Calaptan Peak

Description

Situated close to the southeast side of Mount Silay, Calaptan Peak shares a summit-ridgeline with Gawahon Peak to the north. Only a shallow col separates the two peaks.

Below south of Calaptan is Malogo River, severing Mount Silay from Mount Mandalagan. On the northwestern slopes of Mandalagan sits Patag, a major mountaineering hub. Despite of its proximity to Patag, Calaptan hardly gains the notice of mountaineers.

Between 1990 and 1996, only three visits of mountaineers in Calaptan were reported. All three are traverses that commence from Barrio Gawahon (in the town of Victorias) to Canlusong (in the town of E.B. Magalona). Canlusong is a “barangay” (village) that straddles in Lower Southwest and South slopes of Calaptan Peak. In 1997, two Victorias-based mountaineers approached the high slopes in the southwest from Tayap, along the Patag road.

In March 1998, four Victorias-based mountaineers accidentally scaled the summit of Calaptan in the course of their southeast traverse that began from Barrio Gawahon. The intentional ascent of Calaptan occurred several months later when three mountaineers succeeded in scaling Calaptan from Canlusong. The March 1998 party with a new member climbed Calaptan anew in 1999 on the same ascent route.

Actually, Calaptan has two summits, barely a kilometer apart and with similar elevations. The only three recorded ascents of Calaptan as of year 2011 touched only the NW summit but not the SE summit.

Thanks to Dennis S. Ella for this description.