Hardcore Ultra Trail 60k

The race started at 1:00 in the morning. The once dark and chilly night was illuminated by running lights.

Runners past Kayapa Municipal Hall and turned left going to Mt. Ugo.

The trail was dark. and the ground was muddy. The lamp posts did not help. It was dim.

Other runners overtook me. Methinks that they really prepared for this race. I huff and puff on the flats because the thing is: I am weak on flats. Heck, I walked on flats instead of running on it. That was why after the race, I made sure that I would make speedwork as one of my priorities.

Luckily, the runners entered to the uphill pavement, one of my advantages. Then, it got to a long incline about 800 meters from the starting line! It was hard despite the cold of the night, we were sweating. Some runners took breaks. I took my z pole from its stash; but it got stuck! After a few minutes, it straightened! Now, I have four limbs to climb.

An hour or two of negotiating that steep incline, we got to the first aid station. We rehydrated and took bathroom breaks; after a few minutes, we were going to Ansipsip. The trail going there was muddy and slippery! I almost fell from a bamboo bridge!

Also, the thing about the Cordilleras is that you could get lost easily, for community trails are many. Good thing, Robert marked the course with red/yellow/orange ribbons which you could see at night. Also, the signs going to the right way was large. Here, I met one of my pace mates in Ultra ti Nueva Vizcaya (blog coming soon) Ruel. I could not remember how long we trekked the whole section but we arrived at Ansipsip at 3:53 in the morning. I left Ruel when he got sidetracked by a large crack on the trail. This time, I met Albien, a sky runner.

Off we got the first cut-off section: Domolpos. This part the usual route going to Mt. Ugo. Our route, it seemed, was the reverse from the hiking route. We started from the second half of the trail, which was the trail going to Itogon, Benguet. I read on the internet that the former road was full of rolling hills and pine trees. Doc Gids said in PinoyMountaineer Mt. Ugo was one of the picturesque mountains here in the Philippines. Sadly, it fell victim to progress, the anathema of simplicity.

From here, one must hike the most difficult part of the HUT 60k: The trail going to the summit. God, it was tough 60-70-degree incline with little to no breaks. The views are superb though. I took pictures while on the trail after stopping for a while to take some breaks because I was fighting for my life on the incline!

The views are superb though. We resumed trekking; a few minutes past, we reached the trail near the summit of Mt. Ugo. We did not go to the summit, as it was the wrong trail, according to Robert.

We did not stop as the cut-off time was near; we ran downhill towards Domolpos Aid Station, the first cut-off. I hiked this trail last 2023, and I still remembered that the trail from Domolpos to the summit was pretty picturesque, the quintessential view of Cordilleras. However, what I found was that the trails were now a dirt and gravel road. It was sad. The once bucolic trails with the smell of cow dung, and full of wild raspberries and blueberries were all gone, turned into roads that connect Kayapa to Itogon, Benguet.

Running downhill in this steep drop was difficult, because on wrong move or slip would send you tumbling down below!

Now, when you have the time, you can ride a motorcycle all the way to the summit! You can even walk to the summit marker for 18 minutes.

We finally reached Domolpos aid station! We got one hour and a half before cut-off. I took only a quarter peanut butter sandwich and drank 500 ml of water; afterwards, I went to Alang-Salacsac. I took a couple of trail foods because the volunteers told me that Alang-Salacsac was six hours away from Domolpos. Here, I met Kram the Race Director of Malico Grand Ultra. He got cramps when hiking the road going to Alang-Salacsac. Good thing we hiked at the early hours of the morning. Otherwise, this trail would be hot.

I waited for him for his cramps to subside. Luckily, he recovered fast and well. When we arrived at the flat sections, he jogged all the way to the ridge reminiscent of Sound of Music movie. He was fast on flats and downhills, but Kram had had difficulty on uphill parts.

I love this part of the trail; multiple pitcher plants were around! Should this route be opened into a hiking trail, I would take multiple pictures!

Some of the H1 runners, and their pacers, Fortu and Cye, we met along the trail. We exchanged banters before we went to our separate ways.

I love this part of the race because it is cool, and windy despite the scorching sun above us.

At this point, I did not take pictures anymore as we were rushing to get to the next cut-off time. At 9:30 in the morning, we reached the ridge going to Mt. Tugew. It was reminiscent of Akiki Trail, the difference is that the first part has no pine trees, and the sun was scorching. The silver lining here was that cool breeze were often here. As a result, the assault going to the top of Mt. Tugew was a breeze—– did you see what I did there, lol!

Nearing the summit of Mt. Tugew, we were at cow country. I could not imagine passing the trail with the blockage of that cows. They are almost leering at us. One bull has that ominous look that it could charge us at any moment. Kram had a quick-thinking moment, and he decided to pass through below the trail.

We reached the top of Mt. Ugo at 11:00 in the morning. To celebrate this victory as we were nearing the aid station, we took pictures to the summit marker. This place was unlike anywhere in the Philippines!

I could sense that my lower calf and foot were already aching because of repeated movements. I suspected that this was the result of using zero drop shoes. Also, I could not downhill running because my core absorbed the impact of downhill running before the water station past the bridge before Mt. Tugew.

After the open trail going to the summit of Mt. Tugew, we past a pine forest that very much Mt. Ugo like. When we got to the cemented road, we hurriedly ran to the aid station. At last! We still had one hour and a half to complete the last segment: Amelong Labeng.

At the station, I drank three small cups of soda, and ate a lot of bread. I could not eat the tinola because it was meat, the drinking of that soda made my stomached ached. Not to mention the fact that it was noon, and the sun’s heat was at its peak. This segment, in my opinion, was the hardest of all we’d been through. Amelong Labeng was not the same as Alang Salacsac. No. It was very different. You see, Amelong Labeng was hot and humid.

Some runners called it Amelong Libing for its hot and humid micro climate. No wonder why some H1 participants decided to bank on cut-off times because of this segment. When we past the cemented segment came the rickety bridge, Kram said someone fell here. I knew that guy. He was PJ, one of the runners that I had come to train with in Wawa. He suffered tremendously on that fall; he said to me that he had broken his legs to pieces when he was rescued. Good thing he came out alive in that ordeal.

As the time passes, we reach the dreadful steep trail where we met Ayesha, and Sheki. They were doused themselves with water so that they could go on the steep trail. As we negotiated the trail, clouds formed and we sensed that the surroundings got cooled. Good, I quipped.

Suddenly, Kram got attacked by his cramps again. He told me to go on without him. It felt like ages hiking that uphill; finally, we reached the covered court; we got a respite after that dreadful uphill climb; this time, I got accompanied by Sheki. She requested me to pace with her. In as much as I wanted to pace her, I could not run anymore. I only walk to the flat surfaces. When she learned this, she quickly hurried to the other runners, for their cut-off time is near.

The trail turned into a 12 km road. I hate roads, as much as the next person. From this moment, jogging was such a chore now because my foot and calves were sore. Halfway through the road, Kram, and I met again. I cannot believe it! He made it!

About 4kms before the finish line, I met an H1 runner, he slumped on the ground and said he could not go further. He told us that he could not get what the cut-off really was, was it 4:00 in the afternoon, or 4:30? We encouraged him to run with us, but he refused, and he took the motorcycle taxi going to the finish line.

When we got to Castillo Village, we ran as fast as we could to the finish line!

Past the bridge from Kayapa Central to Kayapa Elementary School, I heard bells chanting, the crowd roaring near the gate of the Elementary School. I saw familiar faces; the Wawa athletes were there. Kim, the founder of trailkada, congratulated me. He said to me that I was strong in finishing this hard, almost insurmountable race. They told me to go to the finish line and not waste my time talking to them. I entered to the Elementary School, stepped on the Finish Line, and took some pictures with the photographers.

It was finished, it’s all done! After months of training and hardship, I finally finished one of the toughest races in the Philippines. A man who hates running all his life finished this darn, tough race.

I got congratulated by the Wawa athletes, and I also got the envied anito.

I also saw Fortu, and Cye there. Fortunately, the runners they are pacing finished the race, one of which almost cried because he got DNFed in H1 multiple times already. The finish line was that part where you can see people’s emotions when they cross the line. Some were happy, some were sad. Some people were hugging the love ones, and so on.

We stayed in the Elementary School for an hour, then we set to our homestay for victory dinner, and sleep!

We ate a lot, because we did not have a proper meal for 15 hours. The toll on my body appeared as the adrenaline inside my body wore off, sore feet, sore knees. I had had a difficulty going down the stairs!

After that, I slept soundly on our bed space.

The Wawa athletes, and I left Kayapa at 8:00 in the morning the next day. We arrived home at 3:00 in the afternoon. Good thing that I arrived early because my lovely wife was still awake. Ah, home sweet home at last!

This race is the toughest thing I did in all my life, next to the Bar Exams. The sacrifices, the toll on your body, the early rise to bed, and all the mileage, bear fruit. To think that a man who does a significant time in walking the trails finish the race with 57 minutes to spare. Despite the hardships of training, I do believe that a person even a slow one may finish this type of race with adequate training.

After all, victory favors the prepared.