Kibungan Cross Country

posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2023

How can I resist taking on the Kibungan Cross Country when it has been dubbed as the ‘Switzerland of the Philippines’? Seeing scenic photos of rice terraces, mossy forests, rock formations and pine ridges easily made up my mind on this year’s opening climb mid-March 2023. This is also my first time to do a tri-province traverse from Benguet, Ilocos Sur and La Union. It is apparently considered a major climb with an 8 out of 9 level of difficulty.

Ling and I joined the iCLIMBmountain organizer for the fee of P4,500 per person. It is inclusive of private van transpo, jeep transfer, registration, guide and environmental fees, plus two meals. There were 12 joiners in the group and we were off to Kibungan, Benguet by 10:00 pm.

After breakfast and barangay registration, we started trek from the Tanap jump-off around 8:40 am the following day. We were guided by Kuya Mark, who is among the 20 local guides in the area. The KXC trail is more or less 36 kilometers traversing 15 mountains along the way. But since we started late, the heat made the hike all the more challenging. We passed through hanging bridges, highland villages and rolling terrains. Despite the endless trail, the overlooking view was simply picture-perfect. Ling and I were also with good company as we paced alongside a Russian hiker, Aleks. Listening to his interesting stories and hikes around Luzon sure made our trek more manageable. And of course, we didn't miss seeing the well-known ‘Crying Mountains of Kibungan’ minus its tears.

We arrived at the Batangan Elementary School by 7:00 pm or after ten long hours. Unfortunately, there was no caretaker in the school so we had no choice but to set-up on the corridor outside the classrooms. We also had to wait for the organizer for our much-awaited dinner past 11:00 pm. Good thing we brought enough snacks to last us until the rest of the group’s arrival.

Breakfast the following day was past 6:00 am. Ling and I loaded up for yet another long day of trekking. We were on our way by 8:00 am. The Litalit trail down Licungan in Ilocos Sur was totally unexpected. Without the railings, it could have been dreadfully scary. The view, however, was like nothing I’ve seen before. It was literally breathtaking. The last stretch of the hike was conquering the hanging bridge in Sugpon, Ilocos Sur and then finally reaching Santol, La Union. It took us seven hours to finally conclude the trek. Surreal.

For joiner climbs, you can contact iCLIMBmountain thru Alfred Asan: 0905-707-0178.

See also our climb up Mt. Apo, Mt. Pulag via Ambaguio-Tawangan traverse, Mt. Napulauan, Tarak Ridge, Mt. Purgatory Traverse, Mt. Ugo, Mt. Pulag via Ambangeg Trail, Mt. Pulag via Akiki Trail, Mt. Arayat, Mt. Balagbag, Mt. Amuyao, Mt. Pigingan and Mt. Timbak.