Conquering Nam Kang Ho Tao peak - the most difficult trekking route in the Northwest

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Backpackers have known about Nam Kang Ho Tao peak since 2017 and it immediately became the most difficult mountain to conquer in the Northwest because of the long distance with many steep cliffs and steep slopes. Because of the difficulty and the challenge of endurance for those who love to travel, when my group of friends invited me to conquer it, I immediately agreed.

Our group has 14 people, many ages, the youngest is 25, the oldest is 63. The trip schedule has been planned by the group leader, the most experienced person. We will conquer this route considered the most difficult in 3 days and 2 nights. Most of the members in the group have climbing experience and health endurance, so they are quite confident in conquering this route. All preparations are ready, we just need to bring a beautiful soul to Nam Kang Ho Tao.

Departing from My Dinh (Hanoi) at 7pm on Thursday. At 1am on Friday, we arrived in Tan Uyen district (Lai Chau), checked in, and took a nap to regain our strength. At 7am, everyone was excited, both physically and mentally ready for this difficult journey.

The group leader is Phan A Pao, a Dao ethnic person with experience and knowledge of the Nam Kang Ho Tao route. Pao and 5 other brothers help the group prepare food, drinks, gloves, raincoats, etc. Before leaving, Pao reminded the group of a few things to keep in mind: "This is a route that requires willpower and determination to overcome oneself, so everyone should stick together, encourage each other and try not to think about the word 'giving up'."

It is no coincidence that Nam Kang Ho Tao is known as the most difficult trekking route in Northwest Vietnam. The terrain is full of cliffs, slippery, and steep. On the first day, the distance from Thao A village to camp 1 took about 9 hours for more than 10km, and for weaker people, it might take 10 or 11 hours. On the first day, the whole group understood why climbers call this the "torture route" because we kept climbing up and then crawling down. There were sections where we could only crawl, inch by inch. There were slopes where I did not dare to look up for fear of losing my will. There were times when we crawled, crawled over rocks and we did not dare to imagine how slippery it would be if it rained.

The tiring and careless part of the path is the moment of crossing the forest that we often call "the moment of going on the highway". But the forest path of Nam Kang Ho Tao is like a maze with no exit. The traces of the trail are not clear, many sections are similar, causing climbers to fall into illusions, very easy to get lost. Now we understand why Pao repeatedly said: "Please go in groups, do not separate from each other, it is easy to get lost".

The first night stop was also a test of the group’s willpower because tomorrow’s journey was just as “tough” as the first day. At this point, many people’s determination had somewhat weakened.

On the morning of the second day, the group woke up early and started the journey at 6:30 am. There were a few people who gave up. From the shelter to the top, they had to climb more than 15km, passing 2 dangerous cliffs. Therefore, Phan A Pao said, "Nam Kang Ho Tao is only for experienced and physically fit people."

Our group set a goal to reach the summit at 11am. After overcoming the steep slopes, the first people in the group touched the stainless steel pinnacle at the top of the mountain at exactly 11:50am and the last person reached the top at nearly 12:00pm. The emotions exploded when the mountain climbing journey had reached the halfway point, because the return journey was equally arduous.

At exactly 13 o'clock we went down the mountain to avoid having to go in the dark.

Nam Kang Ho Tao is not for the faint of heart.weak

3 days 2 nights in the forest, no phone signal, just climbing and climbing makes even strong people sometimes lose their minds. However, the value that each person receives when experiencing many emotions is truly powerful. In addition to good physical strength, the internal struggle is also very intense. And luckily, all 14 people in the group successfully conquered it.

Mr. Ngo Thanh Hai, a literature teacher in Bac Giang, said, “Nam Kang Ho Tao is almost the last mountain for me to graduate from mountain climbing. The list of mountains I conquered is 15 peaks. This is a mountain that requires a lot of willpower. As a photography enthusiast, I walked and took pictures at the same time, which somewhat relieved me from the pressure of time and the harshness of this mountain."

The special impression in Nam Kang Ho Tao is the streams. During the whole journey, we crossed 14-15 streams, many large and small streams pouring down from the top. Especially in this route, we were immersed in Da stream, the largest stream in the Northwest. The stream is wide, the water flows fast, if you do not know how to walk on the rocks, it is easy to fall. Many people are often absorbed in taking pictures and posing in front of the waterfall and stream, so some people fell due to subjectivity. In the group, there were also 2 members who fell at this stream, fortunately in the group there were many people with mountain climbing experience so they handled the incident immediately.

Although it was difficult, the experience was a valuable lesson for all of us. Hoang Giang, who is also a mountain climbing enthusiast, said, “When I was invited to go to Nam Kang Ho Tao, I hesitated to accept because of the difficulty. And the truth is that it was beyond imagination. But in return, my group and I got to admire the unique and majestic scenery. The waterfalls were mesmerizingly beautiful or the forests with ancient trees covered in moss. If you don’t climb the mountain, you will never see those beautiful scenes. It is hard and difficult, but in return, your life experience is truly meaningful.”

Because of its "hardness", Nam Kang Ho Tao is not the first choice. Trekkers have to climb from 5 to 7 peaks or more to be confident enough to conquer Nam Kang Ho Tao. That is also the reason why Nam Kang Ho Tao is not as popular as Bach Moc Luong Tu, Ta Xua or Putaleng... But when you have successfully conquered Nam Kang Ho Tao, your confidence in experience, health, and endurance will increase many times over.

Phan A Pao offers some advice for those who intend to climb Nam Kang Ho Tao: “The weather here is also a harsh challenge for climbers, even experienced ones. During the day, the sun is scorching hot, at night it gets very cold, sometimes fog and clouds roll in, making it hard to see ahead. Or the sun and rain are erratic.”

There are 2 times to conquer Nam Kang Ho Tao: from February to the end of March and from September to the end of November. Absolutely do not climb during the rainy or foggy season because there are too many dangers. Physical strength is also a deciding factor for success. If you are new to mountain climbing, you should not choose Nam Kang Ho Tao. Try routes such as Lao Than, Lung Cung... to get acquainted and practice endurance.

Completing the Nam Kang Ho Tao route, which is considered by backpackers to be the most difficult route in the Northwest but the most worth climbing route in Vietnam, we cannot help but be proud of surpassing ourselves.