Leave nothing but footprints,
Kill nothing but time”
This is the well-known motto of the Baltimore Grotto and is a part of the “Leave no trace” philosophy of nature lovers all around the world. It essentially means we should leave no trace of human intervention when we go out in a natural setting. Here in the Pearl of the Orient, this motto has been instilled in the minds of dyed-in-the-wool mountaineers who have conquered most, if not all, of the mountains in the country.
One thing that makes this place stand out is that you have a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. In fact, you can even see the island of Bohol when you look towards the east and the island of Negros when you shift your gaze to the west. It is around 80 kilometers from Cebu City and is considered as the summer capital and vegetable basket of Cebu.
After setting up your tent, you can spend the night on the cool grass watching the stars go by. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see a shooting star streaking down to the Earth. The place offers fantastic views of nature and gets really, really quiet at night. The people are friendly and some of the local children working as part-time tour guides. For newbies, you might be amazed at how these kids can easily climb the mountain. Well, for one thing, they basically lived their entire lives here so climbing Osmeña Peak may be second nature to them.