Mt. Pico de Loro

this is the highest summit of mt. pico de loro

Mt. Pico de Loro (Parrot’s Beak) is considered by experienced mountaineers as one of those mountains suited for novice mountaineers. The mountain is the highest in Cavite. I wanted to climb Pico because I read somewhere that there is a portion where one can experience wall climbing. I love wall climbing but this time I want to experience doing it without a harness.

this is how you climb that part. all grass and ravine on the side

The first thing I noticed about Pico de Loro was that many of the shrubs have cobwebs, sign that spiders are abundant in the area. There were bamboos in most parts too. First time I saw bamboos in a forest. I usually think of forest having big, strange trees but not bamboos. The Pico paths vary from easy to medium difficult. Your whole body will surely get exercised. Pico may be a beginner’s mountain but it is nevertheless a mountain not a park. So, don’t expect a leisure walk in a plain field.

I carefully walked to avoid being tripped by tree roots and loosen rocks. Para kasing nakakahiya minsan sa sumusunod sa iyo na bigla ka na lang gegewang. Pero kahit gaano ako kaingat, natatapilok pa rin ako. Parang buhay lang. Kahit gaano mo gustuhin maging smooth, darating pa rin talaga ang panahong mao-off balance ka ng problema.

climbers (encircled parts) descending the summit

We made several stops to rest and drink water. I bought Gatorade (2 liters). Gatorade helps me hydrated and prevents me peeing from time to time especially when finding a comfort room will be difficult. Bottled water and buko (coconut) juice make me pee as soon as I drink it. The body does not easily absorb buko juice. That’s why it is use to help cure UTI.

close up part. it will just be you, the rock and the sun

 Our lunch and last rest was at a camping site at the foot of Pico where you can get a clear view of the mountain. There was a small hut here that sells cold softdrinks. My lunch were two apple pies I bought at McDonald’s earlier. After lunch, we started climbing the first beak. This is where the challenge began for me. At that time, Mt. Pico was so dry and hot. The climb was open, no trees, no shrubs, only grasses which have turned dry yellow because of the heat. I could feel the mid-afternoon sun pricking the other side of my face as I vertically ascent the path. On top, the view was nice. You get a 360-degree view of Cavite, its mountains and seas. It was windy. One of my companions opened an umbrella only to be turned backward by the wind.

this is the second beak. the arrow (righ part) is where you will do the wall climbing going to the top

The second challenge was going to the second beak/summit. You have to be careful going down from the first beak. There were small rocks on the path which make descent slippery. There are no trees, no shrubs to hold on to. One wrong step could lead you to a ravine or big protruding rocks. The second beak is all boulders. There is a narrow passage among the rocks. This is where the wall climb is. Our guide prepared a rope and that is all you’ve got to get to the top. You have to hold on to the rope no matter what. If you have fear of heights, doing this might give you second thought because as you can climb, you can see how high you are.

this is the wall that you will climb. don’t worry there’s a rope somewhere there tied on a sturdy bonsai tree

The view on top of the second beak is nice as well. I sat there in silence for a few minutes, my back against the sun (para hindi naman ako matusta), gazing at nearby mountains and the blue sea below. Mother Earth is so majestic!


OTHER NOTES:

• If you will climb on a sunny day, bring at least 3 liters of drinks to avoid dehydration.
• Bring gloves that you can use if you want to try wall climbing.
• For ladies, wear shoes not slippers/sandals. 
• The wall climbing does not take long. The hard part there is if you can lift yourself up. Some ladies have untrained arms. Climbing the second beak may become a challenge.