Traveling for almost three decades as a journalist, Bicol has always been on my bucket list. I want to see the world-famous perfect-coned Mayon Volcano for myself up-close. But the nearest I could get to Bicol was a travel in Daet, Camarines Norte, more than 10 years ago. Thus, when the chance to travel to Albay finally came last year—through the invitation of the office of then Gov. Joey S. Salceda, the Daragang Magayon Festival Committee, and the local Department of Tourism—I readily grabbed the opportunity. In fact, I willingly shouldered the rebook of my fare ticket at P3,200+ because I came quite late and the Cebu Pacific staff who assisted me wasn’t good enough.
Anyway, I made it to the 12:30 p.m. flight, and that was the first time that I flew on a plane alone. Despite some glitches—including a 30-minute plane standby at Ninoy Aquino International Airport runway due to air traffic—I made it safe and sound at Legazpi airport, which gave me a glimpse of the majestic Mayon. It was broad daylight and the volcano’s cone is shrouded by thick clouds.
The Manila media and tourism team were billeted at Ninong’s and we had a hectic schedule in our itineraries for the next two days. Mayon Volcano is a towering beauty even seeing it only from the fringes of Legaspi City and Tabaco City, and towns of Camalig, Daraga, Malilipot and Santo Domingo.
To cut the story short on my close encounter with Daragang Magayon (beautiful lady in English, to which Mount Mayon has always been alluded to), our group were treated to an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) ride called Bicol ATV, which is near the Cagsawa Ruins.
The ATV is like a bigger version of go-kart but with big and wide tires to traverse boulder-filled river and the uphill climbs of Mount Mayon. Virtually no prior experience on riding four-wheeled ATVs is required. Everything is on the right handle—press a ledge to accelerate and retract another to brake. The engine doesn’t turn off, even at full stop.
Bicol Adventure ATV Manager Efren Gerona and his assistant, John, were on hand to welcome our group. We were all given a short briefing on the safety rules and some of us did a five- to10-minute practice ride and initial lessons on a mock trail along a rocky river track. This was to prepare us for the trail just in case we want to exchange place with the expert ATV driver so we can experience driving it by ourselves on the way to the volcano.
I chose not to practice because I knew I wouldn’t be comfortable driving one. Based on my past experience at Paoay Sand Dunes, it would be more enjoyable riding the ATV than driving it.
The Green Lava Wall Trail
There are countless paths and trails that Mayon Volcano offers and the trail pathfinders of Bicol Adventure ATV are continuously looking for new sites to develop. One of the trails they developed is the challenging Green Lava Trail 3 that is approximately 11 kms from the base and 3,000 feet above sea level of the 8,000 foot high volcano!
So we braced ourselves for a long river, sand, dust and rocks and boulders adventure challenge. It would take us around 2.5 to three hours to and from the 1968 lava wall located 2,500 ft. to 3,000 ft. above sea level in Barangay Miisi, Daraga.
We were informed that Green Lava Trail 3 is the highest trail offered via ATV in Albay. Bicol Adventure’s two competitors only traverse the Black Lava Trail, which reaches only the lava wall at 900 feet above sea level.
Driving from the bleak gray of the dried-up river, the scenery turned green as we entered and drove through a forest. The trees that surrounded us were a welcome relief from the heat and the breeze was cooler. The trail, however, produced more dust. The last part of the trail was the uphill climb to the Green Lava Wall along a much narrower and bumpier road with plenty of sharp curves before finally reaching the end of the trail, the now vegetated bed of lava that Mayon Volcano spewed during its 1968 eruption.
The stretch turned out to be 22-km long, round trip for the group. We started the trip almost at 5 p.m. so our adventure literally became a race against time as our seven or more ATVs ended going up at high speed even in uphill climbs. Apparently, our expert drivers who has been doing the lava trail for three years now, would like us to experience sunset up there at Green Lava Valley, the nearest we can get to Mount Mayon, which is included in the 6-km permanent danger zone radius. So we have the sunset on the left while seeing Mayon right in front of us.
What an exhilarating experience—the adrenaline rush of riding the ATV, a good view of the majestic sunset and close to kissing Daragang Magayon! What more can we ask for? My rebook fare was definitely worth it! (Fortunately, the tourism agency reimbursed my fare.) The scenery at 3,000 ft. above sea level is awesome! We are at a vantage point seeing the view of Albay Gulf, Misibis Bay, Legazpi City, the Third District of Albay in the west and, in the distance, the peak of Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon. I felt humbled and privileged to see God’s glory in his creations at that moment.
The trip going back would take another hour or so and it was getting dark at past 6 p.m. I worried myself, and for sure most of us in the media group worried, too, because it was already dark and there were only the ATV’s headlights to provide light to see the trail going back. The whole trail going back is engulfed by darkness.
To our amazement, the experts drivers still went to driving at fast pace. My group of four (we rode a bigger ATV) just have to stop at the start of the river trail, simply because another ATV’s headlight went out. We waited for a rescue ATV for the tandem rider, and the expert driver did the rest of the river trail, replacing our photographer as driver. Sooner than we think, we were back at the ATV terminal.
It was past 7 p.m. when we arrived at our starting point and, with great relief, we washed away the dust, mud and grime from our skin and hair—all proof of our great, tiring, yet challenging, adventure. We capped the day with a delicious dinner and a dessert of chili ice cream level 3!