Once the Dust Settled: Mt. Pinatubo

I have long associated the name Pinatubo to disaster. I may have barely been able to sit by myself when the volcano erupted in 1991 and the stories of the aftermath of the eruption including some archival tapes of the event made my first memories of the place that of destruction. But just as we should not let the past haunt us forever, nature itself does not linger in an eternal limbo. Today, the area surrounding Mt. Pinatubo boasts of an adventure that could perhaps be one of the best that we can have in a while.

About Mt. Pinatubo

Mt. Pinatubo is located deep in central Luzon in the town of Botolan, Zambales. Though much of the summit has collapsed following the 1991 eruption, it left a caldera which over time got filled with water to create the popular crater lake that is visited today. The crater is surrounded by lahar-filled canyons that can be traversed via 4x4 cars. 

Mt. Pinatubo is still an active volcano though the next eruption might still be for a while. But the surrounding public is still cautious as flash floods can still be an imminent danger if the walls of the crater lake would not be able to support the weight of the water.

The popular jump off point is located in Barangay Sta. Juliana in nearby Capas, Tarlac and it is also where we are able to make inquiries for our upcoming trip.

Travelling to Pinatubo Jump-off

We were informed that the cutoff for registration is at 6:00 am so we decided not to be late. Expecting a 3 hour drive from Metro Manila, we departed at around 2:00 am via private car courtesy of our friend. Our route took us first to North Luzon Express (NLEX), then to Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), then O'Donell Road. We had a short stop over to buy some McDo burgers for breakfast (ha!). We arrived earlier than we anticipated at around 5:00 am and we already saw a gathering of tour guides at the registration area in Barangay Sta. Juliana.

Registration area at Barangay Sta. Juliana

We contacted Capas tourism office directly and the price of our "package" were as follows:

• Php 500.00/tour guide (each 4x4 must have one tour guide)
• Php 300.00/person for tourism fee
• Php 400.00/person for Botolan fee
• Php 3500/4x4 vehicle

Each 4x4 vehicle can carry up to 4 tourists and with five of us, we had to split into two 4x4s. For more information, Capas booking officer Rojan Santos can be contacted at 09491239685.

The whole trek is divided into two parts—about an hour of 4x4 drive across the canyons and trail by foot to the crater lake. It is very advisable to bring face covers and to wear them for the duration of the drive as it can get very dusty driving by the very dry lahar. Vendors at the registration area also sell them at Php 100.00 each.

4x4 Drive Along Pinatubo Trail

It was fortunate that we arrived early because we loaded on our 4x4 vehicles at just before 5:30 in the morning. It is our first time riding one let alone riding over a rough terrain. It was still very dark so there was not much to see apart from what the headlights cast upon, which was pretty much dry earth. We can already feel the dust flying as we drove by that we soon had to cover our faces. At times, we can also see that we were driving over waters. I've read the journey compared to a scene out of a Mad Max film, and I couldn't agree more.

As the sun rose, our surroundings became very clear to us and we can finally see the beautiful view all around. The contrast between the barren dry land and the greenery in the surround rocks left us in awe.

Early morning view of the Pinatubo trail

We had to split between two 4x4 cars

At around 6:40 am, our 4x4 drive ended and we had to get off to prepare for the start of our walking trek. Though we had not noticed any ascent, it still feels very cold that we had to keep moving to warm ourselves up.

Overhead view at the start of the trail

Crater Lake Hike

Walking along the Pinatubo trail during the cold morning felt like taking a stroll in a fantasy world—from wilderness, to rivers and valleys. The trail follows a river that comes from the top of the mountain which at several times we had to cross over. Though the land is dry, we still passed by some shrubs and grassy patches.

Start of the trail

We constantly walked over the stream, so be prepared to have wet footwear though the guides will assist you if needed be.

The trail runs along the river

One cannot help but admire the whole valley. I would have walked through the cold waters had I worn sandals instead.

The surrounding hills sometimes look intimidating but at the same time look very fragile as if they'll collapse into piles of dust with just a little tap.

The valley is surrounded by sandy hills

The sun was starting to peek over but the cold weather still made the whole hike very comfortable. We had a short stop where some of the local Aetas are settled. We had our refreshments and some bananas for breakfast.

Our walk across the rocks and water continued until the land started to get greener, which means we were getting near to the crater. It was around 9:00 am when we arrived at the spot of two resting sheds at the bottom of the hills. A comfort room is just close by in case nature is calling you. A marker indicates that the trek to the crater starts there (what had we been doing the whole time?).

Where do you belong? - Senior Citizen.

We began the final part of the hike passing over the stream and into a more jungly part that uncannily resembles a walk into a theme park, partly due to the well maintained trail. Every now and then we passed by signs indicating how many more minutes it will take before we get to the destination. We also passed by some men who were working on concrete posts which according to one of the guides were for more signages and lighting.

The "jungle" trail

The trail gradually inclined, first along rocks and boulders and then into man-made steps until a welcoming sign greeted us.

Entrance to the Pinatubo Crater

Mt. Pinatubo Crater Lake

It was almost 10:00 am when we landed on the crater area. The long walk was worth it, though I wouldn't complain about the whole trek since everywhere I look was a sight for a sore eye. The area is a park overlooking the actual crater of Mt. Pinatubo (Lake Pinatubo). Here, travelers lingered for some time to enjoy the view and take as much pictures as they can. There are park benches as well as stores selling food and souvenir item.

Fortunately, we had a drone shot to commemorate the event.

Mt. Pinatubo crater lake

We took our time savoring the view and finally had time to eat our cold burgers. Naturally dogs came over for some nibbles. We brought some dog treats for this occasion but these dogs would rather prefer some real food. According to one of the vendors, the crater was once open for boating and also offered a spot for a hot spring.

It was already past 11:00 am when we started the trek back. The sun was already high up in the sky and the comfortable walk earlier has been replaced by a scorching hot trudge. We started to don our face coverings because in addition to the hot sun, the earth is starting to dry up sending dust up. We passed by a herd of carabaos bathing on the river and some local women doing their laundry.

Carabaos bathing

Some locals doing their laundry

It was around 1:00 pm when we finally rode our 4x4 as we started our way back to the jump off point. The face covers are absolutely needed at this point because once the ride is over, we were almost covered in sand. It is probably for this reason that a shower is accessible (for Php 50.00) at the parking area.

Finally freshened up, it was time we call it a day.

Wrapping up

Recently, we would usually have sisig after a day of climb. And then we thought, we were passing by Pampanga, why don't we try some local sisig. So are navigator took us to Aling Lucing in Angeles, Pampanga. Aling Lucing is said to be the inventor of the popular cuisine.

Aling Lucing's sisig

With that, we ended our central Luzon excursion with bellies full of rice and sisig.

I came to Pinatubo with not much expection but in the end, the experience blew me away. The whole journey is nothing short of adventure and excited me more than I thought. I guess, that's one thing that I love in making these travels and I can't wait for the next one.