THE PICTURESQUE PINATUBO | Mt. Pinatubo Crater Lake (960+)

I'm not really one of those hardcore mountaineers. One, I started this passion really late. Just this year though. And second, I'm just one of those weekend warriors who make the most of a weekend after a tiresome week at work. I work and live in a hotel as their project engineer. 80% of the time, I am confined to the four corners of the building and I hardly breathe fresh air. So once I get the chance to unwind, I always choose to explore the beautiful places of this side of the country.

I am a proud Boholana, born and raised in the famous island of the Chocolate Hills. All my life, I have taken pride in that wonderful wonder of nature. The moment I got the chance to work outside the province, I have always had that urge to take on random adventures. And besides, I am also a single mother of one. While working away from my daughter, I need all the other possible reasons to smile instead of being so melancholic about homesickness.

Anyhow, this is quite a late post. But I've decided to do a blog about my experience in Mt. Pinatubo (960+ MASL) since it was one of those really amazing places I have been to.  It's like looking at a postcard or something. The pictures turned out so well that there was absolutely no need to edit anything.

All pictures taken with my Nikon Coolpix AW120 camera.

You can always go on a trip to Mt. Pinatubo through any of those travel agencies on the internet. The whole trip will cost you around P1,200 to P1,600. In my case, I stumbled upon an offer by one of them to join their Public Tour. It was also the same time when KathNiel made the line "A BEAUTIFUL DISASTER" so famous. I actually wanted to do my own version of it. Oh well, I did!

Read more about Mt. Pinatubo here:
PINOYMOUNTAINEER.COM | Mt. Pinatubo (960+)

The meeting place was in Ortigas at 2:00 AM. The guide provided the group with an ID, waiver and all the needed instructions along the way. We left for Capas, Tarlac at 4:00 AM. We arrived at the jump-off at around 5:30 AM. The guide took around 30 minutes to arrange our 4x4 rides. I was assigned to ride jeep #8 with four other passengers.

The off-road ride began at 6:00 AM. That time, I read less about what to expect on that trip. I underestimated the weather. The ride was extremely cold! I had to regret why I wore shorts and outdoor slippers. My Uniqlo jacket didn't even keep me warm at all. 

Despite the dust and cold weather, the view along the way was too beautiful to ignore. For an exhausting two hours, you will be in awe with the unbelievable landscape of volcanic sand, clear streams of fresh water and a palette of rocks in various colors. 

We were given a choice if we wanted to trek a trail a few kilometers away from the mountain's base or at the base itself. The five of us on the jeep decided to go directly to the base. From there, the trek took us an actual 40 minutes to get to the crater, not the 20 minutes which the signboard said. Of course, you should expect a lot of picture-taking while on the trail. I was mostly amazed at the stream and the colorful rocks everywhere -- yellow, red, gray and light green. The rocks were like crystals which glittered under the sun. 

There was that sense of excitement in me while I knew I was almost at the crater summit. And then... there it was. One word: BREATHTAKING!

It's that one moment when you wished your whole family could see what you were seeing, that same moment when I imagined my daughter uttering "WOW"...

We were given an hour to bask under the sun and cherish this wonderful view. A concrete staircase will lead you nearest to the crater. At that time, a signboard said it was not allowed to go swimming in the lake. Well good for me, I don't swim. So I consumed most of my time mastering my jumpshots.

Take note. No shouting please. Noise can cause soil erosion!

We started our descent at around noon. It was important to be back at the jump-off before 3:00 PM since rainfall was normally expected in the afternoons. After the trek to the base, we were back in our 4x4 vehicle. This time, it was extremely hot. For another two hours, we breathed in dust and stared at light gray walls of volcanic ash.

We arrived at the jump-off around 4:00 PM. The travel guide gave us our individual Certificate of Conquest. After which, the bus left for Manila.  

And since I was already at Tarlac area, a sudden idea of doing a side trip to Zambales came up. That's another story to tell. Thus, making that weekend another feat for an adventurous weekend warrior!

Day 2 here: The Splendid Sidetrip | Zambales