Taal Hike
A few of my friends and I decided to hike the famous Taal Volcano with some of the students from the University of the Philippines Geology classes. We left UP at around 5:30 in the morning, and reached the PhilVolcs Talisay Monitoring center by 8:00am. After a few educational talks on Taal, we went to board on the boats to one of the several islands.
Permanent settlement in the island is prohibited by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology or PHIVOLCS because of its activity and the signs of increased volcanic activity its been showing in the recent decades. The whole island has been declared as a high-risk area and a Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ). Despite this, many people still choose to live inside the craters. Surprisingly, the island actually covers around 23km sq. and is made by around 47 overlapping cones and craters.
Vulcan Point, the projected mould the surface of the crater lake was the remnant of the old crater floor that is now surrounded by the the Main Crater Lake. It is known to be the world’s largest island within a lake on an island within a lake on an island.
Unlike most tourists, we went here on a budget so we did not ride the horses. If you are planning to go this route, please pack light, bring an umbrella, a first aid kit, a lot of water and food. It’s highly advisable though that you do not leave any wrappers or trash on your hike, as the locals are very particular with maintaining the cleanliness of their tourist destination.
The hike is a bit difficult on foot, as there will be a lot of uphill and downhill climbs which will be particularly difficult when it rains. It is best to always have guides accompanying you and be wary of where you step. I guarantee though that the view is spectacular and would be very much worth the trek!
Here’s the viewpoint that you reach before going down to the crater lake!
Unfortunately, we did not swim inside the crater lake along with the rest because we had to watch over our things. The water was lukewarm, and you could see steam lifting from the ground across the lake.
This is me with the first aid kit that we ended up using more than once after the more intense hike (which I will post pictures of some other time) was over. It was a three hour hike more from when this picture was taken that took us across a long field, and black sand hills.
Strangely enough the island was filled with very tall Cogon grass. It had worried me at some degree because of the incredibly invasive nature this specie has, but I have little knowledge on the dynamics of species in this environment so I just contented myself with the fact that it hashad a history of being used to help prevent soil erosion.
I found it beautiful that the land seemed virtually untouched enough despite it being a hiking trail. However, without a companion you can easily get lost.
It was pretty hard to climb the sand. The sinking feeling of every step is a great leg workout. I have a hilarious video of my friends racing upwards and falling over while trying to get up the sand.
It was pretty cool how the locals made a conscious effort to plant more trees. I’m pretty excited to come back here in a few years to see how much the vegetation will change.
Over-all, it was good trip. It’s not that difficult of a trail, mostly flat and manageable without needing too much grabbing. The price of the hike is indirectly proportional to the number of being you will be hiking with, so be sure to bring with you a lot of friends when you take on this challenge. It is also advisable to book your trip in advance as to not be overcharged on the day itself. The view is still very beautiful and it very much worth the effort of going there.
