Ambongdolan, Benguet, 16° 32' 0" North, 120° 37' 0" East

Baguio, Benguet is a second home to me, infact I’ve been climbing up its slopes ever since childhood.  My family’s summer home rests on the slopes of the Santo Tomas’ foothills where me and my brother would race our father’s car on the way to the clubhouse. 

Ambongdolan - Image Gallery

Father would drive up the long spiraling road while me and Eric would run, climb, and scramble frantically on up the hillsides.  We always managed to be the first to the top, arriving panting, in time to wave to our family as they passed the final curve before parking.

Year after year, to this day, I find myself going back and forth to the northern city, no longer trying to scramble and race with cars to the clubhouse, but still climbing and exploring. Together with new found friends, we continue exploring and extending the boundaries of our comfort zone, we discover places for climbing and bouldering in and around Benguet.

There are a lot of areas that have been discovered.  Our missions found us bouldering in La Trinidad, Lamtang, Asin, Benguet Capitol, KM4, Sto. Tomas, Chapis, Camp 4 Kennon, all just 30 to 45 minutes away from Baguio City.  This convenient setup allowed me and a few friends to really extend the development of bouldering in the area.  However, most of the areas in recent years have seen a decline in popularity due to the expansion of the city population.  Urbanization and its pitfalls gripped the city - the once popular bouldering areas soon became victims of housing and utility projects.

2010.  Enter Ambongdolan.  A new bouldering area in the heart of the Benguet Mountain Range emerges. Ambongdolan, Tublay, Benguet, is more famous for the Bengaongao and Paterno Caves (the latter named after General Paterno who used the cave as a hiding place from the Japanese military during World War II).  Recent trips to the area by Pinoyclimbers however have given it a more inspiring allure. It takes around an hour of driving from Baguio City to the vicinity of the caves and boulders. The distance from Baguio to the Ambongdolan Boulders is around 25 kilometers via the Tuel route. Another route is the Kapangan route which is around 30 kilometers from Baguio City.

We make our way through the mountain pass; it snakes through farms in the low lands but in minutes ravines deepen and the dips and valleys on the road grow steeper and sometimes more slippery. Vehicle traffic is close to nil.  Almost no one else uses the road from Tuel.  We learn that there is only one transport that ferries locals from there to the market in Baguio. Our 4x4’s engine revs hard on the steep hills, I stay close to the inner curves, sight of the deep ravine scares me.  Several times we had to unload people just to get up the steeper and more slippery sections on the road.  Little scares now and then made us more wary of a roadside epic. Slowly but surely we make it through the narrow passes unscathed.

When to go

The Ambongdolan Boulders are best accessed from October until April.  The cooler months are from December to February.  The driest months are from March to April.  May is wet and boulders tend to go under water in some areas.  Bouldering is still possible, though the selection will become limited.  

How to go

Leaving the driving to the experts in the area, you can go to Baguio City Center Mall and look for the “jeepney” does the route to Ambongdolan.  There is a catch however - at the time of writing there’s only one vehicle that plies the route.  The jeepney goes there one way in the afternoon from Dangwa Station around 1:00-2:00pm. To get back to Baguio City, you have to wait again for the same jeepney.  It goes to Baguio City around 5:00-6:00am.  This means if you want to do at least a day of bouldering, you have to sleep again another night and wait for the ride out the following morning.  That’s two full nights in Ambongdolan if you want to do a lot of bouldering.  Fare is around PhP 50.00 one way. This is the more adventurous way of doing it.  

If you have a bigger group of people going, you can also try hiring private jeepneys who can play more to your time.  The going rate for arranged transfers can reach Php 1500-2000.  That’s € 25-30 for a complete round trip.

The best way to do it, if you can manage to rent a car or have a friend who has one go with you, is to drive there and go back and forth to the city with no problems.  Drive down to La Trinidad and pass by the Benguet Capitol following Halsema Highway.  There are two ways to go, one through the farmlands down Tuel Road, the other via Kapangan road.  The former has steeper roads, the later a more moderate and forgiving route.  I’d take the later. Both routes are scenic rides along the less travelled roads snaking the mountains of Benguet.  Aim for the Ambongdolan Health Clinic.  A few minutes from the clinic will be a road going down the river.  The boulders will be waiting for you just by the roadside.

Where to stay

Baguio City is littered with loads of Hotels, Inns and Pension Houses both in the cheap and the more extravagant ranges.  

If you’re looking at staying in Ambongdolan, it is best to arrange with Baguio based climbers first.  They will have more access to permissions from the locals in the area.  Contact Rhei Salvilla and Boybi Sarmiento, pinoyclimbers directly responsible for the discovery and development in the area.  They are both on my Facebook page, dennis.diaz@gmail.com

What to eat

During one our trips when we decided to stay overnight, we were treated to a dinner meal of “Pinikpikan.”  It is a local chicken delicacy.  It is chicken in broth with choice herbs and vegetables. What is special to the dish is the way the chicken is prepared.  “Pinikpik” literally means “to hit with a stick.”  What actually happens is the capillaries break and then blood flavors the meat.  It tastes good, but a bit cruel to the chicken.  

The Boulders

The area is still prime and lots of FA’s are still up for grabs.   No topo is available as of yet.  If you possibly happen to go climbing with the locals you can ask for several hot picks.  Here are some of my recommendations:

Ambongdolero (V5): It is a slopey arête that tops out at about 16ft.  The moves follow the slopey edge.  Contiuous slapping and heel hooking on its sides kind of remind me of Hampi’s “Goan Corner,” only on limestone and perhaps a tad easier.

Ambongdolan Arete (V5):  Continuous wide hugging from the bottom of the prow to the top where the route veers right to easier holds. The exit to the left is still a project.  

Witness the Sickness (V7):  Hiking up river a little further will reward you with the sight of a long limestone cliff band that overhangs by about 5 to 6 meters.   The roof is not more than 6ft. from the ground making it perfect for bouldering.  Only a couple of problems have been established.  One is “Witness the Sickness,” coming from obsessive “Dosage” fanaticism.  The problem takes a section of crimps at the start to finish on good holds right before the finishing jugs out over the lip.  The cliff band runs a length of maybe more than 70 meters.  The possibilities are wide open for this area.

Sir Lancelot – Project:  One of the proudest lines of the area, “Sir Lancelot”, stands to top out 25 to 30 ft. and overhangs at 45 deg.  The crimps on this line are heavier and heavier to the top.  Perhaps 5 crashpads or more can help reduce the mental weight of tackling this problem.  

Scrappy Coco (V7):  One of the more photogenic of the problems, the problem starts at the belly of the prow.  A small two finger pocket and a slap on the left side of the boulder’s belly begins the problem.  You need several heavy slap motions before getting to the good looking jug halfway the problem where the problem gets easier.

Scrappy (V3): The easier version of “Scrappy Coco.”  Jump up midway to the good jug midway up the boulder.

There are already 60+ un-named problems in the area.  Much of the development, due to the fact that none too many climbers venture into this part of the north, isn’t catalogued.  

Notes

If you bring a car to the area, be sure it can handle long, steep inclines.  Engine horsepower is a big issue.  Better a 4x4.  If you take a car, better to park near the local community hall or the health office and then hike for about 15 minutes to the boulders.

If you bring a 4x4 and make it to the small parking area by the boulders, be wary of flash flooding during the rainy season, around the months of May when you maybe squeezing the last bits of summer.

There is a small  fee of Php 25.00 or €0.5 you need to pay at the local community hall (Barangay Hall).  Register your name before proceeding down to the boulders.  The community hall marks the final decent to where the boulders are.

There is a small store just near the community hall.  They have limited supplies, but there’s bread, maybe coffee and some other beverages.  The next one after this is an hour away towards La Trinidad.

If you fancy caving, there are two caves you can try exploring.  Further up the mountain, past the bouldering area, and a just a few minutes away are the Bengaongao and Paterno Caves.  Locals charge a guide fee if you want to go deep into the caves.  

Still further up, the road ends in small valley.  There are a few other boulders still left untouched.  The area is a scene out of the pages of “The Lost Valley.”  It’s worth the extra trip.

If you stay overnight in Ambongdolan, make sure you’re armed with good cool climate clothing.  It gets really cold in the evenings and early morning.  Temps can go down to about 5-10°C and perhaps even lower during December to February.