BLUE SOIL HILLS: Travel Guide To The Other Side Of Sagada

Sagada is best known for its rich art, culture and tradition. And it certainly won’t settle for second best when it comes to what its lush pine forest has to offer. From amazing caves such as Lumiang and Sumaguing to enchanting sunrises with the sea of clouds in Kiltepan Peak and Marlboro Hills, not to mention its majestic waterfalls like Bomod-Ok and Pongas, Sagada surely does have the best natural wonders. With all the splendid things this quaint otherworldly town in the Cordilleras has to offer, you might be surprised to know it still has something more up its sleeves. And that lovelies is the Blue Soil Hills.

The Blue Soil Hills is probably one of Sagada’s best kept secrets. It’s tucked within the mountainous terrains of thousand old limestones. As its name suggests, it is a roll of hills in a lovely color of faint blue no bigger than a square kilometer surrounded by towering pine trees. This stunner is evidence that despite Sagada’s quick rise to fame instantly becoming a tourist hubspot, there is still a less explored place up there where you can enjoy a time of peace and quiet.

THE TREK TO BLUE SOIL HILLS

After a magical hour in Marlboro Hills witnessing the sunrise over the breathtaking sea of clouds, we descended the hills leading to Blue Soil. There are two ways to approach the Blue Soil Hills but the trail from Marlboro Hills is the easier route. From the northernmost point of Marlboro Hills, we started the descent via a narrow trail leading to a slippery grassland. We went straight until it led us to another narrow trail at the side of the hill giving us a view of the sea of clouds as they slowly make their way up the bright blue sky. We walked on soft earth for a good ten minutes and after that, the trail led to a more precarious trail consist of muddy downhills coupled with slippery rocks.

The descent along a muddy and rugged terrain lasted for over an hour. There were parts where we needed to past over an uprooted tree obstructing the path. There were small streams along the way that we needed to cross. Some descents were slippier and muddier than others while other parts consisted of jagged limestones. What I found a bit of relief about this trek is that the trail is covered by towering pine trees keeping us safe from the harsh rays of the sun. After what seemed like over an hour of trekking along muddy and rocky downhills, we stumbled into a thick pine forest with a gradually ascending trail. Our guide told us that it was the final stretch we needed to cover before we finally reach the Blue Soil Hills.

We took a breather before finally taking on the last stretch. I figured it was high time that we did so since we were trekking continuously the past hour with barely enough breathers in between. Taking a quick break also gave our other friends time to catch up with us. When we finally felt well-rested, one by one we took on the final challenge. The ascent was gradual that stretched to about a kilometer with the steepest part taking place just before the end.

I took the final stretch slowly. Considering my endurance for ascents, I didn’t wanna push myself too far. I took breaks every so often while I made sure to catch up with the others whenever I can. I also had Dean who was right behind me to consider. He is a fairly abled guy but considering his physique, just like me he was having a hard time. I can’t blame him for despising anything that involves trekking. If only we had an easier way to Blue Soil Hills but we hardly had a choice. After overcoming the steepest part of the assault, we stumbled into a flat surface that had a trail leading down to Blue Soil.

We waited for Dean to finally catch up with us before we started with descending to Blue Soil. We also allowed him a breather for ten minutes. When everyone was ready, together we went to see Blue Soil Hills. The descent stretched for less than a kilometer along soft clay. Some parts of the trail hinted some spots of blue soil. As we came closer to our destination, the bluish color of the soil became more prominent overpowering the brown ones. And finally, to our wondering surprise, Blue Soil Hills revealed itself.

Blue Soil Hills was totally otherworldly. It created a great contrast against the usual pine infused scene of Sagada. It was like a lake reflecting the blue sky. Or a foam of bluish clouds spread in the middle of a pine forest. It’s easy to get lost in it. So much more when you’re into unicorns, fairies or the little ponies. The place was truly magical. A dream come true for little girls. And a secret haven to the adventurous spirits like ours.

Gazing at the beauty of Blue Soil Hills is something I wouldn’t get tired of easily but there are just that kind of hunger that even a stunning scenery could never satiate. Considering that we haven’t had a decent meal for the day and the clock said it was about 9AM, our tummies was not taking another hour without a fill. Hence off we took on another thirty minutes of descent to where our 4×4 truck ride could pick us up. And that summed up our magical morning in Sagada.

OTHER USEFUL INFO

• The Blue Soil Hills is best visited in the early morning just after sunrise in Marlboro Hills. This tour is normally clubbed with the latter so visiting travelers could experience the best morning while in Sagada.
• You may also visit Blue Soil in the afternoon just before sunset. You can drop by this place and spent the rest of the hours of the day gazing at the marvelous sunset in Marlboro Hills and camping overnight for the sea of clouds at sunrise.
• The trek to Blue Soil is doable for beginners as it doesn’t require any major navigational skills and it consists mostly of downhills. Best to time the trek when it’s sunny and not raining.

BUDGET, ITINERARY & OTHER INFO

I had visited Sagada once before but we failed to visit the Blue Soil Hills due to our restricted schedule. I was just glad I was able to visit again. Click on this link if you need a comprehensive guide to Sagada otherwise refer to the table below for specifics about this beautiful spot and Marlboro Hills.

There you have it lovelies. Blue Soil Hills definitely won’t disappoint. Give it a go on your visit and I guarantee your time in Sagada will be one of the best you’ll ever have. For questions, suggestions and violent reactions, the comments box below is at your service. Show me some love on the comments as well. If you found this post helpful then please by all means share this so others would know. Until next time. Ciao!