Monday, January 6, 2014

Landscape And Sunset Photos From Benguet



Landscape And Sunset Photos From Benguet
Taken Along The Scenic Halsema Highway, Atok, Benguet


The Philippines is a tropical country, as it is, the humid heat can be unbearable especially during Dry Season from March until May. This is the reason why Baguio City, a City in the Highlands of Cordillera's is famed as Country's Summer Capital. We can get our summer heat escape by visiting Baguio, at any time of the year. Baguio offers a lot that to some tourist there is no need to venture beyond the borders of the City, going perhaps to La Trinidad, or to explore the rich heritage of Benguet Province. I've been to Baguio a lot of times that by just smelling its fresh atmosphere brings back lots of memories, but on the first time I ventured beyond and going into the Heart of the Cordillera's where an experience that outweigh every comfort the City of Baguio gave me.

Catching the Golden Hours, the Pines are good silhouette in a background of sharp ridges.


Summer is about to start, the grass are dry and exposed to the Sun. and the few scattering Pines Trees are great contrast to the mountainside.


What makes Halsema Highway special is that it is marked as the Philippines Highest Highway in our highway system. I also discovered that this is where you will find the oldest toll gate, and yes the Halsema Highway in itself is an Expressway high up in the Mountain Ranges in the Cordillera Autonomous Region. 


It's quite common to see clouds combing through the hills, and you can also notice how fast it moves at eye level.


It's possibly the time of the year for the grasses here to turn dry in some areas, bathing the slopes in yellow and brown colors of Autumn.


I remember the first time I passed through this area in my visit to Sagada in the adjoining Mountain Province, I found myself ogling in the bus windows, marveling at the clouds circling the area, the beautiful Santo Nino Mines, the snaking rolling hills like no other, steep ridges where the road is literally carved in the rock of the mountains, the blowing cold high altitude air, one might say that it’s not bad to live in the mountains as beautiful as this.

Cloud Spotting and witnessing amazing cloud formations.




I get the chance to takes photographs along the Halsema Highway when I joined an Outreach Visit of Sykes Outdoor, The Outdoor Club we have at work. We rented a Jeep to carry us to Mt Timbak, a mountain of great heritage to the Indigenous Ibaloi Tribes. Of course this mountain is right in the heart of the Halsema Highway, it is literally the towering Mountain that visitor see when they stop over to see views in Santo Nino Mines and take their photos along the Highest Highway Marker in Atok Benguet.




Other hills do keep their rich green color, like its is full of life.




On this trip, we stayed for a while in Baguio from our arrival to get a taste of the Panagbenga Festival in the City. What’s good about renting your own vehicle to bring you here is that we were able to request a stop on almost every scenic location along the way. Feels good to be with people who are into Outdoor activity and photography at the same time, they can easily understand why I itch to get off along the road taking my own darn time to get the shot. The cold is just amazing, you can feel your lungs expanding due to the altitude levels but at the same time, you can enjoy breathing the fresh air blowing through the pines trees.


The lucky Moon, it graced us during the Golden Hour like a welcoming gesture from the Gods of the Ibaloi's.


More of this visit: TRAVEL GUIDE | Mt Timbak




Francis Balgos is a Call Center Agent, Weekend Travel Warrior, Amateur Spelunker, Sometime Surfer, Newbie Mountain Climber, Photography Enthusiast, Certified Beach Bum, A first born son, Faithful lover, True Explorer...

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