Bomod-ok Falls

Bomod-ok means "big" in the local Kankanaey, and the fall earns it: a single plume dropping some forty metres down a mossy rock face into a cold, deep pool that fills a narrow gorge with spray and noise. Getting there is a proper Cordillera walk. A jeepney climbs from Sagada to Fidelisan or Aguid, and from the village the trail descends a long stone stairway - hundreds of irregular steps - past working rice terraces, through a hamlet where villagers sell drinks from their porches, and down to the river. Guides are mandatory and manage the pace, which matters on the return climb. At the bottom, the pool is swimmable in the calmer months and startlingly cold year-round; the current under the fall is strong enough that most people stay at the edges. Rice terraces frame the whole descent, which is half the reason to go.

Highlights

• The plume - forty metres of water into a gorge pool.
• The stone stairway - hundreds of steps through the terraces.
• The village crossing - Fidelisan's paddies and porch stalls.
• The cold pool - swimming below the spray line.

When to go

November to April for the safest trail and clearest water; the rainy months make the fall thunderous and the steps slick. Start in the morning to climb back before the afternoon heat.

Practical notes

The return is a long, steep climb - the local trick of hiring a habal-habal motorbike for the last stretch is worth knowing. Steps are uneven and slippery when wet. Guides are required and the fee is per group.

Nearby

Sumaguing Cave, Kiltepan and the Blue Soil hills round out the Sagada circuit.