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Enjoy the adventure at Mt. Naupa, Naga Cebu

Mt. Napua is a popular destination for mountaineers in Naga City. With a confounding height of 584 meters above sea level, Mt. Napua ranks as the 8th highest mountain in Central Visayas.

I’m not a mountaineer myself nor is it a hobby, but I’ve heard a lot of great feedback about the campsite from friends and acquaintances. So I went there myself to try and experience the beauty of the Mountain.

The Meet Up

My friends and I decided to meet up in SM City Cebu at 10:00 am. We bought canned goods, drinks and other important things needed for the camping.

The Climb

The arrival at St. Niño Cogon Chapel

If it is your first time going to Mt. Naupa, you can always ask the locals there to guide you. When we arrived there, we asked two local men to guide us on the man-made trails.  You just have to bargain with them for their asking rate.

 

The Trails

The trek was relatively easy but when we reached halfway of the trail, that was the start of the challenge. It started to ascent and since we were not ‘experienced mountaineers’, breathing was starting to be difficult. We stopped by and took shade under the trees while catching our breaths for a couple of minutes before we moved on. While following the trail, we passed by a quarry and witnessed the devastation it brought to the area. It was disheartening as it’s destroying the beauty of nature.

 

Pushing forward to catch the sunset!

You can witness the countryside at the campsite: the trees, livestock, and the simple and startling laid back lifestyle of the locals.  The place was overwhelmingly serene and calm. You could smell the fresh green air. Approximately, it would only take 1 hour to get to the campsite. We reached the campsite at about 5pm. The highest peak is just a few climbing steps. It was exhausting going to the summit but it was all worth it. The highest peak is one of the best places there to witness the sunset and sunrise.  You can also see other great views from the top.

 

The Sunset

The most awaited moment that afternoon was to witness the beautiful sunset. The blaze of color – orange, pink, purple dusk over tangerine woods, it was a beauty! At around 7 pm, the air started to get cooler and then gets freezing from midnight to dawn. Most of us enjoyed the liquor to keep warm. I choose to drink coffee.

 

The Sunrise

We woke up early because we wanted to witness the sunrise. Lo and behold, it was amazing!

After breakfast, we took down our tents and packed our bags because the heat of the sun was starting to get unbearable. Camping was over and we were all excited to go home. It was indeed a weekend well spent!

 

How to get to Naga City

If you do not have a private vehicle, you can either take a cab/taxi or a jeepney (#43) to stop at the front of Gaisano-Minglanilla. In front of Gaisano-Minglanilla, there are motorcycle drivers(Habal-Habal) that you can hire. Each motorcycle can accommodate two passengers at Php50.00 or Php70.00 each. Ask the motorcycle driver to drop you at St. Niño-Cogon Chapel, which is the jump-off point to Mt. Naupa. But in our case, we took a cab from SM City Cebu and stopped at Gaisano-Minglanilla and then took a motorcycle ride heading to St. Niño Cogon Chapel.

 

How to exit from the campsite of Mt. Naupa

We followed the man-made trails from the campsite going back to St. Niño Cogon Chapel. From there, we rode a motorcycle to the highway, then a jeepney going to Naga proper. We then rode another jeepney (01K) going to SM City Cebu.

 

Tips

It is best to travel in the afternoon so that you will not get exposed while trekking under the heat of the sun.

Bring only what you really need :

• Food for dinner and breakfast
• Enough cash
• Flash lights
• Extra batteries for the flashlight
• Charge your phone 100%
• Extra water
• Extra clothes
• Tents
• Sleeping bags
• Jacket
• Butane or burner for cooking (just bring only one for the group)
• Long sleeves to avoid getting sunburn
• Trekking shoes or sandals (that is fit for trekking),
• Some sweet candies to sustain your energy while trekking
• Small medicine kit
• Toiletries

Enjoy Mt. Napua with your friends this summer!