Sumaguing Cave: A Journey Through Darkness, Doubts And What-Ifs

They say you can’t change the past. But somewhere between the ice-cold waters and slippery rocks in Sumaguing Cave, I kind of wished I could travel back in time.

It started with a phrase uttered by a Caucasian tourist after exploring this underground labyrinth in Sagada.

“I saw my life flash right before my eyes,” he said.

I admit.

That’s not exactly the most encouraging and comforting thing to hear right before a Sumaguing Cave adventure.

Yes, I was once a fearless hiker and thrill seeker, with years of experience in hiking and exploring caves.

But I no longer had the confidence and the athleticism I once had in my heyday.

To make things worse, I’ve read stories about the infamous Sumaguing Cave accident in 2017.

And yet, despite the doubts and the what-ifs, I kept moving forward.

I had to step into the dark because that’s where the light finds you, and where you’ll find answers you didn’t even know you needed.

So, what exactly did I find on my exploration of Sumaguing Cave in Sagada?

And is Sumaguing Cave dangerous?

My Sumaguing Cave adventure

I’m at that stage in my life, as an adventure seeker, where I no longer feel the need to prove anything.

I know there are still mountains to summit and caves to explore.

But that once insatiable hunger for adrenaline and outdoor fun has mellowed with time.

These days, I’d rather learn about new cultures, eat something I can’t pronounce, or finally see those postcard-perfect landmarks I once only saw on calendars.

A friend once joked on Facebook that I’m in my tourist era now.

And honestly, I’m okay with that.

As much as I still love backpacking and hiking, it feels good to slow down, breathe, and just love life.

But here’s the funny thing about adventure: it always finds a way to teach you something you didn’t even know you needed.

I came to Sagada to unwind and escape the non-stop grind.

Little did I know, I was about to discover something far more fascinating and far more valuable than I expected.

The hike down to Sumaguing Cave 

Our Sumaguing Cave tour started late, thanks to an unexpected detour on our way to Sagada.

And the whole detour drastically changed our weekend itinerary in Sagada.

When we arrived at our homestay, our guides said to forget about the past, and make the most out of the situation.

In his words, we can’t go back in time and undo what’s already been done.

So, after a short rest, we went to the jump-off point and began the journey to the famed Sagada cave.

That’s when the silence, buried beneath the noise and chaos, started to sink in.

And slowly, intrusive thoughts began to creep into my head.

What if I’m not strong enough?

Can I, an aging and sleepless millennial, conquer this cave?

What if something went wrong?

What’s the Sumaguing Cave difficulty rating?

With all my might, I tried to block away all the thoughts and focus on the adventure.

I have conquered more challenging and death-defying caves in the past.

Hidden and untouched caves that are perched on the mountaintop, such as the Lapos Lapos Cave in Toledo.

I asked those who had been there before if the cave was easy to explore.

And without hesitation, they all said the same thing: it’ll be easy for someone like you.

Their words were encouraging.

My confidence began to grow.

I could feel the inner beast stirring again and the thrill-seeker I thought I’d left behind.

But just as that familiar enthusiasm returned, something shattered the moment.

“I saw my life flash right before my eyes,” said a pale and exhausted foreign tourist, still catching his breath by the cave entrance.

He wasn’t being overly dramatic. 

He looked like he had just outrun a nightmare.

The rundown before the descent

Our guides gave us a quick rundown before our journey to the underground maze began.

They shared the dos and don’ts, as well as mentioned the safety precautions.

I noticed a couple of friends were also having second thoughts.

I don’t blame them.

I, who was slightly younger and more experienced in outdoor adventures, even considered skipping this part of our Sagada tour.

I had to overcome that fear.

And I had to do it quickly.

If I let fear take control over me, it wouldn’t just slow me down.

It could put me and everyone else in danger.

Inside the Belly of the Earth

Earlier, our guides had warned us.

They mentioned there would be slippery, narrow, and somewhat dangerous sections along the descent into Sumaguing Cave.

And if anyone was thinking of backing out, the first section was the best time to say it.

Because once you’re deep inside, it would be hard to turn back.

Soon, two of my friends made the right choice to stop and return to base.

And honestly? 

That’s okay.

In a culture that glorifies pushing through no matter what, it takes real courage to admit when you’ve reached your limit.

To say, “this isn’t for me,” even when everyone else is charging forward, is not a sign of weakness. 

That’s wisdom.

Adventures are fun and life-changing, but you’ll also have to look out for your health and the people waiting for you back home.

I, on the other hand, was in a different headspace.

Somehow, my inner beast was unleashed and ready to handle the challenges Sumaguing Cave threw at me.

Moments later, we arrived at the slippery section of the cave.

We kept moving forward, and the natural light disappeared.

Everything became damp, cold, and raw.

You can’t hide in a place like that. 

Not when every step requires attention. 

Not when your feet slip, and your hands shake, and the walls close in without warning.

Sh*t!

The guides were right!

It was slippery AF.

I didn’t wear my hiking shoes because our guides advised us to wear sandals or slippers since our feet would get wet.

I paused, analyzed everything around me, and made a decision.

And that’s when I realized the best way to move forward was to go barefoot.

And so, I removed my slippers, put them in a safe location, and went on with our cave expedition.

And just like that, something shifted inside me.

Down there, stripped of all comfort, I stopped pretending I was the same person I used to be.

Not the fearless hiker. 

Not the restless adventurer chasing every thrill.

Just me. 

Flawed, older, and a little more fragile.

But I was still here, and moving forward.

There was no space for regrets in that section of Sumaguing Cave. 

No time to wish I had trained more, slept more, or chosen a different Sagada attraction.

Sumaguing Cave didn’t care about the choices I didn’t make. 

It only responded to the one I made in that moment: to keep going.

Then, I realized something.

Isn’t that what life’s about?

Isn’t life all about moving forward, despite the missteps, the wrong turns, and the regrets we wish we could edit out?

The thing is, we don’t get to rewrite chapters in our lives just because we’ve grown wiser and older.

We don’t get to swap mistakes for better versions of ourselves.

We just carry those muddy, messy, unpolished pages with us and keep walking.

There are no rewinds and playbacks because life moves in one direction.

And maybe we were never meant to go back and fix everything.

Perhaps we’re only meant to understand it.

We’re only meant to let the past shape us, and not define us.

And to use our past to learn, grow, and become someone a little wiser and stronger.

And maybe that’s enough.

Crossing the slippery section

We made it past the slippery section of Sumaguing Cave.

I knew we were still barely halfway through the hike.

Still, it was a win for someone who had doubts about exploring this cavern.

Then, I saw a ton of tourists carefully maneuvering on the steep trail of the cave.

I’ve never seen this number of people inside a cave.

Some were still about to encounter the stunning Sumaguing Cave rock formations, while others were headed back to the base.

Most of the caves I’ve been to were hidden, out-of-the-way, and undiscovered, such as Lapos Lapos Cave in Carmen, Cebu.

On the positive note, it gave me confidence, and strangely, comfort.

If a bunch of people could do it and survive this underground adventure, then I was pretty sure I’d make it out of Sumaguing Cave safely too.

Moments later, we arrived at one of the popular rock formations and photography spots inside Sumaguing Cave.

We took turns posing in front of the camera in this section of the cave.

And I was blown away by the rock formations and rugged beauty of Sumaguing Cave.

Once everyone was done taking pictures of the rock formations, we continued with our journey and admired the other surreal features of the cave.

Exploring the gorgeous Sumaguing Cave rock formations and pools

This was the fun part.

Led by our local guides, we ventured into the heart of Sumaguing Cave, where the rock formations became even more bizarre and beautiful.

There were shimmering limestone walls, narrow passageways, and icy streams that ran along our feet.

There were also ice-cold and crystal clear natural pools that added a layer of excitement to the journey.

Some of the rocks resemble animals. 

Others were familiar objects or things I won’t name here because that would be a spoiler.

Part of the fun inside Sumaguing Cave is discovering those “shapes” yourself.

Just let your imagination run wild in the dark corners of Sumaguing Cave, and you’ll find so many bizarre and gorgeous formations.

Soon, we made a challenging descent to arguably the most gorgeous part of the cave.

Then, I stopped thinking about how deep we were. 

Instead, I started thinking about how far I’ve come and how many parts of me never made it.

The overachiever. 

The restless soul.

The relentless version of me who chased mountains like trophies and milestones.

And the one who thought slowing down meant giving up.

These versions of me didn’t make it to this part of the journey.

And personally, I think that’s a good thing.

The thing is, in this dark and slippery underground maze, I wasn’t trying to prove anything to anyone, not even to myself.

I wasn’t here to reclaim who I used to be.

I was here to embrace who I had become.

The tired, scarred and slower version, but still whole.

And still moving forward.

And honestly, that felt like a bigger win than any summit I’ve reached before.

We passed more formations as we went on with our journey inside Sumaguing Cave.

Some were sharp and rugged, while others were smooth.

But all were shaped by time, water, and pressure.

And these natural wonders were kind of like people.

I mean real people (not the fake ones who wear masks and facades in public).

We’re all just rough rocks being shaped by what we go through.

Not perfect. 

Not polished. 

But still standing.

The Rope Wall of Sumaguing Cave 

All good things come to an end.

And it was almost time for us to leave Sumaguing Cave, and explore the other attractions in Sagada, including the Hanging Coffins.

Before we could do that, though, we had to conquer one more tough section inside the cave: the Rope Wall.

On the surface, it looked scary and insanely challenging.

It’s, after all, a 90-degree wall, where the only way to go up is through a rope.

You’ll need every muscle group in your body to navigate through this tough section of the cave.

In my estimation, this wall was around 10 feet tall.

I checked the wall, and wondered how I would climb this wall.

While I may have lost a step or two over the years, I’ve gained something else: strategy, patience, and trust in my body’s wisdom.

The younger me would have rushed through it.

He’d use his athleticism and just his upper body strength to conquer this wall.

But this version? 

He just paused, took a long, deep breath, and studied the wall.

And most importantly, he listened.

I waited for the other group to finish their climb and watched how others did it. 

I didn’t feel the need to race or outperform. 

I just wanted to do it right.

When it was our turn to climb the wall, no one dared to go first.

So, I went ahead, and climbed the wall.

I did it not because I was an arrogant son of a bitch.

I did it because I have studied the wall, and have carefully planned my attack.

And that’s the beauty of making mistakes in the past.

Your scars, whether emotional or physical, are there to give you a blueprint on how you’d take your next path.

Even if you have lost your enthusiasm or energy, you haven’t lost your edge,

You’ve just sharpened your edge in a different way.

You’ve learned when to rest and learned how to assess.

You’ve learned to stop chasing pride and start choosing presence.

So I grabbed the rope to begin my climb.

Was I nervous?

A bit since all eyes, including the other groups, were on me.

I planted my feet against the wall, found my rhythm, and let muscle memory and focus do the rest.

It was slow, controlled, and had no wasted moves.

To my surprise, it was an easy climb.

And the wall wasn’t as slippery as I thought it would be.

I guess I was just overthinking.

But as they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

The top came quicker than I expected.

One last push.

One deep breath, and I was up.

There was no triumphant fist pump.

No dramatic catch-your-breath moment.

Just a quiet pause as I looked down and realized I had done it.

Not because I was the strongest or the fastest.

But because I chose to trust the person I had become.

I guess that’s the real reward of aging.

It’s not clinging to your past and prime, but realizing that your worth doesn’t expire when your pace slows down.

And all the past versions of you, from the reckless and the lost to the ambitious and the broken, all existed for a reason.

They walked so this current version could finally stand still, see, and understand.

The way back to the base 

Sumaguing Cave is no walk in the park.

It’s wet, dark, muddy, and unapologetically raw. 

Every step demands attention and feels like a decision.

Down there, you can’t afford to overthink. 

You can’t freeze. 

You just move forward.

On our way back to the base, there was a train of thought running through my head.

And it wasn’t about what was ahead, but about everything I used to carry behind me.

You see.

I’ve always had a habit of rewinding conversations in my head.

What I should’ve said.

What I should’ve done.

And what I could’ve been if I wasn’t so scared.

But there’s a downside to all those what-ifs inside our heads.

They always paint the best-case scenarios.

We imagine the apologies that were accepted and the relationships that didn’t fall apart.

We dream of the careers that took off, and the lives that could’ve been perfect if only we had taken a different turn.

But guess what?

There’s no guarantee those alternate timelines would’ve been better and kinder.

No certainty they’d be free of pain or regret.

We rarely think of the mess that could’ve followed, or the heartbreak that might have hurt even more.

And we don’t think about the lesson we might not have learned.

We forget that not getting what we wanted might’ve been the exact thing that saved us.

There’s no ctrl+z or “undo” button for the people we hurt.

No time machine to unlove someone.

No fast-forward to skip the parts where we break, bleed, and lose our way.

And to me, that’s the point.

We’re not meant to edit the past.

We’re meant to carry it and still move forward.

So I climbed out of that cave physically and emotionally.

And it felt good, with sore muscles, wet feet, and a calmness I hadn’t felt in weeks.

I stopped wishing to go back in time because I realized I didn’t need a better version of the past.

The past didn’t need some fixing. 

It just needed to be felt and left behind.

What is Sumaguing Cave known for?

Sumaguing Cave is the most popular cave in Sagada. It’s known for its stalactites and stalagmites that have been sculpted over thousands of years. Inside, you’ll encounter an array of fascinating and whimsically named rock formations.

How to get to Sumaguing Cave?

The best and most convenient way to get to Sumaguing Cave is to join an organized tour. If you plan to go with this route, I recommend sir Greg Galicia.

How long does it take to hike the Sumaguing Cave?

On average, exploring Sumaguing Cave takes around 2 to 3 hours, depending on your pace and the size of your group. If you prefer a more challenging and extensive adventure, take the Cave Connection tour, which links Sumaguing and Lumiang Caves. The journey may take around 3 to 4 hours.