adventure since you will be passing 3 peaks. It is a loop that will pass Tanap - Mt. Tagpaya - Mt. Oten - Mt. Tagpew - Tanap, that is why it is called a circuit. When we arrive at the jump-off, we prepare ourselves to another adventure to the mountains. We will be starting from Tanap, you will be passing by a farmland, actually is a rice terraces and then passing a long bridge. Then assault comes. After 1 1/2 hours of walking we rest to took our lunch at a community (Abas community) that we passed by. After our lunch we continue our walk to Mt. Tagpaya (Mt. Tagpaya will be our 1st peak).

 

Miniature of Kibungan with LJ

Passing Tanap River

View at Kibungan

Palpalay-yen pine forest

 After 3 hours of walking we arrive at the campsite. We pitch our tent and decided to climb the Mt Tagpaya summit the next day. At night, we do some socials. 

The next day, December 7, rise and shine! We woke up 6am in the morning to prepare our breakfast. After cooking some breakfast, we break our camp, fix our things and prepare for another day of adventure in Kibungan. We start walking around 8:30am.

Semi group picture at the campsite

After 3 hours of walking, we reach the summit of Mt Tagpaya. Whew. 1 down, 2 to go, for the second day, our plan is to pass Mt Oten upto the campsite of Mt. Tagpew. Meaning, it is a long day of walking. 

TAPIK reaches Mt. Tagpaya summit

After reaching Mt Tagpaya, we took some souvenir and proceed to Mt. Oten. Mt. Oten is a bit far from Tagpaya, it is around 4-5 hours of walking. Around 12:30, we decided to took our lunch at the campsite between Mt. Tagpaya at Mt. Oten. Unfortuntely the water source in the area is not potable since there is a dead rat in the water stream, therefore we have to get water from other water source, we ask the guide where could we get some water and told us that it is 30 minutes away from the campsite. We have no choice but to get some water. 

Lunch time. Eating at the campsite near Mt. Oten

After the busog lusog lunch, we continue our trek to Mt. Oten. In order to reach Mt. Oten, we had to climb an assault. That's why its called Oten because of the assault itself (makes clear to me). We didn't know that we pass by Mt. Oten, since after the assault, we continue our walk. We have no picture of Mt. Oten (too bad). We continue our walk to Mt. Tagpew campsite. We walk and walk and reach the campsite around 5:30pm. Again, we pitch our tent, rest and cook our dinner do some socials with other members at the campsite. Its along day for us for the second day of adventure. Since the next day, we will be going to the summit of Mt. Tagpew.

Passing another bridge to Mt. Oten

Rest house along the trail

December 8, our last day of adventure, we woke up 5:30am in the morning to prepare our breakfast and to do the assault to the summit of Mt. Tagpew. The summit is around 30 minutes from the campsite, and the trail was dense and savage though it is still passable. When we reach the summit, we are amaze with what we saw, its cool to be at the summit always, you see different views like mountains, towns, sea of clouds, sun rise/set etc. 

Reaching Mt. Tagpew summit

After some moments at the summit, we descent the summit and prepare to go down the mountain. We break out camp, fix out things and prepare to return to Tanap.

Mt. Tagpew campsite

We start descending the mountain by 9am. This is a long walking to Tanap. Along this trail you will be passing by some vegetation like potatoes, cabbage etc. since you will be passing Legleg village. At the end of the trail you will be reaching Mayos River. We wash up a little bit then continue our walk to the jeepney that is waiting for us on the road.

Vegetation along the trail

Church in the village

See Mt. Tagpew at the back

Bato view deck along the trail

Mayos River, end of the trail

TAPIK conquers Kibungan Circuit

Lastly, I would like to thanks TAPIK who invited me to join their year end climb, to kuya Lester and kuya Mark who guided us through out the trail. and to God who help us finish the trail safe.

Kibungan Circuit Route and Elevation

ITINERARY

Day 0

2200 Take bus from QC to Baguio City

Day 1 Tanap to Mt. Tagpaya

0400 Arrival in Baguio. Proceed via rented jeepney to Kibungan.

0700 ETA at Rajen's Restaurant; eat breakfast, buy packed lunch

0900 ETA Kibungan poblacion (1230 MASL). Registration

1000 Depart for the jump-off

1040 ETA Tanap road side (900 MASL). Start trek.

1130 Cross Tanap river

1200 ETA Abas community (820 MASL); Lunch

1400 Arrival at Palpalay-yen pine forest (1100 MASL)

1530 ETA at E. camp

Day 2 Mt. Tagpaya to Mt. Oten to Mt. Tagpew

0530 Wake up call

0700 Breakfast / break camp

0900 Proceed to Mt. Tagpaya

1100 ETA summit of Mt. Tagpaya (1843 MASL)

1130 Start trek to Mt. Oten

1230 ETA Tangongtongaw; Oldest Pine Tree; Lunch

1415 Resume trek to Mt. Oten

1500 Reach Mt. Oten

1510 Resume trek to Mt. Tagpew

1730 Arrival at Mt. Tagpew campsite

Day 3 Mt. Tagpew to Tanap

0530 Wake up call

0630 sunrise viewing at Mt. Tagpew summit

0730 Breakfast / break camp

0900 Start descent

1030 ETA Legleg village

1200 Reach Bato view deck (1330 MASL).

1330 ETA Mayos river. Washup.

1400 Head back to Sitio Tanap

1430 Back at Sitio Tanap. End of Trek

1500 Back at Poblacion. Tidy up.

1600 Back in Baguio City

2300 Take bus back to Manila