Mt Paldingan in Pangasinan: Beginner’s Guide & How to Get There

Mt Paldingan in Pangasinan is one of the mountains in my province that I’ve been meaning to climb just like Mt. San Isidro in Labrador Pangasinan. And finally I was able to conquer this mountain last January 2023. Truth be told, I don’t mind climbing mountains that are not on the popular list. In fact I’m not just up for the scenic view, most of the time it’s the experience I am looking for. That heavy breathing while trekking and climbing is what I’m actually looking for.

To give you a bit of information, Mt Paldingan in Binalonan is a 550 MASL mountain and is considered as a minor climb. Climbing Mt Paldingan only takes 2-3 hours to summit. Although I still recommend overnight camping because the view at the top is really wonderful!

binalonan pangasinan — View of Mt Paldingan from afar

Table of Contents

How to go to Mt Paldingan in Pangasinan From Manila

From Cubao, ride a Victory Liner bus going to Manaoag Pangasinan, drop off at Jollibee Binalonan. Fare is approximately Php450-480.00 ajd travel time is 4-5 hours. From Jollibee Binalonan, charter a tricycle going to Sta. Catalina, Mt Paldingan’s jump-off point.

Important Contact

As of March 2023, there is no update for entrance fee/environmental fee/tour guide fee. Mt Paldingan is still not under Binalonan’s tourism which is why there are no fees that needs to be settled.

However, if you are a first timer and have no idea on where to go. I recommend contacting local tour guide. Kuya Inxiong is the creator of the trail and you may contact him if you are planning to visit. You can reach him through his Facebook account here.

Tips from Joan’s Footprints

No water source. Please bring enough water especially if you are planning to do an overnight stay. Keep yourself hydrated all the time.
Signal reception is fair for both Globe/Smart users.
No stores along the way. Bring your trail food/snack with you. Pack your dinner food and breakfast for overnight.
Solar light is available in the campsite and is already enough light. But to be sure, please bring your flashlights/torch with you if you are planning to stay overnight.
Wear sunscreen and cap to protect your skin from sun exposure.
Bring mosquito repellent for night use.
Please bring your trash bags with you. Do not leave/throw your trash in the mountain. Please be a responsible traveler.

Water bottle from @**Tumblrflask** on Instagram!

Mt Paldingan Itinerary Via Inxiong Trail

Let me tell you this, Mt Paldingan might be a small mountain compared to other mountains you’ve climbed before but the trail is considerably a difficult one! It will only take 2-3 hours to summit but that 2-3 hours isn’t just walking. Most part of the trail is a bit steep and has slippery surfaces so I highly recommend acquiring a trekking pole.

Fun fact: di you know the Mt Paldingan is also a famous spot for enduro or off-road motorcycle riders? Yes, that’s right. The summit can be reached by an off-road motorcycle. Sounds like a challenge?

Mt Paldingan in Pangasinan — Jump-off point

14 Station of the Cross & Inxiong Trail

The first part of the trail will include some of the 14 Stations of the Cross. We started our hike at 3:00 in the afternoon and reached the first cross on the way after 5 minutes of ascent. In the next 15 minutes we reached the start of Inxiong Trail — the one and only trail to Mt Paldingan created by Kuya Inxiong who is a local in the area.

station of the cross paldingan binalonan

Binalonan’s View

After about an hour and a half of combined trekking and rest, we reached Binalonan’s view. This is a good place to rest because it has a nice view of Binalonan. I spent about 10 minutes resting here because I needed to catch my breath. The trail kept my heart beat fast and I also found myself crawling in some areas because some part of the trail was too steep. Good thing my brother made me a trekking pole from the branches of trees around. Whew!

Despite the challenging trail, I still enjoyed the view and especially my surroundings. I personally love trails that are covered with trees and nature. The shade from the trees gave us a refreshing air to breathe while hiking.

Reaching the Campsite

At 5:40pm we finally reached the campsite, just in time for sunset viewing. We rested and watched the sunset before setting up our tents. I must say, it was such a beautiful sunset from the campsite. Watching the sky painted in blue turn into orange. Ahh, this is life! This is why I climb.

A word of advise, when planning an overnight camping please bring your tents with you. Do not attempt to use a hammock for overnight. It’s freaking freezing at night here!

Mt Paldingan in Pangasinan Summit

The summit is just 15-25 minutes away from the campsite depending on your pacing. We woke up at 5am in the morning, ate light snack and we packed up our things too. Also we left our things in the campsite and brought only our valuable things when we went for the summit.

The trail from campsite to summit has a lot of cliffs by the side. Careful when walking, the cliff side is sometimes covered with bushy plants and trees. Also you might want to wear long sleeves or arm warmer to protect your skin from sharp talahib grass along the way.

Finally! We’ve reached the summit. That square shaped corner of the mountain that we see from the lowland area. We stayed here for about half an hour, took some photos for the ‘gram and I also flew my drone to see the cliff side behind us. After that we went back to the campsite, took our things and started our descent. It took us 2 hours in total to get back to the jump-off point.

Thank you so much Mt Paldingan for a wonderful experience! Until next time. 🙂

Help me improve my Mt Paldingan in Binalonan Travel Guide! By commenting suggestions in the comment section below, I am very open to new ideas.
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