Conquering Pinatubo

A journey is never complete until you return to where it all began.

A trip up north of Manila during the holidays took me to Pinatubo Lake, a tourist destination in Central Luzon considered one of the most beautiful panoramas in Asia. The blues and greens of the vista make this a favorite getaway from Subic and Manila. Pinatubo Lake atop the mountain has its quiet magic, which is worlds away, offering a time-warp setting of serene waters, gentle light and warm smiles. Navigating through rough terrain freed my mind, as all my focus was on reaching the elusive peak.

The trip was led by Indra “Guy” Hilberto, who is the head of the Mabalacat Tourism Center Council. With my entire family in tow, we trekked up Mount Pinatubo with such comfort and ease. We took a very easy trek through the kindness of the guides who helped us with the terrain. For some, it may be challenging, but for us who are pretty fit, it was a breeze.

We were up at 4 a.m., and left All Hands Beach in Subic, Olongapo where we spent the night. At the crack of dawn, we passed for Guy in Clark, Pampanga and drove to the base camp. From there we boarded 4x4 jeeps. With me were all my siblings Mark, Jaqui, Michelle and Yvonne, brothers-in-law Benny Soliven, Boom Boncan and Pael Romualdez; and sister-in-law Mylene Dayrit. My nephews and nieces, Sam, Alex, Matthew Dayrit; Vincent Soliven; and Carin and Cito Romualdez (the youngest in the group at 10 years old) were also with us. Miladay creative director Mike Mina also joined us.

After an exhilarating one-hour ride along the rugged terrain through rivers and rocky ground, we began the two-hour trek. My sister Michelle was in awe of the scenery; she said it felt like she was walking through a scene straight out of the movie Jurassic Park. She was half-expecting to see dinosaurs coming come down from the mountains and pounding on the ground at any moment.

One can retreat to Pinatubo for an exhilarating experience. Trekking Pinatubo offers a once-in-a-lifetime private tour to hike the picturesque volcano with a luminous turquoise lake. Though some may find it a bit taxing, the view up there is well worth it.  Hence, this expedition was a very welcome one for the whole family. It was really fun to do this together as it was a wonderful bonding experience with exercise and countless photo opportunities. (Our adventure was captured beautifully through the lenses of Boom, Yvonne, Mike and Vincent.)

The best time to trek Pinatubo is between November and February when the air is very cool and crisp. It can get extremely warm in the summer months.

“Standing before such a majestic display of nature’s beauty reminds you that you are not at the center of the world. This in turn encour-ages people to go out of their way to improve other’s welfare,” my niece Alexandra quipped.

An active volcano, many of Mount Pinatubo’s most beautiful attractions actually result from its volcanic activity. Pinatubo’s violent eruption on June 15, 1991 blasted such massive amounts of ash, lava and rock that the activity could be seen from outer space. Nearby villages and military bases were evacuated as pyroclastic flow ran down the slopes of the volcano at 60 kilometers per hour. Pinatubo spewed ash clouds that stretched thousands of kilometers, reaching as far as Central Africa. The impact from the explosion broke away the volcano’s summit, resulting in an enormous crater. Almost 25 years later, the effects of this explosion can still be seen — and they are quite spectacular. In fact, most visitors describe Mount Pinatubo and its surrounding vicinity as out of this world.

What used to be a five-hour hike has been conveniently reduced to two hours. Guests from All Hands Beach in Subic can ask for the Pinatubo itinerary from the reception. After an hour’s drive from All Hands Beach, to reach the volcano, one must ride a 4x4 jeep through the dusty, rugged terrain that is Crow Valley — a moon-like terrain, with vast ash fields and rocky rivers. Instead of roads, you travel through boundless expanses of lahar formations and colossal walls of sand — reminders of volcanic eruptions past. The jeeps park at Lipit station, seven kilometers away from Crater Lake. From there, it will take an average of two hours to trek to the turquoise waters. There are five trails of varying difficulties to reach Pinatubo’s crater — all of which were discovered by environmentalist and Mabalacat tourism officer Indra “Guy” Hilbero.

Guy was the first to trek to the crater just two years after the 1991 eruption. He started organizing treks for friends and visitors, spreading the word about its magnificent beauty. The views of the Crater Lake are breathtaking and worth every minute of the trek. Relax and take plenty of time to enjoy the incredible surroundings and bask in the glorious sun. 

The natives, called Aetas, the original inhabitants of these lands, serve as your gracious guides for the trek as they narrate interesting stories of survival. They have chosen to remain here and live a life detached from material desires. They espouse their amazing belief that everything here is alive and they take their role as stewards of the environment seriously. We have much to learn from them.

Once you reach the top of the peak, the deep blue water against the cliffs gleaming white in the background are a vision of Alpine-like beauty. The ragged edges of the crater covered in lahar twinkle a bright white in the sunlight, which gives an illusion of snow. Crater Lake, also known as Lake Pinatubo, is the deepest lake in the country at 600 meters deep.

When we reached the top of Mount Pinatubo, we spread mats on the ground and ravenously feasted on the most succulent herbed roast chicken with bread and gravy, sweet corn, pancit canton, saba and sweetened camote thoughtfully prepared by Guy. This picnic was truly priceless, what with the company of all family members to celebrate the festive season.

The spectacular scenery of gigantic boulders, exotic plants, rolling terrains of verdant green, romantic streams, gurgling brooks and various rock formations may remind you of Switzerland, New Zealand, the Grand Canyon or Sedona in Arizona. Some of the trekkers exclaimed it is like being in a Shangri-La, or finding your “Lost Horizon.”

Long after the trek, we will look back at all the laughter and experiences we encountered while taking this trek.

Pinatubo lies in our very own backyard. It’s about time that you discover its beauty and grandeur.

Take that journey on the wild side for a change, a path that takes you off-road and up towards the clouds. You won’t regret taking this challenging route that is quickly inviting hikers to scale the scenic phenomenon and out-of-this-world scenery as a reward. As my niece Alexandra said: “Getting a bird’s-eye-view of nature isn’t just great for photos, it’s also good for your health. So pack your bags, put on your hiking shoes and get ready to raise both your altitude and your spirit.”

Being at the top of the crater, one feels the expanse of the universe. It seems as though one has come face to face with one’s mortality. One will be left breathless — and literally out of breath at the same time. Nature is at its best here and the sublime majesty of God’s creation will leave you spellbound or even in tears.

Climbing Mount Pinatubo comes with only one catch — it can be addicting. You will want to do it again. After all, the journey is never complete until one returns to where it all began.

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For trekking inquiries email Mike Mina at mike.a.mina@gmail.com.

Email me at miladay.star@gmail.com.