Mt. Labi, Nueva Ecija | A Hike into Bongabon’s Primeval Forest
Mt. Labi, another Nueva Ecija gem, was a gift that kept on giving during our hike up to its summit.
Mt. Labi (1,620 MASL)
Major Jump-off Point: Smart Cell Site Trail Head, Brgy. Labi, Bongabon, Nueva Ecija
Hours/ Days to Summit: 4-5 Hours, Traverse Trail: 6-7hrs
Specs: Major Climb, Difficulty: 7/9, Trail Class: 2-3
Water Source: None
Mossy Forest Campsite Capacity: 8 Tents, Summit Campsite Capacity: 3 Tents
Limatik: YES
Rattan: YES
Lipa: YES
Mobile Signal: Sporadic
(From Nueva Ecija Backpackers & Mountaineer’s Community Inc. (NEBMCI))
Signal Searching
Just in front of the imposing Mt. Kemalugong in Laur, is Mt. Labi of Bongabon that has a unique world of its own.
Mt. Labi in Nueva Ecija itself is part of the 5,576-hectare protected Dona Aurora Memorial National Park in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.
The park was named after the late president Manuel Quezon’s wife, Dona Aurora Aragon-Quezon, who was ambushed and killed in the area on April 1949. You will be passing along the ambush site before reaching the trail head of the cell site’s jump-off point.
At around 4 in the morning, we started the trek going to the cell site tower which is around 1000 meters above sea level. Trail is well established and gently ascends on a zigzagged route. It took us roughly an hour to reach the cell site.
From the cell site, the trail now encroaches into the primeval forest that lies along the ridge going to the summit.
Limatik Fiesta
The fog creeped in languidly along the forest canopy, it felt vile and eerie as it touched the mossy branches along the way. To add, the biting cold of the early morning air was more than unwelcome.
We were wishing for a good clearing as we treaded the forest floor carefully but luck was not on our side that day.
The first view deck at around 1,140 MASL was blanketed in heavy draping of morning clouds, as if the environment was bleached in white nothingness.
Albeit the unforgiving view from up there, the forest made up for it. As we resumed going further up, the dense forest started to close in on us. Gnarly tree branches seemed like they are on a hundred years fight. They are all clad in their green mossy jackets trying to reach one another in the most peculiar way possible.
The forest of Mt. Labi spoke to us while we slowly went up: she was untouched, primeval, and vulnerable. I never thought that something like this still exists in Nueva Ecija.
As we ambled our way along the forest floor, the trail started to get smaller and smaller by the minute as all kinds of foliage tried to reclaim their space.
Then just waiting on the sidelines, these hungry little blood suckers waited for the perfect opportunity to cling unto its next host. Limatiks are on a buffet as they sensed their meal approaching.
They wriggled in every way possible just to cling unto us and draw their first blood. Consequently, they did.
Wait for it. . . Summit!
Aside from the primeval yet ethereal views up there, Mt. Labi is also known to be a nesting site of the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) – the world’s largest raptor.
The trail from the view deck even became more unforgiving as the mountain subjected us into steep technical sections where we held on roots for support. Rain started to fall even harder while the temperature plummeted.
It was definitely a monkey trail as we reached the 1300 meter mark. Moreover, trees started to get more stunted while view decks are always present at every corner, but there ain’t anything to see.
We pushed even further until we reached a small mossy forest clearing, which just happens to be a few seconds from the actual summit.
Then there it was, albeit bloodied, and drenched in sweat and rain, we felt victorious once again as we saw the small summit marker of Mt. Labi.
Mt. Labi actually has another higher summit estimated to rise at 1700 meters but is still unexplored by NEBMCI as of writing.
Murphy’s Law
We were actually briefed that the traverse trail is actually longer than the cell site trail. We were having doubts if we would actually continue since we didn’t have any clearing to start with. But what the heck, we’re already there, so we’ve got nothing to lose now.
From the summit of Mt. Labi, it was a gradual walk on the ridge connecting the main summit to a lower peak of the mountain. The flora is teeming with life as pitcher plants presented themselves along trail along with other interesting pastel-colored flowers.
But according to Murphy’s Law, nothing is as easy as it looks. We had our well-deserved lunch at the campsite, but we didn’t spend too much time in the area as it was getting colder by the minute. A final assault was followed by a steep and muddy descending trail.
Holding on for dear life, I thought that it was better to slide down sitting, than trying to fight gravity with these muddy slippery slopes.
This ordeal took around 3 hours, with our knees now wobbling on each step we take. Finally, we reached a small river where we removed all the thick mud on our shoes.
What disappointed, and in our opinion, made the traverse trail harder is due to the trail being badly beaten by illegal loggers. A lot of saw dust and wood planks are scattered near the large Balete Tree, what comes after that are the badly eroded trail due to the wood being dragged down by these loggers.
What Lies Ahead
Another hidden gem hidden on the footholds of Mt. Labi are the towering Silangan and Deesap falls, some 8 kilometers from the Labi River Bridge.
Another Nueva Ecija mountain to reach is Mt. Lakay in Carranglan. Read more HERE!
How to Get There
- Mt. Labi is located in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija
- The main-jump-off point is at the trail head of the Smart Cell Site near the Aurora Provincial Arch, while the exit-point is at Brgy. Labi proper
- Visitors to the park are mandated to strictly adhere to standard health and safety protocols and all are required to present the following:
- Health Certificate or proof of vaccination
- Swab test results and health declaration forms
- There are no water sources along the trail
- Limatiks are present along the trail so cover properly to avoid getting bitten
- It takes 4-5 hours to reach the summit with the trail length clocking in at 5 kilometers
- While the traversing trail that exits to Labi River takes around 6-7hours at around 8 kilometers of trail
- you may contact Jaime Dequinon of Akyat Tanaw Mountaineers for more info. CLICK HERE
Itinerary and Expenses
Mt. Labi Traverse Day Hike
0420 Cell Site Jump-off point (620 MASL)
0515 Cell Site (1,027 MASL)
0540 View Deck (1,140MASL)
0720 Mossy Forest Campsite (1,500 MASL)
0900 Mt. Labi Summit (1,628 MASL)
0940 Start descent via traverse trail
1100 Campsite, lunch (1,250 MASL)
1130 Resume
1245 View Deck (800 MASL)
1315 Resume
1400 Sapa, wash up mud
1500 Resume trek
1520 Brgy. Labi, tidy-up
1800 Head back for Manila
Updated September 25, 2021
