Travel Journal 13-007: Mt. Pinatubo

I've been longing for my girl to come with me in an outdoor activity, but since she's a home person, she wouldn't accept any of my invites and just said "I'm already happy supporting you, just pls. don't push me going w/ you". Thus, an impossible job, one can say! :-p. Well, I may not be Tom Cruise to be the Ethan Hunt to make Mission Impossible be possible, but I am J, the persistent! Haha.

It was our trip to Baguio City when I managed to invite her colleagues to join me at my Mt. Pinatubo Climb, which in turn convinced her to join. By telling her that trekking Mt. Pinatubo is not as arduous and challenging as other mountain destinations in the Philippines, somehow it changed her mind regarding the outdoor concept (maybe!LOL), and be convinced by her colleagues as mentioned.

This made me decide to push-through the plan and keep on monitoring the head count. From my colleague from other department and his friends, to my girl and her colleagues. Unfortunately, when the planned date came to near, my girl's colleague turned out to be pregnant, thus backing-out with the plan to climb the Mt. Pinatubo, along with her boyfriend, making the headcount lowered to 2 persons less than the minimum required headcount of the package we are aiming. This made me almost lost the hope that the plan will still materialize, but my colleagues have pushed me to persist the plan boosting up again my hopes. It is then when I continued to recruit buddies to join the climb, but none have accepted. Until one day, my girl told me that her mom and aunt talked to her, asking if they can join the climb since they've been dreaming to see the beauty of Mt. Pinatubo's beauty in person. Happy with what I've heard, I proceeded to the booking proper. I've email a travel agency which facilitated our trip, making a known mall in the Pasay City be our rendezvous.

The eve of the climb came, the family of my girl invited me to stay at their place so that it will be more comfortable for me to go to the rendezvous place since the call time is quite too early. From there, we prepared our meals for the said climb but failed to have a sleep. The time to leave my girl's house came. It's still dark when we left, and likewise when we reached the said mall. We stopped by at a fast-food chain as dealt with the organizer as the exact rendezvous point, where we brought light meals while waiting for organizer's coordinator and my colleague. The team was almost complete when we left the mall. We just picked up our last member along the way, somewhere in Cubao, but dropped of the organizer's coordinator. 

The travel to the north took some hours, giving us time to take nap. Unfortunately, I'm wide awake! Excitement maybe, plus even-though that I have a talent in sleeping(LOL), I really find it hard to have a sleep when traveling via a van(my girl won't agree!haha). This made me a little but unconditioned for the climb, thus making myself easily exhaust. Good thing, adrenaline kept my level in the middle!


It's dawn already when we reached the Capas, Tarlac junction where we waited for all other teams that the organizer have pledged to bring in Mt. Pinatubo. It was almost half an hour past waiting when a swiss approached me. He happens to be the spouse of the coordinator that we dropped along our way. He told me that they owned the agency and have organized a team that fitted in 7 vans(a good business I should say!). Then, we wrapped up some points in the package before heading to the jumpoff.

Our 4x4 ride were ready and waiting, the moment we arrived at the jumpoff. Fast, we headed for our destination, the Mt. Pinatubo and it's crater lake.

The Balikatan exercise still on it's wrapping up time when we passed by their camp. We also have came across a large group of soldiers walking back to their camp. The swiss organizer who rode with our group told us that the day before, he was there with other groups climbing and saw helicopters and planes landed at a place he pointed along our way. It is quite hot, but all compensated by the wind created by the moving 4x4 and astonishing views.

It is already my second time visiting the place, but I still found myself astonished with the mountain's beauty. Mt. Pinatubo have undergone lots of transformation as compared with my first visit two years ago. This is evident by vegetation that have grown from other piles of volcanic ashes.

Soon we have to walk, wherein series of swallow river crossings were challenges for some,  yet coolant for all as the scourging sun exhausts everybody in our 2 hours trek to the crater lake. Slowly, we trek the hot sun above the volcanic ashes. Exhausted yet enjoying the view, we still managed to take some pictures along our trek.

Finally, it's the lake! It's almost lunch time so we took some pictures ( Breathtaking as always! It never fails the awe me.) before taking our lunch. Boodle fight! rawr! The exhausted-everybody(our group) took their lunch together, sharing each pack. 

After short break, our group decided not to waste time and go near the lake where a long staircase gave challenge to most of us. Picture! Picture! A practice that can never be gone, ofcourse!hehe.

We head back, but our 4x4 picked us at final station(30mins away from the lake). Took us 2 long hours before reaching the jumpoff.

See Photos in Facebook.

BUDGET CHECK( As of April 2013)

*Not accurate with the fares since we took a package.  From Cubao to Capas, Tarlac junction, it might cost you around Php 150.00-180.00 plus tricycle/jeep to Sta. Juliana which cost around Php 100.00-300.00. Two way Php 960.00

*Fees that includes guides, environmental, conservation and 4x4 rental is around Php 1,500.00-Php 2,000.00

Total: Php 2,960.00

OR

*There are lot of travel agencies that offers Mt. Pinatubo travel package. The prices varies from Php 1,900.00-Php 2,500.00.