I think I was in my Sophomore year in College when I heard about Pikkang Falls. Hindi pa uso ang rides or trekking noon. Yung tipong wala pa talaga masyadong nagkakainterest na mag-nature-tripping. The photos that I’ve seen of Pikkang were… Well, the place didn’t seem inviting. It must be because most people would go there during Summer break thus the near-depleted state of the waterfall.
Here are some of the usual photos that I’ve seen of Pikkang:
So you see… If there’s anything that I’ve learned about chasing waterfalls, it’s the fact that timing is everything. So after almost a decade, I finally get to see Pikkang Falls in it’s full glory.
How To Get There:
Via Private Vehicle:
– Drive to San Juan, Ilocos Sur.
– After passing by the 7/11 Store, you will see a Brgy. Malamin Marker on your right.
– Follow road going east.
– You will drive through Brgy. Darao and then Brgy. Cacandongan before reaching Brgy. Malamin.
– Keep driving until you see a basketball court which is also the jump-off point to Pikkang Falls.
– You can ask for a guide or you can just DIY. Here’s a tip: Follow the river. *wink*
Via Commute*:
– From Manila/Vigan, take bus bound for Laoag City.
– Ask them to drop you off at the Municipal Hall of San Juan, Ilocos Sur.
– Take trike going to Brgy. Malamin. There are tricycles on stand-by near the Municipal Hall. Instruct driver to take you to the jump-off point going to Pikkang Falls. Fare is 30PHP/head. You can rent the whole trike for 200PHP or less.
NOTE: I’m not sure if there are tricycles readily available near the jump-off point so you might as well get your trike driver’s contact number so he can pick you after you’re done.
The Travel Details:
[October 23, 2016]
We were supposed to leave for Kaparcan Falls, Tineg, Abra that day. Unfortunately, Typhoon Lawin wasn’t so merciful. The roads were no longer passable and no one can guarantee our safety. This was the time we heard about the Government of Abra’s decision in temporarily closing down the place in lieu of developing the roads for better access.
[I heard the re-opening will be on August 2017. Matagal-tagal pa tayong maghihintay. Although they still allow people to visit the place. Yun nga lang… You have to trek all the way. Estimated trek time is 5-6 hours.]
So I did some last minute planning. [Ang hilig ko sa mga last-minute planning. Haha.] Naka-mindset na kasi talaga na mag-te-trek kami that day. Sayang naman ang excitement. Haha.
At around 5AM, we left for San Juan, Ilocos Sur. Kliff and I decided to have our breakfast at San Juan Public Market while waiting for our good friend, Reggie.
After our breakfast, we dropped by 7/11 to buy some energy snacks. At around 7AM, we were on our way to Brgy. Malamin.
The Brgy. Malamin Marker is located a block away from 711. You will pass by Brgy. Darao then Brgy. Cacandongan before reaching Brgy. Malamin. It’s a 5-kilometer travel from the highway. Drive on ’til you see the basketball court. The locals there will point you to where the start of the trail is. Getting a guide is optional.
Prepare to get wet. There are lots of river crossings. In fact, you’ll spend 80% of the trek threading the waters.
Locals said we just have to follow the trail. From the jump-off, the trail will lead you to the river, pay attention to the dirt path across it. Medyo na-excite kasi kami noon kaya hindi namin siya nakita. Sinundan namin agad yung river. Haha. Nagtataka lang kami kasi they told us that we’ll pass by a farm and once andun na kami, we should stick to the trail on the left. There was no farm whatsoever so we had to go back.
Ayun nga. Back on track. The trail only provided a few-minute comfort because we had to cross the rivers again. This time, hanggang sa marating na yung falls.
We met some difficulties along the way. Mataas pa tubig that time kasi katatapos lang ng Bagyong Lawin. We did a lot of trial and error. Mahirap na kasi tantyahin noon kung malalim or hindi. But we pushed through anyway.
After more than an hour of trekking (approximately 700-meters), we finally saw Pikkang Falls.
It was definitely not what we expected. It wasn’t the usual Pikkang Falls that I’ve seen in the photos. The three-tiered waterfall was fierce and grand. It was a monstruous beast, strong and powerful. We couldn’t even get close to it without being completely soaked.
The pool was not too deep. There was no debating on whether we’ll go under the waterfall. We all knew it was too dangerous. May mga bato kasi na nahuhulog mula sa itaas. There’s a possibility na may mga nag-erode na na part ng bundok doon so we weren’t taking any chances.
There’s a cave-like structure behind the waterfall. We decided against checking it out because everything felt unstable that time. The water was too strong and the rocks were too slippery. We climbed the big boulder near the falls instead.
Ang hirap mag-take ng photos noon. In fact, mahirap na rin talaga ibuka mga mata noon kasi parang hinahampas kami ng tubig. Haha. It was all fun though. We were laughing ’cause we were all shaking uncontrollably. Sobrang lamig! Lalo na si Reggie. HAHA.
Always practice Leave No Trace, okay? Kudos to Ballog Adventures, Walay Baquir and the other nature-lover groups for taking the extra mile in promoting LNT. *salute*
We rested for a couple of minutes then decided to head back. We already knew our way around so the trek only took us roughly 30 minutes. I had a little accident along the way. Akala ko kasi may bato na pwedeng tungtungan. Wala pala. Butas pala yun. Isun naiyabot nakon kakabsat. The water went up to my waist. Sabi nga ni Kliff, ‘Usarem met nga pangtukod ta sakamon.’ SORRY AH NYA!? HAHAHA.
We separated ways around 10:30AM. It was indeed an amazing day.
[Update: My ‘little accident’ resulted to occassional knee and hip pain. I’m still due for a check-up. I hope it’s nothing serious. *cries*]
Sometimes there’s a good side in expecting less.
E X P E C T A T I O N
R E A L I T Y
Talk about exceeding expectations, eh?
‘Til our next adventure, folks!
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