With its turquoise and emerald placid waters, the majestic view of the 800-meter deep lake found in the caldera at the summit of Mt. Pinatubo will make any visitor forget the three-hour traverse on rough terrain that is required to get there. One can only be amazed at how a destructive force of nature can produce something so breathtakingly beautiful. Despite the aftermath of the volcanic eruption in 1991 and its staggering impact on the environment as well as the global climate, the crater lake became a popular destination for trekkers more than a decade later.
Day trekkers, who are either in it for the bragging rights or the change from the usual forested mountains, would roll in as early as 7 am on any given day. They start their journey with an hour-long dust bath through a dry, stony river valley by 4x4 jeeps and then continue on foot in the searing heat. There is no comfort in this wilderness of sand and pumice rocks, steep lahar hills, and orange-streaked sulfur streams, yet the visual intensity created by the sky and sparse greenery would surely keep the photo-lovers engaged.
Only a few people do realize that Mt. Pinatubo is mercurial as much as it is approachable.
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