Through the primeval forest to discover a new mountain peak in Ta Xua

February 9, 2023 07:31

Sa Mu is a pristine mountain peak in Ta Xua that was just summited in December 2022, has a diverse primeval forest and is easy to hunt for clouds.

Ta Xua (Bac Yen district) is known as a cloud paradise with many famous cloud hunting locations such as dinosaur spine, wind peak, camel rock. There is also a mountain peak where you can not only hunt clouds but also experience the moss-covered primeval forest like in fairy tales.

According to the electronic information portal of Bac Yen district, Sa Mu - U Bo peak (commonly known as Sa Mu peak) has an altitude of 2,890 m above sea level. This peak is located more than 100 km from Son La city, on the border between Son La and Yen Bai provinces, in Ta Xua special-use forest - an extension of Hoang Lien range to the South.

Vẻ đẹp của khu rừng nguyên sinh trong những ngày đầu năm (tháng 01/2023)  Ảnh: NVCC

The beauty of the primeval forest in January. Photo: NVCC

As a tour guide who has taken many tourists trekking to the top of this mountain, Mr. Do Van Tuyen (30 years old, Hai Phong), said that to reach the top of Sa Mu, from Bac Yen town, you have to continue going about 40 km deep into the climbing point in Xim Vang commune. After about two hours of traveling, you will reach the gathering point at the foot of the mountain to trek to the top. The distance from the foot of the mountain to the top is about 13 km, with a resting hut located 1 km from the top.

The trekking route to Sa Mu peak will go through a primeval forest with the characteristics of a tropical rainforest, with a variety of plants such as moss, rhododendron, maple leaves, bamboo forests and many streams and waterfalls. The vegetation in the forest changes according to the altitude and direction of the mountain slope. From about September to November, maple leaves change color to yellow and red, creating a poetic scene. March and April are the rhododendron flower season. In the forest, there are also many large, strangely shaped ancient trees, covered with moss all year round and bamboo forests that are green all year round.

Tourists can combine trekking and cloud hunting on Sa Mu peak. From December to February is the easiest time to hunt clouds on the peak. On clear days, standing on Sa Mu peak, you can also see two famous peaks of Yen Bai province, Ta Xua and Ta Chi Nhu.

According to Ms. Moc, a tourism worker in Ta Xua, Sa Mu peak has only been known for about a year. There are not many experiences shared on tourism forums about conquering this peak.

Coming to Ta Xua for the first time in 2013 when it was still deserted and witnessing the crowding in recent years, Mr. Do Van Tuyen went to deeper communes of Bac Yen district such as Xim Vang commune. After a camping trip with a few friends at the end of June 2022, Mr. Tuyen realized that this is a mountain peak with great potential for tourism with a long road through the primeval forest, unique landscape and beautiful sea of ​​clouds. To attract more attention from travel enthusiasts, Mr. Tuyen came up with the idea of ​​​​setting the top of Sa Mu and creating a resting place for visitors to stop.

Đỉnh Sa Mu được anh Tuyên cắm chóp vào ngày 22/12/2022 ở độ cao 2765 m.  Ảnh: NVCC

Sa Mu Peak was summited by Mr. Tuyen on December 22, 2022 at an altitude of 2,765 m. Photo: NVCC

Before starting the project, Mr. Tuyen asked for permission from the Xim Vang commune authorities (Bac Yen district, Son La). Mr. Mua A Thai - Deputy Secretary of Xim Vang commune (Bac Yen, Son La) said that in the past, there were a few individual tourists who went to the top of Sa Mu but not many. Mr. Tuyen was the first person to lead a group of tourists to climb this mountain.

According to Mr. Tuyen, Sa Mu peak is rated 6/10 in difficulty with many slopes that are not steep but long. Visitors should start climbing early in the morning, stay overnight at a hut and continue the journey the next morning. The distance from the hut to the peak is about 1 km, the terrain is steep so it takes about an hour to reach the destination. If you start around 4-5am, when you reach the peak you can see the sea of ​​clouds and welcome the sunrise.

In winter, the weather in the high mountains is quite harsh, the night temperature can drop to -2 degrees Celsius. Before coming here, tourists need to prepare warm clothes and necessary personal items such as medicine, food, and water. Indispensable items when trekking are specialized climbing shoes or plastic boots.

Spending a month in Ta Xua to explore and experience, Pham Huu Khiem (Nghe An) did not miss the opportunity to conquer Sa Mu peak on December 22 and 23, 2022.

"The beautiful scenery in Sa Mu is the reward for my efforts - the first time climbing a mountain. Going at a time when there is fog, the scenery becomes magical, like being lost in a forest in a fairy tale. Sa Mu is as beautiful as a pure, primitive girl that no local boy has ever known," Khiem said.

Khiêm đứng dưới một gốc cây cổ thụ kỳ lạ trong rừng nguyên sinh trên đường trekking lên đỉnh (22/12/2022). Ảnh: NVCC

Khiem stands under a strange ancient tree in the primeval forest on the trekking route to the top (December 22, 2022). Photo: NVCC

With the desire for tourism here to develop sustainably, tourism exploitation must go hand in hand with protecting the forest environment, so Mr. Tuyen and local guides have agreed to limit the number of mountain climbers each week to control the situation, avoiding going into the trails of new tourist destinations.

Next June, the Steering Committee for Tourism Development of Bac Yen District and the Xim Vang Commune government will organize a workshop on "Awakening tourism potential in socio-economic development". In particular, the construction and development of the Xim Vang - Sa Mu peak road tour will be promoted through connecting the commune's tours and tourist routes with domestic and foreign associations and tourism and travel businesses.

According to VnExpress

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