At the height of summer, the wide, rocky trails from Ternate was a very cool experience. The summit views the entire Cavite city and also the wonderful view of South China Sea, the islands and coves. Although the succeeding part was very difficult, beacsue of a steep assault, I pushed well into it. At least the sight of all the islands and seas made it all worth it.
mini falls
ITINERARIES
Ternate, Cavite
0400 - Board Saulog bus at Lawton to Ternate (P110)
0700 - ETA Ternate town proper; buy supplies, rent jeepney to Magnetic Hill
0745 - ETA DENR / jump-off point. Pay P10.00 registration
0800 - Start trek. Jump-off point is 10 minutes walk from DENR.
0845 - ETA rest station, Basecamp 1 (they'll ask for P10.00 registration)
1130 - ETA summit. lunch.
1230 - Start descent to Magnetic Hill
1530 - ETA jump-off point.
1600 - Back at DENR; take jeepney to Ternate then take bus back to Manila.
1900 - ETA Manila.
Ternate, Cavite
0400 - Board Saulog bus at Lawton to Ternate (P110)
0700 - ETA Ternate town proper; buy supplies, rent jeepney to Magnetic Hill
0745 - ETA DENR / jump-off point. Pay P10.00 registration
0800 - Start trek. Jump-off point is 10 minutes walk from DENR.
0845 - ETA rest station, Basecamp 1 (they'll ask for P10.00 registration)
1130 - ETA summit. lunch.
1230 - Start descent to Magnetic Hill
1530 - ETA jump-off point.
1600 - Back at DENR; take jeepney to Ternate then take bus back to Manila.
1900 - ETA Manila.
SPECIAL CONCERNS
You have to rent a jeepney to the DENR station from Ternate because public transportation is not constant. Either Ternate or Maragondon would be a good staging point to reach the jump-off.
Pico de Loro is a DENR Protected Area. Although supervision is minimal, it is still advisable to register at the DENR station. The couple who lives at the "Kubo" or Basecamp 1 also requests a P10.00 registration for each climber; they are known to mountaineers and are truly involved in the management of the trails.
Forest cover is good throughout the trail. Winds are strong at the peak. There are reports of flashfloods in the river system that includes the waterfalls. Proper caution must be observed.
The tower at Pico de Loro, known as the "Parrot's Beak", may be scaled but do so only if you have enough skill and experience. There have been reports of deaths and injuries due to falls from the Parrot's beak.
Going back on the Ternate trail from the summit, there is one very confusing fork after you've passed Basecamp 1. After 10 minutes, the main path leads to Maragondon. The proper way to the Magnetic Hill is an elevated trail to the left; it is marked with a trail sign but it is concealed so watch out for it on your way back.