Mt. Talamitam Day Hike with Merrell Moab 3

Posted On June 7, 2022

Being back on the trial, after being away for years, certainly brings back some fond memories. The prospect of climbing Mt. Talamitam for the first time certainly added to the excitement. This mountain is located in Nasugbu, Batangas and is considered the younger sister of the more famous Mt. Batulao which I have climbed numerous times.

Joining this hike, which was sponsored by Merrell Philippines, as a representative of Takbo.ph was a first for me as was hiking with people I have never met prior to the event. During the meet up at around 2 AM on May 31st, I was greeted by a group of very fit people who were, by my estimate, relatively younger than I.

Before we set off for Nasugbu, Batangas, we were all given our kits which contained a shirt, trail food, water, and of course Merrell hiking shoes. I was given the Merrell Moab 3 Waterproof hiking shoes.
Arriving at the jump off point at 4:30 AM, we had ample time to sort out our gear, and an opportunity to know each other’s names. I also took this time to really get a closer look at my new pair of Merrell hiking shoes.

Slipping into the size 10 Merrell shoes was actually a familiar feeling. At first I was a bit worried to use a pair of brand new, out of the box hiking shoes without breaking them in, but all of that went away as I took my first few steps. Having owned 3 pairs of shoes from Merrell years before, although from a different line, I was confident that these new pair of hiking shoes will not let me down and settling into the shoes took no time at all.

After some reminders and a prayer by our local guide, we started our hike at around 5:30 AM donning our headlamps and of course our new Merrell gear. After a brief descent along a roughly cemented road, we were greeted by the small Talamitan river. Crossing it was no problem as there were a lot of large boulders to step on to avoid getting our feet wet.

Not far from the river crossing was the start of the ascent. It was mostly uphill from there, first through a woodland area. The trail was not as muddy as I had anticipated, but the ground was damp enough that it was rather sticky and it quickly clogged up the treads of my shoes. Despite that, the shoes performed admirably reminding me of the reliability I had experienced from my previous Merrell hiking shoes.

Coming through to the edge of the tree line to a clearing, I had the opportunity to survey the surrounding area. The first thing I recognized was Mt. Batulao in the distance opposite the direction our group was heading. I also took the opportunity to clean the lugs of my shoes. After a few photos, we continued up the trail this time through wide grasslands that our guide calls the “Mini New Zealand” because it is a grazing area for the cows and horses owned by the locals. The ground was noticeable more dry and more firm. While we were blessed with cloud cover for most of the ascent, it was still a warm day.

Reaching a plateau, the summit of Mt. Talamitan can now be seen. Beside it to the left is the summit of Mt. Apayang. We stopped to rest for while at a hut beside it was a sari-sari store that caters to hikers. They had cold drinks, canned goods, vegetables, and rice for sale. I noticed there were no other hikers or campers at the time and we had the mountain all to ourselves.

At around 7:00 AM we started out summit assault. This was the steepest part of the climb which took us about 30 to 40 minutes to complete. I took the role of sweeper at this point. The trail going up to the summit reminded me of the summit trail of Mt. Pulag coming from the campsite. Only difference is that, the grass was much taller on Mt. Talamitam’s summit trail. I had to roll up my arm protectors to avoid getting cut by the sharp cogon grass that was very lush at this time because of the rains.

At the summit we were greeted with a majestic 360 degree view. Our group spent the time on the summit taking photos and just taking in the wonderful view. I was reminded of why I enjoy such activities. From the summit, Mt. Batulao, Mt. Pico de Loro, and Mt. Makiling can be seen.

At around 8:00 AM we started our descent from the summit through another trail. By this time the sun was out. While there was still some cloud cover, I could really feel the heat of the sun. The descent was not too bad, but I noticed that my feet were sliding forward inside my shoes and my toes were hitting the front of the shoes. This is not uncommon for a new pair of shoes. I know that with continued use, the insoles will eventually adapt to my feet. I am once again reminded of the importance of breaking in new hiking shoes.

The alternate trail going down brought us back to the sari-sari store at the plateau. After taking a few minutes of rest from the hot sun, we continued the descent. As always, going down is much faster than going up. I remember telling myself that if this were a trail run, my companions would definitely leave me in the dust.

We continued down the same trial through “Mini New Zealand”, back to the woodland area and to Talamitam river. I’m proud to say, I had zero slips and slides on this hike.

Overall, the hike was an enjoyable one. I can definitely recommend Mt. Talamitam to beginner hikers and aspiring mountaineers for their first climb. The mountain also offers a good site for camping. There is no shortage of good spots for setting up a tent because of its wide grassy plateau. I’ll definitely go back for an overnight camping experience.

I’m definitely happy with how the Merrell Moab 3 performed, despite not having the opportunity to break in the shoes. Even though the shoes were waterproof, my feet remained cool and comfy. An advantage of waterproof shoes is that your feet will stay dry even when hiking in wet weather. And as long as your don’t wade in deep water, the shoes will keep water out.

By far, the Moab 3 has the most agressive treads of all the Merrell shoes I have owned. The deep treads offer great traction on most surfaces. Sticky mud will get stuck in the treads, but a simple kick of the heel on a hard surface will dislodge most of the mud. The shoes are on the heavier side, but it does offer the most protection. The Moab 3 is definitely not meant for trail running, but it is perfect for long distance, multi-day hiking. I still recommend breaking in any pair of hiking shoes before really going all out in them.

Thank you Takbo.ph and MerrellPH for bringing me back on the hiking trail!
Enjoy!

Blog post by Mike Allan Viernes