Mt. Pico de Loro

Our trek to this well-known mountain in Cavite was not actually planned. It was like going to the park or to the shopping mall. With a little preparation, we still pushed through with our quest to summit this famous peak which was named by the Spaniards as Pico de Loro because its peak resembled like a parrot's beak when viewed at Manila Bay. Pico de Loro

Our jump-off point was at DENR in Ternate where we registered, paid 20 pesos each and ascended our way to the summit. According to them it takes only three hours to reach the peak. This will be an easy climb for us we thought. After 30 minutes going uphill, we were all exhausted. Since this was our first physical activity of the year, we were all catching our breath. Our first stop was at reforestation area.
Think green... we have to protect mother nature

After a few minutes of rest, we resumed our trek. We were all excited and optimistic to make it to the camp site in less than three hours. Following the trail to the peak was so easy. Signs pointing to Pico de Loro were everywhere. Getting lost was next to impossible.
Sign 1

After almost an hour of trek, we approached a small community which labeled base camp. The area was wide and the ambiance was cool. I was actually tempted to take a nap but we still have a long way to go. Water, soft drinks, fresh fruits like mango are available in this area. We were required to register again and paid 20 pesos per person.
Base Camp

We continued our trip across the trail which was mostly downhill. I was surprised why the trail going to the peak was descending. I got a feeling that after this descends; the next trail would be all ascending. Almost twenty minutes after, other sign points the way to the peak. We had walked almost two hours from our jump-off point but we were clueless how far we were from the camp site.
Sign 2

Exhausted, we were really exhausted. Three hours had past... still had no sign of the peak. Hunger had caught us up but we needed to continue our trek to the camp site to prepare our lunch. It was a good thing that I brought bread with me to boost our energy.
Exhausted but fulfilled

The trails were all ascending. Every ten meters upward, we have to stop to catch our breath. The forest was getting denser and the trail was getting harder. A supposedly three hours trek was threatened to be a lot more. As we came close to the mountain's peak, the trail was split into two. One was going uphill and the other one was going downhill. There were no signs for direction. We stopped and discussed which way to take. We chose the way uphill since it was more easier to go back downhill if we had chosen the wrong one.
Forest

Uphill was actually a wrong choice. From our vantage point, we could see Pico de Loro which was just adjacent to where we were. Hungry and exhausted, we decided to prepare our meals in this unknown peak which we named later as Pico de Lara. It was past 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon, too late to have our lunch but this was necessary. The food was great and we got enough rest.
View of Pico de Loro from the adjacent peak

Our assault going to the camp site was not as difficult as we expected it. This was due to the renewed power after we had our stomach filled. Finally camp site came in full view. The sight astounded us... wow! The camp site was so nice. With Pico de Loro in the background and the coastline of nearby Nasugbu, the place was so perfect.
View of Pico de Loro from the camp site

After we set up our tent and everything was in place, we were all geared up to climb the summit. The way up was treacherous... we paid extra caution on every step we took. Slowly but surely, we managed to reach the summit in less than 15 minutes. The view at the top was so amazing, awesome, wonderful, perfect, you name it... the feeling was great. No wonder why Pico de Loro ranks top among the most climb mountain in the country.
Stone peak (View at the top)
The place was getting crowded as more mountaineers made it to the camp site late in the afternoon. A baby, I guess was less than a year old was one among the last group to arrive. The site reminded me of a refugee camp. Darkness swept the area and fog covered the whole camp site while most of the campers were busy preparing food for dinner. After we treated ourselves with a nice meal and chatted with other mountaineers, I was too eager to have a good night rest. It was a long day for us. I needed to recharge.
Nice foods

We woke up early the next morning as some of the campers were preparing to trek the summit. Coffee aroma filled the air... coffee was so perfect. I took a sip as I scanned around the fascinating sunrise view of the peak and the whole surrounding. The poster like view was so nice for photo ops. At exactly 7 o'clock in the morning we were all ready to go down.
Poster like view except me... hehehe

Our trekked downhill was smooth. We arrived at DENR with less effort. We were all satisfied and fulfilled. The experience was worth it. Definitely we will be coming back. A traverse to Nasugbu would be great.
Nasugbu in the background

Until my next adventure... God bless!