CALANASAN, Apayao – Mountaineering activities are now open in Mt. Sicapoo as the municipal government launched the Apayao trail leading to the mountain on May 24.
Along with the trail’s official opening, Calanasan inaugurated Camp Pactatammuwan in Barangay Butao, a campsite dedicated to hosting mountaineers and tourists.
During the program, Calanasan Mayor Shamir Bulut declared Mt. Kilang and Mt. Sicapoo as designated eco-tourism destinations in Apayao. A key highlight was the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the municipality represented by Mayor Bulut, and Mudman Mountaineers, represented by John Mark Wilson, the first official organizer of the Mt. Sicapoo-Apayao Trail.
Before opening the trail, the municipal government conducted a trail expedition from March 5-9 to map out the route and organized a basic mountaineering course for trail guides and a reconnaissance trail from March 28-30 to ensure the trail’s safety for mountaineers and establish various camps along the route.
At 2,354 meters above sea level (MASL), Mt. Sicapoo is one of the highest peaks in the Philippines, ranking among the country’s “two-thousanders” mountains exceeding 2,000 MASL. It follows Mt. Apo (2,956 MASL), Mt. Dulang-Dulang (2,938 MASL), Mt. Pulag (2,922 MASL), and Mt. Kanlaon (2,435 MASL).
Climb specifications for Mt. Sicapoo indicates that it is a major climb, suitable for experienced climbers rather than beginners. The trail is classified as 1-3 and has a difficulty rating of 9/9. The total trail distance is approximately 21 kilometers for a backtrail route, requiring 10-12 hours to reach the summit.
The Apayao Trail 1 (Mt. Sicapoo Trail) begins at Camp Pactatammuwan Gamamatan, Butao, Calanasan, with an emergency camp at Camp Agimangan at Km 6, a main camp at Camp Pagappunan at Km 9, and ends at the Mt. Sicapoo Summit, known as ‘Tagdan Naksigad.’ The exit point is the same as the entry point.
Additionally, the soon-to-be-opened Apayao Trail 2 (Mt. Kilang Trail) will also start and end at Camp Pactatammuwan Gamamatan, featuring a main camp at Camp Pagam-amarawan and a destination at the Mt. Kilang Summit.
Trekking seasons are categorized into peak season (March to May), regular season (all other months), and off-season (September to December).
For inquiries and bookings, contact Calanasan Tourism at (0975) 253 5630 and Mudman Mountaineers through Mac Wilson or email lgucalanasan@gmail.com / wilsonmac43@gmail.com. By Jess Christley Marquez
