Sumaging

Big Cave


Useful Information

Location: Southern Sagada, on the Suyo Road. Get a guide at the Sagada Municipal Building. (17° 03.920N, 120° 54.144E)
Open: All year daily.
[2002]
Fee: Guide PHP 250, Gas Lamp PHP 50.
[2002]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave
Light: none
Dimension:
Guided tours: D=3h
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
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History


Description

Sumaging is a cave of impressive size, which may be visited on organized cave trekking tours. Get a guide at the Sagada Municipal Building, nobody is allowed to go to the cave without a guide and without registration. The cave is very popular, although it is not developed and the visit is a little strenuous. Rubber boots and a headlamp are much recommended, the guides discourage tourists from bringing torches as the visitors need their hands all the time. We recommend a good headlamp and a helmet. There are numerous easy climbs which are sometimes equipped with thick ropes with knots. Groups are limited to four visitors per guide, and the guides carry a huge kerosene lamp.

There are numerous fine formations like King's Curtain, Rice Granary, or Cauliflower. A huge hall is called the Dancing Hall. But there is also a crawl called the Tunnel. The tour includes some water passages, which is rather harmless as the temperature in Philippine caves is pretty high, although the sensed temperature may be uncomfortable. At the end of the tour is a small waterfall and deep pool. It is possible to have a swim, although not everyone will enjoy such a cool fun.

During pre-Christian times this caves ware used to bury people. They were encased in a coffin carved in one piece out of enormous pine tree trunks. To fit in they were arranged in the fetal position. Those coffins can be visited in the entrance hall, behind the huge portal of Sagada Burial Cave. Although the different name suggests it to be another cave, its just another entrance of the same cave. It is possible to make a through-trip.

The cave served as hiding place of Filipino soldiers and guerillas during World War II.