When we talk about mountains in the Tarlac and Zambales areas in Central Luzon, the most popular would definitely be Mount Pinatubo, the volcano which violently erupted way back June 1991.
Several years after this unfortunate incident, Pinatubo is now one of the most sought-after hiking destinations for tourists, wherein it only takes two hours to reach the summit.
Lo and behold, there are still several mountains in this region, which only those who research more would be able to conquer.
Last May 31, 2014, we trekked Mount Telakawa, located in Capas, Tarlac. This was our story.
Billed as the next best thing along Crow Valley next to Pinatubo, Telakawa is the alternative mountain destination for visitors who are up to a more extreme hiking challenge.
Departing at around past 3:00 AM from our assembly place at ETON Centris, EDSA, Quezon Coty, we arrived at the Sta. Juliana, Tarlac jump-off point, which was also the same starting area for Pinatubo trekkers.
After signing registration papers (Php 50.00 registration fee) and waivers as well as hiring a guide, we started trekking at 7:00 AM, starting at a well-paved road then onto the wide lahar terrain of Crow Valley.
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| Departure from Jump-off Point |
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| Entering Crow Valley |
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| Trudging Lahar Land |
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| Entering Sitio Dalig |
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| Barbed Fence near Sitio Dalig |
At around 8:00 AM, we all arrived at the Aeta Community area in Sitio Dalig.
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| Aeta Community |
After around 20 minutes of uphill climbing through a forested area with gradual ascent, by turning your back, you would now be awed by the lahar landscape from way below.
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| Going Uphill |
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| Banana Time for Cramp Prevention |
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| Crow Valley at the Background |
We then reached a nipa hut where goats were being pastured. We took a breather here as we could now view from a distance our target destination…ang layo pa pala!
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| Resting with the Goats |
At 11:20 AM, I reached the summit of Mount Telakawa after a grueling steep ascent. It was sooo hot!
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| Summit at 630 Metres Above Sea Level |
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| Group Shot at the Summit |
You could now marvel at a much larger lahar landscape of Crow Valley. What a sight!
We started descending at 12:00 NN as we trudged a very steep downhill path.
After eating our lunch along the trail, as well as refilling our water containers from a deep well, which serves as the community’s water source, we arrived at the jump-off point at 4:00 PM.
Guide fee was Php 700.00 for a two-guide rate for 6-10 pax.
Again, there are a lot of mountains to conquer in the Zambales and Tarlac regions.
Research well coz there is a whole lot more than the famous Pinatubo to set foot on.
Explore Pinas!
