Pico de Loro of Ternate, Cavite

The second weekend of 2013 was a blast as our mountaineering group joined SFC-LB in their Mt. Pico de Loro Climb.  Pico de Loro or “Parrot’s Peak is situated in Ternate, Cavite.

Around 4:30 AM, we had breakfast all together, and then left Los Banos before sunrise. Travel time to the jump-off point, Magnetic Hill in Ternate, was around 3 hours. From Magnetic Hill, we walked for 5 minutes to the actual jump-off point.

MAISOG Mountaineers now ready to trek!

SFC-LB on their way to the jump-off.

Our first rest was in Basecamp 1 where registration (P20/hiker) is required. There were also available souvenirs and foods in the area. It is advisable to buy extra foods and drinks here if you think that your packed foods are not enough since there would be no more stores along the way. After registration and some photo shoot, we continued our journey.

SFC-LB at Basecamp 1.

The trail was easy to follow and signs were available. There's no way you'll get lost I think. During that time, there were a lot of hikers in Pico de Loro. Most of the time, we need to stop to give way to descending groups who spent overtime in the summit. 

Ooohh! You won''t get lost.

You are approaching the campsite and summit if you reached the area where you need to climb large rocks (more than 45˚ assault). In our case, it took us 2 to 3 hours of walk and climb to reach the campsite that is situated just below the summit. There are bamboos present in the campsite which serve as shield against strong winds and direct sunlight. View of Batangas is very nice up there.

View of Batangas from the campsite.

View of the summit from the  campsite.

To be able to see the better view of Pico de Loro, we need to climb a much stiffer and dangerous trail. This time, cautions must be observed because the only support against gravity and strong wind are grasses. A misstep may cause accident. 

On our way to the summit. Careful guys!

After the challenging final assault, a better view of Batangas and Cavite can be seen. Pico de Loro, which is the centerpiece of the view at the top, is a good background for photos. From time to time, strong winds come and what we do is to sit to prevent us from being carried away (this may sound exaggerated but the wind can really move a person).  

MAISOG Mountaineers at the summit (Pico de Loro as background).

SFC-LB and MAISOG Mountaineers at the summit.

After enjoying the view at the summit, we carefully descent to the Campsite and shared foods for lunch. We took some rest and started our way back to the jump-off point. Along the way, there is an option to take a side trip in the waterfalls.

Side-trip direction.

For those who want to freshen up before going home, bathrooms are available at DENR for a fee. We grabbed this chance (not all jump-off points has area for bathing), took a bath and prepared to leave. We had our group dinner at SM Dasmarinas. 

Around 9 PM, we arrived in Los Banos.