Mountain | Mt Palay Palay (Mt Pico de Loro) Travel Guide

MOUNTAIN | Mt Palay Palay (Mt Pico de Loro) Travel Guide

Mountain Climb Guide

 The Shape of a Parrot's Beak. the rock monolith and summit as seen in the saddle camp site.

Pico de Loro (Parrot’s Beak) refers to the Centerpiece Rock Monolith summit, named by Spaniards as they look out from their Galleons in Manila Bay. The form of a giant Parrot, Pico de Loro is part of the Mt Palay-Palay Mountain Range and traverses 2 municipalities from different provinces south of Manila which is Ternate of Cavite and Nasugbu of Batangas. 

 

For only about 1 ½ to 2 hours away from Manila, a trek to Pico de Loro is becoming more and more popular amongst Outdoorsmen and newbie hikers for easy to fair trail. The highest peak of Palay Palay Mountain Range is at 664 MASL, considered to be the highest peak in Cavite. On a good day, the Rock Monolith can be scaled through a pass on its side, circling the rock walls with a rope and scrambling until the summit is reached, a feat for adventure seekers. A minor fun climb, Mt Palay Palay is an easy access to any outdoor activity being that it is only bus ride away from Manila. Highly recommended with the trails gradual descent, the campsite located in a ridge amidst a scattering of Bamboo’s, this mountain is also rich in flora and Fauna with some endemic animals.

From an old trail, the east side of the summit can be seen before the lowland landscape of Hamilo Coast and Nasugbu's terrain.

 Parts of the summit is a grassland that turns to a sweeping field of greens or yellows depending on the season.

The trail is marked with markers like this to guide hikers all the way to the summit.

Mt Palay Palay Facts 

• Mt Palay Palay is at 664 MASL, considered to be the Highest Peak in the Province of Cavite.
• Mt Palay Palay is a small mountain range.
• Pico de Loro (Parrot’s Beak) is the name of the Rock Monolith.
• Trail is fairly easy with gradual assault. Some parts of the trail can be steep and or covered in Bamboo foliage.
• One of the mountains that are becoming increasingly popular because of its close proximity to Manila. 

Bamboo folliage is a distinctive of the trails in Mt Palay Palay, this actually signify that you are nearing the summit.

From the Saddle Camp, trekking the bare summit. Protective clothing maybe needed especially from the sun. This is a very steep slope, and its difficult to trek on a sunny day, imagine on a rainy day with mud and soft clay before you.

Side Trips And Activities

• Pico de Loro Waterfalls during Rainy Season.
• 13 Coves of Hamilo Coast, in Nasugbu, Batangas.
• Kaybiang Tunnel, currently the longest tunnel in the Philippines with the length of 300 meters connecting Ternate, Cavite and Nasugbu, Batangas.
• Experience sunrise and sunset viewing in the Summit.
• Scaling the Rock Monolith Pico de Loro. 

One of my most daring feats; climbing and scrambling the Rock Monolith proved to be taxing for me. I think that I have tapped on all of my daring reserves. I felt very accomplished afterwards. My jump shot photographs in the summit are some that I am most proud of.

To Be Noted:

• Traverse to Nasugbu, Batangas is possible. From there you can take tricycle and bus back to Manila or take Tricycle to pass through the Kaybiang Tunnel back to DENR in Ternate Cavite.
• Guide is not a requirement unless you plan to traverse the mountain; Guides are for hire and would usually offer their service in the saddle camp site.
• The Rene Medina’s place is a free water source; you can stock up water here for camping purposes. You can buy trail water in the DENR office. Soda drinks, water bottles are available here but can be expensive compared to their regular price due to the effort of hauling these merchandise. Souvenir Items and shirts are also for sale in here.
• Soda drinks and water bottles are also available in the Saddle Camp Site, a hut was set up by locals where they sell these merchandise. These items are hauled from Nasugbu Batangas so they are also expensive.
• Mt Palay Palay has a diverse flora and fauna. Base on my experience, hunters set up traps for local birds and sell their captures to interested visitors. This is illegal and not to be encouraged, please do not buy or bring home any of these endemic animals captured in the wild.
• The trails before arriving in the camp site is thick with foliage of Bamboo, wear protective clothing like warmers for arms and legs. Bamboo leaves have rough surface; this is to avoid getting scratched.
• Mt Palay Palay summit is bare and steep grassland. Bring sun protection and umbrellas on a sunny day.
• On a rainy day, do not attempt to scale the Rock monolith. The rope and the pass are slippery when wet, the rock wall at the back is 90 degrees with only a room for one person at a time.
• Scaling the Rock Monolith is only for those confident in their physical prowess; if you have fear of heights, then do not dare climb Pico de Loro.

Souvenir's available at the Rene Medina's place.

Suggested Itinerary

4:00 AM      Meet up at Coastal Mall Bus Terminal bound to Maragondon Cavite.

                    Note: you can leave as early as 4AM if you don’t have to wait for everyone.
                    This itinerary was made for yuppie’s coming out from a night shift.
5:00 AM      ETD Leave by Bus bound to Maragondon, Cavite.
6:30 AM      ETA Arrival and breakfast for 30 minutes. Eateries are open in the tricycle terminal.
7:00 AM      Hire a tricycle to take you to DENR Office for registration.
7:45 AM      ETA DENR Office for Registration. Registration Fee (Php 25.00).
8:00 AM      Start Trek
8:30 AM      ETA Rene Medina Place, another registration for (Php25.00)
                    There’s also a lecture provided by DENR for LNT (Leave No Trace).
                    This place also serves as Camp Site because due to its water source.
10:00 AM    ETA Saddle Campsite
11:45 AM    ETA Summit, Lunch, Photo Op, Scaling the Rock Monolith

Option 1: Back Track to Ternate, Cavite
1:00 PM      Start descent, backtrack to Magnetic Hill.
3:30 PM      ETA Jump-off point, proceed to DENR and wash up.
4:30 PM      Take tricycle back to Ternate then take bus back to Manila.
8:00 PM      ETA Manila.

Option 2: Traverse to Nasugbu, Batangas
1:00 PM     Start descent to Nasugbu-Ternate Highway
4:00 PM     ETA Nasugbu-Ternate Highway,
                   Options to take early dinner, hire tricycle to Nasugbu-Manila bus terminal
                   or hire Tricycle to pass the Kaybiang Tunnel back to DENR Ternate for wash up.
7:00 PM     If from DENR, hire tricycle back to Maragondon Bus terminal
7:30 PM     Last bus trip to Manila leaves at 7:30 PM

Expenses
These are but the usual expenses to be prepared for.

Php 81     Bus ticket to Maragondon, Cavite
Php 225   Tricycle fare from Maragondon to DENR Office in Ternate, Cavite
               Fare can be shared from 3 up to 4 passengers. This is a fix fare, we tried to negotiate but nil.
Php 25    DENR Registration Fee
Php 25   2nd Registration fee in Rene Medina’s place.
Php 81   Bus ticket fare to Coastal Mall, Pasay. 
               

Note: It was never explained to us why there are 2 registration fees. To be confirmed, I think this is due to us crossing provincial domains from Cavite to Batangas. Other mountains have Municipal domains; you pay a fee by just passing through Municipal Domains from one to another.

Bathrooms are available in DENR Office for free. Bring pack lunch or buy from eateries in the tricycle terminals. Water bottles, Soda Drinks and Souvenirs are optional expenses. Guide fee for traverse are negotiable depending on the number of participants.

Pala-lagaw's Pico de Loro Gallery

Click this link for Ang Pala-Lagaw's Flickr album: Mt Pico de Loro

Hamilo Coast as seen from the Summit of Mt Palay Palay.

Having my photo taken while sitting atop a rock wall.

The steep hurdle, Pico de Loro and the Nasugbu-Ternate Highway as a white streak in the landscape.

Locals from Nasugbu, hauling empty bottles of Soda Drinks.

Camp 1, where a short BMC lecture is provided by LNT.

Half of the group I was hiking with, having their fun jump shot photo on top of the Monolith.

The other half, patiently waiting for their turn to scale Pico de Loro.

On the Map

Francis Balgos is a Call Center Agent, Weekend Travel Warrior, Amateur Spelunker, Sometime Surfer, Newbie Mountain Climber, Photography Enthusiast, Certified Beach Bum, A first born son, Faithful lover, True Explorer...

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