Hiking Adventures #2: Pico De Loro Climb

Last July 2014, our One IT Group headed by Edmund Milanes planned to climb Pico De Loro in Maragondon, Cavite. It was my second climb together with the group and I was so excited to reach a mountain top again.

Me staring at Pico De Loro's peak

We met up in Coastal Mall Terminal. We packed our lunch before heading to Ternate. After 2 hours, we arrived at Ternate and rode a tricycle that would bring us to the jump-off. At the jump-off, we had our lunch before the trek. Ms. Kim Servida, who also an avid mountaineer brought a huge tent that can occupy by approximately 8 - 10 persons. The tube-like poles of the tent have been distributed to the participants, and I volunteered to carry the tent using a paper bag.

Before I proceed, I thought the name of the mountain is really Pico De Loro. The real name of the mountain is Mt. Palay-Palay and the Pico De Loro refers to the monolith near the summit that looks like a Parrot's beak. Okay! :D

START TREK

There are fallen trees on the trail due to Typhoon Glenda who devastated the Southern Luzon a week ago before our climb. Mt. Palay-palay's difficulty is 3/9 same with Mt. Pulag via Ambangeg, but the trail was a little bit harder than Ambangeg. There are ups and downs while heading up and 50 - 70 degrees assaults. There are two separate trails along the way, and 2 arrows pointing to each way carved on a tree. I think some crazy hikers who put the another arrow was trying to confuse other hikers. We are just fortunate that one of us had climb here for several times and knew which was the right way.

Groupie before trek

Groupie at the jump-off

Photo-ops along the trail

After 4 hours of trekking we reached the camp site. We immediately looked for a proper location at the camp site, then pitched the 4 tents. Since its already 5:30pm, we have to move at haste to cook for dinner before dark. Suddenly, the rain poured and we got no choice but to cook inside the tent. Good thing we have a huge tent so we can cook inside at ease. It's too foggy on the camp site and we are hoping there will be a clearing tomorrow morning.

Groupie before pitching tent

The Master Chef, Edmund Milanes

SOCIALS

We all had our dinner inside the big tent, then cleaned all the mess to start our socials. Some of my buddies brought some mind games that really blew my mind. Some of us can easily get the right answers and understand the sequence of the game. Honestly, I am not really good in mind games that's why it's hard for me to get whats going on. I believed we are the nosiest group on the camp site. After our socials, we decided to sleep and get rested. There are series of rains on the evening but I was still hoping that there will be a clearing tomorrow morning.

DAY TWO: NO CLEARING!

When I woke up, I quickly checked the view outside and still there's no clearing. I went back on the tent and laid down again. The group decided not to assault the summit because we are just going to waste time since there was no clearing. We failed to reached the peak and scale the popular monolith near the peak or even to see it personally. I saw in some blogs how wonderful the view when you reached the peak. Sigh! we'll coming back for you, Pico De Loro!!

Me with White Foggy Background

Though me didn't make it to the summit and monolith, it doesn't mean we will going home without photo-ops. There are some rocks along the camp site and we took a lot of photos there with summit's view at the background.

Hello, Summit!

With Butch, Aldrin and Ian at camp site

My Oblation-Like Post facing Cavite

Boys Groupie before descend

Group Pic before descend

After breakfast, we fixed our personal things, unpitched all the tents and started to descend. They said we're going to have a side trip in a falls. What!? There is a falls in the mountain? Wow! Then we reached the falls, and I was stunned. Some of us including me decided to swam, though I was bothered trekking with wet clothes. YOLO! There are enormous rocks under the falls that's why I refused to dive and carefully took steps.

The Falls of Pico De Loro

Woah! We're so tired

I had so much fun in our adventure, even though the weather wasn't in our favor. I am hoping someday that I could climb back to Pico De Loro with Mr. Sun.

Photos by:
Aldrin Valentona
Abbie Giron

PICO DE LORO (MT. PALAY-PALAY)

Maragondon, Cavite
Difficulty: 3/9
Trail Class: 1-3

OUR ITINERARY

Day 1
10:00      Meet up in Coastal Mall Terminal. Ride a bus. Buy packed lunch
11:00      ETD Coastal Mall
12:30      ETA Ternate, Cavite. Ride a tricycle
13:00      ETA Jump-of. Lunch
14:00    Start Trek
17:30      ETA Camp site. Pitch tents
18:00 Cook
19:00 Dinner
20:30 Socials
22:30     Light out.

Day 2
05:00 Prepare for assault to summit
05:30 Start trek
06:30     ETA Summit
07:30     Start descend to camp site
08:30     ETA campsite.
09:00     Breakfast
10:00     Start Descent
01:00     ETA jump-off
04:00     ETD Ternate
06:00     ETA Manila