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| At the beginning of the trail with the twin summits at the far right |
PUERTO PRINCESA - After traversing Mt. Mantalingajan, the highest mountain in Palawan (see
Hiking matters #408-411), and going on a pitstop at Puerto Princesa, my hiking buddy Coby Sarreal and I proceeded to the municipality of Narra to climb Mt. Victoria - also known as the Victoria Peaks - the second highest mountain in the island. Joining us was young Palaweño hiker Brenton Tan. Arriving mid-afternoon, we didn’t miss the opportunity to visit the
Estrella Falls, whose clear and cold waters turned out to be a great refreshment.
The next day we were welcomed by Jehson Cervancia, longtime Mt. Victoria advocate with whom I have corresponded in the past. He endorsed us to Kuya Julius who would be our guide for what is usually a three-day hike that would take us to the summit of Mt. Victoria and back.
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| Estrella Falls, an excellent sidetrip before the Mt. Victoria hike! |
We rented a tricycle to Brgy. Princess Urduja - a thirty-minute ride away from the town proper - and started the hike at around 0700H. The weather was not promising to begin with: forecasts were dire and it had rained heavily the previous night, so we expected to get wet as soon as start. We were pleasantly surprised, thus, to see the two-pronged summit of Mt. Victoria ahead of us - among the many peaks in the Mount Victoria Range.
From the onset, the trail environs were impressive. A prairie-like grassland comes first - reminiscent of the trails of Mt. Kilimanjaro - with unique plants and shrubs, including pitcher plants - and butterflies and stick insects hovering. Every forest has its music - of birds, rivers, insects, winds - and that of Victoria is animated, suggesting that it is full of life. Indeed Mt. Victoria's biodiversity attracts scientists from all over the world.
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| Crossing the Buhawi River |
Then, the thirteen crossings of Buhawi River - that limpid stream where we did some unplanned swimming, enthralled by the waters. The traditional way to do the trek is to begin with flip-flops or sandals, then don the hiking shoes after the half-day crossing is done. We did just that, but while that approach was rewarding while crossing the rivers, I found it challenging to trek the slippery, oftentimes overgrown trails along the river with slippers.
We finished the crossing by 1100H, and had early lunch by the 'Huling Sapa' - the last stream. From that point, it was a forested ascent, a bit steep but happily straightforward - a welcome break from the ups and downs of Mt. Mantalingajan. The trails, too, were surprisingly well established. While we were hiking, we spotted a Palawan blue flycatcher - with its pretty orange neck - perched in one of the trees.
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| More river trails with the lush jungle up ahead |
We arrived at the High Camp - which is around 1400 MASL - at 1500H. The Palawan style of camping is just using a mix of tarpaulins and hammocks - and at the High Camp this approach is understandable, considering that there are no really flat areas, and we had to pitch our tent on a sloped surface.
We still couldn’t believe our good fortune - it didn’t rain the whole day, even as Narra and Puerto Princesa both experienced heavy rains. That night, we prayed that the next day would be as fortuitous.
Continued in Hiking matters #413. ![]() |
| At the High Camp, around 1400 MASL |
MOUNT VICTORIA, NARRA, PALAWAN (JUNE 2014)Hiking matters #412: To the high camp
Hiking matters #413: To the summit and back
