Reader Hai Le Cao shares a 3-day, 2-night journey to conquer the most arduous Nam Kang Ho Tao trekking in the Northwest with complex and dangerous terrain.
Belonging to Lai Chau and Lao Cai provinces, Nam Kang Ho Tao is a wild mountain area with many slippery and steep cliffs. Many backpackers call this the “mortal road”. With many complex terrain, without a helmet, you can hardly pass.
Below is the 3-day 2-night schedule to conquer Nam Kang Ho Tao of readers Hai Le Cao. Choose the right route You can choose 2 routes to climb the top of Nam Kang Ho Tao. If you have good physical strength, experience and like to try difficult roads, you should choose to start in Lai Chau province and return to Lao Cai province. Choosing this route, you will encounter romantic stone streams and primeval ancient forests. The terrain of this direction is suitable for all subjects. Ideal timing Around February-March or September-November is the time for you to conquer this road. Dry weather, less fog will make it easier to determine the direction. You should not trek this route in the rainy season or after a long rain. The mossy cliffs are quite slippery, the streams will become dangerous rushing water. Schedule The first day: 7h: The group moves by car from Sa Pa to Thao A village. The distance is about 90 km. 11h: Delegation to the village, meet the porter, distribute food and drink before departure. Right after that, the group started the journey. The first 1-2 km I found the road easy to go. The terrain is not too steep, enough for us to warm up and catch up with the challenge behind. After 1-2 km, starting to come to the stream, the terrain is gradually complicated, slopes and big rocks appear. After climbing the slope, I encountered the first big rock with a beautiful view. You should check-in here to get the photos you like. Continue going, the main road is still streams and rocks. I met the 2nd and 3rd giant stones in turn. The Nam Kang Ho Tao road has a lot of repetition, but it is not easy to conquer. I am impressed with the 3rd stone because it is located in a high position, with water pouring down, creating a beautiful scene. After crossing 3 rocks, I immediately met a small waterfall with a cool blue lake. The delegation stopped here to swim, play and continue the journey. I see that those who are weak in this bow will have a hard time. Because the terrain is mainly streams and rocky slopes, it requires you to use your calves to jump continuously. You can overcome it by preparing yourself a support stick, which helps to take power from your hands to support your legs. After a long journey, the group finally reached the campsite. I ended the first day with a barbecue served by Mr. porter. Monday: 6h: The group wakes up quickly for personal hygiene and moves to camp 2. The road is mainly steep, but walking in the cool forest and fresh morning air, you will not feel tired. 8:30: Our group went to camp 2 to eat and rest. 10 am: The group continues to depart. The next road must continuously follow the stream. The boulders appear more often. You will have to jump continuously to go through this journey. After a long journey, we will come to the saddle area, which is an area divided on one side to Lai Chau, the other to Lao Cai. Because the place does not have a shack, if you leave your things, you should arrange them neatly to avoid passersby. Our group rested, had lunch here until 14:00 and continued the journey. I find the road to the top lighter because it has reduced the burden of the backpack. The rest of the road is less difficult, the slope is not too high. Near the top, you will pass through the bamboo forest. Gloves, hats or glasses will make you safer. 16h: The group reached the top of Nam Kang Ho Tao. From here, you can zoom out to see the majestic scenery of the mountains. After resting, taking pictures at the top, the group returned to the junction to leave their belongings at 17:30. The way down is always faster and easier. 18:30: Return to the camp, eat, rest, end day 2. The third day : During the trip, I was quite sad because Nam Kang Ho Tao was not as beautiful as I imagined. However, the last day when returning to Lao Cai was the highlight of this whole trip. 6h: The group wakes up, collects luggage. 7:00 am: The group begins to descend the mountain. This is the time when the sun begins to creep through the leaves, peeking at the stream bank. The scene that appeared before my eyes made me bewildered and tried to go slowly to take a closer look. On the journey down the mountain, you will encounter ancient trees of huge size or slopes like challenging conquerors. The sudden drop in altitude from 1,700 m to 1,400 m can take less than an hour for inexperienced people to conquer. 14h: I go to Den Thang board and move by motorbike to Sa Pa to rest and have dinner. 20h: Me and my companion get on the bus back to Hanoi in the night, ending the journey. Trip cost (2 people) – 2-way sleeper bus ticket / 2 people: 880,000 VND (recommended to book round trip ticket will get 40,000 VND discount) – Ticket to the forest: 500,000 VND/2 people (porter is free) – Food: 1,299 million VND/3 people (including porter) – Porter rental: 1.5 million dong/3 days – Rent a motel for porter to Sa Pa to wait for the delegation: 100,000 VND – Car fare from Den Thang village to Sa Pa: 900,000 VND/3 car – Total cost: about 5.2 million VND/2 people
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