After moving from Sa Pa, we started at a small village in Ho Thầu commune, Tam Tang district, Lai Chau. The destination of the first day is the shack at an altitude of 2100m. The first part of the fog, along the green streams as clear as pearls, can see the stones, stones and stones at the bottom. The water used to wash the face is also a source of drinking water for 3 days.
In the beginning, the energy in you is still not lacking. Arriving at about 5:00 p.m. the dew began to wet the whole way, the mud clinging to the shoes made the way back to the shack become farther away. Darkness gradually embraced the forest and the little people were dragging heavy steps back to the shack. I went ahead, and soon turned around and looked behind my companion, Ms. Trang. Looking at her made me see a picture of myself in the early days of climbing the mountain. I understand that feeling of shortness of breath. With Putaleng, I'm tired too! But endurance and toughness have increased greatly after a few walks. Correcting the subjectivity after the Nam Kang Ho Tao mountain trip, I was better prepared to add flashlights and shoes so as not to peel off the sole in the middle of the road. Returning to the shack that was wet and cold and tired, we went to bed early that day.
Startled to wake up at 4:30 a.m. the next morning, I walked out into the kitchen, the wind blowing cold. The porters had been up since 3:30 a.m. to prepare breakfast for everyone. Picking up the baked corn from his hand, I sat down by the fire to dispel the cold of the early morning. In the mist, the smoke and the dim flashlight, there was still the yawn and the carefree smiles. Although the body is tired after a long day, not to mention the weather is still quite cold, but a happy breakfast like this is a source of energy for the next journey. I read a saying somewhere: "Peace begins with a smile."
Less than a dozen minutes later, the forest woke up. Light crept through the dense foliage. Every time I wake up in the forest, my chest is inflated to fill the breath of the forest and my heart is filled with excitement. Walking in the middle of the forest that felt like I was crossing the fairytale dreams that had crossed my mind, wandering in the land of freedom adventurously, remembering yesterday, and then thinking of the dreams of the next day.
Breakfast by the warm fire.
We walked through the bamboo forest, the curved tree trunk soaring closely, leaning in the wind, when we picked it up. And the ancient trees up to a hundred years old, they covered their bodies with a green moss carpet from the root to the top. The sun dances with the wind, printed in streaks on the trunks, on the stones, shining on the dewdrops that make them shine like crystals. Somewhere, under the shadows of the sun, the smile also sparkles with joy.
When I reached a slope, I looked up at my neck and took a breath. Ms. Trang heard her voice, looked down, her face was sloppy:
Fang, I'm not going anymore! Go back to the shack with me!
Try it on me! I was so tired yesterday and I still got to my destination.
Yes , but I didn't "break" yesterday. Let's go, where to go or go there. If you can't go anymore, you'll come back!
Relax in the middle of the jungle.
The ancient forest is ghostly.
Then, in the end, I got to the place. I don't know what power brought you to the top. There are always beautiful things that blossom inside each person, motivating them to move on when they want to turn their heads the most.
As the road neared the top, the azalea trunks spread out their arms covered with magical moss greeted us, which we named the fairy garden. On the bare stumps, the pink color has been dotted. Rhododendrons also slither under the tree. This year, for those who expect to go to Putaleng to see the azaleas, it will probably miss more or less. Because of the last winter snow, the "queen" of the Northwest is no longer able to expand as in previous years.
Reaching the top, the sky is red when the clouds are clear in the blue. After taking a photo of the anniversary, we returned to the shack again.
Go to the mountains, the way up is steep and down is slippery. When I got down, my stomach was gone. "There's that stream, it's coming soon," I said to Tam, another companion. When you see the white wildflowers on the side of the road, it is always close to returning to the starting point in the morning. The forest emits signals that sometimes make us tremble, feel threatened, but there are also signs that make us happy. Sometimes we get attracted to negative things. But look, there are so many beautiful things around your feet.
To reach the top of Putaleng, you have to traverse many terrains from wet jungles to slippery cliffs.
Slippery moss does not stop the footsteps of the "child"
Arriving at about 1:30 a.m., after lunch, we continued our afternoon journey. A minute to stop by the stream, just look up and the sky of young green maple leaves poured into the eyes. Each wind dispels the sweat. We arrived at the shack on the second day when the afternoon light fell gently through the ancient canopy and touched lightly on the shack.
That night, the full moon poured gold into streams and forest trees. I've heard you talk about touring, going to the forest. Around 10 p.m., when people were still drunk telling stories, my eyes had collapsed so I went to the shack to sleep first to "charge the battery" for my body.
On The 3rd day, we headed to ta Lèng commune. The way down the mountain is gentler, along are streams, large stones, small stones stacked on top of each other, across the cardamom is no longer green a color, the bottom of the root rises to the large yellow flower. It turned out to be the most difficult day for me, because my legs were tired, wanting to fall apart. From the previous day, the muscles tightened, just lifting the legs up is painful. Whenever I'm a little bit confused, I have to sit down, downhill like playing slides. The sore leg is still there, and the brain remembers to have fun, to leave laughter, to release happy hormones. Arriving at a stream, I lingered to soak my feet, give water to pat, massage and feel that I received a lot of love from the mountains and forests.
The forest contains many things that make people like me want to run in. And that road also gives me the opportunity to witness many good stories. From the way people live with what they like passionately, to the fact that two 7-year-olds have successfully climbed Putaleng peaks. This mountain is in the top that makes the young people breathe, let alone the children. Along the way, sometimes I see the image of the father carrying me through the slopes, but then I continue to walk away. I like the way parents make it possible for their children to be close to nature (of course, it is necessary to have an adult monitoring, ensuring safety). For me, nature has always been a precious medicine for the spirit.
Not only that, but this short journey contains many lessons about the different extremes that at an age they cannot fully understand: difficulty and pleasantness, fatigue and eagerness, giving up or moving on, stumbling and getting up, all in order to learn to accept and overcome. But at least, it's a childhood memory that doesn't fade easily later.
I have a tendency to find ways to solve my own problems and the positive point of this is that with each time, I learn something. Then after these climbs, I thought differently. Being strong isn't always good, being strong is sometimes admitting you're weak to take someone else's hand and accept help.
Back on the journey, going forever, I encountered a dirt slope with tiny white flowers leading out of the forest. Going on to an iron bridge, I took a motorbike to Ta Lèng commune, across the terraces preparing for the season of falling water. Here, in just a few months, this brown color will be replaced by a green color and then turned bright yellow again in the rice seasons.
Returning from these journeys, I saw more and more beautiful things, heard more good stories, found new perspectives, and then I was full of life energy. This journey to climb Putaleng peak is short but still makes me love life, love people more. Because I don't need anything more, every day the soul is impregnated with a little "love" spices like that, I am satisfied enough!
Articles and photos: Le Phuong