7th Hike: Mount Sawi

Hiking Leaf # 7: First hike of 2018



The month of January became busy for me due to work, which is why I wasn't able to join my group's recent climbs. It has been almost two months since my last hike, and I started to wonder if I could handle another major climb like Tapulao. However, I didn't want to push myself too hard, so I decided to go on a minor climb first to test my knees.

Doc Sheng (who I hiked with in Montalban Trilogy Version 1) invited me to join her group's climb to Mount Sawi. Without hesitation, I agreed to her invitation. I also invited JP, and I was happy that he accepted.

On February 3, 2018, JP and I arranged for a pick-up in Munoz as we were heading north to save on transportation costs. I was excited for this hike because our hiking destination will be in the province of Nueva Ecija, my beloved province. Everyone in the van was colleagues of Doc Sheng, so Jaypee and I were the new joiners in the group.

We picked up another companion in Tarlac if I remember correctly, and we reached the jump-off point of Mount Sawi around 4:00 am. It was very cold at the jump-off, so we had some porridge to warm our stomachs. There were many climbers with us at the jump-off. We started trekking at 5:00 am, passing by some houses in the first part of the trail until we reached the sudden ascent of Mount Sawi. It wasn't an extreme ascent, but it did catch me off guard (probably because I had been inactive in mountaineering for 2 months).


Sign board at Jump-off

Because we were with a lot of other groups, there were also traffic jams along the trail, giving us a chance to rest while waiting for those ahead! The trail became more forested, and the spaces were quite narrow, so you could really feel the presence of the many people trekking alongside you.

Green Green Grass of Home

Me and my high school / hiking buddy - JP

After almost an hour, we caught sight of the light and finally saw the beautiful view surrounding Mount Sawi. Along the trail, you could also see patches of burned grasslands due to slash-and-burn farming. After the forested trail, the path became clear. It opened up with grasslands, allowing you to truly enjoy the view.




Then, after 1.5 hours of trekking, we reached the summit of Mount Sawi. We were the second group to reach the summit, so we waited a bit before having our turn to take photos with the famous tree of Mount Sawi. We posed by the tree and took advantage of the opportunity while the next group was not yet there. The view at the summit of Mount Sawi was breathtaking, with the vast plains of Nueva Ecija and the colourful lahar river below. I was surprised when our guide told me that the river we saw below was the Dupingan River, which I used to swim in during my vacation days in Nueva Ecija when I was younger.


with Doc Sheng

We stayed at the summit for a while due to our numerous photo shoots until the next group caught up with us. Then we started our descent until we reached the jump-off point around 10:00 am. We were truly grateful that it did not rain on our hike because, based on what I saw on YouTube, there are parts of the Mount Sawi trail that can be very slippery. Thanks to the good weather, our hike to Mount Sawi was a success, and of course, we were able to side trip to Dingalan Beach!

Team Acrophile at Dingalan viewdeck



Date of Hike:
February 3, 2018

7th hike
My 9th mountain

Mt. Sawi (594+ masl)
Minor hike


Jump-off:
Brgy. Malinao, Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija


Event organiser/group:
Doc Sheng of Acrophile

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