Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
certified inactive and has no recorded eruptions. What it does have is enough flora and
fauna to make your head spin - thundering waterfalls, rapids, lakes, geysers, sulphur
pillars, primeval trees, endangered plant and animal species and a steaming blue lake.
Then there are exotic ferns, carnivorous pitcher plants and the queen of Philippine
orchids, the
waling-waling
. The local tribes, the Bagobos, believe the gods Apo and
Mandaragan inhabit Apo's upper slopes; they revere it as a sacred mountain, calling it
Sandawa or “Mountain of Sulphur”.
Climbing
Mount Apo is not as hard as it sounds. It's a tough trek, but well worth it:
the trail is lined with flowers and the views are mesmerizing, with the whole of
Mindanao spread out before you.
Climbing Mount Apo
The Mount Apo summit can be approached via two main routes: the
Kidapawan Trail
on the Cotabato side features hot springs, river crossings and a steep forested trail that
leads to the peak via swampy Lake Venado, while the tougher
Kapatagan Trail
on the
Davao side cuts through more stereotypically volcanic terrain, culminating in a
boulder-strewn slope up to the crater. The local tourist o
ces will recommend a
three- to four-day expedition, but experienced tropical climbers will be able to summit
faster.
Climbing
is generally permitted from November to May only (dry season), but
even so, you'll need rainproof clothes and a small tent as rain is possible anytime and it
gets cold at night.
Kidapawan Trail
Bus to Kidapawan (2hr), then habal-habal to Agko Springs (P100/person; 45min)
he
Kidapawan Trail
starts from Agko Springs near
Kidapawan
, 106km from Davao.
The trailhead is around 20km from Kidapawan, where you must organize your permit
and guide (see below): jeepneys will take you there in about 45 minutes. From the
bubblingly hot Lake Agko you'll cross the Marbel River several times before reaching
the first campsite at
Mainit Hot Springs
, where you can take a refreshing dip in a small
pool. Around five hours from here (via a couple of rope and ladder-assisted scrambles)
is dramatic
Lake Venado
, which looks like a scene from the Jurassic age, with giant
trees, vines and a fine fog floating above the lake itself. From here allow three hours
for the summit itself - most climbers plan to arrive for sunrise, which means camping
near the lake.
8
Kapatagan Trail
Take a bus from Davao to Digos, a local jeepney to Kapatagan, then a habal-habal to Baruring
To hike this
trail
you can head directly to the
Kapatagan
registration To
ce (see below)
from where you'll need to take a habal-habal to the Baruring trailhead. The route takes
two days to reach the summit via the spectacular “boulder trail”.
INFORMATION
MOUNT APO NATIONAL PARK
Permits and guides
Whichever trail you take, you'll
need to buy a permit (P750) and to hire a guide (from
P500/day) from one of the local tourist of
ces in charge of
each route. The o
ces can also organize porters (P400/
day), if necessary and will do a required equipment check
and orientation, laying out all the usual rules.
Tourist o
ces
The Kidapawan Tourist Center (
T
064 278
3344) is next to city hall, while the Kapatagan registration
o
ce (no phone) is in the small settlement of Kapatagan.
Tours
Climb Mt Apo (
W
climbmtapo.com) is a small-scale
trekking organization that can arrange all elements of the
climb for P5000 to P10,000. Their regular route hikes in
through Kapatagan and exits via Lake Agko.
ACCOMMODATION
Agko Mahomanoy Mountain Resort
Lake Agko
T
0927 383 8853.
Right next to the trailhead, this place is
perfect for making an early start up Mt Apo the following
day. It has pleasant hot springs, a decent pool and simple
overnight cottages (from P150), as
well as
rooms with
(P500) and without (P300) bathrooms.
P150
