Guest book of apacampsite.wordpress · FRIENDS OF APA APA AND MT.KALAWITAN TOURS SABANGAN, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE D:\01-Work\2008_Philippines\_Sabangan\_Friends of Apa\Guest book.doc Page

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FRIENDS OF APA APACAMPSITE.WORDPRESS.COM MT. KALAWITAN TOURS SABANGAN, MT. PROVINCE & ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMS

Guest book of apacampsite.wordpress.com

The following is the digitized copy of the hand written comments in the visitor’s guest book of Apa Campsite and Mt. Kalawitan.

Please send missing pictures to the moderator: [email protected]

November 25, 2010 Martina Gasser from Switzerland is hiking on the newly established Mukgo trail and made a round trip towards Apa Campsite. She was accompanied by Pia Fleischlin.

Pictures: Martina and Pia are helping Roger in pulping the fresh harvested arabica coffee cherries at the Panorama Viewpoint and later went down to the Chico River.

October 2010 – closed during typhoon season [Mt. Kalawitan and Apa Campsite are closed the during peak of the rainy season. We are very sorry that we can not accept guests this days, but it is for the security of our guest. ]

FRIENDS OF APA APA AND MT. KALAWITAN TOURS SABANGAN, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE

D:\01-Work\2008_Philippines\_Sabangan\_Friends of Apa\Guest book.doc Page 2 SADC/RoB/Nov 29, 2010

September 30, 2010 The two women from Bontoc and Germany make a short hike to Apa together with Pia. Rolf is entertaining the caribous. What about riding on them?

Guest: Johanna Schiessel, Ursula

Organized: Pia Fleischlin

August 11-13, 2010

“Thank you very much for being so accommodating. You have a beautiful and wonderful place. I hope this will remain the same for many generations to come. I’ll definitely be back in the near future. Julius Strada”

Julius and Marcial, pls. send us some pictures! ([email protected]) Guest: Julius Strada, Marcial S. Barrios

Guide: Jordan Rafael, Chester Tumbaga

Helper: Rolf, Denver

August 3-4, 2010 Guests: Fr. Martin Jaggi (65 yrs), Sylvan Kamber

Guides: Jordan Rafael, Chester Tumbaga

They started in Apa at 6 am and reached the top of Mount Kalawitan at 11 pm. Congratulation! (guest book was not available, so now entry)

mailto:([email protected])



August 2, 2010 BMI

“Thank you very much for bringing us to this beautiful place, we wish u good luck with the eco tourism project. May many people discover the beauty of Mt. Kalawitan! god bless” Guests: Mr. Frauz Erni, Head of the Mission Department BMI Switzerland together with Helen

Trautvetter, Coordinator Philippines and Sylvan Kamber, HOPLAA

Guides: Raymondo Dam-alan, Jordan Rafael, Chester Tumbaga

Organizers: Pia Fleichilin and Rolf Boller

Juli 30, 2010 It is in the middle of the rainy season. We are cleaning Apa together with the swiss trainee Silvan Kamber. After the hard day working we enjoy a jump into the natural river pools. We discover many wild honey bees. Honey from the Apa Apiary, that is definitively something to develop!



Juli 6-7, 2010

“Nine swiss people hike to wonderful Apa. Am zweiten Rest-tag brechen wir doch noch nach Apa auf! We had a swiss barbecue with sausages, went swimming, planted fruit trees and watching Glühwüermchen (Fireflies) and the beautiful stars in heaven. Thank you Pia, Rolf and Ernesto for your effort and the possibility to bring us to Apa. It is a really wonderful, quiet and relaxing place!” Guests: Tom & Melanie Nansoz Bauman, Noelle, Loana, Gilles, Sandra V., Silvan K.

Organizers: Ernesto Bondad, Pia, Rolf

May 30-31, 2010

“Haila haila saga, tri tuk raga, tri tuk sun me shi um popo sh ferbie. Dear Rolf, Pia and Silvan. Thanks for the hospitality, I hope to see you all in Los Banos… “ ect. Guest: Harvey Gracia, wildlife biologist of IRRI

Guide: Raymondo



Harvey and Guide Raymondo stayed in the Mossy Forest at Asoan for overnight. 12 hours above 1’900 m a.s.l. Unfortunately the guest book was missing that day. But our friend Harvey left a very special note:

Read more: see report



May 19-21, 2010

“D day, in conquering ,beating the odds of Mt. Kalawitan! Marcial S. Barrios, SADC”

“Thank you all for this wonderful days, Apa is a great place to stall and to reload the batteries! Tom, SADC”

“I was her on May 20. 2010, the day of my birthday, and May 21., 2010, the day of my 12th years as a priest. Thanks Rolf, Pia and Tom for bringing as her. A blessing to discover my self and my vacation her, Fr. Marion” Guests: Marcial B. Santos, Fr. Marion, Tom Bauman (Civil Engineer & Architect)

Guides: Mantel Bang Ayan, Roldan Ricarte, Jordan Rafael

Cook: Pia Fleischlin

Organizer: Rolf Boller, Ernesto Bondad



April 7-9, 2010 – first Swiss mountaineers on Mt. Kalawitan

“Four friends of Pia and Rolf travelled to Sabangan from Switzerland. We had the luck to be the firs tourist which could climb up Mt. Kalawitan. We spent two nights in Apa Campsite and and planted some fruit trees. Our guides took care of us and help hicking up. We could enjoy very good meals in Apa.”

“We made ourselves self home in Apa on the way to the top, and we did it! Mt. Kalawitan was a great adventure!” Guests: Thomas, Franz, Seppi, Pia (all Switzerland)

Guides: Raymundo, Roldan, Rolf, Pia Fleischlin



April 5, 2010 – trail up to Mt. Kalawitan open !! Raymondo Dam-alan, the initiative guide from Brgy. Losad, opened and secured the last part of the trail up to Mount Kalawitan together with Arvin.



April 4, 2010

“We went there for relaxing, exploring the area and tasting the excellent Sabangan rice wine. We discovered a resident of Apa, the Striped Shrew Rat (Chrotomys sp.), and an endemic forest rat. This rat family has different species, is common in the mountain forests, but endemic to the Philippines.

Later, Noel, Roldan and mantel join us and we had a picture session, yeha.” Easter Sunday outing of teachers from Sabangan

Visitors: Sir Eugen, Sir Roger, 2 high school student

Guides: Manong Raymondo Dam-alan, Rolf Boller

March 24, 2010 Guests: Ervin Uden, Sylvester Dawey, Seraphin Daongan

Outing of the seminarians: „Apa, a place for communicating with god. It is where you can experience the loving presence of god to men it’s where we can experience ’AHA’.”

March 13, 2010 Teachers from the San Alfonso High School are visiting Apa.

March 2010 30 women from the LGU visited Apa during the National Women day for an outing.



(Read more: Press article)

February 26, 2010 Fr. Hill and Fr.Pablo ‘Bong’Garay (SVD) come to Apa Campsite to Bless the renovated huts and installed facilities.

February 13-22, 2010 Wild Bird research Wild Bird study by Researcher from University of Alaska Museum

With the permission of DENR, the LGU and NCIP, the bird researcher Thomas Braile from the University of Alaska Museum conducted a study on wild birds in Apa Campsite. He was the first guest in the newly opened site in January 2010 and hired local hunters as his assistants. Among the already known species from the HARIBON biodiversity assessment, he discovered the presence of Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher and found again the Flame-breasted Fruit-dove.(Read more: Report)





Other activities The following is a short overview of different activities around Apa and Mt. Kalawitan. It is mostly related to the development and maintenance of Apa and about environment activities of the mountain guides.

SABANGAN MOUNTAIN GUIDE SHOOL (SMGS)

FIRST TRAINING DAY – NOVEMBER 27, 2010 – at PANORAMA

Lecturers: Juanita Lampac – Tourism Officer LGU Sabangan – Travel Expert

Tom Bauman and Daniel Mettler – Mountaineer Trainers Elmo D. Gatawa – First Aid Expert PNP

We are looking for Sponsors for the coming training days in December and January! Please support the development of the Mount Kalawitan and Sabangan tourism!

November 27, 2010 – Sabangan Mountain Guide School (SMGS) first training day After weeks of preparations, we could finally start with the training program requested by the mountain Guides. Eleven guides from Losad and Napua participated the training at the Panorama Viewpoint. The topic of the first training day was:

- How to present Sabangan and its culture to tourists

- Tasks and responsibilities of guides

- Assisting tourists in hiking on rough terrain

- First Aid and Rescue Operations



The lecturers and trainers were:

- Juanita Lampac, Tourism Officer LGU Sabangan

- Tom Bauman, Mountaineer and SADC Officer Lagawe

- Daniel Mettler, Mountaineer and Trainer at Herdenschutz Wolves – from Switzerland

- Elmo Gatwa, PNP Sabangan First Aid Expert

This first training day was organized and sponsored by the Friends of Apa and SADC (Councilor Ernesto Bondad, Rolf Boller, Pia Fleischlin) with the big support of the KAFILIG coffee shop team.

November 25, 2010 – KAFILIG tree nursery The Opening of the KAFILIG coffee shop one month ago, the demand of Arabica coffee beans become visible to all Sabangan. Unluckely, a view Arabica coffee trees are left in Sabangan. As the cherries of those trees where not picked up in the last years, many coffee tree wildlings are now growing beneath them. We started collecting those wildlings and transferred them to the KAFILIG tree nursery.



November 2010 - Repair works and reconstruction of the Mukgo Trail The Mukgo Trail is connecting the Panorma Viewdeck with the Chico River. It is a shortcut to the Apa Campsite and Mount Kalawitan. The trails was one a very well footpath with some stone walling as enforcement of the slopes. But as this trails was used only for carabao grazing in the last years, it was overgrown and falling apart. The Mt. Kalawitan guides and the Friends of Apa took the initiative to repair and improve the trail from Nov. 15 till Nov. 20, 2010.

PanoramaViewdeck

SawangenaFoothbridge

Chi

co R

iver

Kapangdanan River

Mukgo Trail~ 600 m long Caribou's Pool

Viewpoint

WSPicnic and swimming area

120°55'15"E

120°55'15"E

120°55'0"E

120°55'0"E

16°5

9'30

"N

16°5

9'30

"N

0 100 200 300Meters

original map scale: 1:50'000 Luzon Datum/Nov. 2010/SADC/Rolf Boller

LEGEND:River

Foot Trail

Halsema Highway

1256 m1035 m

coffee shop localquality

products!

KAFILIG

Panorama Viewpoint

Fig. 1: Happy hiking through the open pine forest on natural trails

Fig. 2: Arabica coffee tree along the trail in the Agro-Forestry plot



Profile of the Mukgo Trail (Status Nov 20, 2010, after the repair work)

Length: 600 m

Highest point: 1256 m a.s.l. (Starting point at Panorama Viewdeck, Halsema Highway)

Lowest point: 1036 m a.s.l. (Waiting shade, next to Chico River)

Elevation difference: 220 m

Trail specification: medium hiking, trail class 3 (according to Australian Standard AS 2156.1)

Hiking time: 15 min. from Panorama down to the river; 35 min. to go up

Trail characteristic: - medium hiking, mostly on pine forest floor

- good shoes are required during rainy season

- Hiring of guide is optional. Experienced hikers can be allowed to go themselves.

Attraction: - beautiful scenery up and down the Chico River

- carabao pool, pine forest, birds

- a well established agro-forestry plot with coffee, lemon and banana trees

- deep river pools and picnic areas at the end of the trails

- Snacks, toilets and parking space available at start point

- tourist information and guides available all time around at start point

- good connection to the Chico River trek

Obstacles: - burning for pasture cleaning is often practiced in the area in summer time

- the trail can be slippery during rainy season

Fig. 3: The most difficult parts of the trails are now reinforced with stairs and handles

Fig. 4: A young carabao in his pool



October 23, 2010 – opening of tourist office and Coffee Shop at the PANORAMA The Panorama Viewpoint apposite of Mt. Kalawitan along the Halsema Highway is now open every day. It serves as tourist office and gateway for Mt. Kalawitan tours. It has a very nice restaurant where we serve coffee and snacks. Local quality products are displayed in the shop: Arabica Coffee, passion fruit juice, dulsi jam, dagway prunes, Rice Wine, souvenirs from the Sabangan weaving and much more.

The Panaorama is operated by KAFILIG, the official associations of the producers of local quality products, of the Mt. Kalawitan Guides and the Friends of Apa. The Tourist office and coffee shop at Panorama is a vision that KAFILIG President Telesforo “Purong” Gut-Omen is following since many years. Today, it became reality. Congratulation to the big effort and cooperation of all KAFILIG members! (Read more: visit and join KAFILIG on Facebook)

August 4. – September 2, 2010 – Establishing of the Apa Organic Garden The FRIENDS OF APA like to serve only the most delicious, safe and nutritious vegetables and lettuce to the visitors of the Apa Campiste. The food served in Apa is reflecting our commitment to environment protection, health and the sustainable management of the place in balance with its nature. For this purpose, we constructed a small garden where organic vegetables can be harvested all year round. The second objective of the Apa organic garden is to serve as an experimental and demonstration site for promoting organic gardening in Sabangan and Mt. Province. The experiences with organic gardening made in Apa will be shared during trainings to interested farmers. (Read more: Report of the organic garden construction)



June 2010 – Mount Kalawitan 3D model Silvan Kamber, a swiss BMI trainee, is constructing a 3D model of Mt. Kalawitan.

(Update Nov 8, 2010: The model was used for environment education at the Sabangan Highschool St. Alfonso and is now exposed at the Tourist Information at Panorama Viewpoint. See October 23, 2010)

April 2010 – Fruit tree orchard in Apa With the contribution of a bird researcher (T. B.), the Friends of Apa could start with a fruit tree orchards. The mountaineering guides dig 72 holes (1x1x1 foot each) and prepared organic fertilizer (compost). A selection of locally adapted fruit trees are now planted at the Campsite. After some years, the fruit may be harvested by the tour guides and visitors of Apa. The short term benefit is the beautification of the area and to give an initial effort to motivate for tree planting and forest conversion



activities in Apa, Mount Kalawitan and Sabangan. Every time visitors come to Apa Campste, they help in the tree planting. The tour guides are assisting them and the Friends of Apa are providing the seedlings: Coffee Arabica, Dagway, Calamansi and Lemon (Citrus), Guava, Jackfruit (Langka), Tiessa. (Read more: Project Plan)

January 2010 –Construction of the Apa Campsite at the foot of Mt. Kalawitan Until end of 2009, it was not recommended to allow guest stay overnight in Apa, as hygienic facilities and clear rules for visitors are missing. A group of individuals from Sabangan around Counciloir Ernesto Bondad, Tina Tuazen, Dominador Tacut, Rolf Boller and Pia Fleischlin founded the group “Friends of Apa” and took the initiative to improve the site and provided the necessary funds for labor and material.



The improvement was coordinated with the owners of the site and huts, the barangy officals of Poblacion and Losad, the hunters from Losad and the MKFPMC.

The development of ecotourism is also in the line of the environment and livelihood program of the Social Action Development Center (SADC) of the Vicariate Bontoc-Lagawe. SADC is technically assisting the project through its BMI volunteer Rolf Boller (passionate Alpinist and Speleologist from www.hgu.ch with a background as a Master of Forestry ETH and MAS in Water resource management and engineering EPFL) and trough Pia Fleischlin (Marketing), both staying in Sabangan, Mt. Province.

The Friends of Apa visited the site on January 6, 2010 to plan the necessary improvements. The work started on January 7 and last until January 15, 2010.

(how it looked before 2010)



April 26-29, 2009 - Biodiversity Assessment by HARIBON The Mount Kalawitan Forest Protection and Management Council (MKFPMC) was founded by KAFILIG and SADC members in April 2008 and recognized adopted by the LGU of Sabangan in August 2008 through a SB resolution (PRESS release). Periodical meetings are held in the Municipal Building in Sabangan and pre-consultation made in 11 Barangays of Sabangan. In April 2009, the MKFPMC invited three researchers from HARIBON Fondation to conduct a biodiversity assessment at the Apa Campsite and in Mount Kalawitan. Within three days, the biologists found 59 different bird species, inclusive endangered species. HARIBON recommended to develop the bird watching and ecotourism potential of Mt. Kalawitan and Sabangan and at the same time enforce the watershed protection, because the impact of the yearly forest fires caused by uncontrolled burning of pastures where observed.

(Read more: Birds of Mount Kalawitan, Mammals, Trees and Flowers)



March 24-25, 2009 – Forest fire research by MPSPC Researchers from Mountain Province State Polytechnical Collegue (MPSPC) are conducting a study of the effect of forest fires on the natural vegetation in the forests of Mt. Kalawitan and other sampling plots in Sabangan between 2006 till 2009. The research is initiated and partly sponsored by the Social Action Development Center (SADC) of the Vicariate Bontoc-Lagawe and leaded by Brent E. Gomunad, research coordinator MPSPC.

(Read more: Summary of forest fire research)



Before 2004 – earthworm research and mountain explorers Before 2004, a researcher was up there in the mossy forest to explore the natural earth worm population and found interesting species.

Further, a Mountaineering group of the Philippine Airlines reached the Mossy Forest of Asoan.

And of course, many hunters from Sabangan, Bay-yo and far as Hungduan are frequently in the mossy forest around Mt. Kalawitan, and sometimes they go as far as the top during their extended explorations.

Earthworm of Mt. Kalawitan. Picture from May 2010 by Rolf Boller

The old history and sagas Between 1980 - 1995, the Lebanese KAYROS Timber Cooperation conducted logging operations in the southern areas of Mount Kalawitan. These operations where stopped by the local people.

There are two stories told about this:

A) The lumber has often floating down the Chico river and destroyed the rice paddies and terraces of the Sabangan people. They got so angry that the set fire on the trucks and equipements of the lumber cooperation. The logging was stopped.

B) The people from Bay-yo where the workers of the KAYROS Lumber cooperation. They always hiked form Bay-yo to the lumber using a footpath which is going along the Dikligan river in the south and east of Mt. Kalawitan. But onece, quarrels started and they burnt the trucks and equipment of theirs employer. The timper company was forced to stop operations.

There are many old stories about Mt. Kalawitan, about fire balls appearing in the forest and stories about how the first settlers came to Apa. And do you already know the story of the giant snake on Mt. Kalawitan, or the saga how the first man came on earth by a ladder down to Mt. Kalawitan?

Become curious?

Just come to Apa Campsite and Mt. Kalawitan listen to this stories

during the bonfire together with the mountain guides!



Table of content

November 25, 2010 .................................................................................................................................................1 October 2010 – closed during typhoon season.........................................................................................................1 September 30, 2010 ................................................................................................................................................2 August 11-13, 2010..................................................................................................................................................2 August 3-4, 2010 .....................................................................................................................................................2 August 2, 2010 BMI .................................................................................................................................................3 Juli 30, 2010 ............................................................................................................................................................3 Juli 6-7, 2010 ...........................................................................................................................................................4 May 30-31, 2010......................................................................................................................................................4 May 19-21, 2010......................................................................................................................................................6 April 7-9, 2010 – first Swiss mountaineers on Mt. Kalawitan.....................................................................................7 April 5, 2010 – trail up to Mt. Kalawitan open !!.......................................................................................................8 April 4, 2010............................................................................................................................................................9 March 24, 2010 .......................................................................................................................................................9 March 13, 2010 .......................................................................................................................................................9 March 2010.............................................................................................................................................................9 February 26, 2010..................................................................................................................................................10 February 13-22, 2010 Wild Bird research ...............................................................................................................10 Other activities......................................................................................................................................................12

November 27, 2010 – Sabangan Mountain Guide School (SMGS) first training day.............................................12 November 25, 2010 – KAFILIG tree nursery........................................................................................................13 November 2010 - Repair works and reconstruction of the Mukgo Trail ..............................................................14 October 23, 2010 – opening of tourist office and Coffee Shop at the PANORAMA ..............................................16 August 4. – September 2, 2010 – Establishing of the Apa Organic Garden ..........................................................16 June 2010 – Mount Kalawitan 3D model ............................................................................................................17 April 2010 – Fruit tree orchard in Apa ................................................................................................................17 January 2010 –Construction of the Apa Campsite at the foot of Mt. Kalawitan...................................................18 April 26-29, 2009 - Biodiversity Assessment by HARIBON...................................................................................20 March 24-25, 2009 – Forest fire research by MPSPC ..........................................................................................21 Before 2004 – earthworm research and mountain explorers..............................................................................22 The old history and sagas...................................................................................................................................22

Documents

Guest book of apacampsite.wordpress · FRIENDS OF APA APA AND MT.KALAWITAN TOURS SABANGAN, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE D:\01-Work\2008_Philippines\_Sabangan\_Friends of Apa\Guest book.doc Page