Ford Endeavour: Ash It Is

Driving in the volcano ash region of the Philippines in the Ford Endeavour, Aka Everest

- Bob Rupani

Recently Ford had a SUV Experience event in the Philippines that consisted of taking an EcoSport through narrow backstreets to local markets, going fishing in the Ford Escape Kuga, driving on country roads in an Explorer and getting a massage at an eco-art resort! But the most interesting, and the reason I was there, was going off-roading in volcano ash in the Ford Endeavour that is known as the Everest in the Philippines.

Yes, the highlight of the Ford SUV Experience has to be the off-road driving we did in the “Pampanga Lahar Beds”. But what’s so special about this? One needs a little history lesson to appreciate this. In June 1991, the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century took place in the Philippines. It was Mount Pinatubo that erupted, killed hundreds and blew 10 cubic kilometres of ash, stone, etc. into the air. The massive ash falls destroyed everything around.

Now this region has become a popular off-road driving destination. Simply because, when the combination of sand, volcanic ash and rainwater mix, it results in a thick and sticky moving substance known locally as ‘lahar’. These lahars are really gluey, and it’s a real challenge to drive on this wet quicksand-like stuff.