Pulag to Tabayoc Ridge — Multiple Summits Trek

This three-day expedition is a serious high-altitude adventure across the rooftop of Luzon, linking Mount Pulag, the island's highest peak at 2,928 meters, with neighboring Mount Tabayoc, the second highest at 2,842 meters. Pulag is legendary for its grassland summit and the otherworldly sea of clouds that rolls in at dawn, plus some of the clearest Milky Way views in the country. The classic ascent climbs through pine and mossy montane forest before emerging onto the open dwarf-bamboo grasslands near the top, where sunrise above the clouds is a near-spiritual experience.

The route then traverses toward Tabayoc, a tougher and far less-traveled climb. Its trail is entirely forested, thick with mossy vegetation, slippery roots, steep pitches and the occasional leech, leading near the mystical Lake Tabeo. Spending three days lets you acclimatize to the cold, high environment and tackle multiple summits at a sustainable pace. Because this is protected national-park terrain at altitude, treks require permits, accredited guides and proper cold-weather gear; nights up here can be genuinely freezing.