Pico De Loro - Guest Post Sunday

Overlooking the Parrot's Beak, Maragondon

Pico de Loro was named by the early Spanish sea-farers which means parrot's beak. The name was given to this mountain due to a monolith pillar that does look like a parrot's beak when viewed from Manila Bay. This dormant volcano is located in the town of Maragondon, the second largest in all of Cavite in terms of area, but portions of the mountain is already part of Nasugbu in the province of Batangas.

We started our hike through a night trek from the base camp so that us who are slow pacers can have ample time to reach the summit on time for daylight. Hiking is a hobby that me and my workmates on my former company developed and brought us closer and strengthened our friendship until now. The trek up is very tiring because not just the path was steep, it is made up of criss-crossing tree roots that if you are not attentive can trip you on your way so our steps should be high. When we reached the summit, the view was beyond breath-taking. Truly unforgettable. But what made it extra special is the fact that we were able to get to the top of the parrot's beak, then without guide ropes. It was very dangerous but our hiking training and classes equipped us with the necessary knowledge to make it to the top.

Me and my friends atop the parrot's beak.

We took lots of pictures to freeze these golden moments together and we took some time before we did our trudge down. What makes this hike extra special is that it is our first hike since one of our members/friends passed away. We brought some tree seedlings and planted them somewhere in the mountain in remembrance of our friend and of this memorable experience.

Cavite may be adjacent to the urban jungles of Manila, but this strong mountains in the Mount Palay-Palay Area of Maragondon gives us a different world. I have learned a lot of things through hiking, greeting everyone you cross paths with is necessary and to live up to the hiker's motto of "Live nothing but footsteps, take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time".

K. S. Peralta

General Trias, Cavite
Lived all her life in General Trias, Kheyiffe devoted her life to her family, taking care of her parents, her sisters, and now a loving wife and mother to her smart and beautiful daughter.

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