Chu Va 12 and Can Chua Thia Sang are two fairly new mountain climbing routes, located in Lai Chau province, about 30km from Sa Pa town center.
Located at the foot of O Quy Ho Pass, Hoang Lien Son range, Can Chua Thia Sang peak is 2,403m high and Chu Va 12 peak is 2,751m high. Although they are not the highest climbing routes, their difficulty is ranked among the top in Vietnam.
Mr. Doan Bach (office worker, Hanoi) decided to choose these two routes to conquer because they are quite deserted and have not been commercially exploited.
“Every weekend, at the “national” mountain climbing routes such as Lao Than, Ta Chi Nhu, Lung Cung, Ta Xua... the scene of no more sleeping places in the shelters, the scene of queuing and traffic jams on the climbing route seems to be all too familiar. After stressful working hours, amidst the hurried and suffocating pace of life in the city, I want to find a place to enjoy a sense of peace, listen to the birds chirping, the sound of streams flowing, the familiar call of the earth and sky”, Mr. Bach shared.
Mr. Bach said the trip was organized for 3 days and 2 nights. The group of 4 people, all close friends with the same hobby, had participated in dozens of mountain climbing trips before, so they had enough health and experience to be able to plan and complete the trip smoothly.
Although conquering Chu Va 12 and Can Chua Thia Sang only takes about 2 days and 1 night, his group still decided to extend the trip to leisurely feel the scenery, peaceful atmosphere, and immerse themselves in majestic nature.
“There are groups that climb to the top, check in and take photos for 15 minutes and then go down, and there are groups that stand on the top taking photos for 2-3 hours and still don't get bored,” he said, adding that his group is such trekkers.
The first thing that impressed the male tourist was the simple, wild beauty of this place. The road to the top of Chu Va 12 has steep terrain, many wet and slippery sections, which can be difficult for even experienced trekkers.
However, the result of climbing to the top is extremely satisfying. When standing on the top of Chu Va 12, visitors can see the natural scenery in all four directions with the roof of Dong Duong Fansipan, Ngu Chi Son range, Lao Than peak, Bach Moc peak, Nhiu Co San peak, Putaleng peak, Ta Lien...
“Looking out into the distance, waves of clouds drifted down the valley, hanging over the ravine. The rays of dawn light shining on the clouds looked no different from the watercolor paintings we often see in movies. On the top, there were only 4 brothers and the porter, it felt like the whole peak was covered, extremely special”, Mr. Bach excitedly shared.
After descending Chu Va 12 peak, Bach's group continued to cross the dinosaur's spine towards Can Chua Thia Sang peak. Although the road did not have many steep slopes, below was a deep canyon that could make people with acrophobia "hold their breath".
Bach's group was lucky to see both the romantic sunset and sunrise at the top of this mountain. In particular, the sunset scene made a deep impression on him: "The sun gradually rolled down to the horizon, the golden light like honey shining on each cloud. We sat down to dinner surrounded by an ocean of floating clouds. It felt so special and peaceful, as if we just wanted time to stop here."
According to the male tourist, because the whole group had previous experience climbing mountains, they almost did not encounter any difficulties or unfortunate incidents. However, there were still difficult sections of the road, challenging the health, courage and endurance of the trekkers. In addition, his group still needed to hire 2 local porters to lead the way, assist with cooking and ensure the safety of the members until they got down the mountain.
Tourists who intend to conquer Chu Va 12 and Can Chua Thia Sang in particular or other routes in general should carefully prepare basic and indispensable equipment such as climbing shoes, protective gloves, helmets, tents, sleeping bags... especially drinking water because water resources here are extremely scarce.
Mr. Bach affirmed that the route is not for those who have no experience in climbing, or are physically or mentally weak: "Please research in advance and prepare thoroughly in terms of physical strength and basic survival skills before starting the trip."
Although he has conquered this place twice, Mr. Bach still affirms that he will continue to return here again in the future because he is so impressed with the wild, majestic but equally poetic and peaceful natural beauty of Chu Va 12 and Can Chua Thia Sang.
