Mount Purgatory And The 6 Strangers We Meet In The Mountains

The first lie I ever believed was that I had time. Unfortunately, we all fall into this trap until the truth finally catches up to us. Somewhere between birth and death, we forget that the clock never stops ticking. That’s why I stopped waiting for the perfect moment and started chasing the things I thought were impossible, like hiking Mount Purgatory in Benguet.

They told me the Mt. Purgatory traverse was long and unforgiving, with six peaks, endless ridges, and mystical mossy forests. What I didn’t expect was to meet 6 strangers who seemed to know me better than I knew myself.

So, who were those strangers?

Is Mt. Purgatory a major hike?

And is Mt. Purgatory creepy, like they say?

My experience in Mount Purgatory, Benguet

I’ve always dreamed of hiking Mount Purgatory in Benguet.

With its gorgeous pine forests and heavenly views, it’s a dream come true for hikers like me.

And yes, I’d heard the rumors that it was haunted. But honestly, that never fazed me.

Personally, I think the most dangerous ghosts are the ones that live quietly inside us. 

They are the doubts, fears, voices that tell us to stop moving.

When I finally had the chance to hike Mount Purgatory, I didn’t let the opportunity pass.

And so, even with a tight schedule, I flew to Manila from my hometown to finally make this dream a reality.

Day 1 at the registration area

After a long ride from Manila, we finally arrived at the registration area in Bokod, Benguet. 

With fog and cold winds, I was expecting this climb to be wet, wild, and slippery.

Soon, the guides gathered the hikers from both groups for a quick orientation.

As the local guides shared the dos and don’ts of hiking Mt. Purgatory, my eyes wandered around the area. 

I saw a crowd of strangers, eager to climb one of the tallest mountains in Luzon.  

And in that moment, I realized I wasn’t just about to hike a mountain. I was also about to test my social skills again.

The thing is, there was a point in my life when talking to strangers scared the shit out of me.

Growing up as an introvert, I would rather stay at home, talking to the voices inside my head, than meet new people.

But life doesn’t move forward inside comfort zones.

And I didn’t want to live a life of what-ifs and should-haves.

Some clocks don’t measure time at all. They measure regrets and the chances you didn’t take

And the cruelest thing about time?

It only moves forward.

Day 1 at the jump-off point of Mount Purgatory 

The hike hadn’t even started yet, but I already felt at home with the people around me. 

There were no introductions, no names exchanged, and yet we were already swapping hiking stories like old friends.

We were cut from the same cloth, and I knew I wouldn’t have a problem talking to them, even though our dialects and hometowns were different. 

As we were making our final preparations, the other group began their journey to the six peaks of Mount Purgatory.

With packs secured and lungs steady, we took our first steps into the emerald slopes of Mount Purgatory. 

I started slow, as I always do, waiting for my body to catch the rhythm of the mountain. 

Soon, each breath matched each step, and the trail began to feel like home.

My legs burned and my heart pounded, but I refused to stop so soon.

I wanted to find my flow and to let muscle memory take over. 

Because I knew one thing for sure: this was going to be a long day.

The hike to Mount Mangagew

It didn’t take long for us to reach the first village on our Mount Purgatory Mangisi traverse. 

We had to keep going, no matter how slow, because this hike was no joke.

With a total length of 26 kilometers, this hike would not be an easy feat.

We took a breather in the village, catching our breath under the towering pines.

Then we pressed on, toward the first peak of the traverse: Mt. Mangagew.

As my heart rate started to go up again, my mind began to wander. 

That’s when I met the first of the six strangers.

For now, let’s call her the Dreamer. 

She’s the one who believes every summit is possible, even when the body is tired and the trail feels endless. 

She walks ahead of me, saying that this is only the beginning. 

The Dreamer always starts every climb with wide eyes and endless hope. 

Still untouched by exhaustion and feeling romantic about the journey, she believed every ridge would look like the photographs and every step would feel light. 

On our way to the first peak, she was alive with excitement, convinced the mountain was hers for the taking.

The Dreamer didn’t worry about the weight of her pack or the steepness of the trail leading to the other peaks. 

She only saw the sunlight slipping through pine branches and the views that looked straight out of a Cordillera mountain postcard.

She kept talking about the sea of clouds waiting at the summits and the forest’s moss glowing green like something out of a fairytale. 

And for a while, I believed her. 

I wanted to believe her.

But things changed when we reached the first peak, Mt. Mangagew.

While everyone smiled at the summit sign and posed for photos, I looked past it.

I focused my attention on the giant mountains and ridges covered in clouds in the background.

That’s when the doubts crept in.

That’s when I realized this was only the beginning.

Mount Purgatory had five more peaks waiting, and it wasn’t going to make it easy for us.

The calm before the storm

Even with the tough challenge waiting for us, the Dreamer was still full of life and energy.

And I couldn’t blame her.

After all, the pathway was still mild and relatively flat on this section of our hike.

And guess what?

Her optimism rubbed off on me.

Sometimes, on hikes like this, you need someone who insists the hardest things are possible.

And we need a little drive and a dreamer in us to keep our feet moving.

Although you know it’s going to be hard, the dreamer will remind you of the possibilities and rewards of reaching the top.

The truth is, we all need a Dreamer, not just on mountains, but in life.

The Dreamer sees past the pain and focuses on the reward. 

The Dreamer doesn’t ignore how hard it is. 

She just keeps reminding you to keep going because it’s going to be beautiful at the top.

But all that optimism quickly faded when I saw the steep concrete road ahead of us.

Shit!

We were about to enter a world of pain, I said to myself.

That’s when another stranger showed up. Let’s call him the Doubter.

The steep concrete road

The hike was starting to get tiring.

The steep concrete road was slowly taking a toll on my joints, hamstrings, and lower back.

And the Doubter?

He was talking non-stop, sharing his thoughts on this challenging 26-kilometer Mount Purgatory hike.

The Doubter talks a lot of shit. 

He doesn’t sugarcoat things. 

He doesn’t care about the sea of clouds, the stunning sunsets, or the mossy forest. 

He looks at the steep road and says, “This is going to whip your candy ass.”

But one thing I like about the Doubter is that he’s also a realist and practical.

He reminds you to sip water, adjust your pack, and save your energy. 

He doesn’t dream about the view at the top. 

He just wants you to survive the climb.

So, I listened. 

I stopped fighting the road and started working with it. 

Instead of pushing straight up, I zigzagged on the concrete road.

Why? Because zigzagging breaks the slope into smaller, gentler climbs. 

It spreads the pressure across your legs instead of hammering your knees, hamstrings, and back with every step. 

It feels slower and longer, and it makes you look like you’re one of the Three Stooges.

But it saves your energy, and on a 26-kilometer hike like Mount Purgatory, saving energy is survival.

After that brutal stretch, we finally reached a small store.

I’ve never been so happy to see warm soda and junk food in my life.

As we rested, I got the chance to really talk with some of the group. 

Most of them laughed and said we were crazy to fly all the way from Cebu just to spend a weekend suffering in Mount Purgatory.

Honestly, they weren’t wrong.

It takes effort, planning, and money to experience Mount Purgatory for hikers living in the southern part of the Philippines.

But here’s how I see it: I’d rather spend my hard-earned cash on experiences like this than on therapy sessions or hospital bills.

After a quick recharge, it was time to move again. 

The trail ahead wasn’t getting any friendlier, and the clouds seemed they were ready to unleash a heavy downpour. 

So we shouldered our packs, tightened our laces, and pushed back into the trail. 

Yes, we were tired, but we were ready for whatever came next.

The hike to Mount Pack

With the concrete road behind us, I thought it was going to be easier.

I was wrong.

With a seemingly endless climb, I was once again huffing, puffing, and catching my breath.

Doubts slowly crept in.

And of course, the Doubter had plenty to say.

His voice was as heavy and relentless as my beating heart.

After all, he had a point. Just a couple of days earlier, I had almost cancelled my hike to Mount Purgatory.

Stressed, dehydrated, and running to the bathroom from diarrhea and gastritis, I felt like I was in no shape to take on a 26-kilometer mountain traverse.

Perhaps the Doubter knew it.

Maybe the Doubter saw that I wasn’t exactly 100 percent.

But what the Doubter didn’t realize was that I’ve been here before.

Not just on mountains, but in life.

I’ve carried weight heavier than this pack and faced uphill battles that made this trail look like a warm-up.

And if I’d survived those, I could survive this, too.

Besides, I’ve dealt with stomach issues throughout my life, and I’m practically immune to them.

I’ve even survived Mount Amuyao and a 3-day hike in Mount Hamiguitan while dealing with diarrhea.

Then, the uphill climb ended, and the whole lead pack took a short rest.

Soon enough, we were back on our feet, following a dirt road that mixed steep climbs with gentler slopes.

My body was starting to feel the punishment. 

I was starting to question my decisions and wondered if I made the right call.

Then came the 3rd stranger.

He showed up when my lungs were on fire, when the thought of quitting almost felt logical

Let’s call him the Fighter. Tough. Stubborn. No-nonsense.

The Fighter doesn’t waste time with what-ifs or complaints. 

He doesn’t care if his legs burn or if the climb feels endless.

He is a warrior, and he pushes through despite discomfort.

And truthfully, we all need friends like that.

We need someone to inspire us and remind us to live and keep moving despite all the pain and struggles.

They’re the ones who remind us that survival, whether on the mountain or in life, isn’t about pure strength.

It’s about grit, refusing to quit, and being too stubborn to give up.

The Fighter doesn’t just tell you to shut up and walk. 

He dares you to believe you’re stronger than you think.

After minutes of non-stop walking, we arrived at an intersection, with one trail leading to Mount Pack. 

Our guide told us to stop and wait for Miss Graciang Gala, one of the organizers of this hike in Mount Purgatory.

When Miss Graciang arrived, we tightened our packs, braced ourselves, and began the climb to the second peak of the Mount Purgatory traverse.

And the climb to Mount Pack was breathtaking both literally and metaphorically.

My legs screamed with each step, but the mossy forest was so enchanting it felt like walking through a memory of my Mindanao hikes.

Moments later, we reached the second peak, Mount Pack. 

And all I could say was: What the Pack?! 

The distance from the first peak was insane. 

I thought it would be quick, but it dragged on forever. 

The elevation gain? Pure punishment.

We dropped our packs, snapped a few photos, and finally sat down for lunch. 

Even though our packed lunch was simple, it tasted like heaven. 

Because on mountains like this, food isn’t just fuel. 

It’s proof you’ve made it this far and that you’ve earned the right to rest before facing whatever fresh hell waits on the next peak.

The mossy forest of Mount Purgatory

Our guides said we’d be hiking a moderately flat trail on the way to the 3rd peak, Mount Purgatory.

And they were right.

It was relatively flat, smoother, and well-established. 

And then the mossy forest appeared.

It looked unreal, and I was in awe.

The Mt. Purgatory mossy forest stopped me in my tracks. 

Everything was wrapped in green, soft and damp to the touch. 

The air was cooler here, and the silence felt heavy, but not in a bad way. 

It was the kind of place that makes you slow down without even realizing it.

Walking through it felt less like a trail and more like stepping into a fairy tale. 

It reminded me of Manny’s Garden in Mount Dulang-Dulang, a campsite hikers call “a city of fairies.”

But even with all that beauty, something felt strange.

The trail stretched on forever, and no matter how much ground we covered, it felt like we weren’t getting anywhere.

Time seemed to lose its grip.

Minutes dragged, steps blurred, and I couldn’t tell if we were moving forward or just circling in some green, endless maze.

I finally understood why it’s called Mount Purgatory. 

It wasn’t the steepness or the cold.

It was the feeling of being trapped in a loop that refused to end.

The hike was fairly easy, but it made me sleepy and bored.

The monotony made my eyelids heavy, with each step slower than the last.

Strangely, I felt more drained here than on the steeper climbs.

That’s when the Fighter showed up again.

He reminded me that not every battle is about steep ascents or burning lungs.

Sometimes, it’s about refusing to give in to boredom, to that slow, creeping fatigue that sneaks up when you least expect it.

And he was right. 

I thought back to Mount Kalatungan, which was three days of hiking, and me limping down on one good leg.

The descent wasn’t steep, but it was long, slow, and mind-numbingly repetitive.

It taught me that survival isn’t all about power.

It’s patience.

The kind of patience that takes one slow step, then another, and another.

Eventually, we arrived at Mount Purgatory.

Touchdown Mount Purgatory 

I breathed a sigh of relief the moment we arrived in Mount Purgatory.

Yes, it wasn’t one of those heart-pounding ascents or buwis-buhay, roped sections.

But it still demanded something deeper: mental toughness

I guess that’s why people call it creepy.

It’s not because of ghosts or shadows, but because that long, endless walk through the mossy forest feels like stepping into the Twilight Zone.

The trail loops, the silence hums, and time itself starts to feel strange.

Unfortunately for us, there was no breathtaking view from Mount Purgatory.

As for Mount Purgatory, it greeted us with… nothing. 

It just had fog so thick, it felt like we were taking a photo of a sheet of clean, white bond paper.

It felt like we were posing for a passport photo on a white background.

And yet, none of us complained.

As I’ve said before, the views on top are just a bonus.

It’s all about the journey, the thrill of exploring a new place, the stories you collect, and the people you meet along the way.

From Mount Purgatory, we made our way to the next destination in our 2-day hike.

I asked April, our guide, if the next peak was just a short stroll away.

Her reply? A smile.

Well, that wasn’t exactly a positive sign.

I guess we’ll have to hike for an hour or even more to reach the next section of the Mount Purgatory traverse.

So, we kept on hiking until we arrived at an intersection where there were habal-habal riders waiting.

We had the option to take a motorcycle ride to our campsite, which was perfect for those who were already tired from the brutal hike.

As tempting as it was, there was no way I was taking a motorcycle ride.

And I wasn’t doing it for bragging rights or validation.

I wanted to do it for myself.

To prove to myself that age doesn’t matter in hiking.

To prove that even if my athleticism has faded, experience, grit, and wisdom can still carry me thousands of meters above sea level.

And so, we walked every step to reach the next peaks on our Mount Purgatory traverse.

Hiking to Mt. Bakian and Mt. Tangbaw

The first day was almost over, but Mount Purgatory still had a couple of peaks left to throw at us.

April, however, told us it’d be easier than the previous peaks.

So, we continued with our hike with the trail getting easier and the air growing lighter.

Then, the 4th stranger, the Wanderer, showed up when the trail began to ease.

The Wanderer wasn’t in a rush.

She didn’t care about the summit sign or the distance left.

She just wanted to notice things.

The way the pine needles crunch underfoot.

The way the fog curls through branches like smoke.

The way silence feels alive when you finally stop talking.

The Wanderer is that type of hiker who reminds you that a mountain isn’t just a challenge, but also a gift.

It’s not about conquering peaks but letting the peaks conquer you.

She slows your steps, not out of weakness, but out of wonder.

And with her, every ridge becomes more than a ridge.

Every breath feels earned.

Every pause feels sacred.

The Wanderer doesn’t move just to finish.

The Wanderer moves to experience, to see, feel, and remember.

And so, when we passed through Mt. Bakian, it didn’t feel like another checkpoint.

It felt like a quiet village that belonged in its own postcard, with plant-covered roofs, flowers in bloom, and pine trees standing tall against the mist.

By the time we reached Mt. Tangbaw, the air cooled and the day felt complete.

We explored the village, shared dinner at the homestay, and let our tired bodies sink into rest.

The last peak could wait until tomorrow.

Day 2 at 4:00 AM: The climb to Mt. Komkompol

Shit.

My headlamp wasn’t working.

Before I left Cebu, I had checked it twice.

It was even working quite well on our hike in Mount Kupapey.

And now, here I was, fumbling in the dark on the last stretches of the Mount Purgatory traverse.

But there was no way I was quitting. Not here. Not on the highest peak.

That’s when the fifth stranger appeared: the Believer.

He’s the one who believes we can complete the hike even when the odds don’t look great.

He doesn’t need proof or perfect conditions. 

He just trusts the path, the body, and the instincts that carried us this far.

The Believer didn’t see darkness. He saw the majestic sunrise waiting.

And in some way, this person reminds me of myself.

Honestly, my hike in Mount Purgatory didn’t have the right conditions.

I was stressed out, and a little short on time and preparation.

Because the flight schedule was moved, I had to rush my preparation, and modify my working schedule. 

Still, I wasn’t missing out on the opportunity to hike Mount Purgatory.

Like I’ve said, we often don’t realize how much time we have on this earth.

We always think we have all the time in the world to do whatever our heart desires.

But time flies fast, and every minute we waste gets us closer to our expiration date.

That’s why you need the Believer on the trail and in life.

Eventually, we arrived at Mount Komkompol.

It was still early, and the sun hadn’t risen yet.

So we stood there, shivering, our breaths rising like smoke, staring into a sky that looked like nothing but fog and shadow.

Then, slowly, the horizon began to glow.

The clouds broke, light spilled across the ridges, and everything came alive.

We hurried to the viewing deck, chasing a better view of the rising sun.

And I must say the views there were absolutely stunning. 

Our Mount Purgatory traverse wasn’t over yet.

But looking back, the whole journey felt like passing through the afterlife.

The relentless ascent from the jump-off was going through the 9 circles of hell, with each step a punishment and each breath a battle.

The mossy forest was purgatory itself, where time stretched thin and every step blurring into the next.

And the viewing deck of Mount Komkompol? 

Well, that was heaven, with clouds breaking, light spilling across the ridges, and us standing high above it all.

The One Who Arrives

From the summit, we went to the viewing deck of Mount Tangbaw, and back to our homestay for breakfast and final preparations. 

Afterward, we took a back-breaking descent from Mount Tangbaw to the last section of our Mount Purgatory hike.

And when the hike was all done, I finally met the last stranger: The One Who Arrives.

He is the person who understands the summit isn’t the end.

He isn’t the same person who started.

Every hike does that to you. It wears you down, then rebuilds you in ways you don’t notice until the journey’s done.

The One Who Arrives knows the body is tired, but the spirit is stronger. 

He knows he left behind pieces of doubt on the trail, and carried home pieces of courage instead.

That’s the thing about mountains: you never return as the same person.

And that, more than the views, is the real reward.

The One Who Arrives remembers the Dreamer, who taught him hope.

The Doubter, who kept him honest.

The Fighter, who pushed him through pain.

The Wanderer, who reminded him to see.

The Believer, who carried him through the dark.

And One Who Arrives is me, the old, worn-out version of The Bisaya Traveler who survived the 6 Stages of Mount Purgatory. 

And those six strangers weren’t random hikers I met. 

They were never beside me. 

They were inside me all along

They were the voices in my head, and the 6 versions of ourselves on tough giant mountains like Mount Purgatory.

In both life and hiking, we go through countless transformations.

Most of the time, we don’t even notice how much we’ve changed until the journey ends.

But with every version of ourselves, we carry home lessons that keep us moving forward.

In hiking, the real summit isn’t the peak. 

It’s the person you become when the climb is done.

Is Mt. Purgatory beginner-friendly?

Mount Purgatory is not recommended for beginners. The traverse usually covers six peaks, stretches over 18 to 24 kilometers, and can take 10 to 12 hours (sometimes longer) to complete. The trail is a mix of mossy forests, pine ridges, and steep sections that can be physically demanding.

Is Mt Purgatory a major hike?

Yes, Mount Purgatory is considered a major hike in Benguet. It’s long, challenging, and requires good stamina, which is why seasoned hikers often add it to their must-do list.

How to get to Mount Purgatory?

The best and most convenient way to get to Mount Purgatory is to join an organized tour. I personally recommend The Beast Camp. You can send a message to their Facebook, or contact Sir Jake Bataller or Maam Graciang Gala. I personally recommend this operator, and is thus far, my favorite one in Luzon.