Pico de Loro Day Hike (23/50)

I enjoy spontaneity at any instance. A few weeks back, I was invited by Robx to a day hike with some of his blogger friends. Since I have nothing to do (left work that same week) and I was being my usual kaladkarin, I immediately hit the join button on Facebook. This was my first hike and I was just so excited few days before the trip that I didn't bother doing some research on the place. I just wanted to surprise myself and see nature's beauty as we were walking along the trail.

The mountain is in Ternate, Cavite and is called Pico de Loro - "Parrot's Beak." Kaiz of missbackpacker.info, who served as our guide, said that this was an easy climb and that it was suitable for beginners like us. But after the 6-8 hour hike and the steep trails, most of us, even the experienced climbers, beg to disagree. It was a risky trail, especially near the summit where you literally have to cling to rocks and grass for your life.

That day, I learned that mountaineering is more than the display of physical strength and stamina. It has its own science and ethics. One nice thing I liked is the feeling of being together, trying to push each other to reach the top. This doesn't apply only to those who you're with but also with the people that you just pass by along the trail. Every time we see another group of people, we greet each other a good morning or a safe trip. Don't you think those little pleasantries would make a lot of difference if we apply them outside of the mountains?
   

The photo above (stones on top of each other) is one sign that we are on the correct trail. Another sign would be ribbons tied around branches of trees. Of course, signage are still the best means for direction but they're not very plenty here. How I wish I reviewed my Boy Scout notes before going here.

After attempting to reach the summit, I went back to the camp to rest for a while and enjoy some refreshments while being feasted upon by giant red ants.

 

Going down the mountain, I was with Marvin and Robx. We got a little lost along the trail when we probably made a wrong turn somewhere. After walking the more challenging and longer route, we we're so exhausted that when we saw a concrete road, we laid down on the asphalt.

 

Having rested for a while, we were back to our vain selves and still managed to take some pictures.

It was an awesome experience. Sure, we were more than exhausted for words and will more likely have aching bodies the next days but I got to meet extra nice people who stuck it out through thick and thin. It's quite unusual that a mix of people who hardly know each other at the start of the day become so close after just one hike. Team Quarry, you're the best experience I had in Pico de Loro. Looking forward to more trips in the future, preferably in a more relaxed setting. :)