Ta Xua (Bac Yen district) is known as a cloud paradise with many famous cloud hunting locations such as dinosaur backs, wind peaks, camel rocks. There is also a mountain peak where you can not only hunt clouds but also experience a primeval forest covered with moss like in a fairytale.
According to the website of Bac Yen district, Sa Mu - U Bo peak (commonly known as Sa Mu peak) has an altitude of 2,890 m above sea level. This peak is located more than 100 km from Son La city, on the border between Son La and Yen Bai provinces, belonging to Ta Xua special-use forest - an extension of the Hoang Lien Range to the south.
To reach Sa Mu peak, from Bac Yen town, you have to continue to go about 40 km deep to the climbing point in Xim Vang commune. After about two hours of travel, you will arrive at the gathering point at the foot of the mountain to trek to the top. The distance from the foot of the mountain to the top is about 13 km, with a shack located 1 km from the top.
The Sa Mu peak trekking route will go through a primeval forest with the characteristics of a tropical rainforest, with a variety of plants such as moss, rhododendrons, maple leaves, bamboo forests and many streams and waterfalls. The vegetation in the forest changes with the altitude and direction of the mountainside. From about September to November, the maple leaves turn yellow and red, creating a poetic scene. March and April are the rhododendron season. In the forest, there are also many large, strangely shaped ancient trees, moss covered all year round and four-season green bamboo forests.
Visitors can combine trekking and cloud hunting on the top of Sa Mu. From December to February is the easiest time to hunt clouds on the top. On beautiful days, standing on the top of Sa Mu, you can also see two famous peaks of Yen Bai province, Ta Xua and Ta Chi Nhu. Sa Mu Peak has only been known for about a year, on tourism forums there has not been much sharing of experience in conquering this peak.
Sa Mu Peak has a difficulty rating of 6/10 with many slopes that are not harsh, but long. Visitors should start climbing early in the morning, stay overnight in a shack and then continue their journey the next morning. The distance from the shack to the top is about 1 km, the terrain is steep, so it takes about an hour to reach the destination. If you start at about 4-5 o'clock, when you reach the top, you can see the sea of clouds and catch the sunrise.
In winter, the weather in the high mountains is quite harsh, the night temperature can drop to -2 degrees Celsius. Before coming here, tourists need to prepare thermal clothing and necessary personal items such as medicine, food, and water. An indispensable item when trekking is specialized hiking shoes or plastic boots.
Photo: Do Van Tuyen
According to VnE