The Cordillera mountains

How great would be the desire in every admirer of nature to behold, if such were possible, the scenery of another planet! – Charles Darwin (1809-1882).

That possibility is getting towards probability but is still a ways off, maybe in a couple of lifetimes. So for the time being let's look at and look after our own planet. When we do look and really see what we've got, we treasure it more. 

The scenery of the Cordillera mountains is second to none, and I retreat to my mountain home every few years. I feel I have to. The world is one’s oyster and one must seize the day, but to paraphrase a travel writer:

There is a powerful solace in mountains. They challenge our notion that the world was made for us. Mountains induce a modesty in us.

A distant mountain appears to hold mysteries. 

But when you climb a mountain, you solve a mystery.

Looking east over Ifugao from Mt Polis at sunrise in summertime.

I roamed and rambled in Ifugao in years past.

An added adornment to the mountains is the green ricefields. This photo from Barlig exhibits a good balance of forest and field, sustaining the environment.

Roads have long reached the high mountains. All that's required perhaps is a little better engineering management, to counter erosion and scarring of the mountainsides.

Natonin kids at play under the watchful silhouette of the range.

The mountains are rugged and rough and inhospitable. 

Yes all that and more, but it is home.

Departing town I looked back to the high mountains. The mountains waved at me.
They seemed to say 'come again' as I descended to the lower hills in Paracelis below.

The mountains of Kalinga. 

Above photo is looking at Mt Binuluan from the Lubuagan side. 

Below is the Pasil River valley

The mountains too provide other resources, such as tiger grass, that supplement the family income.

The mountain range across the Pasil River opposite Mt Binuluan.

Beyond this range, to the north, is Apayao.

My budget did not cover the double A provinces (Apayao and Abra) but will visit them someday.

To the south, the profile of 'Sleeping Beauty' in Tinglayan, overlooking Lubuagan. 

I kept gazing at the mountains for the rest of my journey through Kalinga, then Sadanga and Bontoc.  

This continued on the mountain trail through Mountain Province and into Benguet.

Southerly I ventured to the high peaks of Tuba: Mt Kabuyao and Mt Sto Tomas.

I also toured the jungles of Baguio and La Trinidad - from a safe distance.

Below is the salad bowl or flower pot of Luzon - Trinidad valley.

I escaped from the big smoke, and went to the Applaicha Mountains. Mt Tinangdanan in Besao. 

The average height of the Appalachian Mountains in North America (abt 1000m) falls just short of the average height of the mountains here in Applai land (ave abt 1500-1600m).

But that's like comparing apples to gayunan, or ponkan.

Besao and Mt Mogao.

After bolakboling (invadfajoy) for days, I made it back to my father's house with just the shirt on my back. My finances had ran out rambling through the highlands, but I had unfinished business. And if I had to, I would walk through the high uplands without no shoes. My clothes are smeared and stained but the open road was waiting. So I found my cleanest dirty shirt, and put on my thirsty boots - I could not stay for a while.

For the Mainit mountains beckoned.

The original camp aguinaldo. Mt Bandilaan (originally called Mengmeng) in Mainit. This may or may not be the spot where Aguinaldo encamped while escaping from the Americans back in 1899-1900. However Aguinaldo did plant the Filipino flag here on this mountaintop in defiance of the pursuing americans. Since then, the I-Mainit have called this mountain Bandilaan.

But historical tidbits aside, Mt Bandilaan and its near neighbour Mt Paras, offer the perfect spot for a tour of the Cordillera mountains. From these two peaks, one can pretty much complete a 360-degree tour of the significant mountains in the Cordillera.

Bandilaan (Mt Mengmeng) as seen from Mt Paras.

Kamingminger/ Camingmingel (Mt Kaman-ingel) in Besao is shrouded in clouds at left.

On the south are the hills of Bangnen at bottom and Mt Singakalsa in Atok in the far background.

These frame the barely visible and nearly dry Inudey falls flowing down from Mt Data.

Zooming out - Mt Data with a tiny puff of cloud cover, is at far left of picture.

Singakalsa and Inudey in the middle.

To the east, middle of the far range is the Mt Polis gap.

In the middle range is Kamanvatin (above Chakkang) in Mainit/Guina-ang, and Mt Pokis (Bontoc).

Mt Patoc (towards Maligcong) is just off the picture.

At bottom of picture, the near range is Mt Amungao in Mainit,

and climbing north (to left of picture) through Poklis to the peaks in Serkan and Tongil.

 The high vantage points beyond Poklis at the edge of the Mainit wilderness - Ilit,

provide more sweeping views. Guina-ang is more visible.

The magical Lake Livo-o, and Mt Kalawitan in Sabangan.

Mt Amuyao in Barlig.

Amuyao above.

Words are very inadequate to describe the wonders of the mountains. 

Kalawitan below.

Again words fail...

But this is a far sight better view of Kalawitan from Bandilaan,

than the near site view from the Halsema dalan.

Views to the western Mainit mountain range towards Abra.

Looking in the direction of Baklingayan in Tubo beyond the range are Mainit nameplaces:

Pangor-osan, Sanangena, Amvanggao, Nakanga etcetera.

Tinmovo and U-uwayan above are in the catchment of the headwaters of the Pasil river.

The river flows north to Kalinga behind the near mountain below.

Looking north towards Pinasek and beyond to Kalinga and peeking at Alchan (Mt Alchanon).

From the Maligcong-Guina-ang trail: Mt Pokis with Kalawitan near top-left at rear.

From atop Mt Pokis between Bontoc and Guina-ang and overlooking Tetep-an Killong and Antadao.

In the background is Mt Ampacao in Sagada, and Mt Mogao in Besao.

Here's a familiar sight on the main highway in Pampanga. It was night-time when my bus drove past,

so the next morning, on the flight out to a distant land to earn a living, I organised a fly past with the pilot.

Mountains are not for satisfying ambition. They’re for rebirth and reinvigoration. Anatoli Boukreev (paraphrasing mine).

Mainit

Photos from Mainit, Bontoc Municipality, Mountain Province, Cordillera region, in 2012.

The pristine blue of a mountain stream uncorrupted and unpolluted by human activity. A cupped handful of water from here is literally liquid gold. Nay it's more precious than gold, a thousand times more valuable than any bottled springwater from anywhere on earth.

Many of the hidden wonders of the Cordillera are seen from the mountains of Mainit. Above is the Livo-o lake, a magical sea of clouds in the foreground of Mt Kalawitan. This lake only appears at certain times. Many of the high mountains of the Cordillera are also best viewed from Mainit.

Do not sully our waters. Especially this blue ribbon, blue label liquid gold.

Follow the lead of the I-Fidelisan in Sagada, and shut down mining operations that pollute our watersheds, waterways and fields.

Lake Livo-o.

Mt Amuyao in Barlig - above and below.

Mt Amuyao is the 4th highest mountain in the Cordillera region.

Views toward the village of Guina-ang in the Patoc-Chakkang range (Maligcong is behind Mt Patoc at middle-left), Bontoc lies behind Mt Pokis in the middle. Mt Polis and Mt Kalawitan are in the distant range in the background.

A close-up view of the Mt Polis gap on the Mountain Province - Ifugao border. The dim shape of the Bontoc-Banaue road climbing towards the towers on the gap is just visible.

Inudey falls in Bauko. Mt Data is just off-picture to the left, but Mt Singakalsa (3rd highest in the Cordillera) in Atok is clear as day.

Mt Kalawitan in Sabangan is an accessible mountaineering destination. But the best views of it are from the inaccessible mountains in Mainit.

Another view towards Guina-ang, Mt Pokis, Polis gap and Kalawitan.

Yes Givanay, there is a mountain vista such as thissa.

The road to Guina-ang from Mainit, just below the Chakkang rice terraces.

Mainit with Chakkang fields in the foreground.

I'll have more of that blue label stuff please.

The western/southwestern range bordering Mainit from Abra. This is the headwaters of Pasil river (behind the mountain slopes at bottom right) which flows north (east of picture) to join the Chico river in Kalinga.

 Philippine history 101 - Mainit history. Vantage point: Mt Mengmeng (Bandilaan). 

Bandilaan is the name given by the people of Mainit to the mountaintop (Mengmeng) where Filipino revolutionaries planted the Filipino flag in defiance and resistance of American rule. That ridge line heading away from bottom left of picture, is the escape route of those pioneering Filipino trail runners, a ragtag band of freedom fighters led by one Emilio Aguinaldo, on their flight from the colonial american army during the Philippine-American war. Aguinaldo followed the trails overlooking the Pasil river and found temporary refuge in Lubuagan where he set up the seat of the Philippine revolutionary government.

Talkin' 'bout a revolution? Oh no. Don't even whisper it, or you better run...

Let's leave talk about revolutions, but when those politicians get to be revolting -

The secret to the beauty and stability of the many fields of green and gold in these mountains,

 is stonewalling.

(I knew it Polichay. You stonewalling obstructionist you.)

We'll take that interjection as a comment,

but I do wonder where our forebears learned their stonewalling tactics from? 

Anybody know?

Warra: the Sandgate-Brighton foreshore

Warra is the open body of water stretching from Nudgee all the way north to Caboolture. This stretch of coastline offers many diverse activities and places for recreation and relaxation and reflection and meditation, from fishing to walking to cycling to running.

In late April this year about 500 runners participated in the 2013 Sandgate fun run.

Races included 8km, 4km and 1.5km. Runners filled the park at Einbinpin lagoon for the events on Sunday morning 21st April 2013.

While some people went to church, others did tai chi or other fitness and recreational activities,
and still others slept in - some chose to run. 

They looked good and fit and hale and healthy - in short they're dangerous.

Einbinpin lagoon, Sandgate

The foreshore too is home to the Sandgate parkrun, a 5km fun run held every Saturday morning.

 Sometimes other organisations choose Warra in Brighton as their venue for a fresh start.

A fun event called Fresh-Start-Athon was held here on the 4th May 2013.

The seagulls too are smart. I gave them a start, but they can play the part...