Crossing the beautiful "ghostly" primeval forest, watching the Milky Way on the new mountain top in Ta Xua

About 240 km from Hanoi and more than 100 km from Son La city, Sa Mu peak (in Ta Xua commune, Bac Yen district, Son La province) is located at an altitude of 2,756m above sea level, a trekking coordinate that has attracted many travel enthusiasts to conquer for over a year now.

According to the electronic information portal of Bac Yen district, Sa Mu peak is located on the border between Son La and Yen Bai provinces, belonging to Ta Xua special-use forest - an extension of Hoang Lien range to the South.

This is also a famous cloud hunting spot in Ta Xua, as beautiful as the dinosaur spine, camel rock, wind peak, etc. In addition, Sa Mu peak also impresses visitors with its diverse primeval forest, covered with green moss, as beautiful as fairy tale movies.

Having led many tours and brought tourists trekking to Sa Mu peak, Le Van Trong Anh (28 years old, living in Hanoi) said that Sa Mu peak has a difficulty level of 5/10 with many long but not steep slopes. The ideal schedule to complete this climbing route is 2 days 1 night.

In the forest there are many giant trees with strange shapes and covered with moss all year round.

There are two main trekking routes to reach the top of Sa Mu, from Xim Vang and Hang Dong. Most visitors choose to start from Xim Vang with the route from the foot of the mountain to the top being about 14 km, with a rest house located 1 km from the top.

Visitors should start climbing early in the morning, stay overnight at the hut and continue the journey the next morning.

The hut is hidden in the middle of the old forest, built as a shelter for tourists with a capacity of about 40 people. At the hut, tourists are provided with basic items such as pillows, blankets, drinking water and served local meals with many delicious dishes.

The spacious hut has full electricity, water and essential amenities, making it convenient for visitors to rest overnight.

On the way to conquer Sa Mu peak, visitors will cross many beautiful streams, waterfalls and a magical moss-covered primeval forest. In the forest, the vegetation changes according to the altitude and direction of the mountain slope.

Coming here, visitors have the opportunity to admire the floating sea of ​​clouds, watch the sunset or hunt for the beautiful Milky Way at night. From December to February is the easiest time to hunt for clouds on this mountain top.

If you come here in March or April, you can admire the rhododendron season. From September to November, the maple leaves change from yellow to red, creating a romantic landscape like Europe.

The best time to conquer Sa Mu peak is from October to March. At this time, there is little rain, the ancient moss forest is green and beautiful.

This is also considered the second most beautiful cloud hunting coordinate in Ta Xua.

Ms. Pham Thi Thuy Trang (tourist from Hanoi) had the opportunity to experience Sa Mu peak at the beginning of the new year with a group of friends. The group started from Xim Vang and returned in the direction of Hang Dong.

According to Ms. Trang, the route to conquer Sa Mu peak is not difficult, suitable for beginners. In particular, this female tourist feels that the scenery on this route is very beautiful, especially the primeval forest and moss forest.

“I have conquered several other mountain peaks with beautiful scenery, but Sa Mu peak really left a bigger impression because it has many forests, especially ancient forests and super beautiful moss forests,” Trang said.

Mr. Lam Hoang Thien Vu, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, also just climbed Sa Mu peak at the beginning of the new year 2024. Having conquered many high and difficult peaks in Vietnam such as Bach Moc Luong Tu, Ta Xua, Nhiu Co San, Pu Ta Leng, etc., Mr. Vu commented that the road to Sa Mu peak has a mysterious and magical beauty.

“It can be said that this is the most beautiful and pristine trekking route in Vietnam today, with no waste, no noise, diverse vegetation, primeval forests and ancient trees covered with moss,” said the male tourist.

Anh Vu experienced watching the sea of ​​clouds, sunset and hunting the Milky Way on the trip to conquer Sa Mu peak.

On the new route from the top to the foot of the mountain, a male tourist from Ho Chi Minh City was impressed with the beauty of Hang Xua waterfall.

Mr. Vu also expressed his excitement when he successfully hunted clouds on Sa Mu peak. In addition, he also had the opportunity to admire the romantic sunset moment at an altitude of more than 2,700m and hunt for the beautiful Milkyway at night.

Because it is located at a high altitude, in winter, the weather on the top of Sa Mu is quite harsh, the temperature at night can drop to -2 degrees Celsius. Therefore, visitors coming here at this time need to prepare warm clothes, specialized climbing shoes or plastic boots and necessary personal items such as medicine, food, and drinks.

In addition, when climbing mountains, tourists should be careful not to litter in the forest, not to break branches or pick flowers to preserve the natural landscape, contributing to the sustainable development of local tourism.