Test Drive: The C! boys in action.
Core of the Matter: The Suunto that we pounded during the trek.Together with Kookie Ramirez, AG Puyat and Kim Liu from sister publication C! Magazine, guys who were not hung over after several days of merrymaking, Calibre EIC Carl Cunanan and I buckled up in a Mitsubishi Strada 4x4 and left the metro at the crack of dawn. We were headed up North to rendezvous with the guys from Adventure Unlimited, who wanted to give us a taste of a different kind adrenalin boost than what we have been used to.
Making our way through the NLEX was a breeze. The group was chatting away about the comfortable ride afforded by our ride and the smoothness of the Strada’s new turbo-diesel powerplant when we chanced upon a Ford F-150 hauling a custom-made trailer loaded with quad bikes and what looked like a sand rail. As they stopped to load up on supplies at one of the many rest stops along the expressway, we got a chance to talk to Choc Alvarez, Joric Eleazar and Christian Panganiban, the friends who put together Adventure Unlimited.
What started out as a weekend endeavor among these three guys spawned about Manila’s first based ATV/Quad adventure tour which caters to the adrenalin junky who wants to experience serious fun, excitement, and face physical challenges. It began with one of them purchasing an ATV and each of them taking turns riding around on a farm just for fun and to release the tension that accumulated from their daily grind in the city. Soon, they each had their own machine and the joys of riding as a group became apparent. Stories of their off road adventures caught the fancy of other friends as well as the curious passersby who chanced upon them trailblazing on ATVs, which is still not very common in the Philippines. That is, until now.
With inquiries and referrals from friends increasing, the three entrepreneurs saw the opportunity to establish a different kind of adventures tour for those who want to take to the great outdoors yet do not want the hassle of owning and maintaining an ATV. According to Joric, they have had many satisfied clients who also eagerly await the other outdoor activities, not just on land mind you, that are currently being planned for the future. Before we look forward to that, let’s get through this adventure first.
Checkpoint: After making sure that there were no bombing runs scheduled, we unpacked the ATVs from their custom-built carrier.
The site for the day’s frolic in the sand was Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac. Situated in what used to be part of American occupied Clark Field, it was a vast, desert-like area that air force pilots used as a bombing range. When Mt. Pinatubo erupted almost two decades ago, the eruption unleashed a huge flood of lahar (volcanic mudflow) that blanketed an area around the volcano, including Crow Valley. Today, life has slowly trickled back to the area but much of the lahar remains. This is the perfect place to go max out on an All Terrain Vehicle. We also spot several other off-road enthusiasts pass our base camp on purpose-built 4x4s.
Gearing up for the ride, we were all issued safety helmets, goggles and riding gloves. After a short safety briefing by one of the guys from Adventure Unlimited on what to expect and do on the varying conditions along the trail (sandy, rocky and watery places each had to be traversed in a different manner), we were tasked to go around a makeshift driving range consisting of pylons placed around the immediate area. Once we got the hang of controlling our CVT-equipped quad bikes through a mixture of lahar and sand without our ATVs beached periodically, we crossed the valley’s river and followed our guide through the trail, the buggy with most of the team’s gear secured to its back. It was time to see what these babies can do.
We were given the green light to open up the quad’s throttles, save for the two river crossings that we had to negotiate to reach our first planned destination, the picturesque scenery of Lake Tambo (see Time Frame to have an idea of what the place looks like). And open them up, we did! Going through the dusty, twisting yet flat out trail, we tried to keep as close to each other as best we could. You could really feel the torque of these ATVs as their tires scrambled for traction on the desert-like surface that leads to the lake. After a while of going flat out, I decided to slow down and leave a small gap between quads. No amount of adrenalin could mask the amount of dust and fine sand that I was showered and pelted with.
Now I know what the troops serving in Iraq must feel like, except that I didn’t have to worry about snipers or IEDs. It was a welcome break for my thumb, which was beginning to ache from depressing the throttle to its stops.
Oasis: The team prepares to egress the lake to look for the MIA buggy and our all-important supplies.
After about seven kilometers of blazing away at the trail and wading the quads through another river (again, we were advised to keep a steady speed as water might get sucked into the intakes) we reached our destination. As we sat there awe struck at the serenity of Lake Tambo, we soon realized that the buggy was nowhere to be found. Since most of our gear (water, food, communication and photography equipment) was on it, we decided to double back after a protracted stay so as to avoid getting dehydrated. Drinking from the lake was not an option. Luckily, I had my camera strapped on me so I snapped a few pictures as soon as we got there.
Bogged Down Buggy: We found the buggy stranded a kilometer or two from where we started.We found the buggy stranded along the trail, about a kilometer or two from where we started, its engine refusing to start. It was towed back to where we set up camp and with no support vehicle to accompany us for the second leg of our day’s adventure, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon riding the quads near the base camp. No one missed the planned ride to Mt. Pinatubo’s base as the quads were slalomed, drifted and drag-raced till the fuel tanks were nearly emptied.
Soon, it was time to call it a day. As the quads and buggy were rolled into their custom trailer, we tried to get as much sand, lahar, dirt and other organic matter that had found its way to our aching bodies. No one was complaining though as this road trip was something we enjoyed immensely. We even vowed to try the other trail in Tanay, Rizal should the opportunity arise.
Hopefully, we get to go off-roading at Crow Valley again. I wonder how much lahar can an Impreza kick up?