The Trail to Mount Pinatubo (Part 2)

(Continued from Part 1)

Trail to Pinatubo // 8:00 am. It was like a parking lot of 4x4s at the mouth of the trail. We wasted no time and started on the marked path.

The trail was very easy. It’s like playing hop scotch with rocks over a stream. I could only imagine how it looked like at night though. Here’s a picture of Eric, Tope, and Upper.

Sky was taking photos using her Holga. Neil and her share a picture here.

Pinatubo Summit // 9:30 AM. There’s a Pinatubo Development Council (PDC) which helped install concrete steps to help hikers reach the top and descend towards the crater lake. The shining blue water is the first thing you’d notice. Look at that view!

Can you imagine how deep that lake gets at some point?

Digiputz Travel Tip: For an additional Php 300 you can put on a life vest and have a boatman take you on a tour to other parts of the crater lake.

(Thanks Keith Rosales for the photos!)

Crater Lake // 10:00 AM. We settled down at a cement hut by the shore. Some people were already swimming in the crater water. Yes, you can swim in the lake!

I’ll post some of Upper’s DSLR shots and some pictures from Keith’s collection when they become available. (I was using my camera phone.)

Swimming in the crater lake was a surreal experience because the water felt so different. No saltiness from the ocean and no stickiness from a swimming pool. It was just bright blue-colored water with the breathtaking view of ash-covered caldera rim.

Going back eighteen years to 1991 this is how it all looked like, yikes!

(Image courtesy the United States Geological Survey, 1991)

Today, Pinatubo is a destination for Philippine adventurers and tourists alike. People should see how the violent destruction of the past has carved new life and greenery.

Pinatubo reminds you that we live on a constantly evolving planet. Destructive forces like typhoons, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes all have a purpose on Earth. Those mountains outside our windows didn’t just materialize. Everything was shaped through a form of force.

We left the crater of Pinatubo after lunch time. By now the summer heat was scorching. Our guides took us on a side trip to a lake that formed after the eruption. We took some pictures there before heading back to Sta. Juliana spa town for some cheap tasty snacks (Yum!).

The PDC has developed Brgy. Sta. Juliana of Capas into a spa town and resort which seems to attract a lot of Japanese tourists.

The crater lake swim was a memorable experience for me but nothing beats riding the 4×4 and speeding down Crow Valley. The 4x4s are awesome!

I’ve experienced outrigger boats in Bohol, Mindoro, Pangasinan, and Zambales but these land vehicles are so fun to ride on.

Wendell “Wyne” Mercado was our gracious tour guide. He happens to be head of the local 4×4 club. He was a great host for us. You can tell he loved sharing Pinatubo to the tourist adventurer. You can view his profile here and txt him for reservations.

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