MT. CINCO PICOS TRAVERSE TO SILANGUIN COVE

MT. CINCO PICOS_M010

Fourth Major Climb

04.05.14

Subic, Zambales
Entry point: Sitio Cawag Settlement, Subic
Exit point: Silanguin Cove, Pundaquit, Zambales
LLA: 14° 47' N 120° 9' E, 881 MASL
Days required / Hours to summit: 2 days / 6-7 hours
Specs: Major climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail class 1-3
Source: Pinoy Mountaineer

Things to bring:
At least 3 LITERS of WATER
Packed lunch
Trail food
Additional pocket money
Extra clothes
Alcohol
Wet Wipes
Tissue
Sunblock
Personal Medicines
Toiletries
Poncho
Headlamp
Umbrella

Itinerary:

Day 1
2014 April 5 Saturday

0030 Meet up at Victory Liner Pasay
0100 ETD Olongapo
0400 ETA Olongapo, buy snacks/pack breakfast/pack lunch.
0600 Sitio Cawag jump-off.
         Secure guides
         Courtesy call to Chieftain
0630 Start trek
0800 ETA Peak 1
0930 ETA Peak 2
1200 ETA Peak 3 (picture picture)
1230 Campsite(Lunch)
1430 ETA River
1830 ETA Silanguin Cove
         Set Camp
         Dinner
         Socials

(We're delayed for 2 hours and 30 minutes due to...^.~)

Day 2
2014 April 6 Sunday

0700 Breakfast
0800 Beach Bumming at Silanguin Cove
1000 Early Lunch
1100 ETD Silanguin Cove
1330 ETA Capones Island
1600 ETD Capones Island
1700 ETA Pundaquit
         Wash up
1800 ETD Pundaquit
1900 ETA Olongapo Victory Liner Terminal
         Dinner
2200 ETD Olongapo Victory Liner

Day 3
2014 April 7 Monday
0030 ETD MANILA!!!

***Contacts
Jeep: Sir Dong 09123271159
Chieftain: 09219543215
Boat: Sir Lakay 09394139000

***In arranging your climb make sure that you prepared two letters of intent addressing the police station and the chieftain.

***Budget: P1600 per pax_16 participants

Budget Inclusions:
Bus
*Pasay – Olongapo  245php per pax
*Olongapo – Cubao 245php per pax
Jeep
*Olongapo – Sitio Cawag 2400php
*Pundaquit – Olongapo 2400php
Boat
*Silanguin – Capones – Pundaquit 450php per pax
Silanguin Camping Fee    100php per pax
Registration Fee 60php per pax
Guide 900php
Cottage 400php
Event T-shirt: Barney's T - Shirt Printing

     After months of lurking in the shadow of my profession I gave myself a well – deserve rest. Unlike the normal way of relaxing, my thing is quite different and only few people will understand. My first mountain for this year is the Cinco Picos. I’ve heard of this mountain a lot of time and it is quite popular hiking destination especially during summer season because after 13 hours of hiking you can relax in the secluded Silanguin Cove.

Sitio Cawag Jump Off

Left - Right (Standing): Sir Vener, Ma'am Naneth, Clang, Kuya Barney, Ate Schel, Ate Jo, Ma'am Arlene, Sir Loui, Kuya Jojo, Sir Marthy, Ma'am Mariel, Marjorie, and Sir Querllon.

Left - Right (Sitting): Kuya Vincent, Me, and Daniel.

     Cinco Picos’s trail is easy but it’s a long walk of a hell. The heat of the sun made us all exhausted especially me. For the first time in my hiking experience I felt that I’m weak. It’s the heat of the sun that exhausted and dehydrated me. The trail of the mountain was surrounded by other mountains that's why there are only some parts that are reachable by breeze.While hiking I was thinking a lot of things such as “Why am I doing this to myself?” “I want to go back to the jump – off” “I wish there’ll be a helicopter to collect me” “Damn illegal loggers they shove the mountain now there’s no enough shades” “Someone must carry my bag…or me” “I miss the elevator and the air conditioner” “The sun, it’s killing me!” Honestly, I thought I will be out of my mind or maybe I did. I’m so thankful that our guide is patient with me being slow and complaining about the sun, the shade and everything. The wisest thing I did was to be in the end of the line and isolated myself from others because they’ll just witness a childish Oli. But after all the things I agonized while hiking an optimist reason stood still in my mind, “I’m not in my comfort zone…and that’s good! Even though I don’t know why am I doing this, I still want this and I love it.”

RIVER TREK

If you don’t want to bother removing your shoes there’s a trail for that if the water is not elevated.

  

There is one part of the trail that was freshly burned. We felt roasted while crossing that part.

 

     
     Our guide told stories about the mountain and their simple living. He said that the mountain was a logging site before and some trails were a road for trucks that carry the logs. That’s why there are only few trees especially along the trail. Currently, there’s no more illegal or legal logging in the mountain because it is now protected by the DENR….and there’s no more trees to cut. He said that the DENR is now plotting a tree planting activity in the mountain. I wish I could see Cinco Picos abundant with trees and forest. He mentioned that there are also deer and wild boars in the mountain but will just hide in some forested area to avoid human and hunter encounter. He also mentioned that there are mines under the mountain that could be entered by trucks. The mining was owned by a Korean company. I really don’t like the idea of foreigners gaining treasure and possession in our own country and they were also destroying what we have.

VIEW FROM CINCO PICOS

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SUBIC BAY

SILANGUIN COVE

     The trail of Cinco Picos is like the peak of Tagapo. It might be a minor climb if there are shades. I felt that I was in a dessert like the ones I’ve seen in the movies. It’s like Frodo Baggins taking the One Ring into Mt. Doom. It’s freaking hot! You need to wear proper coverings, sun block and an umbrella. You can find two water sources along the trail towards the third peak and one towards Silanguin Cove. The trail towards Silanguin Cove is mostly descending. At first it is rocky then you will find hope in a never ending trail (I thought we were being played with some unlikely creatures…na - enganto) once your jelly legs and aching toes step on the sand...but it’s just a glimpse of hope, the real hope is when once you hear the dogs barking...I really love that sound.

     A day hike traversing Cinco Picos is no joke. I really respect hikers who can endure such exhaustion and dehydration. Their passion in this kind of activity is extraordinary. The view, of course, along the trail is awesome. You can see Subic Bay, Balingkilat and some mountains….all kissed by the sun.

     We rewarded ourselves enjoying the secluded Silanguin Cove and Capones Island....See our fun and crazy time in another blog!

SILANGUIN COVE AND CAPONES ISLAND

Itinerary: Jojo Subang

Photos: Barney Ramos and Me

FIN!!!

I will definitely go back to Cinco Picos to try night trekking!

'Till next climb!!!

The next mountain would be...


OLI