Mount Hamiguitan: Hiking to the World’s Largest Pygmy Forest

The mountain wasn’t revealing its beauty too easily. We had to earn it. A sudden downpour bombarded our initial ascent from the trailhead, which in itself was an arduous undertaking: we had to crisscross a shallow stream, battle thorny foliage and clamber up steep slopes for hours to reach the first lantawan (lookout). By the time we got there, we were soaked to the bone in rain and sweat. Nevertheless, the entire climbing group — writers, forest rangers, local tourism officials, policeRead More→