Mapping Beyond the Unreachable: How We Survey Hard-to-Access Locations Safely and Accurately

Surveying the Philippines’ landscapes has always been a challenge. Rugged mountain ranges, dense forests, and island coastlines present obstacles that traditional ground-based surveying often struggles to overcome. The risks to crews, the delays caused by difficult logistics, and the limited coverage of ground surveys make the task even more daunting. This is where LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, rises above these challenges and proves itself as the go-to solution for difficult terrains.

 

Unlike conventional methods, LiDAR allows surveyors to collect highly detailed 3D data from the air. Its laser pulses penetrate vegetation cover and capture the terrain beneath, producing accurate results without the need for risky or time-consuming fieldwork. This makes the technology not only safer but also faster and more efficient than traditional approaches. In the Philippines, with its 7,600+ islands and complex geography, this advantage cannot be overstated. LiDAR bridges the gap between inaccessible terrain and the urgent need for reliable data.

This capability has become even more critical today, especially with the rise of offshore and onshore wind projects, solar farms, and infrastructure developments that are often located in hard-to-reach or dangerous sites. Traditional methods can take months or years to cover such areas, and in some cases, they may not be feasible at all. LiDAR, however, compresses that timeline dramatically. Aerial surveys using a manned aircraft can cover thousands of hectares in just one day, and even the most complex projects requiring classification and processing are completed in a matter of weeks.

 

For the Philippines, an archipelagic nation with widely dispersed and varied terrains, LiDAR ensures that progress is not dictated by geography. It brings consistency and accuracy across multiple islands and terrains, creating datasets with ~98% reliability—something unmatched by conventional techniques. With LiDAR, planners and developers can make informed decisions quickly, without compromising safety or environmental integrity. It avoids the risks of anchors, propeller wash, and other disruptions associated with vessel-based surveys, while providing actionable data for engineering, design, and environmental management.

Showcasing Our Work in Difficult Terrains

At AB Surveying and Development (ABSD), we’ve learned that “hard to access” usually means “high stakes.” Tight weather windows, steep or forested slopes, fractured coastlines, and dispersed islands all conspire to slow projects down—unless you choose the right method. With airborne LiDAR, we consistently turn those constraints into clear, decision-ready datasets. Three project types illustrate how this plays out on the ground.

Project Names	Completion including processing	Category	Year
Aerial LiDAR Survey of the Additional 7,500-Hectare Area	30 days	Solar Farm Project	2024
Aerial LiDAR Survey of the 3,321-hectare Area	35 days	Wind Power Plant Project	2023
Aerial LiDAR Survey of the 2,916-hectare Area	35 days	Wind Power Plant Project	2023
Aerial LiDAR Topographic Survey of 22,252 hectares	60 days	Solar Power Plant Project	2023

In the table above, some of ABSD’s challenging projects are highlighted due to their difficult terrains and locations that are not suitable for human access. However, with the use of LiDAR surveying, these projects were successfully completed within under 60 days. LiDAR technology enables the survey and processing of large, heavily vegetated terrains spanning tens of thousands of hectares in as little as three months. This is achieved through the efficient capture of aerial data and fast post-processing workflows. Instead of relying on months or even years of ground-based measurements, LiDAR delivers complete and highly accurate datasets within a fraction of the time. Consequently, projects that were once considered too vast, too steep, or too inaccessible can now be mapped safely and reliably. This transformation transforms lengthy, resource-intensive undertakings into manageable, time-bound tasks.

Baguio City Point Cloud RGB (Actual Project by ABSD)

Similarly, In Baguio City, the country’s “Summer Capital”, streets cling to ridge lines and neighborhoods spill over complex slopes. Traditional ground surveys here would require months of segmented fieldwork, re-establishing control across valleys, and navigating limited right-of-way. Instead, we executed an aerial topographic and mobile LiDAR survey that captured a continuous, high-density point cloud over the city’s steep terrain. From that single, well-planned flight campaign, we produced precise contours, DSM/DTM surfaces, and 3D models. The entire acquisition (5750 hectares) took roughly a week of flying, followed by two to three weeks of classification and quality control, ultimately delivering outputs with accuracy on the order of ~98%. For city planners, that meant they could analyze slope stability, drainage paths, access roads, and development envelopes using one harmonized dataset—fit for urban planning, hazard mapping, and design.

Cauyan Isabela Point Cloud RGB (Actual Project by ABSD)

We see similar advantages on large renewable energy corridors in provinces like Ilocos Norte, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, and Quezon. Wind and solar sites often span thousands of hectares of uneven, vegetation-rich terrain. On foot, survey teams would need weeks to traverse ridges and cutlines, and the resulting measurements would still require stitching many disconnected segments. Aerial LiDAR solves both the coverage and consistency problem in one move: we scan the entire footprint quickly, penetrate canopy to recover the bare-earth surface, and deliver engineering-grade elevation models, break lines, ortho-photos, and contours that slot directly into site layout, earthworks estimation, road and pad design, drainage planning, and transmission tie-ins. By compressing weeks of field time into days of flying and a few weeks of processing, developers get a reliable base map sooner, so permitting, design, and procurement can advance in parallel.

Mt. Labo Point Cloud RGB (Actual Project of ABSD)

Mountainous projects across Mindanao and Northern Luzon add another layer of complexity: dense forests, knife-edge ridges, landslide-prone slopes, and limited access roads. In those conditions, sending large field crews deep into uplands is both risky and slow. Our approach reduces on-site exposure dramatically. We plan flight lines to respect terrain and airspace, collect tightly geo-referenced LiDAR, and anchor accuracy with ground control. The result is a seamless surface over thousands of hectares captured in a matter of days. Classification then separates ground from vegetation and structures, and our in-house processing closes the loop with checkpoints and cross-validation. Clients receive consistent, high-fidelity terrain models they can trust for feasibility studies, corridor selection, slope and cut-fill analysis, and early design—without waiting out long treks and weather windows.

These outcomes are possible because, in settings like these, LiDAR isn’t just a faster alternative; it is often the only practical way to meet modern project timelines and risk thresholds. Efficiency is the first unlock: aerial acquisition covers vast areas in less than a week, and disciplined processing delivers finished surfaces in two to three weeks, even when classification is complex. Safety follows naturally: by keeping crews out of hazardous slopes, deep gullies, and surf zones, we materially reduce field risk while still raising data quality. Accuracy is maintained through careful calibration, robust trajectory solutions, appropriate ground control, and rigorous classification and validation, allowing stakeholders to make confident design and planning decisions. Finally, coverage is comprehensive by design: a single, continuous LiDAR mission eliminates gaps between fragmented ground campaigns, creating a unified baseline for engineering, environmental assessment, and long-term monitoring.

 

In short, when terrain is steep, vegetated, remote, or dispersed across islands, LiDAR allows ABSD to deliver what the work demands: complete coverage, survey-grade accuracy, and safer, faster execution that keeps complex projects moving. That’s how we go above and beyond by turning hard-to-reach into ready-to-build.

At ABSD, we believe that every successful project begins with a clear view of the land. In the Philippines, where jagged mountains descend into coastlines and thousands of islands stretch across vast seas; the challenge has always been how to see clearly, accurately, and safely. LiDAR has proven to be the key, giving us the ability to overcome the limits of geography and deliver decision-ready data even in the most inaccessible terrains.

By completing large-scale projects in weeks rather than months, and consistently delivering accuracy levels of ~98%, we reaffirm that “Above and Beyond” is not simply our brand, it is the standard by which we operate. From generating topographic data for urban planning in Baguio City, to enabling renewable energy development across Northern Luzon and Mindanao, our work transforms terrain into insight, and vision into reality.

The future of development depends on clarity today, and ABSD remains steadfast in providing that clarity with speed, precision, and purpose. Even in the most unreachable terrains, we make progress possible. Because when we go above and beyond, we don’t just map the land, we help build the future.

Get in touch with us at info@absurveyingph.net or visit www.absurveyingph.net to connect with #TheLidarGuys and explore tailored geospatial solutions that go above and beyond.

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