Mt Pinatubo: Tala's First Hike

Mt. Pinatubo

Botolan, Zambales

Mt. Pinatubo's crater lake.

You gotta start 'em young.

Children are naturally curious and they enjoy exploring their surroundings. I have much faith that children should be exposed or made conscious to the beautiful outdoors in a young age. And that's what this trek to Mt. Pinatubo is all about - introducing Tala to geology and volcanoes, to the exciting world of hiking and a little bit of Aeta culture.

I have long wanted to bring Tala with me in my hiking adventures. But I have to be realistic. I have to match Tala's physical fitness to a mountain's difficulty level. Mt. Pinatubo seems a perfect fit with its easy 2/9 rating and relatively flat terrain except for the final ascent to the crater lake. Moreover, I have to schedule our hike during her school break. She is Top 1 in the class and excels in different areas such as journalism, chess, arts  and math. With her academic and extracurricular calendar filled up with competitions and events, in reality, she is even busier than me! 

The opportunity for us to hike together showed up during her Christmas break last year. But first, I have to get her hiking outfit and gears so that she is well equipped and comfortable during our trek. The day before the hike, we traveled to Decathlon Alabang and procured her first trek shoes, dri-fit trek pants and shirt, hiker cap, back pack and a waterproof foldable jacket.

The next day, she's wearing her brand new trek attire, as we met with the trek organizer at McDo Quezon Avenue at 2AM. After settling fees and signing waivers, we boarded a van that will take us to our drop-off point at Sta. Juliana, Capas. Past 5AM, we arrived site and from there, we mounted our tall 4x4 ATV.

The ride took us around 1 hour to the starting point of the trail. Most of the time, the ride was bumpy but we were not the least concerned because we were busy watching the beautiful Pinatubo sunrise amidst towering grey walls of lahar formations. At some point, my Huawei Nova 2i got splashed with water as we crossed a shallow creek. I was taking a video that time and if only I was into video blogging back then, for sure I have shot lots of footage for a Pinatubo vlog. 

The 4x4 ATV experience.

River crossings on board the 4x4 truck.

After the 4x4 ride, we did a two-hour trek to the crater. I was worried that Tala might not feel comfortable with her new shoes as she was still breaking it in. I constantly asked her if her feet still feels fine and I am proud to say she never complained. With that I conclude that her new shoes are actually good because it didn't hurt her little feet. Kudos to Quecha Kids for the ergonomic design.

Quecha kid model with a lahar formation for a backdrop.

Up close with maar volcanics.

During the trek, we have to stop every now and then to give some sweets to Aeta kids. It seems they have their own stations and there's this hedge made from boulders wherein they stay inside. They are shy though but flash their sweet smiles after greeting and getting to know them a little. Tala is shy too but she generously shared her sweets and trail snacks to these kids. As we continue with the hike, she remembers her lessons in her Araling Panlipunan subject wherein Aeta culture is discussed.

Korean heart with Aeta kids.

Korean heart some more.

In some river crossings where the water is deep, our guide has to carry Tala for a safer and faster passage and of course for her not to get wet. 

The breeze was actually cold in the early morning.

Taking a quick rest.

Doggie mountaineer. 

After threading soft lahar sand, the trail shifted to a compact ground as a sign post welcomes us to the crater lake trail. The post states how many minutes remaining until the crater will be reached and these were based depending on the age group. For young age, the post says it will take another 15 minutes to the crater lake. For me, Tala and the guide, it took us around 20 minutes.

Where do you belong?

During the final ascent to the crater lake, Tala is so quick and I presume she's excited to see the view. She later explained to me that she walked faster in that portion of the trail because it is forested, it's cool (because of the jungle canopy) and the ground is solid unlike the soft, hot, lahar sand we initially traversed.

At the summit (or the viewing deck), wow, all I can say is wow, the lake sparkles in deep blue. I then narrated to Tala the beautiful disaster behind the magnificent view. In the year 1991, Mt. Pinatubo erupted and the top of the volcano blew off, forming a caldera. In years, the caldera collected water and that is the stunning crater lake we both viewed that day. I also added that the eruption was so intense, it spewed billion tonnes of ash into the atmosphere causing a 1 degree Fahrenheit drop in global temperatures.

We made it to the crater lake. 

She enjoyed her first hike.

To more hikes with you baby girl.

After the photo-ops, our team had our early lunch and we got the chance to be acquainted with our trail mates. We descended from the viewing deck to the crater lake and both Tala and I dipped our hands into the lake water. Our guide informed everyone that swimming is prohibited due to a previous drowning incident.

We were given an hour to stay in the crater lake. Having slept only an hour the night before, I was feeling so drowsy so I laid out my jacket into the banks. Under the noontime sun, I had an energising nap while Tala played skipping rocks into the lake.

Pack up time came soon. We took the same trail and rode the same 4x4 truck. It was Tala's turn to sleep during the ride. She was knocked out amidst the bumpy and dusty ride back to the drop-off point. We changed into clean clothes in Sta. Juliana and rode the van to Quezon Av. That night, we experienced free MRT ride going to Cubao station where Partas bus terminal is nearby. We travelled back to La Union that night to be in time for the New Year's Eve celebration.

Goodbye Pinatubo! 

This hike is of course the closest to my heart. It is Tala's first hike and our first hike together. With no doubt, this hike is forever instilled in her core memory. Can't wait for the day she grows up and be my best hiking buddy. I'm hoping she would really fall in love with hiking. Well, I remember her telling me after the hike that she enjoyed the walk more than the time spent in the summit. I guess I have a mountaineer in the making.

So, where to next? Taal Lake - an easy 1/9 hike.

Climb Date: December 30, 2017

Summit Elevation: 1486mASL

Difficulty Rating: 2/9

Jump-off Point: Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac

Exit Point: same – back trail

Days Required/Hours to Summit: 1 day/1-2 hours

Features: Lahar formations, crater lake, shallow river crossings

Geology: Lahar and pyroclastic flows

Guide: Mandatory guide assigned at the registration area

Contact Person: Hydee of Mt. Pinatubo Adventure Phils.