Lao Tan – a mountain peak for first-time climbers
Lao Tan is 80 km from Sa Pa town, located in Phin Ho village, Y Ty commune, Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province. With an altitude of 2,862m, Lao Tan is considered the roof of Y Ty and the 14th highest mountain peak in Vietnam. The road to the top of Lao Tan has medium difficulty, which is considered suitable for first-time trekkers. People often liken von Lao Tan to a passport for those who want to get acquainted with the adventurous sport of climbing.
Y Ty is very famous as a meeting point for drifters, where you can easily see the sea of clouds floating in all 4 seasons of the year. However, the most suitable time for the journey to conquer Lao Tan is from November to February next year, because this time the weather is favorable and cloudy is easy to gather. In addition, if you come to Y Ty around September and October, you will have the opportunity to admire the golden terraced fields all over the hillsides.
The terrain of the road to the top of Lao Tan is mainly barren hills, grasslands, and sparse forests, making the landscape both poetic, airy, wild and ghostly.
The journey to conquer Lao Tan – lost in the paradise of clouds
After the night bus ride of about 8 hours from Hanoi, Sapa picked us up with a thick fog and a cold that cut through the flesh. From here, we continue through Muong Hum, heading towards Y Ty.
This journey takes about 3 hours. The total trekking distance both up and down is about 15km.
Let's go! We stopped and set off. The cold weather and dense fog make everyone worried because the view is obstructed and there is a great possibility that they will not see the clouds as expected. But that doesn't diminish our eagerness and curiosity for the road ahead.
We passed through a short, sparse forest with dry stumps covered with ferns that changed color like a fairy garden. After this section of forest, the road from the foot of the mountain to the shack is mainly an empty hill. The slopes are covered with white wildflowers. Going deep into the dry fern fields, burnt grass, and sloping dry stumps made us feel like we were lost in another world.
After 5 hours, we arrived at the shack. Around 4-5 p.m., weak rays of sunlight gently penetrate the thick fog and then disappear. The white mist clears and there is no sunset. Surrounded by fresh mountain and forest air, it took a long time to breathe.
Darkness gradually covered the vast and desolate space. At the shack, we barbecued meat, had dinner and rested for tomorrow's journey. The night and early morning in Lao Tan are extremely cold, the temperature drops to 4.5 degrees Celsius. Only by staying at night in the mountains can you feel the mystery and gloom of the mountains and forests. Late at night, the starry sky is a signal that tells us that the weather will be better the next day.
The next day, from 4 a.m., we had to start the journey to the top in time to catch the sunrise. Even though the road was dark, we were all excited because everyone was looking forward to seeing the moment the sun appeared on the sea of clouds. The road from the shack to the top was more difficult, in the weak flashlight we had to cross a lot of slopes. The stones appeared more and made me tired to breathe at times.
As the sky dawned, we saw the sea of white clouds floating in front of us. Although it was quite difficult to move, the feeling of "walking on the clouds" seemed to make us feel that our feet were somewhat lighter.
We checked in at the peak of Lao Tan in the numbing cold, the wind was blowing, everyone was cowering. The dream-like scene in front of you is a worthy reward for the efforts put in. The cold air just needs to breathe out smoke and damp feet remind me to return to the present – the journey down the mountain is also full of difficulties ahead. In the familiar melodies of Following the Shadow of the Sun, Taking Each Other to Hide..., I walked while inhaling the smell of dew, grass, soil, mountains and forests.
The journey down the mountain ended at 1 pm, we moved back to Sa Pa, had dinner, rested and returned to Hanoi.
A few notes when trekking Lao Tan
● The peak is not too complicated, the slope is moderate, but you should also spend 2 days and 1 night to have time to feel the wild nature and recover after the first day.
● You should hire a support porter. They are the locals who will help you carry your things. In addition, the porter is very well-versed in the terrain to help you avoid getting lost and unfortunate incidents.
● Before leaving, it is recommended to prepare clothes and necessary items: T-shirt, windjacket, thick warm coat (because it is extremely cold in the shack), trekking shoes, high socks, waterproof backpack, flashlight, hat, raincoat, insect repellent, painkiller.
● Carry luggage as lightly as possible because the climbing trail is strenuous.
● You need to bring water, energy drinks, and candy to refuel along the way.
● Before climbing, you need to do physical training one month in advance to ensure that you are healthy enough for the journey.
Story: Le Phuong