Gearing Up for Mt. Pinatubo

Things to Bring:

• Hiking shoes or sandals (if you will be crossing the river, I suggest you bring sandals)
• Cap and Head Gear (to cover your nose if you are to ride 4X4… It gets dusty during summer or if it did not rain…) you can get this at a cheaper price in SM malls under accessories area, I got mine for Php  75. You can find some good stuff in Divisoria too price range 75 - 150.

• Shades or Eye Protector (same reason as above)
• Sunscreen
• 2-3 liters of bottled water
• Energy bars
• Comfortable hiking shorts or pants
• Comfortable clothes
• Arm sleeves or biker’s sleeves

• Extra clothes
• Earth mat or blanket which you can use once we are at the peak
• Jacket (Van’s AC might get too cold)
• Pillow
• Hiking Bag (make sure that you don't bring too heavy stuff because we are just having a day tour)
• Extra Money
• Camera or Camcorder to capture your memories
• Patience and appreciation

Enjoy and see you!

Mt. Pinatubo Climb Itinerary

All is set for our Mt. Pinatubo climb. We are short of hikers but we are still gonna push through.

For those who wanted to know what can we do on Mt. Pinatubo... check out this itinerary:

Tour date: Saturday 24 January 2015

Tour type: Public/shared group tour

Tour cost: Php2090/person

INCLUSIONS

·         round trip aircon van transfer (Manila-Pinatubo base camp-Manila)

·         round trip 4x4 wheel drive adventure

·         local guide

·         conservation fee

·         certificate of conquest

·         assistance of a tour coordinator from team TRIPinas (we trek with our clients)

Optional add-ons :

Shower at the base camp: Php50

Boat ride on the crater lake: currently unavailable

ITINERARY

0230 Meet up (McDonalds El Pueblo in Ortigas area near Megamall)

·         Make sure to have your breakfast and buy your packed lunch and water

·         Meet the tour coordinator - Pay your balance – Orientation - Sign the waiver form

0515 ETA Brgy. Sta. Juliana (base camp)

0530 to 0630 Board 4×4 vehicles.

0730 Start trekking (around 2 hours walking using the old way)

0930 ETA at the crater of Mt. Pinatubo.

Relax, photos, lecture, lunch (at clients' account)

1130 Start return trek (around 2 hours walking using the old way)

1330 Back to the 4x4s.

1430 Back at base camp. Freshen up

1530 Departure from the base camp to Manila.

1730-1830 (depending traffic) ETA Manila

A Refreshing Treat After a Long-Tiring-but-Enjoying Hike...

There is nothing good but to quench your thirst with anything that is cold and refreshing.

We had our BUKO Juice or Coconut Juice from Kuya Marcelino for Php. 20 only. Amazingly this is our treat after we reached the other end of Mt. Talamitam...

Ganito po uminom ng BUKO Juice... - Rhose

One Saturday Hike at Mt. Talamitam - Batangas (Paakyat)

Everyday I work. Everyday I get to taste the pollution of the metro from its noise to its breathe. Sometimes all you need is to escape from your normal world, thus, a Saturday hike to Mt. Talamitam in Batangas is a quick drive out of the city to give yourself some break.

It's time to unwind and do a cheap hike...

Rhose was the one who made the plan and did some research for our next climb, a supposedly twin hike, was just made as half-day hike because we have not have enough time to train and prepare our body before the hike. Mt. Talamitam is said to be a beginners trail but we have feared the lose soil and crumbly sloppy up-trail of the mountain. I now call this place the "Be-be-bente Place"

We started our trip from Coastal Mall taking a bus to Kilometer 83 in Batangas for Php 120.00 (Air-Condition/AC Bus). It took about 2 hours before we arrived at Km80. As we have disembarked we already saw some hikers (the 8.3 km trail run group... ahem Rhose get that bamboo pole ready...) in front of a store having Sopas with Egg for breakfast for Php 20. We too then took some to fill our stomachs and bought a liter of mineral water, signed at the registration area (pay 20 Pesos again), and waited for our guide. 

As the guide approached as (Tophet was on the phone just had some emergency call to make) we had prepare ourselves for a 1 1/2 to 2 hour hike to the peak. We first had encountered a downhill paved trail where our guide, Kuya Rene Nazareno, told us that the hut (which is somewhat artistic) was owned by the previous coordinator for hikers in their Barangay. We also saw some posters for the trail run competition which means this trail should really be easy (BEGINNER... as some blogsite says) so we have considered to mindset an easy trail. To surprise us not... it was not as we have expected. 

The whole hike must have been rated as beginner because it was short but the trail to the mount have some difficult course in it. Though the whole experience before going to the peak was really superb from the trail to the magnificence of what Batangas and the mountainous Philippines could offer. 

We saw a horse sleeping on a backyard and we proceed to our hike.

 

Before the downhill....

 

A river runs beside the bamboo fence giving a refreshing view for those who were tired of the city life.

 

 

 

We went up where there are trees and lead to the grassland. Rested and continued to climb. We were at the camping site when we starting to rest for a while and enjoyed the view of Batangas and the mountain just across Talamitam, the Mt. Batulao.

6 frames of 360 shot before continuing our hike - stitched... I did on my Nikon... I did not set my panorama...
(lazy song playing on the background...hahaha)

At long last we have reached the peak and did Nature Appreciation and ate a Php 30.00 icecream on stick ( I had the buko with monggo while Rhose and Tophet had their cheese flavor)

TAMARAW reached the PEAK of Mt. Talamitam!

si Kuya Rene Nazareno na tubong Bicol...