Pico de Loro - Conquered

Note: Pictures to follow.

Gone up Pico de Loro today with Kian, Martin, Mo and Gregg. Kian was the only person I know when the day started and I'm glad got the chance to meet the 3. They are good natured people and very friendly. People with beliefs and stand for them. I rarely find people like that.

Anyway, here is a run through of the things I realized during this experience:

1. Never ever NOT sleep before a climb. Don't drink, smoke and work a few hours before the ETD either.

2. Read the itinerary clearly. Prepare everything and make sure you do bring 2 liters of water when your asked to!

3. Rotting shoes will definitely give up when you push it to the limit. My poor shoes almost did not make it. Thanks to a good deal of plastic rope we found at the peak, my shoes survived the trip down.

4. Meeting new people is great! You learn a lot from them...

5. Pico de Loro means Parrot's beak and the peak indeed looked like a parrot's beak!

6. There are people who really work for a cause. Gregg works for WWF and I admire him for the being really passionate about it. He even know what each animal looks like. I saw a Lawin! (He confirmed it)

7. Not all people who speak straight English are intimidating and snobbish. Martin and Mo were very warm and friendly and their jokes and conversations are a ton of fun. I should have met them earlier.

8. Kian did not even get tired! I swear!

9. If your tired, wet and covered in mud, you would not mind water getting into your shoes. :p

10. I need to exercise more often if I am to go with Eric and Jan up Mt. Apo next year!

To sum, it was definitely an experience I would like to go all over again, except of course the shoes and water and food and sleep problems. I enjoyed getting wet due to the strong rain and I enjoyed not caring whether I am wet or not. The peak felt like pure bliss!

Can't wait for the next but for now, got to get read of the cramps in my entire body!