Volcano Tripping: Mount Pinatubo

The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo back in 1991 was catastrophic. The ashes from the eruption reached Manila (87 Km away) and the whole eruption left a substantial effect on the ozone layer. Today, Pinatubo is a tourist destination with a lovely lake in its now silent crater. The route to the Pinatubo Lake is a relatively easy trek. But for someone like me who can barely climb a flight of stairs, this was a challenge.

Vastness of rocks, dust and lahar

My friends, Prince and Angel, took the Pinatubo tour package of TRIPinas. We left Manila at 2AM and arrived at the base camp in Barangay Sta. Juliana before dawn. At around 6 AM, we boarded the 4x4 vehicle with another participant from TRIPinas. The 4x4 ride, which took about an hour, was bumpy and dusty. We passed through a long stretch of lahar, which used to be a river before the 1991 eruption.

River crossing (photo by Prince Ang)

After the 4x4 vehicle was the 7 km trek in the Crow Valley Canyon, where we saw more tuffaceous rocks and lahar. The lahar that resulted from Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption and the typhoon that came after had wrought a desolate ground. I felt like I trekking an eerie mountain from another planet. But as we trudged further towards the crater, the scenery began to change from a wasted land to verdant ground. 

The 7 Km Trek

My umbrella had proven itself useful when the sun had risen. Although it was quite cold that morning, it was scorching in some parts of the trail. We were quite lucky though because during the time we were there, the weather was fairly good. Not too hot, nor too cold.

The 7 Km Trek (photo by Prince Ang)

After several stops and a lot of panting, we finally arrived at the breathtaking Crater Lake. Before, people could swim in the crater and had the option to take a boat ride on the Crater Lake. However, there was no lifeguard at that time, so we could only look, dip our toes into the water and take photos.

Arriving at the Crater Lake viewpoint

After devouring our packed lunch, it was time for another 7 km trek on the way back. I took my time hiking back, taking a lot of photos along the way and walking like a senior citizen. My feet were already complaining peevishly but I was assiduous.  The following day, from muscle to joints, I was in pain. Nevertheless, I had no regrets because visiting Mt. Pinatubo was, for me, a remarkable feat.

Pinatubo Lake