It’s already six o clock in the morning when I got home, wasted and intoxicated. Buddy Bruno is locked and loaded waiting in our front door grinning asking me “saan galing meg? hehehe.” Nevertheless, mindsets still fasten in “All go no quits” policy. Rushing into our kitchen where I still need to arrange our spaghetti and viola with the little help of luck spaghetti is all set, ready to pack up.
Exactly 0830H, we’re headed to our way, and everything is in smooth condition, everything is fine, everything as expected. After buying required supplies, we chartered jeepney from Trece Martirez to Magnetic Hill, Pico de Loro, Jump off, and I am trying to squeeze some sleep while on the road until Mangyan Rodante keep on stirring me to wake up and declaring sleeping is not allowed. Some sort of pay back, in remembrance of the Quezon trip “bawal matulog”.
We reached the DENR station around 1100H and after registration, we packed up and we all set to go nowhere but to go climb.
Getting ready. Back to magnetic hill (old trail).
We started our 4 hours trek ascend right on magnetic hill and after several rest we reached the Camp 1 around 1230H. Thanks, I can snatch some snooze while they are getting to know session with our new friends.
Meet our friends – HALMS member. “thanks to Sopas”
Thanks to the short nap, a powerful one, we unload our pack lunch at get started to share it with our new friend. They have delicious sopas, which saves my world that day. It brings color to my white pale world. We did so many monkey businesses out there in Camp 1, until our new friend packed up and wave their goodbyes. We leave Camp 1 exactly 1400H, with renew strength and hope. A new force to reckon and we are resemblance of the sharp knife against smooth cheese. We sliced the forest and steep stone with ease and reached the base camp 15 minutes before 1700H.
Old Pico Trail
We setup our camp site and I have to sleep. “Just wake me up if you are done with the cooking session” I woke up and they are still cooking our viand, the delicious pork adobo.
After enjoying our diner, our focus is now fixed on gran matador and of course there should be no more questions to be asked. “Let’s get it on”. After body warming session, we have to glimpse the beauty view of city underneath and we just back to respective barracks and ready to lights out. “tsk.. im chilling here” Body warming isn’t enough.
Body warming session
We woke up around 0700H and we do some photo session in southern part of our camp site. We prepare our breakfast afterwards with extra pace and we don’t want to catch by the crispy sunlight in our way to rock face summit. We break camp around 0830H and all set to go to assault the rock face summit. The team started to assault, lead by Buddy Tamayo, everything is fine; everyone got enough rest and physically prepared. We reach the first summit facing at the rock face, and we have to descend all the way base of the parrot peck rock formation. “I hate vandalism!” These rocks possess a lovely formation, and have their own definition of nature. Vandalism annihilates their beauty. We took some picture and keep this vandalism beyond us and continue our quest.
Vandalism should have no place in here.
Reaching the very peak is not that straightforward as expected, we have to engage ourselves into rappelling using the hazardous rope mounted on the peak. “hey guys we might secure some insurance when we headed home” that’s all I can say after glancing the rocks underneath. Mangyan Rodz, takes the lead, and followed by buddy Tamayo, myself and buddy Ronron. Thanks to Mam Salve in falling back to the first summit to take some photo. Yeah! We reach the summit in 4 wheel drive mode. Well, excitement wrapped to our every senses. This is it. We got you! The view is rewarding enough to forget the city and lights. But we can’t stay any longer. Unpredictable strong wind and we have to embrace ourselves since we don’t have any safety harness.
At the monolith.
Zoom 🙂
After taking some picture we have to crawl back to the base of rock face formation. Yes we crawled and there is no other way to do it. And again trepidation enfolded us in using the cracked old rope in going down slide ourselves all the way to the base. We are still full of excitement. We headed our way to the next summit where Mam Salve is waiting us and started to descent to base camp.
I really missed you guys. So long my friend until we climb together again.
This was written way back 2007, Pico De Loro climb. – thanks to old USB in my stash.
Better late than never.
arbitrary colour 