the pinatubo climb

Mt. Pinatubo has been a hot destination this summer. People from different ages visit this natural beauty that was once a horrific memory in the country's history.

The mountain is about a 3 hour drive from Manila. Capas, Tarlac is the common drop off point to the crater. We left Quezon City at 330am and arrived roughly 6am. The sun was already up by then. There are two common routes taken by tourist, the Old Route or the "Skyway". The old route is an hour of 4x4 ride, followed by a good 3hour hike while the "skyway" is a 2hour 4x4 ride plus around 45min hike.

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We took the old route, against the suggestion of our contact person, Noymi. :D Our reason? It's just not worth it not being able to experience the entire hike. :) Its a good thing too, plus we have extra calories that we wanted to burn so.. (exercise :D).

We set out on our 4x4 at 7am, marking the start of our climb to the crater.

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Dennis was excited to ride in front of the jeep while Me, Liska and Jess take the back. Jon and Charm took the second 4x4.

The ride is going to be bumpy but wait till you experience the "skyway" :P We passed through a vast land lahar (ash) with sparse vegetation. I couldn't stop thinking that all this came from just one volcano eruption.
On top, Jon and Charm wearing their face mask. Below, you'd see how vast the ash is on the way.

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An hour later, we were already preparing for the trek. Our local guide led the way, but it was frustrating that he kept leaving us behind, then complain that he was bored. We didn't bother giving him any tip at the end.

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The hike was not an easy one. We took a 15min break halfway the trek to catch our breath and rest for a while. I had to clean my toe wound also :(

Eventually you'll see the end of the "skyway" and the beginning of the last stretch of the trek. There's a sign here that says is just a 12min hike for youngsters. Don't be fooled, we trekked for 30min and still nowhere near the crater! :P This stretch was no doubt the most difficult, aside from it being an acsent, you're in for a lot of small streams, rocky paths, and steep stairs... We didn't take any pictures at this point, both hands were occupied balancing ourselves hahaha! But forget all that coz taking that last step makes you closer to the top :)
The crater is indeed magnificent. The clouds gave the lake lighting effects that some parts were deeps blue, some aquamarine. With the slopes angled perfectly with the water, the long hike was well worth it. In fact, you would have forgotten about it already at first glance of the top!

Being early has its advantages, or so we thought, we got there a couple of minutes pass 11am, but the place already has a lot of people! darn..they must have taken the "skyway" route :P

TIPS on taking the old route:

• Pack as light as possible - I carried a backpack (the smaller the better) with a towel, first aid kit, tissue, sun glasses, extra clothes plus a thermos of water (I regret bringing this item, just bring a litre of mineral water).
• Wear comfortable clothes - Its ok to wear those branded dry fit clothes, they would really help
• Wear trekking sandals/ hiking shoes - wearing ordinary rubber shoes on the old route would mean that you're willing to have a few tears on it and submerge it in knee high water.
• Wear socks - Sockes will provide added protection from sharp rocks and but they will surely get wet :P
  

Lunch was part of the package and was served on styro containers. We had adobo, chicken, chopsuey, rice, salted egg and banana. It can absolutely be better, but I was really hungry then. Just be careful when you're eating, my salted egg was already sour, plus there are a lot of ants.

On the way down, you might take a chance upon this rock, cool isn't it? Too bad it's as heavy as my laptop otherwise I would have brought it home as a souvenir :D


We opted to take the "skyway" route already (though the old route trek was still an option). You just need to pay the driver additional Php1500 to avail. You have to notify them in advance so that they can pick you up at the pickup point. This route will undoubtedly be the 4x4 ride of your life!:P Jon said that his Ilocos 4x4 ride was nothing compared to this one. It will be a roller coaster ride, full of bumps (like Ayala Avenue :P), sudden deeps crevices and steep inclines. Hold on tightly to the jeep but be careful not to hit the jeep, you might get bruised. We met an Aeta community on one of the mountains and it was overlooking the mountains of Zambales.


Once you returned to the Pinatubo SPA town, you can take a shower at Php100 per head. It's an option but you might want to consider since you will feel like polvoron after the trip. There is a sari-sari store across the street in case you need toiletries. We bought 7-up the moment we got back due to thirst! :P

The entire trip costs Php1500 per head and includes a 4x4 ride (old route), your lunch, the entrance fee, and local guide fee. You may contact them at 0928-3410402.

Driving Directions:
Take NLEX all the way to Sta. Ines exit, from here drive through the town of Mabalacat, Pampanga. Turn right going to Pan-Philippine Highway (McArthur Highway), there might be some detours in Mabalacat so you might have to ask for directions if needed. Go straight until you reach Capas Town Market, you're now in Sto. Rosario. Look out for signs on the right side of the road leading to Capas National Shrine. Turn right on that street heading towards Capas Cemetery. Some 2km is a fork in the road, just keep right, this road will lead you to the Pinatubo SPA.