Mt. Pinatubo Trek 2010

Took a quick day trip with my college friends to trek in Mt. Pinatubo about three weeks ago. A friend of mine who has gone there told me that we would cross streams during the trek so I bought amphibious shoes from Merrell (which I’m really proud of) before the trip. I also peeked in a few stores and was curious to see what other outdoor gears they have to offer. Though I got excited just seeing those thermal jackets (which are bloody expensive BTW) that I will be needing for my next climb, this Mt. Pinatubo trip only requires new footwear. I heard that the trek was really easy but I was not quite ready to wear just hiking sandals since I didn’t want any more toe accidents. My shoes felt so light on my feet and made me feel like I could walk on any terrain (rushing water, slippery rocks, coarse ground) without slipping.

We took a bus and left Manila for Capas, Tarlac at around 330 in the morning, and then took a tricycle to the jump-off point in Barangay Sta. Juliana. The tricycle ride was pure torture because the dawn was so cold and we were exposed to the open air hitting our faces. Forgot to bring a jacket so we had to endure that for half an hour.

Here is picture taken while we were riding the 4x4 trucks. This was my favorite part of the trip. It was like a huge valley of volcano ash bordered by mountains and there were random patches of tall grass and cows running lose. So cute!

The truck ride took about and hour, then the trek begins.

And then you see this. We were at the crater.

The view was breathtaking and almost felt prehistoric.

We rode boats to the other side of the crater lake where we had our lunch. My friends took a dip in the lake while i stayed ashore because i was too busy taking pictures. The shore had hot spots...literally, and you can see steam coming out from the ground.

Here is a picture of a golden stream that runs to the lake. I love how things here are in weird colors.

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