Mt. Pulag’s Akiki trail closed off to mountaineers due to forest fire

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Mount Pulag in Benguet province is a must-climb for trekkers because of its challenging hike and rewarding view of a sea of clouds. It turns out, however, that it is no longer in top shape after a forest fire razed parts of it, leading authorities to now close off one of its popular trails.

In an advisory posted yesterday, the Mount Pulag National Park management said that it will be closing the Akiki Trail for rehabilitation for the safety of trekkers after a forest fire that razed parts of the Eddet and Poblacion villages in Kabayan town, Benguet.

While respondents were able to suppress the fire, the strong winds ignited some embers and fallen debris, which caused the fire to continue in some portions.

The park management is still assessing the situation at the popular Mt. Pulag trail. Authorities have yet to issue a statement about the incident and the cause of the fire.

In January 2018, the Akiki trail was also closed for a couple of months after a grassland fire due to the explosion of a camper’s butane-fueled portable stove. Six hectares of grassland was damaged.

The Akiki trail is one of the four major trails leading up to the summit. Other trails are the Ambangeg, Tawangan, and Ambaguio trails.




BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on
preload imagepreload image