Pacific Coast Trail – Phase 2 (5d4n)- Days 4 to 5

Days 1 to 3 can be read here: https://thoughtsofyetobelawyer.com/2025/07/24/pacific-coast-trail-phase-2-5d4n-days-1-to-3/

In Day 4, we past communities and a suspended bridge, below of which the children were playing.

We traversed different coconut plantations, and beach fronts, until we arrived at a river where locals also took a bath to relieve themselves from the sweltering heat. We also passed a man that had a cart driven by a carabao carrying with him taros. What a sight! This is what I miss in the provinces!

After the group completed, we took a deep into the river. It was cold! The children also socialized with us curious on what we were doing. RJ held his breath under the water for almost one minute to prove the group that he could withstand. He almost succeeded, were it not for one of the participants poking him underwater.

We left the river after 20 minutes, and we continued our trek towards Sitio Dikapinisan.

Before we got to Sitio Dikapinisan, we again crossed a river. On the other side of the river several fishermen gathered of their catch during the night. They told us to go the other side because the part we were trekking was deep. We heeded his advice and went to the river. Luckily, the river was waist deep; we hoisted our bags upwards so that the water would not touch the bottom of our bags.

While waiting for the sweeper group to arrive, we peeked on what the fishermen caught. They caught a blue marlin, and it had a roe which the fishermen laid down on the sand. Later, one of the fisherman gave Rexxa the roe for free; we made a sinigang a Filipino sour soup out of it! No pictures of the sinigang—-sorry! But we had a squid which Joep made abodo with it.

This sitio had had a covered court where we took our rest. It also had a lot of sari-sari stores that hosted a prepaid wifi. We availed of the free wifi offered by the store, and contacted our loved ones, telling them that we were OK. At 1 o’clock in the afternoon, or one and half hours after we reached Alasanay, we started our journey to Sitio Dibayabay.

We were supposed to traverse the coconut plantation going to the road. However, someone fenced the trail, so we bushwhacked again so that we could pass the road. Luckily, a the bushwhacking was nearby. The trail leading to Sitio Dibayabay was wide, wide enough to pass a 4×4 truck on it; it was a dirt road reminiscent of the trails in Montalban. The difference between the two was that this trail has a lot of water sources, so we would not be so thirsty after this.

Our pace was slow because of the constant uphill, and we left late; the sun was high above us. If we continued further, we would overheat, and would suffer a heat stroke, so little by little, we walk until we got to the top of the hill. Mang Boyet told us that past the top of the hill, the campsite was near.

Aiko, Yunnan, Rexxa, and I did not wait for the others further, for we already set out to the campsite. After one hour of walking, we stopped, regrouped, and waited for the other to arrive. The sweeper group arrived and discussed the plans. Supposedly, we will arrive in Diotorin at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. However, because of too many breaks, we arrived at Diotorin at 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

Jeno laid out the options. If we camp in Diotorin, the trek would be longer, and we would experience the heat on the trail. On the other hand, if we continued to push to Dibayabay, we would arrive there at 8 o’clock in the evening.

The group discussed the options, taking into account the tiredness, and soreness of the others. Later on, the group decided that we camped in Diotorin; we would start early going to Dibayabay, but before we went to the campsite, we dropped off to a store where Mang Boyet ordered a durado fish so that everyone could ate.

Our campsite was a guesthouse located at Sitio Diotorin. It had had a bunker bed, and kitchen. It also had an electricity! Its front was the evacuation center. The girls camped there for the night, while us rested in the guest house.

The officials of the sitio warmly welcomed us to the guesthouse. One of them cooked for us the durado; so, our evening was plentiful. We drank another three bottles of gin before we slept; we slept soundly indeed.

The last day came at last, and the morning dew can be seen in the blade of grass.

We ate the leftovers last night, say our thanks and bid our goodbyes to the officials; we set out towards Dibut. The trail to Dibut was like that of Diotorin. However, the uphill was so steep that we needed to take a short break to catch our breath. The only silver lining here was You got a view of the Pacific Ocean.

We also saw dirt bike riders going to the trail. It was not an ordinary dirt bike, but an ordinary motorcycle that was repurposed into a dirt bike for locals also traversed the hill.

Unfortunately for us, the sun was already high. We were still on the trail; for that, our pace was slow. took slow but consistent steps so as to cover ground. At 11 o’clock in the morning, we reached the top of the hill; the group took a break, but we went ahead of the others so that our pace were not stopped. Mang Boyet told us the road was straight to Dibut.

Going down the trail, you could see the sea, as well the white sand. Pagz, and I tag teamed because Yunnan, and Aiko lagged behind. An hour after we trekked the downhill, we reached the coconut plantations. There were no wrong turns here. However, when we reached the forked road, the middle of it a sari-sari store was there; we stopped and waited for Mang Boyet to arrive.

We took a left turn and walked on a concrete road towards a resort, which serves as the finish line. The old trail, however, extended much further: from Dibut, participants traversed the undulating hills going to real, where they were supposed to camp. On the sixth day, the participants will trek to Baler. But because a road had been made from Dibut to Baler, the trail cut short.

We walked on the concrete road until we reached the resort. The hike was over!

We waited for the others to arrive, while the ones who got first took off their shoes, and looked at their feet. Our feet was so soaked for the past five days of trekking in rivers that some of us developed blisters, and athlete’s foot. In Baler, the participants treated the blisters, and athlete’s foot.

Two hours of waiting for the truck felt like it was forever. However, the waiting cut short as the truck arrived; it rained when it arrived, so we had no choice but to rode while raining. The ride passed through the lush rolling hills; the Sierra Madre mountain ranges we passed. Two hours passed, and we arrived at Baler.

We stopped over a famous buffet restaurant for a victory meal, and before we went to our transient house.

Aiko discussed to us that she was going to leave early; the others followed her, for they want to go home. I also agreed to go with her. Everyone finished their meal and proceeded to the transient house.

Our transient house is a simple, unassuming house located at the outskirts of Baler. Back then, tourists flocked the area because of the surfing hype. Baler was once called the Surfing Capital of the Philippine because the good waves in Baler. However, other beaches in the Phillipines got hyped in recent years; the demand went down. Soon, the facilities were also did cost cutting measures so that they could survive.

We did a post-climb meeting upon the request of Jeno. It was a kind of meeting where one discussed what happened to the hike, what the others feel about their teammates, and so on.

In the post climb meeting we also congratulated Pagz, and Aiko for winning the challenge. They were both resilient, and tough. We also commended other participants in doing what they did during the five day trek, namely, RJ, and Joep. The meeting ended at 12 midnight, and we rested.

At 4 o’clock in the morning Aiko, and I raced downstairs in order to catch the bus. As we moved to the transient house we saw Thirdz, one of the participants; we bid farewell to him.

Luckily, we caught up with the earliest ride of the bus going to Manila. While the bus was plying to the unnamed hills of the Sierra Madre, I scrolled my phone, looking at the picture on the last few days. After I am done, I put out my phone and slept treasuring the memories, fleeting as it might seem, but to me, I think, it would last a long time, because this trek was extraordinary.

This trek taught me a lot of things, especially the LNTs, and gear management. And above all, the company of the team that lessen the hardships of the five day trekking.

It was also a lot of my firsts:

1. First 5 day hike
2. First completed thru hike
3. First time I did survive a five day hike with a 30L backpack
4. First time I drank for five days straight during the night

All in all, PCT 2 is an experience that you must go through before the forest turned to concrete roads.