Pursuing Pinatubo

'A good friend listens to your adventures. A best friend makes them with you.'

Mt. Pinatubo Dayhike 
Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac
January 21, 2017

To those who want to do a Pinatubo dayhike via Sta. Juliana, Capas, be prepared. Prepare for the adrenaline and exhausting 4x4 vehicle ride, prepare for countless river crossing, and lastly, be prepare to the high cost of fees and everything they sold and offer there. The P 700.00 fees collected in the Botolan area is too high, the cold soda sold in the crater cost was also too much. A 500 ml soda cost P 100.00. Yes, I am serious. Even the shower fee was high compared to the usual P 20.00 they collect from other mountains I had been to. 

I was not at all amazed upon seeing the crater lake. I guess it could have been more beautiful five or ten years ago. But now, I think it lost its grandeur. But there are still a lot of local and foreign tourists going there. I went there just to say that I have been to Pinatubo which is near my home town. The main reason I went there was to see and experience what Pinatubo had to offer. The people are nice, our guide was reliable and accommodating, and our 4x4 driver was the best. The problem I see here is the motive of the LGU especially on the Botolan side. They should justify their collection of the P 700.00 fee for the benefit of the tourists and hikers going there. The Capas trail is the easiest way to get to Mount Pinatubo but it proved to be the most expensive compared to the Zambales and Delta 5 trails.

Although I am a native of Tarlac I don’t want to give false hope about how worthy and beautiful Pinatubo is to those who want to go there. I don’t recommend going there especially if you're on a tight budget and want value for your money. Your 2,000 bucks could get you to more worthy destinations. Why not try and head north instead? You might want to consider going to Pulag, Sagada or Vigan perhaps? They’re mainstream destinations but your hard earned money will go a long way and the long trip will all be worth it and rewarding enough. But if money is not an issue to you, go ahead and go to Pinatubo even just for the experience. Moreover, if you’re looking for more adventure, you might want to pursue Pinatubo via the Delta 5 trail which requires 2 days hike commencing in Porac, Pampanga.

After contemplating on all the expenses I had incurred in going to Pinatubo, I realized that I should still be thankful for all the experience. Besides that, I accomplished something that I really wanted to do for a long time. Opportunities began pouring in after my Pinatubo hike with my friends. It was enough reasons to cover up for all my initial frustrations in conquering this mountain. To be honest, I harbor no regrets in pursuing a Pinatubo hike; rather, I was grateful because I was able to spend time with people close to me. Hiking with friends is the most enjoying and rewarding experience of all. In the end, nothing matters most but the moments you spend with the people you love.





































































































Itinerary:

04:00 AM  Meet up at RGH
05:00 AM  ETD Tarlac City to Capas
06:00 AM  ETA Capas. Breakfast
06:30 AM  ETA  Brgy. Sta. Juliana/Tourism Office. Registration
07:00 AM  Board 4×4 vehicles to jump-off point
08:00 AM  End-of-the-road; start of trek to Pinatubo crater
10:00 AM  ETA Pinatubo crater. Explore. Photo ops
11:30 AM  Lunch
12:00 NN  ETD Pinatubo crater to jump-off point 
02:00 PM  ETA jump-off point. 4x4 ride back to Sta. Juliana/Tourism Office
02:45 PM  Arrival at Sta. Juliana/Tourism Office. Tidy up.
04:00 PM  ETD to Tarlac City
05:00 PM  ETA Tarlac City 

 CONTACT INFORMATION:

 Mr. Rojan Santos
Booking Coordinator
Capas Tourism Office
0949-123-9685

 NOTE: This post is undergoing editing.

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