The Parrot’s Beak: Mt. Pico de Loro

Parrot’s Beak. That’s how they describe Mt. Pico de Loro, one of Maragondon’s attraction and Cavite’s highest point.

I climbed Pico last August 19 and again yesterday, September 2. With just 2 climbs, I can definitely say that even if you climb the same mountain more than once, each climb is a different experience.

Just a bit of a background – you see, Mt. Pico de Loro and I were not on good terms. At least not on my side and it has nothing to do with the mountain itself but what happened around my life and the mountain has a bit of association with it. I’m trying to avoid being emotional and all that crap because it’s been more than a year now, but I guess writing a blog about my climb will involve emotions and this “emotional crap” I’m trying to avoid. I’m trying not to be overly dramatic or making this as a big deal as it shouldn’t, but it WAS a big deal for me. It’s been more than one year that my boyfriend (ex-) and I broke up. What’s the mountain got to do with it – he climbs too and this is where I saw a picture of him writing a name on a rock (like “name loves name”, so high school right? But betrayal is hard to deal with specially coming from someone you were together with for many years), and guess what, my name is not the one he wrote which he loves daw. When I saw that picture – entirely different story on how I came across it because I don’t want to involve the person who has been so kind to give me a heads up – and up to now I’m still entirely grateful that she did because it helped a lot to move on from it. Anyways, going back – I stared at that picture for hours. Thoughts were racing in my head, what it meant, what do I do…and I felt empty for the first 2 hours or maybe 5, I don’t exactly remember. Then I felt anger and for the first time in my life I cried really hard. After that, I had this strange feeling of calmness, maybe it was the feeling of giving up…and then I wrote him a 3 page long message. It was not a confrontation, maybe at the back of my mind I knew it would happen because long before that we were having issues already. It was more of a goodbye and wishing him happiness that I could not give and maybe he found with that person whom he wrote that he loves on the rock at the boulders in Mt. Pico de Loro (now I’m being dramatic).

So with, that…I had hang-ups when climbing the mountain last August 19, I knew it was psychological but I think I feared the mountain a bit. Not because of the trail and whatnot but what I associated it with (which is definitely not the mountain’s fault but just my brains doing its usual garbage). It was actually an impulsive decision to climb here. Our original plan was to climb Mt Maculot and Mt. Manabu in a day. O di ba, 2 weeks na namin plan to pero di matuloy tuloy, hehe. So Ian, Mau and I decided to go here instead so we took a cab from Jollibee in Buendia to Saulog Bus Station and from there went to Ternate.

Took a trike to the jump-off. It was raining and we were in full pack so we trekked slowly.Arrived at the campsite after a few minutes of walking, paid registration fees (P20 per head) and debated whether to camp at the summit or just at the registration area. After 10mins of debate, we decided to leave our packs at the registration area, go to the summit and just trek back and camp there because Ian thinks it was the sensible thing to do. Ayaw daw niyang bahain sa taas – may part daw ng campsite na nagiging matubig pag malakas na ulan. So bringing our small waterproof bags with the important stuff, we started trekking up the summit, and of course we took photos along the way.

After arriving at the campsite, seeing the fog around the mountain, we decided not to go to the summit and took pictures at the campsite instead.

Then we trekked back, still raining hard. We decided not to pitch our tents and just make use of the hut at the registration area, cooked food, set up Ian’s groundsheet as wall-cover from the rain, nagtsismisan, then slept.

Waking up, we cooked breakfast and trekked to the falls.

Photo shoot ulet and then went back to the campsite, said our goodbyes to the caretaker and headed back to Manila.

Then yesterday, September 3. I got dragged along again (well, pretended to be dragged but I love trekking – look at all those fats melting away!!) and as usual , met up in Jollibee LRT Buendia. Met Ian’s agent, Jaela and took a jeepney ride to Quirino area where we waited for the bus going to Ternate (we did not go to the station this time since we had taken note of their route 2 weeks ago). Then we had to go down in Naic instead of Ternate because the bridge connecting both locations undergoing repairs collapsed, well a beam broke and is almost collapsing so no vehicles are allowed to pass. So, we took the trike from Naic to Magnetic Hill (Pico’s jump-off), paid P100 per head.

Started trekking to the registration area. Took more pictures this time because it was not raining that hard, just a few drops then and there.

Trekked up to the campsite, found it foggy again. Jaela was having leg cramps so Ian and I trekked to the summit and we left her sitting on some rocks near the water source. Scrambling up the summit required extra effort because of the mud and rocks were slippery from the rain.

“O ano naniniwala ka na sa kin?” Ian said this to me when the clouds cleared and we took clear pictures of the boulders. I nodded sheepishly.

I was having second thoughts scaling the summit because of the what ifs. I’m glad I took that chance. Surrounding terrain was picturesque. I took a moment to thank our Maker for giving me the strength and endurance to do this and see how beautiful nature is. I even forgot why I had qualms about climbing the mountain while I was up there. I was in awe. The way the clouds and the wind played with the mountains was mind-boggling to look at. And I stared, a lot.

Took a few more minutes taking pictures and looking for that perfect shot then went down to the campsite and words can’t really justify the effort we did to make our trek back to the campsite as safe as possible, basta EFFORT!.

Arriving at the area where we left Jaela, she was calling out to Ian since she was getting clear views of the mountain for the first time since we trekked up. Well, calling out was an understatement, she was shrieking out “TL! TL! Dali ayan na!”. I took the hint and walked faster and I got a good look at Pico without the fog.

I’m even smiling as I’m writing this piece. It was that good.

After several more pictures, we started trekking down, did a quick peek at the falls.

I was too tired to go for a swim so I treated my muddy shoes for a good dunking instead 🙂

Took more shots then started trekking back to the jump-off. We washed up and changed at the DENR station nearby the jump-off then took a trike back to bridge (P100 per head), walked over and then took another trike to the bus station in Naic (P12 per head) and headed back to Manila.

What’s different? – the trip itself and finding forgiveness 🙂