They call it the Mighty Gates of Tacadang—and once you see that tight rock squeeze with basically zero room for mistakes, you’ll understand why. In this video (Corridor to Dunes Part 1), I take our 4x4 convoy through the Tacadang 4x4 Trail in Kibungan, Benguet: steep climbs, narrow mountain roads, and a route that really pushes both driver and machine to the limit. We met up early, fueled up, rolled through Baguio, then took a quick lunch break at the Dada co-op store / TMBB fuel station before committing to the trail. After linking up with Sir Ken (he guided us through Tacadang and down toward Alilem), we crossed the junction where one side leads to Alilem and the other to Tacadang. We cleared the Mighty Gates, then made camp in Tacadang with wide views—rice terraces, the “crying mountains,” and even the West Philippine Sea on a clear day. The next morning, we packed up and started the long, relentless descent toward Ilocos Sur: 15–20° drops, coolant temp issues on one rig, a starter motor problem that got fixed, an engine shutdown from working too hard at redline, and even my brakes starting to smell with slight fade. After hours, we finally hit the Ilocos Sur welcome arch, grabbed a late lunch, and rolled into Vigan—setting up Part 2 toward Laoag Sand Dunes, Bangui, and Patapat.