Mt. Palali | The Untouched Mountain

One of the best parts in mountaineering is the feeling of peace, tranquillity and serenity it brings.

...thus finding a relatively unknown mountain is a priority. With this in mind, we stumbled upon a lesser known mountain in Nueva Vizcaya named Mt. Palali.

So unfamiliar it is that we found out that the last logged climb was 2 or 3 months ago. Our guide even informed us that some scientists spent months at the campsite to study the vast flora and fauna of the place.

After the arrangements, we set our sights for a 5-hour climb.

The climb experience we had in the hike was astonishing. After starting with wide trails, our pace became a bit slow because of the sudden vegetation overgrowth but it was a nice complement for the fresh air that surrounded the place.

2 and half hours after the hike, we came to a halt and rested at the first water source. It was still a bit tiring. The heat of the sun and the lush overgrowth collectively gave us almost 100% humidity.

After 5 hours of hike, our tired bodies ached for a well nourishing lunch. With our hunger gone, we found rest as we stood up the ‘haring bato’ viewpoint relishing the view of Nueva Vizcaya. Peaks of Cordillera mountains can be seen, it was a very majestic sight.

After only an hour and a half of extra hike, we finally stepped on the grass of the campsite. The first thing we did was lie down. We didn’t even think of setting up camp immediately. We just stared at the clouds and let our spirit sink in with the environment.

Before sundown however, we made sure our camps and shelters were set. After a good long nap, we prepared food, ate dinner and mingled with the hymns created by the surrounding nature and the creatures that was up that night.

Savoring the good time we had with this extraordinary encounter, we rested for a bit then lulled to a full sleep.

At 6 the morning after, we started to climb up the summit. It took us a good 1 hour and 30 minutes of hacking and slashing through the dense forest but finally we had a peek at the view.

Sea of cloud formations had the whole Nueva Vizcaya covered. We had to scramble up a bit to catch the views but still, we found it refreshing.

After 30 minutes of rest, we went back to the camp. We ate heavy laden breakfast before going on with our journey to the jump off. Giving adequate time for our food to be digested, we started the 4-hour trek down.

Our guide suggested a good place for us to take a refreshing dip. We went down to see one of Mt. Palali’s hidden gems, a pristine multi-level waterfall.  After 2 whole days of adventure, this uplifting breather was truly a special gift for a trekker

We took a dip for about an hour then decided to continue to the jump–off afterwards.

Buko juice awaited us at the jump-off. Gulping big amounts of the giant fruit, it was refreshment at its best. We shared stories with the locals about the mountain. They even knew that it rained a bit during our climb.

It was a fun hard climb after all. I never expected Mt. Palali would give us this kind of challenge. This was the first time our group climbed on dense overgrown vegetation such that hacking and slashing through the grass was needed to proceed.

Adding up to the beauty of the place was the cleanliness of the entire mountain. I can’t even recall to my memory any single trash anywhere along the trail. It was a good sight.

In conclusion, this trip gave me one of the best climbing experiences I had. It was a hard climb but at the same time, it was relaxing. Only a few mountains can give me the peace, tranquillity and serenity I have been searching for. And for giving me that, Mt. Palali deserves my gratitude.

Group Itinerary

day 0

22:00 - meet up at Victory Liner Sampaloc

22:30 - departure from Manila to Solano, Nueva Vizcaya

day 1

06:00 - arrival at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya

06:30 - departure from Solano to Brgy. Maddiangat via tricycle

07:00 - arrival at brgy hall. arrange guides, log in

07:30 - start trek

09:30 - arrival at 1st water source, rest

12:30 - arrival at haring bato viewpoint, lunch

14:30 - arrival at campsite, set up camp

18:00 - prepare dinner

19:00 - dinner, socials

22:00 - lights out

day 2

06:00 - wake up

06:30 - summit assault

07:30 - arrival at summit

08:00 - trek down to campsite

09:00 - arrival at campsite, breakfast, breakcamp

10:30 - trek down to jump-off

14:00 - arrival at waterfalls, take a dip

15:00 - continue trek to jump-off

16:00 - arrival at jump-off, tidy up

18:00 - back at Solano, dinner, wait for bus

19:30 - departure from Solano to manila

will arrive at Manila by 2:00 am the next day


How to get to Mt. Palali

Take a Tuguegarao-Bound Bus at Sampaloc Bus Stations. Tell the driver to drop you off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya.

From there, take tricycle to Brgy. Maddiangat barangay hall.  You can contact Kuya Bonifacio at 09163388554 for tricycle and guide arrangements.

For Victory Liner Tuguegarao–Bound Buses, you can check their schedules and fares here: http://www.victoryliner.com

*we would like to thank Agnes Navales for organizing the trip and for all the photos in this post