The Day I Trekked Mt. Pinatubo

Thanks to V.E.S Travel And Tours, I was finally able to check “trek Mt. Pinatubo” off my bucket list. As I’ve mentioned in my previous post, we stayed overnight at V.E.S Food Resort and Villas. We were scheduled to leave the hotel by 5am and start making our way to the base camp by van. From there, a 4×4 land cruiser was waiting for us to take us to our off-road adventure across the rough terrain. The ride was definitely thrilling! I felt like a little kid riding a roller coaster, except I couldn’t open my mouth to shout because mud might splash on to my face and enter my mouth. (Forgive me but I’m not really curious how mud tastes. LOL!) According to our guide, the 4×4 ride used to be longer than an hour and the actual trekking only took 20-30 minutes. But because of Typhoon Ondoy and the damage it caused, 4x4s can no longer go further down the terrain. Tourists/visitors now have to walk by foot for around 2-3 hours (7km) to get to active volcano’s crater. I admit it’s a bit tiring but made so much fun by the right company and a little bit of music. We passed through sandy, slippery and rocky terrain and even crossed a few streams, but they’re nothing first-timers like me can’t handle. Plus, once I reached the crater and the lake, all the almost-but-not-quite accidents I made along the way were worth it. Take a look at my photos below and see for yourself!

For those of you who are planning to trek Mt. Pinatubo as well, here are my tips:

1. Ber months to February is the best time to schedule your tour because the weather isn’t scorching hot yet.
2. The bamboo sticks/hiking staff being sold at the base camp are actually helpful.
3. Bring food and drinks with you. You’ll see a few vendors selling drinks and cup noodles 1-2km away from the crater and at the crater area as well but prices are waaaaay to high.
4. Speakers with some rocking music blasting from your backpack is a good way to keep everyone’s spirits alive.
5. Wear trekking shoes. If you don’t have any, wear shoes that are okay to get wet. I wore Native shoes which are waterproof but because they have holes in them, sand and little rocks kept getting inside my shoes.
6. Bring a towel and extra set of clothes.
7. Arrange your tour with V.E.S. Travel and Tours!

Topshop cropped top | Forever 21 shorts | Giordano Concepts plaid shirt | Native shoes

97 Responses to “The Day I Trekked Mt. Pinatubo”
  1. Marcus

    Hi Camille! Can I use your photos for our magazine? Its only for our school project, and we are planning to make you the cover of our magazine project that we are making. Please? Hehehe, Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Allan

    #CasaHermogina #mountpinatubo #mountpinatubotours #mountpinatuboaccommodation #mountpinatuboguesthouse #pinatubotours #pinatuboguesthouse #anawangincove #nagsasacove

    Reply
  3. Shara Alcasid

    Hi Miss Camille where the exact place in Botolan po ang way nyo papuntang crater? Thank you

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      Oh gosh I have no idea what the places are called exactly. We just let them fix our itinerary :)

      Reply
  4. Benjamin

    thanks for the info will try it next time. will be going to Mt. Sipit Ulang & Payaran Falls coming tuesday

    Reply
  6. Jin

    Very nice shots. Thanks for sharing info and tips! Hopefully next weekend.

    Reply
  10. DerickMJ

    Nice Article,Especially the pictures.. great shots!.. what kind of camera and settings did you used if you don’t mind?. would like to know how to do shots like that.

    Thanks

    Reply
  11. Alisha

    without the little stones.
    Is native shoes a good choice for this hike?
    what other options for shoes?

    Reply
  12. Joh

    Hi camille. Great shots! :) what lens are you using for your a6000? Really admire the shots :) thanks

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      I think there are trekking sandals that would be suitable but the little rocks on your feet might get a bit annoying

      Reply
  15. Kae

    Hi Camille, this blog entry is nice! Do you happen to know how much 4×4 rides cost for a small group? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      You can inquire with them directly. Super affordable though :)

      Reply
  17. rhosie

    hi camille! thanks for sharing. Will definitely taking those advice..Soon we will be visiting this place and I’m excited. Wonderful shots
    btw..:)

    Reply
  18. athena

    You dont have makeup here? Wow you’re so beautiful and especially so fresh looking with your hair up!

    Reply
  19. claire

    cool pics camille. crazy beautiful you na movie ko ang naaalala ko with your pictures! do you like kathryn bernardo and have you met her na?

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      Oh gosh I haven’t seen it! And I haven’t met her as well but I love her!

      Reply
  20. joyner

    wow! ang tagal din pala no? pero mukang ang saya! nakalimutan ko ito itanong, sorry! are you only wearing stick ons or strapless? and curious ako, where’s your bag? haha! ikaw lang walang bag :D

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      Yup! Strapless. And yes, I have no bag. I divided my things and placed them in my friends’ bags haha! I’ve got nice friends :)

      Reply
  21. Clara

    It looks amazing! and you look great as usual :D
    Just wondering if native shoes are good choice for this hike? Do you get any blisters from it?

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      I did, because there were a lot of small stones around that went inside my shoes

      Reply
  22. joyner

    you said u leave your hotel by 5am, anong oras kayo nakarating sa crater? and what time kayo bumaba? thank you! :) ganda ng view, ganda ng outfit!

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      Oh gosh I can’t remember na but quicker syempre. We went down around 3pm :)

      Reply
  23. Katrin Tuano

    You’ll never really know the wonders of our country unless you explore it yourself no? Ganda. I have this misconception that only beaches and resorts are beautiful vacation spots but after seeing this wonderful creation of the Lord, I’m at awe. Ganda pala sa mga volcanos ganun haha and what interests me more is the 7km walk. imagine that cardio! Hahaha I bet you’ll lose weight after the trek hahah

    Reply
  25. Tanya

    You look great (despite hiking hahaha). What camera did you use for these photos? :D

    Reply
  26. maebs

    this one is so cool. I’m a fan of trekking. every summer I made it sure that I would have at least one.:)

    Reply
  27. Angelic Robles

    Congratulations on all these glorious experiences, Miss Camille! A climb like this is a historical memory for one’s heart and soul. I’m proud of you!

    That gorgeous blue lake is really a cannonball swim jump magnet. I saw the ‘no swimming’ and pouted about it for a few minutes. Then again, it’s a way of preserving it, keeping it pure and natural, which is also important since I think the lake should be part of the World Heritage sites.

    Thank you for the trekker tips you gave! I think I’d be that one girl with a lot of food and drinks in her backpack. What was it like at the crater’s edge?

    Oh, and I live how your messy bun went with the feminine lumberjack print you chose. It has an artistic feel to it. I can see you with a sketch book and charcoal pencils, all ready to capture that amazing scenery! :-)

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      Thanks Angelic! It was great when we finally got to the crater. It’s like, whew finally! We took our time there, exchanged stories, ate our snacks, took in the view :)

      Reply
  30. Barbara1923

    Waoh! the images are beautiful. It would be lovely to visit this. Lol, that’s a tall dream being I’m all the way in super tropical Nigeria. But seriously, an active volcano crater…..must have been a thrill.

    http://www.barbara1923.com
    Lagos, Nigeria

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      It was a thrill! :) Hopefully, if you do make your way to Asia, include this in your itinerary! :)

      Reply
  31. Mary Ann

    Talagang exposed ang legs! I’m a bit concerned but did you get insect bites Miss Camille? Or did you apply some insect repellant lotion? Yeah, trekking is really fun but beware of insect bites. My worst experience was when I got bitten by very tiny red insects (I was even wearing pants). My legs were burdened by very red itchy spots. Talagang yucky tingnan at matagal mawala. It took 3-4 months bago nawala ung marks. Simula nun, I avoided hiking or going to grassy places.

    Reply
  36. Ericka Garcia

    That place looks majestic! Philippines is not only limited to beaches but also to these beautiful volcanoes as well! :-) Love the photos. :)

    Love,
    Ericka Garcia

    Reply
  39. Clariss

    The only chance I got to trek was during our field trips haha but I really enjoyed those hard to pass through roads haha! But I think trekking in mt. Pinatubo is a little bot different so I’m gonna convince my family to go here haha! I really love your photos *heart eyes emoji* I know I should be staring at the view of the place but I kept looking at you! Haha you’re so pretty even with almost no makeup :) and that gorgeous body of yours wah!

    Too bad you’re not gonna have a talk in dlsu :( But I know that it’s not your fault :( I’ll say sorry also for being makulit and kept on asking you on twitter about that :( Well anyways, hope that you’ll enjoy your trip that day! :) and stay safe too :))

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      No no, don’t worry. I’m glad you asked :) Thanks Clariss! :) You should definitely try trekking! I’m sure iy’ll be a nice family bonding experience :)

      Reply
  44. Kay

    Oh my gosh Camille! I’m so happy you tried this kind of activity though I’m not a fan of hiking! Hahaha! But exploring more in our own country is what I’m secretly wishing you to do this year…well aside from beach hahaha! I really didn’t imagine you doing this! You really surprised me when you post a pic here! I’m sure a lot of people also think you’re not into this things but you proved us wrong! Hahaha!

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      I like to be active every now and then :) Plus the view is just super worth it!

      Reply
  45. Anne

    Aaah this looks amazing Cams! As I’ve told my friends before, I have always loved trekking/hiking activities. I don’t why I love the walking and adventure so much. LOL. I guess Mother Nature’s just too beautiful to ignore. Right? This one’s going to be on my Philippine bucket list! Thanks for the heads up Cams. I suggest you also try the Mambukal Falls hike in Bacolod. For beginners like me, it took us 3 hours to complete the trek up and down the 7 falls. You should try it with your friends too! But there’s no 4×4 ride though. More like a habal-habal ride… just like the one you took when you visited the Tumalog falls in Cebu!

    Anne’s Scribbles and Doodles

    Reply
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