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 exploring every nook and cranny of new cities – urban and quaint
towns, and isolated islands to boot. The mountains, where I found my first love
of the great outdoors when I joined the UST Mountaineering club back in
college, took a backseat.
As if the heavens heard my
plans, an opportunity to join the team of Merrell and Trail Adventours, Inc. on
a hiking trip fell on my lap. The trip’s main goal is to trail test the new
MOAB 2 shoes. Many hiking enthusiasts are familiar with the first MOAB. I had
used it in my many trips before and it lasted my feet for more than 4 years. This
is why being sent out on a writing assignment to try out the new MOAB on a
great outdoor jaunt, is a check for an awesome day.
Chill Hike to Mt. Gulugod-Baboy
Situated in Anilao,
Batangas and is rated 2/9 for difficulty, Mt. Gulugod Baboy requires 2-3 hours
of hiking at the most. This relatively easy mountain overlooking Balayan and
Batangas Bay is nothing to write the mountain climbing junkies at home about. However,
the trails provides a good preview on what to expect at other peaks in the
Philippines. The hike towards the top took the sole of my feet negotiating a
transition of trail conditions consisting of; loose to rocky terrain and a
grassy hill. Mountain elements that are enough to trail test your foot
hardware.
Named as such because the curve
of its peak and neighboring hills evokes the shape of a ‘pig spine’ (Gulugod ng Baboy), it is a part of the
slightly higher Mt. Pinagbanderahan and is considered as one of the favorite
day-hike destinations of hikers nowadays. Likening to the Get Away to Adventure campaign of
Merrell, the path to the mountain’s peak presents an ideal escape from the
looping and toxic big city life. An idyllic scene greets you at the trails leading
to the hilltops. Farm animals along with a number of varying tree species loads
up the scenery along its paths.
The lawn covered peak is
sizeable enough to pitch half a dozen tents and offers a sweeping 360 degree
view of verdant hills and the twin bays of Balayan and Batangas. A short
distance away, one can spot Sombrero Island almost floating along the blue
horizon of the seas and the sky.
Wearing Merrell’s MOAB 2
While our hike was brief,
it afforded me enough time to test this new foot hardware from Merrell. As an
avid user of the brand before, I’ve known what to expect already and the new
MOAB still surprised me with its added features. MOAB stands for ‘Mother of
All Boots’ – and for it to earn that bragging right, it has to meet the
standards of hikers – both newbies and veterans – in these various categories;
comfort, fit, waterproofing, breathability and traction.
Using it for at least four
hours hiking up and down Mt. Gulugod Baboy, I felt my feet right at home with MOAB
2 in terms of comfort. It reminded me of my previous Merrell shoes.
Breathability and traction goes hand in hand, as I felt my feet having enough
space to wiggle inside, while at the same time giving me confidence in smoothly
stepping over even the loosened soil and rock sections of the trail. The Vibram
TC 5 sole clearly did its job.
The weather was hot and
dry during our climb so I wasn’t able to test the waterproofing feature of the
MOAB 2. During in my next hiking trip though, I was able to wear the MOAB 2 again
taking it along as we cross several river streams. While it isn’t completely
waterproofed, the GORE-TEX® waterproof membrane offered strong water resistance
to splashes and coupled by a strong sole traction, I was able to avoid dipping
my feet into the water completely – as it helped me effortlessly stepped over
the big and small boulders on the river bed.
If I have to take a dig at the MOAB 2, it would be how the shoe laces get untied so easily. Make sure to always check and string it tightly while on the trail. Over-all, I have now one
less reason why I shouldn’t get away to more outdoor adventures. Merrell’s MOAB
2 had me giddy with excitement for future hiking trips.
