Mount Apo

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 kilometers 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.

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 is littered with rubbish, and open paths leave the already denuded mountainside vulnerable to soil erosion.

To help reduce this impact, some mountain climbing groups conduct their climbs after the main Easter climbing season.