Mount Apo

Mount Apo
The Grandfather of 'Philippine Mountains' Elevation2,954 m (9,692 ft) Location Philippines Prominence2,954 m (9,692 ft) Ranked 98th Coordinates 7°0′30″N, 125°16′33″E Type Stratovolcano Age of rockunknown Last eruptionUnknown First ascent 1880by Don Joaquin Rajal and party Easiest routehike

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.