Beauty in Madness

I am such a sucker for adventures that give me an adrenaline rush. 

Thus, if opportunities come knocking, expect me to be the first to widely open the door.

Joining our six-member squad composed of my twins; Elvie, a high school batchmate/kumare; Pogs, Paeng’s (+) partner and my good friend; and Zander, their ward, for my inaugural full trekking experience on October 20, I animatedly entered our transportation service. We would depart from Purple Farm at Brgy. Talaga, Capas, Tarlac City. This beloved second "home" in the Central Luzon region was our overnight accommodation on October 19. 

At 4:12am our host’s nephew drove us to the Mt. Pinatubo four-wheeling jump-off. The almost one-hour trip from Pogs and Paeng's residence before the break of dawn was enough reason to rouse my daredevil spirit. 

We arrived a few minutes past 5:00am in Brgy. Sta. Juliana, where our Sunday quest would kick off. Our group was initially subjected to the mandatory requirements. Pogs, Elvie and I had our blood pressure checked which was imperative for trekkers who were 40 years old and above. Hallelujah! I got a normal bp which surprised even myself. 

Prerequisites met, we waited for our turn to be endorsed to our tour guide. We all celebrated when our wish to be on a 4x4 open-back jeep was granted. Since the maximum number of trekkers for each vehicle was four but we were six, we had to be split into three's. Understandably anticipated, I had to be with my twins. Being their Nanay and the one who recruited them for this "risky" activity, I was liable to my husband whom I only informed a night before we left for Tarlac City. The angry emoticon in response to my message said it all: Pasaway ka! (You're stubborn!) So, I knew we all had to go home in one piece. *deeply breathes*

By the way, this division yielded a reasonable discounted price from Php 2,600 pax to Php 2,300 pax all because of Pogs' affiliation with the Ria Laxamana Travel and Tours owner. Each jeep was originally priced at Php 8k with four passengers so the fee would be Php 2k pax. In our case, we were only three per ride so the cost was a little higher.  

The ride on the paved road did not take long as the vehicle turned to a route which began a terrain that was all sand, big boulders and flowing streams. We braced ourselves for our jouncy ride which was estimated for roughly an hour to cover the 25-km distance to the trailhead. 

After travelling for 20 mins and indulging in the refreshing vast landscape, we stopped beside another 4x4 car to give assistance. It was a quick break that gave us these evocative photographs. 

Recommencing our rough ride, we were met by more scenic panorama. The canyon Toblerone in San Vicente, Bamban, Tarlac City was number one on the list. Nobody would continue with their journey without a photo-op at Toblerone, so named because of its semblance to the Matterhorn Mountain which is the logo of the well-loved Swiss chocolate brand.  

Photo credit: Pogs De Ocera 

With our sole objective of chronicling this must-visit attraction accomplished, our team returned to our respective jeep. After 40 mins we neared the trek's starting point in Burgos, Botolan, Zambales. 

As we approached the area, the two columns of parked 4x4 vehicles appeared like matchbox toys ready for a wild drag race on the lahar field. I found the sight pleasing to my frustrated action star senses. LOL. 

My sons and I immediately got off from our jeep, did some stretching to relax our slightly sore muscles from the bumpy ride, and waited for our tour guide to lead us in our morning’s challenging leg workout passing through stretches of sand, rivers, magnificent rock formations, and incredible mountainscape. Physically, we were all prepared. 

Among the novel episodes that popped up on our way to the crater, meeting these men and women in uniform  from the Balikatan exercise in Moraza, Botolan was top tier!

I grabbed this never-to-be-repeated circumstance by personally articulating my profound gratitude and admiration for these heroes.

The unexpected encounter with these cheerful and obliging AFP soldiers escalated our zest especially when we arrived on this mark. The signage was a powerful push!

Doing a ten-minute hike now, we advanced and reduced the distance from the crater. 

Then, I lagged behind to document part of the trail. 

Afterwards, these stone stairs briefly halted my strides and made me play Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" in my mind as I did my ascent. 

It served as a dramatic denouement of our six-kilometer trek. 

 

From the crater view deck, we saw several people near the lake. The younger twin inquired whether we wouldn’t be going down too and added that we'd be wasting our chance after traveling far if we wouldn't do it. Quickly, we went in motion and elevated our mission. 

This most awaited vis-à-vis with Mt. Pinatubo was a moment which I would never exchange for anything else. Up close no one would ever imagine the magnitude of the disaster brought about by her eruption. As she allowed us to commune with her, here she is in her very serene state and unrivaled beauty. I was intoxicated! 

With the transcendental experience we had at the crater, nobody whined when we took the steep uphill in going back to the view deck. We joined our fellow thrill-seekers who were resting before their return to base since tourists and park staff were only allowed there until 12:00pm. 

So a few minutes after 11:00am, we began our descent. Tarrying was a big NO for us since we had to be back in Manila for Monday work. Retracing our course to where we left our ride, we started feeling the hunger. Good thing there were makeshift stores along our route where some Aetas from the indigenous communities sold drinks and other easy-to-cook dishes. I bought some water for all of us and then didn't resist my childhood fave comfort food... H-O-T-D-O-G! My twin sons and Zander joined me. My pure joy was captured by Elvie’s camera. Imagine going through this Mt. Pinatubo trek for one hotdog? It's absurdity! Hahahaha...

I think it became my energy booster as it sustained my endurance and protected me from any body pains until we had our touchdown. *laughs*

Now, we're rarin' to finish the rollercoaster ride to Sta. Juliana to avoid a possible time constraint issue. To add, I didn't want to argue with the older twin who was our driver to and from Tarlac City in case we'd leave Brgy. Talaga late. However, we were all in agreement that we could do this four-wheeling and trekking over and over again. 

No finisher medal.

No finisher trophy.

No finisher shirt.

We did not need any entitlements for this triumph. Our sublime ecstasy was enough prize for the attainment of this beautiful madness. 

Prologue

I was the one who planned and pushed for the realization of this Mt. Pinatubo trekking in honor of my best friend Rafael "Paeng" Morada, Jr.. Before his sudden demise on December 25, 2022 we aimed to have this daring journey together. It would be my first, but it could have been his second with Pogs and Zander. 

Today, October 24, I dedicate this article to him as he celebrates his birthday in heaven. He has been dearly missed for no one has filled the void which he has left in my life…in our lives. 

October 24, 2022 @ 5:18pm 

October 25, 2022 @ 8:03am

Two videos source:

Pogs De Ocera