Mount Kanlaon

Kanlaon rises to about two thousand four hundred metres in the centre of Negros, the highest point on the island and one of the country's most active volcanoes - it has erupted repeatedly in recent decades, and the crater has claimed lives when climbers were on the mountain during unexpected activity. The national park around it protects a large block of forest that supplies water to both provinces and shelters species found only on Negros, and the lower trails around Guintubdan pass waterfalls, mossy forest and viewpoints without going anywhere near the summit. Climbing to the crater rim is a two- or three-day route that is open only when the volcano's alert level permits, and permits, guides and registration are mandatory and genuinely enforced. Anyone planning a climb should check the current status with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the park office before committing to dates, since closures happen at short notice and last for months.

History

The name means "[place] of Laon", after the pre-colonial Visayan goddess of creation, agriculture and justice, whose own name means "the ancient one". In the late Spanish colonial period the volcano was briefly renamed Malaspina, after the explorer Alejandro Malaspina of the 1789-1794 expedition. At 2,465 metres it is the highest peak of Negros and of the whole Visayas (Wikipedia, Kanlaon).

The landscape

• The crater rim - the summit objective when access is open.
• The Guintubdan trails - waterfalls and forest on the lower slopes.
• The mossy forest - the high belt below the ash zone.
• The Negros view - both coasts from the upper ridges.

When to go

March to May is the driest window, but the deciding factor is the alert level, not the season. Closures are frequent and can be indefinite; confirm status before travelling.

Practical notes

This is an active volcano - eruptions have occurred with little warning and the summit is closed whenever the alert level rises. Permits and guides are compulsory. The climb is long, cold at altitude and physically demanding.

Nearby

The Mambukal hot springs resort sits on the mountain's western flank; Bacolod and Silay are on the coast.

Key facts