Mt. Pico De Loro Day Hike

I don't know where to start.

I am completely dumbfounded and utterly clueless how to blog my experience in climbing Mt. Palay Palay a.ka. Mt. Pico De Loro.

What I can tell point blank; It's my hardest climb to-date! (October 11, 2014)

#PicoDeLoroFacts

In the early days, the Spaniards saw a form of a giant parrot, perched in the forested mountains in Cavite while aboard their galleons. They named it "Pico de Loro" - "Parrot's Beak".

The Monolith of Mt. Palay Palay

According to the locals, the monolith is part of Batangas while Parrot's beak is part of Cavite. These two land masses serves as the borderline to those provinces.

Maragondon, Cavite and Nasugbu, Batangas 

Major jump-off: DENR Station, Magnetic Hill, Ternate, Cavite

Minor jump-off: Ternate-Nasugbu Highway, Nasugbu, Batangas

LLA: 14° 12.855 N; 120° 38.785 E; 664 MASL

Days required / Hours to summit: 1-2 days / 2-5 hours

Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-3

Features: Distinctive spire at the summit, forests, scenic views of Cavite

Last updated: February 23, 2015

source: pinoymountaineer.com

#TeamBidaBida

This hike have been drawn in air too many times. So when the right timing came, I packed up my bag and left without a second thought. "Kahit dalawa lang tayo ate, Game ako!"  I told ate @traveladik.

So we pushed through this day hike without qualms. Rode the bus from Coastal Mall to Ternate, Cavite (82 pesos) then road a 225 peso tricycle ride to DENR for registration (25) and to the Mt. Pico De Loro jump off point (few hundred meters away from DENR).

DENR - As of Feb 20, Major Jump Off Point

OLD TRAIL JUMP OFF - CLOSED

Update as of February 20, 2015:

OLD TRAIL is Closed - photo credits to Francis Reyes Jr.

#LooksCanBeDeceiving

The old jump off point was quaint. Slow ascend, and it went on for more than half an hour. In our fast pace, we advanced 3 groups. We never expected (never really bothered reading hike notes from others :P) that the next part of the hike was an UP-DOWN trek! We went up an almost 70-80 degree slope then back to a steep descend and it goes on and on.

Hiking Pico De Loro

Welcome to Pico De Loro

Geek in Nature

No pictures were taken during this time because we were concentrating in reaching the top before anyone behind us catch up to us (Competitive!). Seriously though, we just want to have the summit to ourselves before those 3 large groups monopolized the Parrot's Beak and the Monolith.

#WorthAlltheBloopers

First blooper - no ample Water

Solution: store in the camp site (after 2 and a half hour of hiking)

Second blooper - heavy bag packs

Solution: endure the Pain!

Third blooper - no Camera Man

Solution: One stays at Parrot's Beak, while the other climb the Monolith (vice versa)

Nth blooper - never assume unless otherwise stated!

Solution: "Kapit Mabuti, Ingat Palagi, at Mag ingat pa ng mas Marami!"

Climbing Up Parrot's Beak

View Climbing Up Parrot's Beak

Monolith On top of Parrot's Beak

Parrot's Beak + Monolith

traveladik climbing Monolith!

Steep descend to the Monolith

View from Below - Monolith facing the Parrot's Beak

Monolith facing the Parrot's Beak

Bug's Life on Mt. Pico De Loro

...Next part of the Blog is our Traverse hike going to Nasugbu, Batangas.