Backpacking Sagada: Hiking Mt. Ampacao and Lake Danum Sunset

After we survived the caves of Sagada, our afternoon was set to climb Mt. Danum and hopefully see the sunset at Lake Danum. Our guide was still Kuya Frenzel and we meetup downtown after we had changed clothes and bought some bread for our lunch.

Since we had a lot of time in the cave, our lunch was cut short and we could only buy some bread. We need to get started at around 2pm in order for us to see the sunset and also, avoid going back to town really dark since there are no lamp posts on the way back.

We started our walk walking in the rice fields and into the small village in town. Our guide taught us the way they do their living there. There are areas there specific for trials in case someone in the village have done something wrong. He explained to us their culture and we appreciated it and we are glad that we learned something from it. In some houses also, they have this display of buffalo horns, symbol of the family's greatness. It was quite nice to be able to see what the people there do and know more of their culture.

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walking in the fields

As we reached the foot of the mountain, we started our ascend. It was a steep slope so it was quite difficult to climb. We had a lot of take 5 rests there and soon, our guide asked us if we wanted to use the shortcut. Knowing that shortcuts in mountains are quite fun and are really fast compared to the established route, we agreed and it added a little spice in our adventure. 

view of trees going up

nice view of the village and mountains below

The trail here is narrow and is very steep. You need to be alert and watch where you are stepping and grabbing in order to get up the trail. As a reward, a nice view of the town below and the glorious mountain range from afar is in view. A very nice scenery and something that will really awe you.

near the top

the summit

view on top

all the way up

clouds

After a few more hours of climb, you will see some green lands which is a nice place to take photos. From there, you will see the summit of Mt. Ampacao, however, since we're going to Lake Danum, we will not go there. We rested there for a long time and when we saw the clouds covering the other mountain, we decided to push through the mountain and to the Lake.

here comes the clouds

last look at the view

almost sunset

As we go deeper the mountain, we encounter a lot of wild plants and fruits. It seems we're fund of eating those wild strawberries and most of our time, we spot those red wild berries around.

wild strawberries

Alamid droppings. This is where you get the Alamid Coffee

Pitcher Plant

The terrain goes steep up and down until we finally got to another peak. This time, we can see the mountain where we were a while ago. It was nice to have been gone that far and you can see the village down below.

After some more hours of walking, we finally reached Lake Danum. It was almost sunset then and at the back of the lake, you will see the sun, sinking at the west. The lake was very nice even if it was a bit dried up since it was summer. However, it was still nice and peaceful there. You can also camp there as the place is very serene. We stayed there for a long while and chat with each other while resting.

Lake Danum

a bit dried out because of the weather

As dusk came, we all agreed to get back to town. It was really getting dark and there are no lights there. We were supposed to also go to the Sagada Pottery, however it was quite late already so we just let it pass. As we got to the village, it was already very dark and we were already tired and very hungry. We bid farewell to Kuya Frenzel and paid the guide fee to him.

sunset behind the lake

almost dusk

Mt. Ampacao and Lake Danum are some of the places you should not miss when going in Sagada. If you are adventurous and lobe trekking the mountains and seeing nice views, this one is for you. Book a tour at the Municipal office and hire a guide that will take you there, I am sure you'll enjoy it there.


More on my Sagada Adventure:
Birthday Weekend at Sagada

Backpacking Sagada: Walking around Sagada Town Proper 

Backpacking Sagada: Echo Valley and Hanging Coffins

Backpacking Sagada: Bok-ong Falls 

Backpacking Sagada: Lumiang and Sumaguing Cave Connection 

Backpacking Sagada: Kitelpan Sunrise 

Place to Stay in Sagada: Sagada Homestay