Things I wish I knew before hiking Mt Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin

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Climbing Mt Hibok-Hibok was one of the hardest hikes I’ve ever done. I’m glad I did it, but it was far more challenging than I expected, even after doing my research beforehand. If you’re considering this hike, here’s what I was glad to know in advance and what I really wish I’d known before setting foot on the trail.

View of Camiguin volcanoes from White Island

You have to organise your hike in advance

You can’t just turn up at the start of the hike and pay an entry fee. Mt Hibok-Hibok requires both a permit and a guide, and everything has to be arranged in advance. This isn’t difficult, but it’s something you need to factor into your planning. The easiest option is often to ask your accommodation for help.

We organised our permit directly with our guide via WhatsApp and had to transfer the money ahead of time. If you’re travelling during the drier months, you can usually plan this hike with some confidence. Outside of that period, it becomes more day-to-day. Rain in the days leading up to your hike can make a big difference in whether conditions are suitable or not.

For context:

Dry season (March–May): clearer weather, but very hot for hiking
Shoulder seasons (June–August and December–February): generally fine, with a chance of brief showers
September–October: higher chance of heavy rain and typhoons, and less suitable for this hike

This hike is much harder than other “very hard” hikes we’ve done

We’ve done hikes in the Philippines that locals described as “very hard” and found them manageable. A good example is Alicia Panoramic Park in Bohol. We were repeatedly warned that the hike was very hard and steep and told to allow four hours. It was steep in parts, but not technically difficult, and we completed it in around two hours, including plenty of stops and about 30 minutes at the top.

Mt Hibok-Hibok was in a completely different category for me.

The main difficulty isn’t just the incline, it’s how slippery the trail is. I had to concentrate on every single step, especially on the way down. The descent was slow, mentally exhausting and physically tiring because I never felt I could relax or trust the ground beneath my feet.

We were told this is a 6–7 hour hike, so I considered planning a night dive that evening. I’m very glad I didn’t. It took us 10 hours, and by the end I was too tired even for a simple visit to Ardent Hot Springs.

The slipperiness slows you down

I did this hike less than 12 months after ACL surgery, so my knees and muscles weren’t at 100%, which definitely made it harder. I’m also short, and some of the steps were very high for me, meaning I had to take extra precautions that taller hikers might not need.

That said, the slippery terrain is hard for everyone. Even if you’re fit, experienced and confident on trails, progress is slow because footing is unpredictable and the risk of a fall is very real. If you’re not used to slippery terrain, the descent may feel endless.

It’s hot and humid from the very start

I often mention that coming from Brisbane, we’re used to hot and humid conditions and generally cope well with them. On this hike, we sweated a lot.

The start of the trail is hot and humid, and you feel it quickly. It does get a bit cooler as you gain altitude, but by then you’ve already been climbing for a while. Don’t underestimate how draining the heat can be.

You need to carry a lot of water

We carried 3 litres of water per person and used most of it. It’s heavy, but absolutely necessary. Because it’s hot and humid from the start, you begin drinking much earlier than you might expect. Running low on water on this hike would be miserable.

What to wear to be more comfortable

We hiked Mt Hibok-Hibok in late December, and while conditions can vary at other times of the year, here’s the hiking gear that worked for us.

Most of the trail is shaded by forest, so I didn’t feel that long sleeves for sun protection were necessary. What really mattered was wearing breathable, quick-dry clothing. You will sweat, and your clothes will get damp. Drying clothes in Camiguin’s climate is hard, so being able to wash and dry things quickly was important.

We both used light jackets at the top. Even on a good day, it was significantly cooler and a bit windy at the summit.

I was also very glad I wore old hiking pants that already had plenty of wear and tear. On the descent, I often sat down to manage high steps and give my knees a break, and it was nice not to worry about ruining my clothes.

Having a rugged, waterproof backpack added some comfort too. With the mud and humidity, it was reassuring not to worry about our bags getting damaged, dirty or wet. They’re also lightweight when empty and easy to pack into a larger bag when travelling.

Good shoes make a huge difference

We absolutely loved our hiking shoes on this trail for their good grip, flexibility and waterproofing. I wore Salomon X Ultra Pioneer, and my partner wore Salomon Speedcross. The trail is muddy and slippery, and waterproof shoes made it much easier to move through wet sections without soaked feet. Flexibility was also important, as I spent a lot of time on my toes climbing steep sections.

I have other hiking boots that I love for support, like my Asolo Drifter, but they would not have been comfortable on this trek. They’re too stiff for the constant steep, technical footing. Simple running shoes would have been soaked in mud and far more slippery.

Food takes more planning than we thought

We were told to bring snacks and assumed we’d be back for a late lunch. Because the hike took much longer than expected, we didn’t reach a restaurant until around 4 pm, still wearing dirty clothes and muddy shoes, and we were starving.

Good hiking snacks weren’t that easy to find, so we relied on peanuts, biscuits and chips. We didn’t enjoy eating junk food, but that’s all we had. If I were to do this again, I’d plan food much better. I’d ask our accommodation or guide in advance where we could get proper food early in the morning, before shops open. Even something simple like rice would have been far more satisfying than biscuits and chips.

This is not a hike I’d want to do in the rain

This is very much my personal opinion, but I wouldn’t want to hike Mt Hibok-Hibok in the rain. Yes, the hike isn’t only about the views – the forest is beautiful and clouds can create a special atmosphere. But the trail was already extremely slippery on a dry day as it had rained the day before. Rain would make it even more treacherous and slow, and for me, it would turn a challenging hike into an unpleasant one where I wouldn’t feel safe.

Bring a basic first aid kit

Blisters, cuts, thorns in your hand, twisted ankles or a fall on slippery ground are all possible here. Having a small first aid kit could make a big difference to finish the hike in more comfortable conditions if an unfortunate event happens.

Add a rest day if you can

Our itinerary was tight, and the next day we had planned scuba diving at Mantigue Island. I did not expect my muscles to be as sore as they were. If you have muscle pain from a hard hike, it can be difficult to recognise muscle pain linked to decompression sickness, so it’s not recommended. Still, we got the order right by hiking first and diving later as Mt Hibok Hibok is 1,200 metres in altitude.

If you have the flexibility, adding a rest day after this hike is a very good idea.

Don’t expect summit views, and be prepared to choose

Mt Hibok-Hibok’s summit is often in the cloud, so it’s best to do this hike with low expectations of views from the top. If you get a clear view, consider it a bonus. For me, the hike was worth it for the forest alone. Going in with realistic expectations makes all the difference.

During the hike, we had to choose between going down to the crater or seeing it from above. We couldn’t do both, and we chose the view from above.

From the crater viewpoint, our guide assumed we wouldn’t push on to the summit and strongly warned us that the final section would be much harder and much steeper. I hesitated a lot. The climb had already been steep, and I was more worried about the descent than the way up. But my partner really wanted to reach the summit, so we agreed to continue, with the condition that I could stop at any point.

There’s a section with a rope where it’s so steep you need it to pull yourself up and lower yourself down, almost like abseiling. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the hardest part for me. Slippery, steep rocks with poor footing were far more challenging than the near-vertical section.

Who this hike is (and isn’t) for

I would absolutely not recommend this hike to everyone.

Mt Hibok-Hibok is best suited to people who genuinely enjoy a good challenge. If you simply want to do a hike, rather than take on something physically and mentally demanding, I’d suggest asking your accommodation or guide about other hiking options on Camiguin. I’m very happy I did this hike, but it’s not one I’d want to repeat multiple times. If I went back to Camiguin, I’d rather explore other trails on the island and see different landscapes.

Have you climbed Mount Hibok Hibok? Share your experience in the comments below!

Where is Mount Hibok Hibok?

Mount Hibok-Hibok is an active volcano located on Camiguin Island in the Philippines, in the northern part of Mindanao. The trail starts near the town of Mambajao, which is also where most visitors base themselves when exploring Camiguin. We stayed at Borbon’s Treehouse by the Sea.