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MOUNT CANLAON (VOLCANO)
LOCATION: Negros Oriental and Occidental
Provinces
ELEVATION: 2465 meters above sea level
LEVEL: Major Climb, Level III, Strenuous
JUMP OFF POINTS: Bacolod, La Carlota, Kan-Laon
Cities
INFORMATION:
Canlaon Volcano is a large startovolcano and is located in
the North Central portion of Negros Island. It forms a natural
boundary between the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros
Oriental. Canlaon has a maximum elevation of 2,465 meters
above sea level and a basal diameter of 30 kilometers. It
is part of the volcanic arc related to subduction along the
Negros Trench, which includes Mt. Silay in the North and Mts.
Mandalagon and Cuernos de Negros in the South. Canlaon is
consists of a multitude of craters and parasitic cones aligned
linearly, with an older caldera in its central portion. Most
of the older cratershave formed lakes or lagoons. The volcanic
edifice has been built by airfall deposits, lava agglutinates
and lava flows, phyroclastic flows and lahar. The earliest
record of Canlaon’s eruption dates back to 1866. Since
then, it has at least 15 eruption periods. Recorded eruptions
have so far been mild, consisting of ash and steam explosion
sometimes coupled with lava flows and pyroclastics. Occurrence
of older deposits, however, suggests that pre-historic eruptions
have been more violent. Though a large segment of the volcano
is considered a forest reservation, settlers have already
encroached on the area. Several sugarcane haciendas are located
on Canlaon’s slopes. Vegetables and rice form secondary
agricultural product.
Canlaon Volcano is part of the Canlaon National Park. It
is a famous climbing destination in the Visayas. The national
park contains a delicate ecosystem containing plants and animals
like the Strangler Fir, delicate orchids, ferns and epiphytes,
hornbills, parakeets, many species of migratory birds of Asia,
monitor lizards and flying lizards called "Dracos."
The summit area offers panoramic views of cliffs, walls, forest
and the nearby provinces of Negros.
August of 1996 placed Canlaon into newspaper headlines due
to the death of 3 foreign mountain climbers scaling the mountain
when huge boulders were hurled into the skies producing showers
of deadly boulders hitting most of the members of that expedition.
It was however not a volcanic eruption but a phenomenon where
water seeped in into the hot crater producing an interaction
that caused an explosion.
LEGENDS:
A long time ago, the people living near the mountains of
Negros lead a happy and peaceful life when one day, a dragon
with seven heads appeared from the mountain and started destroying
everything in it’s path as well as killing countless
men, women and children. Once in a while the monster re-appears
destroying everything at the same time wreaking havoc and
fear into the lives of the people. One day one of the pretty
woman of the village went into the mountain and never returned.
The dragon became silent for one year. The village people
concluded that in order to appease the dragon, one of the
beautiful maidens of the village should be offered every year.
One day, there was no more beautiful maiden to be offered
except the daughter of the king. The king, being reluctant
offered treasures and the hand of her daughter to anyone who
can stop the beast.
A young Indian prince came, which was actually one of their
gods and told the king that he would take care of the monster.
He went into the mountain. He can actually communicate with
the animals of the mountain and has instructed ants, bees
and eagles to help him. When he found the dragon, he ordered
the animals to go to their position and with a signal, he
awakened the dragon. The ants bit the dragon while the bees
stung the eyes blinding the monster. The eagles then attacked
and plucked the eyes of the dragon. The prince later slew
the dragon and returned to the village with the head of the
dead dragon.
He married the princess and became the ancestors of the people
living in Negros. The mountain was later named Khan Laon (God
Laon) to his honor. It was later shortened to Kanlaon.
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