Mt. Palali (1,715+)

BACKGROUND
A little-known but very beautiful destination in Northern Luzon is Mt. Palali in Nueva Vizcaya. Once the hunting ground of the Bugkalots, Gaddangs, and Ifugaos, this majestic mountain offers a commanding view of the low-lying municipalities of the province.

The jump-off point is accessible through tricycles or jeeps less than 30 minutes from Solano. Getting guides, however, seem to be quite a challenge but the risk of going there without prior arrangement is a fair-enough risk, as Mt. Palali gets more and more popular as a climbing destination. The trail begins as a rough road, as in many mountains, and it gives way to a beautiful forest. This forest has recently been declared as a ‘protected area’ and should be respected as such. There are many avian species; indeed the forest is the closest most of us can get to the deep jungles of Palanan, farther east.

Several hours into the climb, huge boulders will appear, heralding the end of the first half of the trek. Afterwards, the landmark known as Haring Bato will be reached – the halfway point. Another account says this area is in the native tongue known as Dinar-awan. Here, and when the forest occasionally gives way to the cogon grassland which is the usual environment of Philippine peaks, the view is like that of Mt. Arayat: instead of Pampanga River, there is Magat River, sweeping across the plains as it commences from Vizcaya; and looming in the west are mountains such as Mt. Ugo, the saddle of Ambaguio, and on a clear day, Mt. Pulag itself, and northward, Mt. Napulauan, and a distant Mt. Amuyao. Meanwhile, equally alluring are the mountains of the east side: the Sierra Madre range, with its rarely-explored environs.

The summit, again like its Arayat and Makiling counterparts, is forested. Take time to observe the fauna and flora there – pitcher plants, creepers, and wild flowers create a Jurassic aura that caps off the climb to one of the more pristine places in the country.

ITINERARY