kung hei fat choi Taal

I came across an event from team PUSH IT going up to Taal Volcano. I've seen Taal Volcano for a number of times but have never seen its crater lake. Then, I immediately have myself listed for the event. And thus my research about Taal began.

"Taal Volcano is a complex volcano located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.[1] It is the second most active volcano in the Philippines with 33 historical eruptions. All of these eruptions are concentrated on Volcano Island, an island near the middle of Taal Lake. The lake partially fills Taal Caldera, which was formed by prehistoric eruptions between 140,000 and 5,380 BP.[2] Viewed from Tagaytay Ridge, Taal Volcano and Lake presents one of the most picturesque and attractive views in the Philippines.[3] It is located about 50 km (31 mi) south of the capital of the country, the city of Manila.

The volcano had several violent eruptions in the past causing loss of life in the island and the populated areas surrounding the lake, with the death toll estimated at around 5,000 to 6,000. Because of its proximity to populated areas and its eruptive history, the volcano was designated a Decade Volcano, worthy of close study to prevent future natural disasters. All volcanoes of the Philippines are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire."( EXCERPTS FROM WIKI - FULL ARTICLE HERE  )"

An active volcano? Seriously ??  One of the most active and potentially destructive volcanoes in the Philippines, WOW! It can be a first-class thrill, it adds more excitement to me to successfully conquer taal crater.

I always say that hiking is a fun, calm, serene, educational and contemplative experience. But most of the time, hiking is about the thrill, reaching new and death-defying heights make life more exciting. And with what Taal volcano has to offer, SURELY there is plenty opportunity to test my limits.

02/19/2015

​Wake up at 2 am with excitement of climbing an active volcano.

6 AM

I meet the rest of the group (17 heads to be exact) - a heavy breakfast at Volet's Gotohan, then a 20 mins ride going to Tagaytay, then from "rotonda" you'll pass by a downward slope drive, a steep road with a width just good for two cars and with blind curves everywhere.  Scary? Dangerous?  Well, not really, Sir Geno is really good in driving (thanks so much for the ride sir).

This is it!  I was in! But is this what was I in for? Hmmm....

By the way i have some confessions to tell, all the while i have this belief that taal volcano and its only crater is the one seen from tagaytay ridge, and from history textbooks or classroom lectures and from images that we receive from television and stories wayback childhood days are mostly MISCONCEPTIONS. Sir Geno told us that what was usually referred to as Taal Volcano, as seen from Tagaytay IS NOT really Taal volcano nor its crater. Probably the most common misconception about Taal Volcano is the volcano itself. Shockingly, when I was told where Taal volcano really is i was in disbelief. The cone shape crater i've known is not Taal volcano, it is just one of its old crater named Binintiang Malaki, one of the 47 craters found on Taal Volcano Island. Taal Volcano is actually the "big" island beside it. This is why taal is referred to as "the island on a lake in an island on a lake in an island". Sorry but you can't see the actual crater from Tagaytay Ridge.

8 AM

Arrived at San Roque's Resort for some last minute preparation, then proceeded immediately to PhilVolcs observatory for an educational briefing about Taal volcano. Visiting the observatory is part of our IT to get to know Taal Volcano first from the resident volcanologists monitoring the behavior of this dreaded volcano ( Again thanks to Sir Geno who made the arrangement, by the way he works for PHILVOLCS ). At the observatory photo exhibits and documentaries about volcanoes are shown. It is a great introduction for taal and is the best place to go to get up close and get educated with the beautiful but dangerous volcano. By the way the resident volcanologist inform us that the volcano is on alert level one. Terrified? Worried ? NO!! in fact it added more thrill! I know it feels daunting and terrifying hiking taal and the idea of it erupting anytime but HEY When you force yourself to face any fear-inducing adventure, your self-esteem goes up, and your self-respect increases. You will eventually reach a point where you are not afraid of anything. Anyways PHILVOLCS give us a go signal, so why waste this opportunity?

After a quick educational visit at PHIVOLCS OBSERVATORY  we head back to the resort for final briefing before the trip begins. We met our guides and our boatmen  and there is a buzz between the group as we are doing last minute checks of all our packs. Yehey! Then a 30-minute boat ride take us to Barangay Alas As which is the starting point of our trek to the crater.

After the smooth boat ride we finally reach Alas As, we were assisted by some local kids going off the boat. From the community our 1 hour trek going to the crater started.

The trail is not too steep, but it is too dusty. The dust were so unbearable so i highly suggest to bring a face mask - good thing i have mine- Stopping along the way regularly for drinks and photo opportunities is a MUST. I also recommend to bring an umbrella with you, its a big help especially when the sun is out.

After almost 1 hour we reached the part where taal crater is visible - few minutes of rest - and 15 more minutes descent to the crater - we finally reached our destination. Nothing compares seeing the crater up close in its entire splendor.

Reaching the crater felt quiet surreal, i'm inside an active volcano now! even though Taal has not erupted for over 38 years i could not help but think to myself "imagine if it did now". Now I understand why Taal Volcano is a volcano within a lake within a volcano.

I was surprised to see how big the crater was - and the big advantage with the Alas As trail is that you get to explore the crater and we were able to dip into its water - some actually swim - The Crater Lake is high in sulfuric content and is known to have medicinal properties, and it is good for swimming - which my legs were grateful for it.

The first 15 minutes at the crater was pleasant, but few more minutes later it becomes slightly drizzly. Then the sky cleared up just in time for our traverse to Mt. Tabaro. Depending on your pace, the traverse to Mt Tabaro can take 1 – 2 hours. If it were not for the prior outings and extreme fatigue this would be little more than a walk in a park.

The thrill of climbing a volcano is incomparable and trekkers doing it in Taal are rewarded with some of the most spectacular views. Playing a huge role in history and in the daily life of the people, especially near the crater, these volcanoes can be deadly and remain fascinating objects that will continue to attract hikers.