On our way going to our destination, we saw stunning view of mountains and rice terraces. When we reached the town proper, we felt the cold mountain breeze that gave us a warm welcome. We had our late breakfast in one of the “karinderya” in the town.

Van is not allowed in the jump-off, we have to ride a passenger non-aircon van going to Brgy. Bila (jump-off via long trail). I stood with the group on the starting point, looking around and preparing for the long trek. If you started in Brgy. Bila, it will take you 4-5 hours to reach Mt. Polis campsite, while the other jump-off in Brgy. Bagnen is the short trail and it has concrete stairs and will only take you 30-45 mins to the summit.

On the picture above, our guide, kuya Paul advised that we have to cross the ridge he’s pointing in the picture. After several minutes of walking, the trail became more challenging. We stopped for a bit rest our legs and to catch our breath. When we reached the river, we crossed the old bridge made by the locals. The bridge was damage by the recent typhoon and still not fix completely, so we need to be extra careful in crossing it.

The view you will see along the trail will amaze you mare if you see it yourself. A must see place when travelling to Cordillera region. Mt. Polis borders the provinces of Ifugao and Mountain province. It rank as the third highest mountain in Ifugao. The area is well preserve full greenery and mountain views. A great place for outdoor DIY back packing to relax your mind.

The sun was setting when we were close to the campsite. It was starting to get dark and foggy, the trail is so grassy and we can barely saw our steps. On our last few steps to the campsite, kuya Paul (our guide) help us with our back packs as the last few step to campsite is steep and not all of us has head lights.

The temperature in the campsite dropped and we were shrouded by fog. When we reached the campsite, our friends already pitched their tents while our our organizer, sir Benzon was preparing our dinner. He cooked “papaitan” and “sinigang na baboy” perfect for tired bodies and cold climate. After dinner, we had our social, then lights off at 10pm.

On our second day, we climb the summit for sunrise viewing. It’s just few steps from the campsite. It was 6:30 in the morning when we climb to the summit, the fog was so thick and there was still no clearing. We did not lose hope and decided to wait until we see the view from the summit.

When we saw the clearing, We started to do picture taking and I did not waste time, got my drone to capture an aerial shot. The wind was strong above and its not easy fly a drone. If you want to see more aerial view of Mt. Polis, please visit my Youtube channel below.