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| Mount Apo | |
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 The Grandfather of 'Philippine Mountains' |
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| Elevation | 2,954 m (9,692 ft) |
| Location | Philippines |
| Prominence | 2,954 m (9,692 ft) Ranked 98th |
| Coordinates | |
| Type | Stratovolcano |
| Age of rock | unknown |
| Last eruption | Unknown |
| First ascent | 1880 by Don Joaquin Rajal and party |
| Easiest route | hike |
Mount Apo is a large stratovolcano on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is the highest mountain in the country and overlooks Davao City, a few kilometres to the northeast. Its name means "master" or "grandfather". Apo is flat topped, with three peaks, and is capped by a 500 m wide volcanic crater containing a small crater lake. It is a source of geothermal energy, but the date of its most recent eruption is unknown, and none are verified in historic times.
Mount Apo is one of the most popular climbing destinations in the Philippines, and the summit is easy to reach. It was first climbed on October 10, 1880 by a party led by Don Joaquin Rajal.
Conservation
On May 9, 1936, Mount Apo was declared a national park by President Manuel L. Quezon. The mountain is home to over 270 bird species, with more than a hundred that are endemic.
Although a declared National Park the current climbing trail are littered with rubbish and opening paths for soil erosion across the already denuded mountain sides. Some mountain climbing group are leading the way conducting up climbs after the main Easter climbing season.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has submitted Mount Apo for inclusion in the UNESCO world heritage list. Mount Apo is considered the center of endemism in Mindanao. It has one of the highest land-based biological diversity in terms of flora and fauna per unit area. It has three (3) distinct forest formations from lowland tropical rainforest to mid-mountain forests and finally to high mountain forests.
A portion of the eastern slopes are also with the scope of the UNESCO Hydrology Environment Life and Policy (HELP) Network. The Davao HELP Network is focused on building collaboration among watershed stakeholders.
The best way to climb Mt.Apo National Park is thru Kidapawan City. You can register in the city's Summer Climb or the October Trek/Climb. The city boasts with warm hospitality, and abundance of fruits from its farms.They have the annual Fruit Festival where you can have the taste of every exotic fruit grown in this province. At the foot of Mt Apo; is the Lake Agco Resort, dip in to the hot /warm pools,steam/spa and visit the hot sprigs and the lake Agco.Kidapawan City is blessed with the completion on the PNOC Geothermal Plants which supplies electricity to the city and it's neighboring provinces,which also boasts the city's economy.
Hiking activity
Mt. Apo is a popular hiking destination in the Philippines. Several trails lead to the summit, coming from North Cotabato and Davao provinces. An average hike requires 3-4 four days. Various sights include Lake Venado, one of the highest lakes in the Philippines, and the old crater of Mt. Apo near its summit. In the classification system used by local website PinoyMountaineer.com, the difficulty of the hike is 7 out of 9. The mountain may be climbed year-round.
References
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