Dalton Pass

Dalton Pass, also called Balete Pass, is a zigzag road and mountain pass that joins the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya, in central Luzon island of the Philippines.

The summit of the mountain pass is at around 3,000 feet (910 m) in elevation, located where the Caraballo Sur (mountain range) and the Sierra Madre (mountain range) meet. The headwaters of the Digdig River originate just south of the pass. Balete Ridge starts two miles to the west-northwest of the pass, with a high point at Mt. Imugan (5,580 feet), and extends nine miles to the east-southeast, where it ends at Mt. Kabuto (4,600 feet ).

Dalton Pass is a gateway to the Cagayan Valley, and the Ifugao Rice Terraces.

The Japanese strategy during the Battle of Luzon was to fight a delaying retreat from Baguio to Bayombong, and then to a final defensive position in Kiangan, Ifugao. The pass was the only access between Central Luzon and the Cagayan Valley, and was the scene of much bloody fighting in the Battle of Luzon, during the final stages of World War II.

Balete Pass lies along Highway 5 from San Jose City and Santa Fe, and became a defensive position for Tomoyuki Yamashita's forces. A similar defensive battle was fought at Salacsac Pass, along the Villa Verde Trail joining San Nicolas and Santa Fe.

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