Like what most millennials would say, “I’m G” all the time for an adventure. It just so happens that in recent years, most of my travels have taken me to explore every nook and cranny of new cities—urban and quaint towns, and isolated islands to boot. The mountains, where I first found my love of the great outdoors when I joined the UST Mountaineering Club back in college, had taken a backseat.
Getaway to Adventure at Mt. Gulugod Baboy
Excuses ranging from "not enough camping gear" and “my sneakers won’t cut it” to simply having a lackluster stamina had me preferring long walks over paved roads and fine white sands far more often than steep trails leading to marvelous peaks. This year, though, something changed. As I started a new physical fitness routine that strongly involves cardio training, I decided to formally rekindle my passion for mountain climbing once again.
As if the heavens heard my plans, an exciting opportunity to join the team from Merrell and Trail Adventours, Inc. on a hiking trip practically fell onto my lap. The trip’s main goal was to trail test the newly released MOAB 2 hiking shoes.
Many hiking enthusiasts are highly familiar with the first MOAB line. I had personally used it on many trips before, and it reliably lasted my feet for more than four solid years. This is exactly why being sent out on a writing assignment to officially try out the new MOAB on a great outdoor jaunt was a solid check for an awesome day.
1. Chill Hike to Mt. Gulugod-Baboy
Situated beautifully in Anilao, Batangas, and officially rated a 2/9 for difficulty, Mt. Gulugod Baboy requires roughly two to three hours of hiking at the most. This relatively easy mountain, offering breathtaking views overlooking Balayan and Batangas Bay, might be nothing to write home about for hardcore mountain climbing junkies. However, its varied trails effectively provide a very good preview of what to expect at other, more demanding peaks across the Philippines.
The steady hike toward the top had the soles of my feet negotiating a distinct transition of trail conditions consisting of loose soil, rocky terrain, and a steep grassy hill. These mountain elements are more than enough to properly trail test your new foot hardware.
Named as such because the distinct curve of its peak and neighboring hills visually evokes the shape of a pig's spine (Gulugod ng Baboy), it is actually a part of the slightly higher Mt. Pinagbanderahan and is widely considered one of the absolute favorite day-hike destinations of casual hikers nowadays.
Likening perfectly to the Get Away to Adventure campaign of Merrell, the winding path to the mountain’s peak presents an ideal, accessible escape from the looping, toxic big city life. An idyllic scene greets you at the trails leading up to the hilltops. Grazing farm animals, along with a number of varying coastal tree species, load up the beautiful scenery along its quiet paths.
The lawn-covered peak is comfortably sizable enough to pitch half a dozen tents and offers a sweeping, unobstructed 360-degree view of verdant hills and the twin bays of Balayan and Batangas. A short visual distance away, one can clearly spot Sombrero Island almost floating peacefully along the blue horizon where the seas meet the sky.
2. Wearing Merrell’s MOAB 2
While our hike was admittedly brief, it easily afforded me enough time to rigorously test this new foot hardware from Merrell. As an avid, long-time user of the brand, I already knew exactly what to expect, but the new MOAB still genuinely surprised me with its impressive added features.
MOAB stands for ‘Mother of All Boots’—and for it to proudly earn that bragging right, it has to meticulously meet the strict standards of modern hikers (both newbies and veterans) in these key categories: comfort, fit, waterproofing, breathability, and heavy traction.
Using it for at least four rigorous hours hiking up and down Mt. Gulugod Baboy, I deeply felt my feet right at home with the MOAB 2 in terms of pure comfort. It warmly reminded me of my trusted previous Merrell shoes. Breathability and traction essentially go hand-in-hand here, as I felt my feet having more than enough space to wiggle inside, while at the same time giving me the absolute confidence in smoothly stepping over even the most loosened soil and jagged rock sections of the steep trail. The renowned Vibram TC5+ sole clearly did its job.
The weather was notoriously hot and dry during our initial climb, so I wasn’t able to thoroughly test the waterproofing feature of the MOAB 2. During my next hiking trip, though, I was able to wear the MOAB 2 again, actively taking it along as we crossed several flowing river streams.
While it isn’t completely 100% waterproof to the top, the GORE-TEX® waterproof membrane actively offered incredibly strong water resistance to random splashes. Coupled with strong sole traction, I was easily able to avoid dipping my feet into the water completely, as it helped me effortlessly step over the big, slippery boulders on the rocky riverbed.
If I strictly have to take a dig at the MOAB 2, it would simply be how the thick shoelaces get untied so easily. Make sure to always check and string them tightly while out on the trail.
Overall, I now have one less excuse as to why I shouldn’t get away to more outdoor mountain adventures. Merrell’s MOAB 2 honestly had me giddy with excitement for my future hiking trips.
