Making our way up Mount Fansipan

Mount Fansipan is only half as tall as Mount Everest. Yet this mountain, perched at the eastern edge of the Himalayan range in Vietnam’s uppermost Lao Cai province, is hardly an easy climb.

Mt. Fansipan, Vietnam

Together with a group of friends, I’ve opted to take the chance.

It takes about two hours to reach the campsite from the clearing where we have lunch, according to our guide Dung. From there it’s two more hours to the summit. The mist is thickening.

When we reach the next plateau, it billows around us, covering everything more than ten feet away in a wispy shroud. We decide to save the final ascent for the morning. Dung says he’s only seen the sun shine on the summit twice, but we hope for the best.

The weather is not encouraging. By the time we reach the campsite, a hilly clearing surrounded by bamboo forest, the wind blows in gusts so hard it sounds like rain.

We crawl into our tent, a long blue tube that could have about twenty people cocooned sardine-style, and take refuge in our sleeping bags. Although it is barely 4pm, we can only think of rest. Dung fills a bowl with rice wine from a plastic water bottle.

“The first time I came here I didn’t drink any. Then I couldn't sleep,” he says, taking a generous swig. “It was so cold!” He passes the bowl around. It goes down harsh, but it makes us feel marginally warmer.

Eating on the road

Dinner arrives, prepared by local H’Mong women: stir-fried chicken and ginger, tofu steeped in tomato sauce, garlicky strands of cabbage. We devour ample bowls of rice. Between bites, Dung asks us about America; we ask him what it’s like to grow up in Sapa.

"Around here many children speak English before they can speak Vietnamese,” he says, flushed from the wine. “They don’t go to school. They follow tourists and try to sell them stuff.”

Within minutes, he is sleeping soundly. I fall asleep but wake up soon after, tossing and turning in the darkness. A few feet away the tent flap has come undone, and the wind rushes in, sharp and blistering. I burrow into the hood of my sleeping bag.

Waking again, I see a fierce white light through the crack in the tent. The wind feels more bearable in the sun. A hurried bowl of ramen noodles laden with cabbage and strips of soft omelet, and then we’re headed for the summit.

Bamboo forest on the road to Fansipan

The first few minutes are easy walking, and we keep a rapid pace. When we emerge from the shade of the bamboo forest, Dung lets out an ear-splitting “Woo!” He is always happy, bounding up the mountain in a red fedora and tight jeans. It seems like not even the cold can unnerve him. I step up a final rock after him, onto a broad plateau.

We’re above the clouds now: surrounded by the gentle curves of terra cotta peaks, speckled with trees, and beyond that harsher green ridges. In front of us the mountain slopes upwards, and someone asks if that’s the summit. Dung laughs.

Now we are clambering up boulders again, and the rest breaks grow more frequent. We are not talking anymore, only dragging ourselves forwards with vines and carefully placed bamboo rods.

The current record for scaling Fansipan is one hour and thirty-five minutes. We feel accomplished enough when, two and a half hours after leaving camp, we stumble up the last incline onto flat ground.

On the summit of Mt. Fansipan

The wind hits hard at the summit. Clouds drift across sprawling ridges, mountains that would seem formidable if we were standing anywhere other than the peak of Fansipan.

Somewhere down the Himalayan chain, Mount Everest beckons. Three thousand metres in the air, gazing into the foggy blue distance, I feel a little closer to reaching it.

Source: www.dtinews.vn/

Recommended Mt. Fansipan tour by ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA 
"Conquer Mount Fansipan - Sinchai Route"-  A big challenge for Mt. Fansipan's conquerers Hanoi - Sapa - Fansipan Mt. - Sapa - Hanoi
5-day tour with 3-day climbing Mt. Fansipan
Trekking grade: Challenge

At 3143m Mt. Fansipan is the highest peak in Vietnam and the entire Indochina peninsula. This remote trek provides plenty to see and absorb, from the scattered rocks inscribed with drawings and designs of unknown origin, to the French influenced hill retreat town of Sapa with its minority groups, beautiful villas and cherry forests. Our trek to the top of Mt. Fansipan is challenging and will be fully supported every step of the way by our guides, porters and cooks who's local knowledge and understanding of the different hill-tribe cultures we pass along the way will add to the uniqueness of this exhilarating journey.

Highlights:

• Awesome scenery
• Great view from the summit
• Challenging trails
• Fully supported

Active Travel Asia promote tours to Sapa - the Cloud city of Vietnam

Nestled among the Hoang Son Lien Mountains, Sapa is an excellent gateway to the H'mong and Dao villages that dot the landscape of Vietnam

The first thing travelers should know about Sapa is that it is one of highlands in Vietnam - 1,600m above sea level. That means a leisurely stroll to the nearest tribe village is more like an hour-long trek up and down some steep slopes. It is not a destination that travelers should tackle without some mental and physical preparation.

Having said that, Sapa is a sight to behold. The Hoang Son Lien range of mountains, which dominates it and includes Fansipan - Vietnam's highest peak at 3,143m - is the eastern extremity of the Himalayas.

Conquering Fansipan mountain Vietnam

On a good day, travelers’ view is a myriad of colors merging onto textures of landscapes as vivid sky hues blend into the browns and greens of the mountains before cascading back into the blues as rivers and streams mirror the skies.

Even on wet days, the landscape is not a total washout: Rolling mists blanket the valleys and lowlands, giving it a veil of mystery.

When travelers were there in October, the temperature hovered between a cool 16°C and 19°C but travelers were told it could dip to zero in winter and push the mercury to 29°C in summer.

The best time to visit this quaint town is from March to June, when it's warmer and drier - making the mountains easier to scale - or from September to December, if travelers want to escape the heat.

When it's wet, escape into the many cafes about Sapa town where a piping hot coffee or rich hot chocolate will return the color to traveler’s faces. Once a French colony, Sapa's pastries and breads are the softest and fluffiest travelers’ve ever had, with toasty crusts to thaw traveler’s frigid fingers.

Myriad cuisines, from Indian to Italian, can be found in Sapa town. The adventure of tourism has ensured that different palates from all over the world are catered to. Although, personally, nothing warms the tummy like slurping up a hot bowl of pho.

Take a short walk from Sapa town to the bus station and travelers find themselves surrounded by eateries proffering steamboat, grilled meats and pho.

The clean air and water give the mountain greens an added crunch and a delicious natural taste, that even non-vegetable lovers will leave their plate bare.

Terraced field in Sapa, Vietnam

Sapa is located at the Lao Cai province in north-west Vietnam, bordering China. Lao Cai is also a station to cross into China from Vietnam. Treks into the neighboring hill tribes of Black H'mong (say "her-mong") and Red Dao (“zhao") are a must. The Black H'mong is characterized by the indigo vests they wear while the Red Dao is identifiable by their red headgear.

A local guide from the hill tribes can be hired for expeditions into the villages. English-speaking guides can be found easily at the hotels or tour offices around town. The level of spoken English is pretty good, with many of the guides sporting British, Australian and even American accents.

A fee must be paid at guardhouses located at the entrance of the tribes before entering the village. These go towards development of the villages, with a budget set aside for schools which kids attend for free. A guide we met at a tour office warned us against going into the villages alone as authorities have been known to penalize unaccompanied travelers. Besides, having a guide offers some insights into tribe culture.

A trek through the Black H'mong village took travelers four hours, at a leisurely pace. The cool weather and the friendly Black H'mong villagers made the experience a very enjoyable one.

Travelers learnt the hard way that travelers should ask before travelers take pictures as some of the tribes’ people may not be receptive. But the locals are more than happy to pose for travelers if travelers ask nicely.

GETTING THERE
To get to Sapa, Vietnam travelers need to take a train from Hanoi to Lao Cai. From there travelers will take a mini bus up in to the town of Sapa. Transportation from Hanoi to Sapa can be arranged for a reasonable price. Travelers might also be able to take a bus but it takes much longer. Railway tickets can be bought locally, via travel agents or at train stations.

GETTING AROUND
Local hotels and travel agents offer daily bus and private car between tourist attractions in two ways.

PACKAGES
Active Travel Asia (844 3573 8569; www.activetravelvietnam.com) offers package trips in Sapa, Vietnam with some activities like trekking & hiking include accommodation, meals, guide, activities and return ticket from Hanoi to Lao Cai and vice versa and transfers.