Thumb Peak is a small mountain in central

Palawan Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, and is the highest point in the Thumb Range. Like

Mount Mantalingahan Mount Mantalingahan (or Mantalingahan or Mantaling) is the highest mountain in the island province of Palawan in the Philippines, with an elevation of above sea level, its ranked List of islands by highest point, 68th-highest peak of an island o ...

and Mount Victoria further south, Thumb Peak is part of the Mount Beaufort Ultramafics geological area, a series of

ultramafic Ultramafic rocks (also referred to as ultrabasic rocks, although the terms are not wholly equivalent) are igneous and meta-igneous rocks with a very low silica content (less than 45%), generally >18% MgO, high FeO, low potassium, and are composed ...

outcrops of

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

origin that emerge in various parts of the island.Okubo, Y. 1989. The Mineral Exploration – Mineral Deposits and Tectonics of Two Contrasting Geologic Environments in the Republic of the Philippines – Consolidated Report on Palawan Area. Japan International Cooperation Agency, Metal Mining Agency of Japan and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Philippines) Joint Committee. 182 pp. The mountain was formerly known as Mount Pulgar, a name it acquired during the Spanish Colonial period. ''Pulgar'', means ''thumb'' in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

, and the name was probably translated directly to

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

following the ousting of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

. The name may have arisen as a result of the mountain's profile, which vaguely resembles the tip of a

thumb The thumb is the first digit of the hand, next to the index finger. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position (where the palm is facing to the front), the thumb is the outermost digit. The Medical Latin English noun for thumb ...

protruding from a clenched fist. The upper reaches of Thumb Peak are populated by species associated with

soils, including a number of endemics, such as the tropical

pitcher plant Pitcher plants are several different carnivorous plants which have modified leaves known as pitfall traps—a prey-trapping mechanism featuring a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid. The traps of what are considered to be "true" pitcher p ...

Nepenthes deaniana ''Nepenthes deaniana'' (; after Dean C. Worcester) is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippines, where it grows at an altitude of 1180–1296 m above sea level.McPherson, S.R. 2009. '' Pitcher Plants of the Old World''. 2 volumes. ...

'', rediscovered on the mountain in 2007 for the first time since its description in 1908.The Type Form of ''Nepenthes deaniana''
/ref>Macfarlane, J.M. 1908. Nepenthaceae. In: A. Engler ''Das Pflanzenreich IV'', III, Heft 36: 1–91.

Hiking activity

Thumb Peak is accessible from the Iwahig Penal Colony as a 2–3 day hike, graded Difficulty 7/9 by local mountaineering website PinoyMountaineer.com. Highlights of the trail include river crossings, trekking through dense forests, and beautiful views at the summit. A permit is required to climb the mountain.

References

External links

The Type Form of ''Nepenthes deaniana''
Mountains of the Philippines Landforms of Palawan Tourist attractions in Puerto Princesa {{Mimaropa-geo-stub