Mt Pico de Loro and the Parrot's Beak - Ternate, Cavite Route

Mt Pico de Loro is not new to me as this is already my second time to conquer this mountain. But like what every mountaineers say, every hike is different. The difference of this hike were 1) unlike my first climb, I only went there for a day hike. Now I'll be staying for an overnight. 2) We did a night trek going up and 3) lastly, I climbed the monolith slash the famous Parrot's Beak.

Just to give you a short background, Mt Pico de Loro (also called as Mt Palay Palay) is situated in the boundaries of Cavite and Batangas. While having said that, trekkers who wanted to climb Mt. Pico de Loro have a choice whether they'll start on the jump off point in Nasugbo, Batangas or the one which is located in Ternate, Cavite. Cool huh? Also, in Cavite it is considered to be as the highest point with a topography of 664 MASL (according to Pinoy Mountaineers).

Mt Manabu of Sto Tomas, Batangas

I started the year 2013 by conquering Mt Timbak and almost reaching the peak of Mt Tabayoc, so I guess the best way to end my 2013 is also by exploring another mountain. I was blessed because I have been invited by my girlfriend's colleagues as they planned to conquer Mt Manabu.

Mt Manabu is located in the town of Batangas. It stands at 720 MASL and considered to be a good climb for newbies (in hiking) because of its relatively light trail. Mt Manabu derived its name from MAtaas NA BUndok which means "alp" or "high mountain". There are 8 stations in order to land on top of Mt Manabu and trekkers have 2 options to reach its peak. One of which is the normal trail wherein you'll be following the stations numerically. While the other one is you'll be taking stations 1 to 4 then take the trail straight to the grotto which is in Station 8. Please see the map below:

Mt Romelo - Buruwisan Falls, Batya Batya Falls and Sampaloc Falls

Mt. Romelo is a popular destination for newbie mountaineers. Situated in Siniloan, Laguna and stands at 300 MASL, Mt. Romelo is considered to be a minor climb. It is also rated 2/9 in terms of its difficulty by Pinoy Mountaineer. But despite the given specs, Mt. Romelo is known for having muddy trails on both sunny and specially during rainy seasons. Therefore, extreme precautions must always be observed upon hiking. Some also mistaken called this as Mt. "Famy". A name of a town adjacent to Siniloan.

This mountain is not just about trekking and reaching the summit as it also houses beautiful and hidden falls. Waterfalls like Batya-Batya Falls, Sampaloc Falls, Buruwisan Falls, and Lanzones Falls are found in the forest of Mt. Romelo and most of them are located near the campsite. Having said that, Mt Romelo are hiked all year-round. Trekking on summer is ideal because the trails are less muddy but to be able to see the full water size of the falls, trekking on rainy season is advised.

My First Hike: Mt. Maculot and the "Rockies" of Cuenca, Batangas

It's time for some Throwback Thursday (Blog Edition)!

My love for mountain hiking started back in 2009 when I was invited by a college friend to have an overnight on top of a mountain. He has done hiking before and he wanted to encourage others, along with my other college friends, to try out this adventure. Overnight on top of a mountain sounds fun so everybody accepted the invitation... or should I say, the challenge? Paul (the one who invited us) chose Mt Maculot of Cuenca, Batangas. Reasons are: 1) It is considered an average in terms of its height in which it is ideal for newbies like us. 2) He's also familiar with the place because he'd already been to Mt Maculot.

Traversing Mt Batulao of Nasugbu, Batangas

My first climb on this mountain was back then in college and that experience was fun and a hell of a climb. So when my girlfriend asked me if we can climb it again along with her officemates, I definitely said yes.

Mt Batulao is located in Nasugbu, Batangas and one of the most popular mountain to Manilanian hikers because aside from its appealing landscape, going here is very accessible. There are 2 trails that you can choose from to reach its peak - the "New trail" and the "Old trail". There is only one peak so both of the trail will lead you to the same point. It is just you have the will to choose how would you like to reach its top and explore the mountain. By the way, the photos in this entry were taken during our hike at the New trail of Mt Batulao.

Atimonan, Quezon: Mt Pinagbanderahan and Bantakay Falls

A mountain inside a national forest park - That is how I describe Mt Pinagbanderahan. Located in Atimonan Quezon, this mountain is inside a forest park that was built during the American period. Mt Pinagbanderahan is a historic site so people who wanted to visit the place should avoid destroying stuff and maintain the cleanliness of the area. This is a good climb for first timer since it is considered to be a minor trail in terms of its difficulty. It will take 2-3 hours of trek from the jump off point up to the peak; and back again to the jump off point.

Mt Manalmon of Madlum, San Miguel, Bulacan

I heard a lot of stories regarding Mt Manalmon and other exciting stuff that you can do in this place. Aside from trekking/hiking, the place also offers outdoor activities such as spelunking (caving), rock climbing, swimming and crossing a monkey bridge made out of two cable wires. So as soon as my friends invited me I said yes right away even it was just a day hike.

Mt Timbak and Mt Tabayoc of Benguet

My first hike this 2013 is not the usual climb that I do because I hiked the 3rd and the 2nd highest mountain in Luzon, which are Mt Timbak and Mt Tabayoc. Both mountains are located in Benguet so expect a cold and freezing trek ahead.

The right clothes
A friend of mine invited me to join Baroc - a mountaineering group, as they will climb the said mountains. So I packed all my mountaineering gears and most importantly my anti cold equipment. I suggest you bring jacket [of course], sweatshirts, gloves [which I forgot to bring], thick socks [have an extra], and If you're planning to stay in a tent at night have a sleeping bag as well. This will prevent you from chilling and have a stress free sleep :]