Blue Soil Hills

Introduction

Blue Soil Hills is one of the top tourist attractions in Sagada, Mountain Province and is locally known as “Kaman Utek” which means “like a brain”. It is twenty-five minutes walk from the Sagada Blue Mountain Cabins and it is surrounded by towering pine trees, green grass, and the local variety of pitcher plant which is a carnivorous type of plant mostly found in rainforests. Blue Soil Hills is the name of the place due to its copper content in the soil. According to Sagada local tourism office, the unique blue-green color of the Blue Soil Hills is brought about by the high copper sulfate content of the soil and the blue color of the soil becomes more intense when it is wet because the rain reacts with the soil. Moreover, it is said that some researchers have also looked at the Blue Soil Hills, and said that it is safe for tourists. So if you want to discover more of Sagada then Blue Soil Hills is the place to go.

Name: Blue Soil Hills
Location: Sagada, Mountain Province

My trip to Blue Soil Hills

After trekking to the Marlboro Hills, we go to our next destination in our detailed itinerary which is the well known Blue Soil Hills. To avoid the crowd and get there faster we took the reverse route which start at the main road at the bottom of the hill. We only bring a bottle of water and a cellphone and left the other things inside our private van. For the most part, the trail we passed by is a bit by bit ascending trail surrounded by pine forest and natural flowers which is an ideal place for trekking. Also, the trail was picturesque in every side. For this reason, we take our time and enjoy the enthralling scenery.

After twenty-four minutes of trekking, we reached the Blue Soil Hills and we started gazing at its radiant. In my opinion, the Blue Soil Hills is like a clear lake reflecting the blue sky above and it creates an extraordinary divergence against the ordinary pine forested scene in Sagada, Mountain Province. Some of the soil we see is really quite blue and some are white. If I think about an old penny or the roof for church it grows that patina on the outside, the metal itself the copper reacts with the oxygen in the air and coats itself to protect itself almost like it know what its doing and I’m assuming it would be exactly the same process on how the blue soil formed.

According to our tour guide, the bluish color of Blue Soil Hills is produced by a lot of high copper sulfate levels on the soil. Copper is responsible for this phenomenon and the copper in the soil reacts with the air and develops a patina. Its like a chemical reaction thing that gives the soil a very unique or strange appearance as we can see. Also he added that during the peak summer season, many tourist go to Blue Soil Hills to see the natural features of the environment. From my perspective, you cannot see Blue Soil Hills on any other surface of the planet and I don’t think I’ve ever even heard of something like this before. I’m a hiking enthusiast and although I climbed many mountains, I was still amazed to see this in person. It’s weird that it’s in the middle of all the green or lush pine forest I would expect to see this on the hilltop. It was crazy beautiful.

On the other hand, as we walked to the other side we found out that the ground is still a little bit wet even though it did not actually rain recently and I’ve heard when it does rain it is much bluer but there are still patches that are pretty impressive. Anyway, we can see some power lines or electric lines that just cut right through the middle of the Blue Soil Hills and another strange thing we found is the pitcher plant which is a carnivorous flesh-eating plant that eats insects and it can be found on the sides of the Blue Soil Hills. It’s not very common in other parts of the world because it usually likes very acidic soils and I’m guessing that the copper and cobalt are so acidic that they found refuge among the pine trees that are scattered all across this area. It’s a bit crazy and I didn’t expect to find them here but nature is pretty cool and interesting.

In some parts of the Blue Soil Hills, we definitely see much more blue because it is not hit by the sun. As much I guess, the water would come cool down into this hill and it stays much more moist down there and I can really see how blue it is, it’s almost like a blue popsicle. We stay at the Blue Soil Hills for twenty-one minutes to have a picture taking, relaxation and to admire the tranquility of the place. On the other hand, I’ve got to say props to every tourist who’s just queuing to get in the photo line instead of actually climbing on the soil because this means that these Blue Soil Hills would be preserved for a longer period of time and more tourists can come and have a look at it.

Things to bring:

Cellphone
Camera
Bottled Water
Umbrella
Trekking shoes or sandals
Extra shirt
Small trash bag

How to Go to Blue Soil Hills

To reach the Blue Soil Hills, it is necessary to rent a van from the Sagada tourism office which is located along the main road in front of the Sagada Municipal Hall. There are also tourist guides who can accompany you on the climb. About twenty to thirty minutes of trekking is required to reach the Blue Soil Hills from the jump-off point. Please take note that the ground is slippery when it rains, so you should bring a walking stick or trekking pole to avoid falling. Another option to go to Blue Soil Hills is by booking a Sagada overnight tour preferably 3 days and 2 nights.

Reminders and Tips:

• The entrance fee or environmental fee in Blue Soil Hills is 50 pesos per head. Note: the rate are subject to change without prior notice.
• Avoid stepping on the hill and take pictures on designated areas only to help preserve this natural site.
• Always practice these statements: Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures and kill nothing but time.
• After exploring the Blue Soil Hills, you may want to visit the Yoghurt House to fulfill your appetite or food cravings. Yoghurt House is one of the best restaurants in Sagada and their homemade yogurt is delicious and their service is amazing.
• If you want to have a perfect place to stay in Sagada, I highly suggest you book in Sagada Blue Mountain Cabins which offers visitors a placid environment. Each cabin has its own fireplace to keep visitors warm or gather round the bonfire outside the cabin. Also their rooms are clean and spacious and their staff is very friendly and accommodating. Note: the place is 30 minutes away from Blue Soil Hills.
  
  
  
  

There you have it, nomad. Don’t be too pressured in life that you forget to enjoy it. Have a good time with your family, eat well, travel a lot, and do the things you are passionate about. Overall, I hope you like my blog and thanks a bunch for reading. God bless you.