Things you may not know
Nam Kang Ho Tao is located in Thao A village, Ho Mit commune, Tan Uyen district, Lai Chau province, bordering Lao Cai. The peak of 2,881 m ranks 12th in Vietnam in altitude but is in the top in difficulty with extremely rugged and complicated terrain. This is the choice for those who want to find nature, beautiful wild forests like a fairyland, and at the same time want to overcome their limits.
The "happy execution"
The Northwest already has a special attraction for me, and the name Nam Kang Ho Tao is even more impressive. In the North, I have only climbed Fansipan and Lao Tan – the peaks that trekking people say they go to just to "stretch their tendons". Not letting the beautiful images of Nam Kang Ho Tao be just a glimpseful scene in a dream or someone else's photo, I decided to go.
The climb from Lai Chau is about 21 km long, and the climb down to Lao Cai is about 16 km long, the trip is 3 days and 2 nights. Every day, we had to go through a "happy execution" for about 10 hours to reach the landing point.
The first steps passed through the village in the timid gaze of local children. When the house gradually disappears into the green area of the mountains and forests, the slopes and rocks are a sign of the journey entering a difficult period.
The most difficult part is the road through the primeval forest of Hoang Lien Son National Park. The terrain is extremely rugged and complicated with the specialty of slopes and cliffs right in front of you, you have to look up at an angle of nearly 90 degrees to see it all. Suffocating! The cliffs when going up have to swing a rope ready to squeeze out the climber's strength, and the downhill slopes are like a slide that can plunge into the bushes or squeeze on tree branches just by stumbling.
We crossed a vast green forest with diverse vegetation, still intact. Huge woody trees blocked the way, ghostly, stretching out dry "arms" covered with moss, as if to intimidate pedestrians. There are even pomu trees that are thousands of years old, the trunk is so big that dozens of people hug it to run out.
We crossed rocky streams on top of each other, and the water flowed fast. It's dangerous, but for me, it's the most beautiful forest I've ever walked into. The gentle winter sun shines on the yellow and red maple branches that stand out against the blue sky. The sun shines through the trees, forming light rays that touch the ground and kiss the dry leaves. I was walking in a fairytale forest. I mobilized all 5 senses to feel those clear colors, sounds, and flavors, while walking while inhaling the scent of wood, the smell of dew and the steam of the moist earth.
People call this road a dangerous place, and I imagine Nam Kang is like a wandering artist even though he wears a rough and wild outfit but hides a romantic soul, clearly love and hate. The stream had just made me slip and fall, and immediately soothed me with a song without words. The stilted bamboo forest did not hesitate to whip its face to leave a few scratches, but immediately swayed and danced to the melody of the wind, drying the sweat drops on its forehead.
I like the feeling that every time I pass a steep rocky slope, another space opens up unexpectedly, sometimes it's a bush, sometimes it's a deep abyss, sometimes there are cloudy skies that hug the mountains and I have to take a little breath to shout "Aaaaaaa... "It's so loud with excitement.
When I was too tired to sit down, I noticed a flower branch that never resisted the wind, or the dry leaves in the stream that did not resist the flow of water kept floating. What is natural is peaceful. I no longer try to always say "I'm fine" and lie to my true feelings. At this time, when I am tired, I sit on the ground, and when it is too cold, I shrink into my jacket. I accept myself at ugly and weak times like this, and I am also a little sad when some unfortunate things happen. I laughed, sang and kept going. Above all, the past cannot lose the joy of countless other beautiful things.
It is respectful to see the scenery that has never been seen, to overcome the challenges that have never been tried. On that journey, the most valuable thing I got was the companions I met without an appointment. They patiently walked with me, they held my hand in many difficult situations. The strangers only had time to greet each other a few words, seeing me breathing heavily and taking a sip of water.
After making a mistake for nearly 40km, the dogs waved their tails to signal that we had returned to Seo Mi Bi village (Lao Cai). I thought I had rested, but unexpectedly, the 11km "off road" road to Ta Van village made us shake to the roof of the car. Everyone joked that it was the most difficult part of the journey. But it is the same road, when the sunset falls, giving us a sea of surprisingly beautiful clouds.
Nam Kang Ho Tao lingers in me is a road that meets all kinds of beauty: waterfalls, old forests; but also contains all kinds of difficulties: cliffs, abysses, frost, cold. Therefore, difficulties always go hand in hand with beautiful things. Nothing is free, so I realized, don't let any calculations and measurements make us lose our comfort, lose the stillness to feel everything around us and understand ourselves.
Story: Le Phuong
Photos, videos: Le Phuong, Ba Bac