Mt. Timbak/Singakalsa (2,717+)

MT. TIMBAK/ MT. SINGAKALSA (2,717+)
Atok, Benguet
Jump-off point: KM 55, Atok, Benguet
Elevation: 2717 MASL (#9)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2-3 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 3

BACKGROUND
Thus far PinoyMountaineer.com has covered the major climbing destinations in the Cordilleras. It is time to feature lesser known-places sharing the similar charm of the highlands, but having their own unique characteristics. One such mountain is Mt. Timbak in Benguet. Considered by reliable sources, as well as PinoyMountaineer.com research, to be the third highest point in Luzon after its eastern neighbors Mts. Pulag and Tabayoc, it is accessible from the Halsema highroad, which links Benguet and Mt. Province. Other sources also call this mountain 'Singakalsa'.

Outdoorsman Adonis Lloren, source of information for this article, considers Mt. Timbak as his favorite retreat. "The locals are an unbelievably nice and friendly people," he says, adding that the they are even willing to accommodate mountaineers in their houses, if there are only a few of you. In this case it would be nice if you'll have a gift prepared for your host family. At the summit, which is just 2 hours away, there are three crosses in what is dubbed as 'mini-Calvary'. Seas of clouds form, and you can view Pulag (ESE) and Tabayoc (E), as well as the Halsema highroad snaking through the town of Atok.

A sidetrip, 30 minutes away from the Elementary School, is the Timbak mummies. For those looking for a greater adventure, however, one may inquire about and discover the trail that leads to a hidden waterfall on the southeast slope of Timbak. Even more challenging is a traverse to Kabayan Barrio-- "an arduous trek at par with the AKiki trail". It takes 4-6 hours to descend from this trail. Sir Lloren describes the barrio: "There runs a tributary of the Agno river lined with a long high stone wall along one of its sides. The wall's color is comparable to that of the grand canyon. You can have a cool dip here. Some locals say that the water's warm during the early morning but we never experienced that. just across the river is the huge Tinongchol burial rock. The stone, they say, houses three chambers of mummified ancestors of the kabayan natives." Truly the rewards of this difficult trek are abundant.

In sum, it is the highland villages and the people that make Mt. Timbak a great experience. The great views and enchanting landscapes of the Cordilleras are best appreciated in Mt. Pulag or Mt. Amuyao, but for its rich culture and colorful peoples, Mt. Timbak is a wonderful choice -- either as a sidetrip or a destination in itself.

ITINERARY

KM. 55: DAYTRIP FROM BAGUIO
0600 From Baguio City, take bus bound for Sagada or Bontoc (P70)
0900 ETA KM. 55, start trek
1030 Arrival at Timbak Elementary School. Head for summit
1100 Arrival at summit, talk with locals, early lunch
1130 Back at Timbak Elementary School. Proceed to visit the Timbak mummies
1200 ETA Burial Rock keeper's house; take pictures. Nice view deck.
1230 Head back to Timbak Elementary School
1300 From school, start descent
1430 Back at KM. 55; visit Highest Point in highway then/or await Baguio-bound bus
1700 Back at Baguio City

SPECIAL CONCERNS
The staging-off point to Mt. Timbak is Baguio City. From there, you can take buses plying the Baguio-Bontoc or Baguio-Sagada route. Options include the Rising Sun bus liner, which has hourly trips, the Lizardo bus lines or other buses from Dangwa terminal. The bus conductor would know either KM. 54 or KM. 55 -- these are actually two different jump-off points but KM. 55 is the usual trail taken, it is both shorter and easier. KM. 54 however has a more 'natural feel' having very few houses along the way. Either way, however, Mt. Timbak is a relatively easy climb. The trail being also the village road makes it well-established and there are locals to ask for directions.

No permits are necessary to climb this mountain; and no guides are needed unless you want to have someone to talk to about the culture. Cellphone signal is present throughout the trail and there is even a sari-sari store in the village. There are camping grounds but if you wish to request for a stay at the locals' huts, you respectfully do so -- you can also contact PinoyMountaineer for cellphone numbers of locals if need further assistance.

Of course being a high mountain the temperature is cold in Mt. Timbak, so prepare accordingly.

TRIVIA
The Halsema highroad point near the jump-off is the highest point in the Philippine Highway System, officially at 2250 MASL.

The Kabayan mummies rank among the greatest cultural treasures of the country even though they continue to be largely unknown. Discovering Archaeology (a US magazine) featured the mummies in 2000 -- and they have cited by Monument Watch as one of the Top 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world.

PinoyMountaineer prefers Mt. Timbak as the name of this mountain, since it is the one locals use. In equivocal names, priority belongs to the local name which is sufficiently known among outsiders. In the case of Mt. Iglit in Mindoro, the local name 'Mangibok' was not used because it is virtually unknown and would be inconvenient for readers of the blog. Etymology of mountain names has a special place in this blog, and a priority is also sometimes given to original names with cultural roots vs. popularized names, i.e. Magdapio vs. Pagsanjan falls. In the case of spellings, the more commonly used is given priority (i.e. Pulag vs. Pulog; Banahao de Lukban vs. Banahaw de Lucban).

PinoyMountaineer thanks outdoorsman Adonis Lloren for generously providing detailed infos on Mt. Timbak. The author would also like to thank Aling Edna of Timbak for giving directions during his solo climb on Dec. 27, 2007.