Aside from going to the beach, it is now obvious that more and more tourists are now loving the mountains. That is why one of the best things to take your friends for an adventure is to go for a hike.  I couldn’t think of a better place to take them than to one of famous mountains in Ternate, Cavite which is Mt. Pico De Loro.

Mt. Pico De Loro is a very famous mountain to climb for beginners.  One of the most famous landmarks of this mountain was the Monolith rock that stands next to the summit which adds more excitement to those thrill seekers. I’ve been to most mountains around Cavite and Nasugbu area, except for this one.

From Imus, Cavite, we drove straight to Ternate passing through General Trias and Indang. The trip took us around 3 hours to get to the DENR Station which is the start off point of our hike. Safe parking is available inside with a minimal fee, otherwise you can park your vehicle outside.

For those commuting, you can catch a bus to Ternate, Cavite at Coastal Mall and hire a tricycle all the way to the DENR Station.

After preparing our gear for the climb, we immediately went to the registration area where we each paid Php25.00. Be advised that OVERNIGHT hiking is not allowed on Mt. Pico De Loro anymore.

Another thing that I liked during our climb was we scheduled it on a weekday and very early so we almost had the mountain to ourselves, well almost!

A tour guide is available for Php 1500.00. But if you are going to ask me, it’s not really necessary as the trails were clearly marked.  But it’s up to you!

Registration done and off we go on our quest to reach the summit of  Pico De Loro.

Mt. Pico De Loro is considered as a protected area by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). That is why rules must be followed strictly specially keeping the mountain clean.

Prepare yourself to hold on to something as some parts of the trail were quite steep. Ropes were also provided so you could pull yourself up in steep areas.

Halfway into the trail, you will find this observation deck. We climbed up to see what the view was like but there wasn’t much to see. So, we headed on our way to reach the summit.

One indicator that you are close to reaching the summit is when you see tuck shops around the area selling snacks and drinks. You can either have a snack prior, but we pretty much preferred to have our snack after our climb to the summit.

A perfect place to get a nice picture of Mt. Pico De Loro is located on the left side where the tuck shops can be found.

There were boulders were you can sit or stand if you are more adventures and have a picture taken with an amazing view of the summit behind you.

After taking tons of pictures, it was time for us to head for that summit and if lucky get to stand on that famous monolith.

It took us another 20 minutes to climb the summit. Be careful as you ascend the summit as the trail was very slippery. Since I am a novice climber, I eventually held on to every grass root I could grab just to avoid skidding.

We were told that they are planning to create a different route to the summit as they are planning to rebuild this old path for the safety of the hikers and benefit of the mountain.

It was an exciting climb for all of us specially when we got to the summit. One thing I love when I climb mountains is the view it gives to every climber. Mt. Pico De Loro didn’t disappoint us. The view was just spectacular!

We were told below that climbing the Monolith was not allowed, however with the help of some guides, my friends were able to go to the monolith. Oh well! They are lucky!

I was just so pleased that I was able to explore Mt. Pico De Loro. I’ve been to it’s surrounding mountains but not this one yet. This is definitely one mountain where you can expect 360 degrees of amazing views.

After a successful climb, time to treat  yourself to a delicious Halo-Halo. The climb took us around 5 hours from the base to summit and back. It was a good day with nature and friends, and I cannot wait to do it again!