A refreshing dip on the sulfuric water from the crater lake, an invigorating 2hrs trek, a wild 4x4 ride a midst surreal landscapes - vast lahar fields and craggy peaks . . A perfect Christmas treat for myself, what more could I ask for.
The adventure starts with the challenge of waking up 2 in the morning to meet up with the others at the Victory Liner, Cubao at around 3am. The group decided to push thru with the trip 2 days before Christmas day, when all the parties are done, offices closed and bonuses are all in the hand of the rightful owner.
Entrance to the Pinatubo Spa town
The trip started with an hour or so bus ride from Cubao to Capas Junction, (Victory Liner, Php110 as of Dec2010), you can take up all bus trips going to Baguio, they all uses the same route going to Capas, Tarlac (as far as i know) then a 30-40mins trike ride to Brgy Sta Juliana (Php300 for party of 5). Trike drivers will initially try to offer higher fee but try to haggle fairly depending on the trike's capacity. As per sir Wendel, Php300 is just fine for a group of 5.
The group has to meet that early just so we could make it to the jump off point early enough not to get sun burnt during the trek. We need to meet up with sir Wendel 6am at the Pinatubo Spa Town in Sta, Juliana, Capas, Tarlac. The spa center is like the receiving area of the town where all tourist register prior to the tour. You can even arrange for a package that includes an over night stay with a refreshing spa of different types.
At the Spa town, sir Wendel is waiting for us for the final briefing. He arranged pretty much everything for us from that point on, from guide fee to clearances to gate passes and permits, most importantly the 4x4 vehicle rental, it even includes our lunch for the day. So the tour starts with an hour and a half 4x4 wild ride on a desert like, barren place which is what's left of the lahar from 1990 eruption.
We started early enough, that the moon is still on the horizon, which is exactly what we are aiming for. It is advisable to arrange everything with a local guy prior to visiting the place. Our guide said that the military detachment there sometimes closes the area with out notice due to some Balikatan Exercises, I just don't know if that practice still takes place upto the time of writing.
This is the rendezvous point for all 4x4. None of the 4wheel drive vehicle can go any further from here so we will have to proceed with the trip on foot.
This is where the real trekking begins so brace yourself. . .
After more than an hour of trekking, you will come across this resting station dotted right at the foot of the mountain where the final ascent has to take place. This is the gateway to the volcano's crater lake.
It says "WELCOME TO MT PINATUBO, YOUR TREK STARTS HERE . . .
For: Young Age 15mins
Middle Age 18mins
Senior Citizen 20mins
Where do you belong?
. . . well it took us a good 30mins to get to the crater, so what are we, "Ancient" or something? lol
This part of the trek consist of jungle-like terrain, with rocks and ferns all over the place, streams of water everywhere, rain-forest-kind of environment you wouldn't imagine an active volcano would possess.
The Final Ascent
Before reaching the crater lake, you will be greeted by a concrete stair marking the final ascent of the trek.
The first glance at crater lake
I guess we did the right thing picking up this time of the year to visit this place, bcoz when we got there, we pretty much own the place to ourselves. Mostly because everybody is busy prepping up for the holiday. There's a tourist couple sun bathing when we arrived but they didn't stay long. We bathed for an hour or so but most of the time were spent photographing the place.
I'd definitely go back here just to get another glance at this
As per our guide, the depth of this lake hasn't really been measured yet on account of it burns all apparatus they use to measure it once it reaches a certain depth. He also added, we were lucky to visit this place at this time of year as the water is in the shade of turquoise, its mostly brown or green the rest of the year.
As all other trips, this has to end and we have to head back to the town. Took another 3hrs to get back to the jump off point.
We washed up at the spa town and tidy up ourselves. Thanks to sir Wendel for arranging everything for us. We have to prepare for our trip back to Manila and call it day. . .
So you're asking will I recommend this to a friend, I'd definitely will. This activity may not be for the weak but I'm sure you'll find a way just to get a piece of this paradise here on earth. Please contact me for any information you may need regarding this Mt. Pinatubo Day tour or just comment on this blog. Thanks for viewing, God bless and more power.
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