(Also known as the
Executive Trail)
Taal Volcano is one of my 2015’s
bucket lists. So I’m glad, finally, after so many weeks of waiting in vain,
I’ve witnessed the splendid crater of Taal Volcano :)
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Photo taken by Richard Pazo
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Taal volcano with its lake-filled 15x20 km wide Talisay
(Taal) caldera is a beautiful caldera volcano, but also one of the most active
and dangerous volcanoes of the Philippines. Taal has had some of the country's
largest and deadliest eruptions: At least 6 eruptions during the recorded
history of Taal since 1572 claimed fatalities, mostly from powerful pyroclastic
flows, as well as tsunamis produced in the Crater Lake.
The Taal
caldera is largely filled by Lake Taal, whose 267 sq km surface lies only 3 m
above sea level. The maximum depth of the lake is 160 m, and contains several
eruptive centers submerged beneath the lake. All historic eruptions took place
from the 5-km-wide volcanic island in the northern-central part of the lake.
The island
is formed by overlapping stratovolcanoes, cinder cones and tuff rings (maars).
Historic eruptions have seen the constant change and growth of the island.
Taal caused
one of the worst volcano disasters in history: its eruption in 1911 killed 1334
people and caused ash fall as far as Manila city. Due to its devastating
potential, Taal was declared one of the "Decade Volcanoes" in the
Decade Volcanoes program of the 1990s in order to incentive study and
monitoring of the volcano. Taal is today one of the most closely monitored
volcanoes in the region. An increase in seismic activity under Taal was
recorded in November 2006, followed by an increase in hot water springs in the
crater in April 2007.
THE
PARTICIPANTS (also known as Ka-Share with Expenses :P)
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FROM L-R
Richard Pazo (Colleague from Current Job), Noel Catilo (Husband of my TwinSisBestFriend), Krystel Batiller-Catilo (My TwinSisBestFriend), Ryan Jade Santarin (Colleague from Previous Job, Travel Buddy and Business Partner) and Noel Reyes (Elementary Schoolmate and Climbing Buddy)
HOW TO GET
THERE (Our DIY Itinerary)
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- 0400 : Meet everyone at JAM LINER Buendia (rode bus to Tanauan City)
- 0500 : ETD Tanauan (ask conductor to drop you off @ Talisay Batangas Jeepney Terminal)
- 0630 : ETA Tanauan (right side. No need to cross the street)
- 0700 : ETD Talisay
- 0730 : ETA Talisay, meet Kuya Angelo (the boatman contact from Soriano IV)
- 0740 : ETA Soriano Boat Resort
- 0800 : ETD Taal, settle expenses
- 0820 : ETA Taal
- 0830 : Start Trek
- 0930 : End Trek – View Deck
- 1000 : Descent
- 1030 : Back to Resort
- 1050 : Resort – Wash up -- Bid Goodbye :P
- 1100 : Happy Hour – either you can trek Mt. Maculot (Cuenca, Batangas) or Mt. Batulao (Nasugbu, Batangas) or go home straight :P
EXPENSES
(for 6 pax) = PhP 700.00 (without meal)
- 96.00 : Pasay to Tanauan (JAM Bus)/head
- 26.00 : Tanauan to Talisay (Jeep)/head
- 10.00 : Talisay Terminal to Soriano Resort (Trike)/head
- 1500.00 : Boat Rental (back and forth)/group – 250/head
- 500.00 : According to Kuya Angelo, it is mandatory/group – 84/head
- 50.00 : Entrance fee/head
- 50.00 : Boat Parking fee
- 10.00 : Soriano Resort to Talisay Terminal (Trike)/head
- 28.00 : Talisay to Tanauan (Jeep)/head
- 96.00 : Tanauan to Pasay (Bus)/head
TIPS (and
things to bring)
- At least 1L of water (sari-sari store is present in the area)
- Baon! Packed lunch, trail food etc
- Camera
- Face Mask (if you’re allergic to dust)
- Hat, Towel, Umbrella, Sunblock (something related to summer :P LOL)
- Waterproofing by default (gadgets, clothes, kikay kits, etc)
- Medicine Kit
- Horseback Riding is Optional (ranges from 300-600 : depends on how you haggle)
MEET THE BOATMAN – Angelo (+639197280514/+639273842398)
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| Photo Courtesy: Veronica Cabailo Tibon’s Facebook Account (Kuya Angelo’s wife) |
AHA MOMENTS
@ TAAL VOLCANO
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All my life, I thought this is the crater of Taal
Volcano – no it’s not. This cone shaped structure is Binintiang Malaki, one of the 47 craters found on Taal Volcano Island.
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