Do It Yourself Family Pinatubo Trek

View of the crater

As part of our year-end trip, I decided to have my family and some relatives trek Mt. Pinatubo. We were a group of 15 composed of children, teenagers and adults with ages ranging from 6 up to 55 years of age. :-)

 

Capas is the starting point for the Pinatubo trek. However, the jump off point is in Barangay Sta. Juliana which is still around 30 minutes from the highway. It is suggested that trekkers be at the jump off by 6AM. However, in our case, we were still buying breakfast (take-out) in McDonalds by that time. Haha.

 

In Capas, we turned left (if coming from Manila) at the KKK sign before the Municipal Hall and just followed the signs to Mt. Pinatubo jump off.

 

It was obvious that we have arrived at our destination since there were so many 4x4 jeepneys. I went to the registration area just in front of the tourism office, and

was asked what agency I booked with. I just told them that it's a do-it-yourself trip and was given registration forms and waivers to sign. While I was filling-out the

forms, the others parked in one of the local parking areas and ate breakfast. After filling-out the forms, I returned the forms and was asked to have the adults aged 40+ to have their blood pressures taken. For those who had a high blood pressure at the time of registration, they were still allowed to join the trek but they had to sign the waiver.

 

After the paper works were completed, we were then asked for payments. For our group, the cost totaled to Php 20, 250.00. With this large amount of payment, I requested for a receipt. However, the guy collecting said that the receipt will be provided upon return.

 

Here is a copy of our detailed expenses based on a group of 5 people (Php 1,350.00 per person):

Detailed expenses

And off we go. Since we were exactly 15, we had 3 4x4 jeepneys. Grouping would depend on the registration form submitted since each registration form is good for 1 4x4 jeepney.

The ride from the registration area to the jump-off area was around 30 minutes. We had a quick stop over on the way where we met some aeta kids that gladly had pictures with us. 

 

Dusty Road

 

Passing through some water

Upon arrival at the jump off point, everyone got super excited! Our 7 km trek starts here!

Trek Jump Off Point

While trekking up the crater, we got to see a lot of beautiful sand formations created from previous eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo. We also got to meet more Aetas and see their houses.

Some of the great views along the way

The first hour of trekking was easy since we didn't have to climb up a mountain. The only thing we had some slow down was whenever we were crossing creeks.

Our little one passing through the creek

Trekking up to the crater

On the way up, there are 2 resting areas. The first one is a big nipa shed and the second one is shed with a comfort room and drinking water. A few meters from the second resting area is the famous sign that tells trekkers how long it would take until they reach the crater. From here, the trek was a climb up the mountain.

 

Where do you belong?

Well, after 27 minutes from the sign, we finally arrived at the viewing deck! So we belong to the senior citizen group? Haha.

And we made it

Upon going down the crater, our guide told us that swimming is already not allowed in the crater (There are also signs indicating that swimming is not allowed). We also saw some boats that used to be rented out. One thing that displeased us upon reaching the lake was that we saw some foreigners swimming in the lake and the guides did not do anything about it.

 

Lake

Around 1 PM, after resting and eating, we decided to go back. It took a shorter time to get down compared to the going up. And we enjoyed the view once again.

Another view on the way up the crater

Upon arriving in Sta. Juliana, I went to the tourism office to get my receipt. Unfortunately, I only got a cash voucher. But what was important for me was the

breakdown of the expenses. We didn't wash up in the area since we had a hotel in Capas.

 

Overall, the trek was a good family bonding. It was not as tiring as the other mountains we've climbed so it was a good activity for our parents and their generation. However, it would be good if the guides were trained on not just helping during the trek but also on discussing history and facts about Mt. Pinatubo and the people.

 

Notes:

• Parking fee costs Php 50.00 per car
• Walking sticks are sold at the registration area for Php 20.00. It did help the others in the trek specially when crossing the creeks.
• Last chance to depart from the registration area is at 8:30 AM.
• The cost paid at the registration area already includes guide fee, however, a tip is not too much specially if the guide was helpful and really knowledgeable about Pinatubo.
• Immediately go to the crater upon arrival. It is better to rest there and eat lunch than to rest at the viewing area.
• The Sky Trail which only takes 30 minutes of trekking has not been available for 2 years now. The guide said that the way is still being cleared but he does not recommend it as it is a bit dangerous due to the very steep roads.
• Pinatubo Spa Town has been closed for over a year upon our arrival. The Korean that used to run the place is no longer there after the place was acquired by the government. Tsk tsk. We had our hopes of spending time here after our trek. *sigh*
• There are a number of guesthouses in Sta. Juliana for those who would want to spend the night there.
• It is good to have a contact from Sta. Juliana who can inform you if trips are cancelled due to the weather. Our contact person was Wendell: 0919 608 4313

Wakeboarding in Clark (DIY)

To beat boredom, me and my dormmates decided to go wakeboarding in Clark. To get there, just take a bus from Cubao going to Dau. For us we opted for the ordinary bus to save us a few pesos (Php 107.00) . You can always take an aircon bus (Php 139.00). From Dau terminal, walk towards Caltex gasoline station and take a jeep going to SM Clark (Php 8.00). Get off at SM terminal and look for the jeep bound for friendship (Php 8.00). Ask to be dropped off at the Friendship gate where you can take a tricycle (Php 30.00) to Deca or ride a jeep with an Angeles-Sapangbato route and ask to be dropped off at Deca. From there, you will need to walk around 150m to reach Deca gate and another 150m to reach the main building for registration. For their rates, you may visit their website: www.clarkwakeboard.com.

Pay the registration fee, leave your drivers license/deposit and have fun!

P.S. For first timers, they have a separate area where you can learn the basics of wakeboarding. When you're "good enough", you can then go to the "Big Pool" and  try the "real" wakeboarding. ^_^

After having fun, be ready for the body aches. ^_^

Here's a copy of the expenses (excluding budget for food):

Budget for Baler

When I was searching for other things to do in Baler other than surfing, the usual stuff was the city tour that would cover the Museo de Baler, Dona Aurora House, Ermita Hills, Baler church, Dimadimalangat ISlet, Daguisit Beach, Anao Islet, Cunayan Falls, Ditumabo Falls (Mother Falls), and Balete Tree. So when we got in Baler, we decided to visit most of these spots in one day to maximize our pay to the tricycle. Ofcourse, this is a do-it-yourself trip. :-)

Here is a suggested budget and itinerary for 4 persons: (Baler for less than Php 2,000.00)

Budget and Itinerary

Note that we visited Baler last 18-19, 2013 so it was still peak season so we didn’t have to reserve a seat since there were a lot of buses travelling from Cubao to Baler. Upon arrival, we were informed that there Joy Bus (which was a lot more expensive than the normal aircon bus) was already full. And that there were direct trips from Baler to Cubao but it will only be until 11AM in the morning so we opted for the Baler-Cabanatuan-Cubao route since we wanted to leave in the afternoon.

We booked at Pedervera since they were the only one who had an extra room to accommodate the four of us. They offer free pick up to and from the Terminal so that’s a saving of Php15.00 per way.

It can also be cheaper to cook you own dinner since Pedervera has a kitchen where you can cook and some utensils that you can borrow, but ofcourse, that would depend on your group’s number.

If you’re planning to visit Baler, you can contact Kuya Clifford for a Tricycle tour of Baler with a free tour guide and photographer: 0916 630 4022

I highly recommend that first time travellers to Baler take the Baler tour to maximize their time. The Mother Falls experience was really awesome as the hike was a great exercise and the water was soooooo cool and refreshing.

Here are some shots from our Baler Weekend Getaway

Mother Falls

The Balete Tree

On the way to Mother Falls

Surfing 101