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MOUNT NAPULAWAN (NAPULAUAN)
LOCATION: Ifugao Province
ELEVATION: 2,642 meters above sea level
LEVEL: Major Climb, Level III, Strenuous
JUMP OFF POINTS: Hungdungan, Ifugao &
Hapao, Ifugao
INFORMATION:
Mt Napulawan (napulauan) is historically remembered as the
place were many armies from General Emilio Aguinaldo to General
Tomoyuki Yamashita have found refuge. The remains of General
Artemio Ricarte, leader of the Revolution of 1896 were originally
buried here. Mt. Napulawan and it’s many hidden valleys
was also the final hideaway at the end of World War II of
General Yamashita. It was in Mt. Napulawan in Ifugao where
Gen. Yamashita, the known "Tiger of Malaya" decided
to put his last stand against the Filipino and American forces.
He informally surrendered to Capt. Grisham of the 6th US Army
in the Philippines based in Kiangan, Ifugao before he was
flown to Camp John Hay where he formally surrendered. Hence,
also reputed to be the hiding place of Genral Yamashita’s
gold, this pristine forest has many trails and caverns waiting
to be discovered.
This magical 2,642 meter peak is on the second leg of the
Banaue-Tino trekking route. Climbers normally make their climb
to the peak on the first 2 days of the Tungoh ad Hungduan
in April. Some pilgrims also climb it's slopes during the
Holy Week coming from as far as Carmen, Pangasinan. One of
it's jump-off points, Hungdungan is also the staging point
for a 5 day trek to Mt. Pulog passing by the towns of Wang,
Wang and Tinoc and finally the tawangan trail which has other
sub-routes, one going to Kayapa Nueva Vizcaya and another
to the farther side of Kabayan, Benguet. The place is not
yet popular among Manila climbers and most of the climbers
you will meet along the trail are locals who found interest
to the sports of climbing after it was promoted by the local
government headed by the Mayor, Andress Danuan and the DOT
when they first reached it's summit on March 12 of 1993 (written
on a marker atop the summit). There is also a lodging house
near the summit, errected by the mayor for tourists who will
climb the mountain, though it is now roofless after it has
been vandalized and looted by some locals. According to the
local folks, the Mayor reaches the summit only via helicopter
which he also used to ferry the equipment for the house he
has errected near the summit. Yearly, the local government
sponsors a climbathon from Hapo to Hungdungan participated
by locals. The last event, 2000, popularized the fastest time
recorded in acending and decending the mountain which was
only around 3 hours.
The mountain itself has very interesting sights to offer.
From the initial trek from Hungdungan, exotic flora abounds
the trail even from the very trail head. Pitcher plants, dwarf
trees, pine trees are some of the flora you will encounter
along the trail, indeed a feast for those inclined towards
botanical or horlicutural interest. Above 2,000 meters, you
will trek for hours inside mossy forest until you reach the
summit which is covered by dwarf trees. From the summit, the
view point will give you a glimpse of the Northern Luzon mountains
including Mts. Pulog, Sto. Tomas, Amuyao, Ugu and Tabayoc.
LEGENDS:
Although very rich in terms of historical background, not
much legends surrounds the place except from some uncertain
folklores which includes a disappearing lake near the peak
not so far from the mossy forest and a mysterious phenomenon
claimed by locals in one of the saddles in the mountain wherein
the reflection of the other person on the opposite slope of
the saddle will appear bigger than the actual size.
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