On the morning of July 29, Vietnam Law Newspaper in coordination with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lai Chau province announced the "Footsteps on the Clouds - Conquering the Pavi ancient stone road" mountain climbing tournament in 2026.
Speaking at the press conference, Dr. Vu Hoai Nam, Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Law Newspaper, said that the tournament was initiated in 2023 with the desire to connect sports, tourism and media, contributing to introducing the natural beauty and cultural identity of the Northwest region.
After two seasons of organization, the tournament has created a positive spread, bringing many destinations in the Hoang Lien Son range closer to tourists who love to explore. Many landmarks such as Ta Xua, Ta Chi Nhu are gradually becoming famous trekking spots, contributing to promoting tourism development, creating livelihoods and improving the lives of people in the highlands.
Mountain climbing is not only a sporting activity but also has the mission of promoting local tourism development. The communication effect from previous seasons has contributed to making many destinations in the Northwest an attractive choice for tourists, thereby actively contributing to the economic development of mountainous localities," Dr. Vu Hoai Nam emphasized.
According to the Organizing Committee, this year's season continues to aim to spread the spirit of conquering nature, while promoting the majestic image of Lai Chau to a large number of travel and sports lovers nationwide. The companionship of press agencies is expected to create a strong communication effect, contributing to opening up more development opportunities for the locality.
A noteworthy new point of the 2026 season is that the Organizing Committee is expanding the scale of participation for the first time. Besides about 100 journalists and reporters from press agencies, the tournament also welcomes professional athletes, amateur athletes and those who love off-road running across the country.
Expanding the participants not only creates more playgrounds for the sports-loving community but also contributes to promoting the image of the ancient Pavi stone road and Lai Chau tourism to the general public.
The "Footsteps on the Clouds - Conquering the Ancient Pavi Stone Road 2026" mountain climbing tournament will officially take place on October 4, 2026 in Sin Suoi Ho commune, Lai Chau province.
The tournament includes three competition distances: 5km, 11km and 22km. The organizers expect each athlete to become a "communication ambassador", spreading stories, images and experiences about Lai Chau's nature, culture, and people on media platforms and social networks.
This is considered a modern tourism promotion method, while contributing to raising community awareness about preserving historical, cultural and ecosystem values, towards sustainable tourism development.
The prize structure includes categories for journalistic athletes and delegations, units, and individuals participating in the tournament, specifically:
Press athlete award set:
- Women's individual prize set: 01 first prize, 01 second prize, 01 third prize and 03 consolation prizes.
- Men's individual prize set: 01 first prize, 01 second prize, 01 third prize and 03 consolation prizes.
Award set for delegations, units and individuals:
- Individual prize set: 01 first prize, 01 second prize, 01 third prize and 06 consolation prizes.
- Collective prize set: 01 first prize, 01 second prize, 01 third prize and 06 consolation prizes.
- Team prize set: 01 first prize, 01 second prize and 01 third prize.
Regarding prize value:
Athletes from the press sector will receive cash and many valuable gifts. In which, the First Prize is worth 20 million VND, the Second Prize is 15 million VND, the Third Prize is 10 million VND and each consolation prize is worth 5 million VND.
