I was really impressed with this attraction. Our tour group PinayKeyPoint picked us up from our hotel at exactly 6am. We then rode on a 4x4 truck via the most fantastic sights and vistas. Once we reached the riverbed, we then hiked for about 3 hours through rain forests, canyons and rivers... It was fantastic. The last leg of the trek was so tiring but once you reach the crater lake, your excitement overcomes your tiredness. The view up there is stunning. You can swim on the lake or rent a boat. Our tour group brought us lunch and drinks. It was great! I am reccomending our tour group PinayKeyPoint. Please call them. I don't usually advertise for other organizations (check my other posts) but in this case, the service I receive was fantastic that I do not mind advocating for them. Please google them...

About the scenery and the Mount itself you will find plenty of tips elsewhere.
here i want to promote and thanks the Tripinas agency for their professionalism. which is sooo rare in the philippines.

during the preparation phase, i received all the information i needed incl. quick and precise answers to my questions. the big + was to get a daily update rdg the tropical storm (RIP Mindanao victims).
during the all day, the management was running very smoothly that make the trip very nice.

the only -:( ..... a crazy driver (who push and release, push and release, push and release... constantly the pedal grrrr) who speed even under the rain -

so if you want to do the trip, do not hesitate to contact Tripinas, they know what they re doing

we conquered Mt. Pinatubo last November 12, 2011!
we met up in Mcdonald's Q avenue at 3am
took off 30minutes after and arrived in tarlac by 6am.
we rode our 4x4's at around 630. the ride was aaawwsoome.
It was the highlight of my day. The view was spectacular and the
experience all in all was PRICELESS. :)
We started trekking at around 8am.
We trekked towards the crater for 2 and a half hours
under the heat of the sun, took a dip in the cooooool waters of the crater
for an hour and a half and trekked back towards our
4x4's by around 1pm.
It was a long trek, parts of the river had strong currents,
i gained a blister, burnt my skin, had a few scratches and
now currently suffering from shoulder and leg muscle pain.
But it was indeed WORTH IT.

If you like 4 Wheel Drive and a true outdoor person who likes to walk on uncharted paths, and ready to hike in tropical rainfalls , this is the place to go. You should be ready to cross the knee deep streams. If you do all these, you get to see a wonderful blue water lake in the crater where you can swim. When you return, you have lunch at Pinatubo Spa and if you want ( you will certainly need it ) have a good massage for 500 peso for 1.5 hours. Great value. Couple of tips.
1. Go with guide. A must.
2. Must have sandal. Shoes don't work as you pass through many streams.