Tip of the Parrot’s Beak

Second climb. Cavite’s highest peak. CONQUERED!

I’ve been a Caviteño for twenty years, and only now can I claim to be a true-blooded one. Recently, I joined a mountain climbing and camping trip with my TUP-Cavite friends at the highest peak of our province, the infamous Pico de Loro. I felt really excited since this was my second climbing experience – the first being Mt. Batulao in Batangas.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain path was relatively smooth – except when we were crossing the magnetic road – and then the real thrill began. Compared to our hike at Batulao, this mountain is relatively lower in terms of altitude, but the trail is steeper and harder to climb. As we made our way through the forest there were tons of wonderful sights to see; lots of little rivers to cross, the beautiful view of the sun through the canopy, the other mountain peaks surrounding the area, the wonderful flora and fauna, and more.

The general objective of the climb was to be able to help the environment and appreciate the beauty of nature through experiencing it. That was why we had a tree planting activity before reaching the campsite, and we had an overnight stay at the mountain.

After finally arriving at the campsite, everyone felt relieved and was awed by the beauty of the sunset. The view of the two peaks looking somewhat like a parrot’s beak ready to caw was really amazing. Seeing the grass wave like the ocean as the cool mountain breeze blows, and as the sun slowly sinks behind those peaks, it suddenly felt like this experience, no matter how tiring, was truly rewarding. 

Night finally came and everyone settled down. We did some cleaning first and then pitched our tents, and as everyone had finally found a comfortable spot, we started to prepare for our dinner. Eating a meal up in the mountains with a bunch of fun people was tremendous. You can really feel the spirit of sharing to your neighbor. Everyone was offering their food to each other. After our meal, the fun part began. We started up a bonfire and had some fun. A few drinks, lots of extra food, some story-telling sessions, plus some good music, everyone went crazy that night. We were laughing the night away. After all the fun, Mr. Sandman finally decided to visit us and everyone went to sleep. It was quite hard to sleep because of the cold wind and the uneven field, but even so, we were able to rest somehow.

The moon was still bright and the stars were countless by the time everyone woke up. The cool wind kept everyone from taking off their blankets and jackets. After warming up with breakfast (coffee and hot noodles) we finally witnessed the first signs of sunlight. Everyone prepared for the hike to the peak to see the sunrise at its finest. Reaching the top of the mountain was exhilarating. Technically, we can claim to be at the top of Cavite that time. The sun looked so majestic, the wind was cool and mild, and the view from the top was bizarre, everything was plain amazing.

It was finally time to go back and everyone fixed their tents. Of course, we made sure that we wouldn’t leave any trash behind or the climb would be a total waste. We had a detour to the falls before eating lunch at the basecamp. The water was really cold but it was refreshing. Then we finally treaded our way back to base camp to have lunch and rest for a bit. Afterwards, we made our way back to the foot of the mountain. As we loaded the jeepney everyone looked very tired, but one thing is certain; this was a remarkable experience that no one would ever forget.

(All photos belong to the author. Please do not duplicate without permission.)