Mount Magsanga Isabel, Leyte!

Entry & Exit point: Brgy. Puting Bato, Isabel. Ormoc City’s skyline is largely dominated by the history-ridden mountain ranges of northern Leyte Island. Yet there’s this curious peak that towers above the city’s western flank, a two-horned mountain silently attracting summit lovers and adventurers alike.

Rising around 655 masl (meters above sea level), Mt. Magsanga forms a silent backdrop over Ormoc’s west landscape. It has a very distinctive outline: the peak forms two sharp horns, which can be traversed on a proper but hazardous trail. There are several trails going to the top, but the most used trail originates from Brgy. Puting Bato, in the town of Isabel, on the island’s west coast. This was where we planned to hike up.

From the time we stepped on the Ormoc port, the twin horns of Mt. Magsanga seemed to beckon us to come, despite the dim and hazy glow of the dawn sun. Indeed, to a die-hard mountaineer, the sight of Magsanga just from Ormoc City proper is strangely very inviting, neither too high to require much climbing preparation, nor too far away to suffer long land trips. Even after we had climbed the mountain it was still awesome to see, especially from the other side of the Ormoc valley. During our tours in the van-for-hire, we still clamored to get a shot of its sharp profile, largely ignoring the cramped conditions inside the van.

From riding a public bus in the Ormoc bus station, our group stopped for breakfast and lunch at our friend’s relatives’ house in Libertad, Isabel. We had a lot of time to socialize, belt out videoke songs, and even catch up with sleep. Past noon, we then rode our way on habal2x going to the jump off point in Puting Bato (literally, since all you see are dirt roads of white stones). Halfway into the rocky road, the mountaineer will be rewarded with a clear and magnificent view of the mountain from the west side. We started our trek on the hot but pleasant countryside, after cooling off at a waiting shed jump off.