Trekking Sagada to protect watersheds

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province – ‘Protect the watersheds’ is the theme of the Sagada Night Trekkers in cooperation with the Sagada Environmental Guides Association on their mountain trek from Jan 23 to Jan 28, 2011. Interested hikers may join the trek.

This trek attempts to raise awareness on watershed protection including prevention of forest fires which usually begin early March.

Burning of forests in Sagada including towns of Bontoc, Tadian, Sabangan, Bauko, and the other provinces of Kalinga, Ifugao, Abra, and Apayao has become a regular occurrence.

This left mountains black and biodiversity disrupted killing young plants and animals in the forest. Due to the heat, rats run down from the mountains bringing more havoc in rice and corn fields. More alarming is depletion and drying up of water sources.

The trek makes base camp in Gutang, a sitio in nearby Bauko town. The base camp is located atop a rolling hill near the barangay of Balintaugan.

Trekking starts from Poblacion Sagada around 8 a.m. to reach Gutang after a 2-hour hike. Lunch is served here along with the setting up of the camp. The rest of the day is spent visiting Balintaugan and viewing expansive sights of the mountains of Polis, Babandilaan, Nintengley and Tinangdanan.

The trek to Mt. Babandilaan reaching an elevation of 2,365 meters above sea level takes two hours to reach the peak passing through mossy forests. Wild flora and species are found here including giant pitcher plants.

From Mt. Babandilaan, one can see the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Quirino and Abra.
Mt Tinangdanan with an elevation of 1,719 meters above sea level is a sight to behold. Wondrous and expansive sights of the towns of Besao, Sagada and Tadian can be seen from here. Trekkers shall be passing along the village of Maket-an of Tadian town where fresh water cress is found.

After 2-3 hour hiking in open spaces and mossy forests, one reaches Mt Nintengley (1,861 masl) which rewards views of Bauko and Tadian municipalities.

Mt. Polis (1829 masl) rewards the trekker with refreshing views of Bontoc town on the eastern side and proportional heights of Mt Kalawitan located in Sabangan municipality. Mt. Polis is located between Mt Nintengley and Mt. Babandilaan.

A refreshing trek back to town passes through a river trail and waterfalls in different locations- Bakkong, Mapuwa, Payas, Ma-ed, Pagalawa, and Bahi.

Trekkers are advised to bring tent and camping gear. For interested trekkers who want to join Sagada Watershed Trek 2011, email Alwyn or Allen at night_treck@yahoo.com.ph, or call Alwyn at mobile number 09287529776 or Allen at 09193363199.

Sagada is a popular tourist destination with some 25,000 foreign and local tourists visiting the place in a year especially on the peak months from November to May.

What attracts visitors here are natural attractions including caves, rice terraces, woodlands, limestone rocks, expansive views of majestic mountains, and waterfalls.

The 9,969 hectare town is enveloped between the main Cordillera and Ilocos ranges. It is bounded on the north by Mt Sisipitan, a tri-boundary of Besao and Sagada municipalities of Mountain Province and Abra; on the east by Bontoc; Mt Polis, Mount Bessang and Tirad Pass composing tri-boundaries of Bauko, Tadian municipalities and Sagada on the west; and Mt Kalawitan of Sabangan in the south.

The neighboring mountainous terrains of Bauko, Sabangan, and Bontoc towns cradle the watersheds of the mighty Chico River which feeds irrigation water into the lowlands of Isabela and Cagayan Region.

Some of the watershed mountain-boundaries in these neighboring towns are Mounts Polis, Nintengley, Tinangdanan, and Babandilaan.