Climbing the “Roof” of Yên Bái
Visitors reach the peak of Ta Lead Nhù at an altitude of nearly 3,000m after 7-8 hours of moving through steep and difficult forest roads, admiring the field of purple flowers blooming throughout the hill area.
Tà Chì Nhù (in Xà Hồ commune, Trạm Tấu district) is known as "Yen Bai roof," "cloud paradise in the lower world," and stands 2,979m tall. This is also Vietnam's seventh highest peak, and tourists first conquered it in 2013.
Tà Chì Nhù is a popular climbing destination not only for cloud hunting but also for the beauty of the purple flower that grows wild on the hillsides. That is a flower.
The name comes from the fact that when people ask about wild purple flowers, the natives also say "chi pâu" (Hmong means "do not know", "do not understand"). Because no one knows where this flower came from or what it's called.
Just know that every year in late autumn, from September to October, the brilliant purple color of this wildflower can be found all over the hills and mountains of Tà Chì Nhù.
Tà Chì Nhù Peak
The best time to see the flowers is from mid-September to early October, while from November to March of the following year, Tà Chì Nhù becomes the ideal cloud hunting coordinates for visitors.
Mr. Do Van Tuyen, who has "hunted" flowers on Tà Chì Nhù twice, claims that there are two ways to reach the peak.
To begin, visitors should take the Hanoi - Trạm Tấu (Yen Bai) road. There are numerous places to eat, rest, and shower. This is another popular trail, but the road is quite steep and difficult to navigate.
Alternatively, visitors can take a sleeper car from Hanoi to Nghia Lo town and spend the night there before taking a car or motorbike the next morning to run directly to the climbing point, which is about 30 kilometers away.
Second, visitors can ascend via the newly opened route that follows the Hanoi - Ngoc Chien (Son La) route. However, this walkway has fewer food and sleeping options, but the road is less steep.
From a distance, the flower field appears to be a giant purple carpet suspended between the hillsides.
The flowers are as lovely as buckwheat flowers (Ha Giang), plum blossoms (Son La), peach blossoms (Lao Cai), and so on.
The total distance traveled from the beginning of the climb (Lead Mine - Mỏ Chì) to the resting shack at 2400m is approximately 6km. Tà Chì Nhù, about 3 kilometers away, can be seen from the resting shack. The average person takes about 2 hours to reach the summit, according to the guides.
The road to the Lead Mine - Mỏ Chì is quite difficult to walk; it is all gravel with rocks, so it takes a long time to move, approximately 9-10 hours to begin climbing. Leo begins at 9 a.m. until around 4 p.m. The next day was spent at the rest stop.
Guests rest, eat at the rest shack, and get up early in the morning, about 4 hours, to begin their ascent. If you go early, you will arrive at the top in time for dawn, allowing you to capture a romantic moment on high.
"Climbers must walk the forest road for about 20 kilometers, including the return trip," Tuyen explained. "The road to conquer Tà Chì Nhù is primarily bare hills, so climbing is nearly impossible in the sun, and slippery in the rain."
Before visiting Tà Chì Nhù, visitors must first navigate the road through the complex mountainous terrain of the Hoang Lien Son range, which includes many steep slopes and a harsh climate.
Visitors can admire the beautiful scenery on the top of the high mountain at the end of their climbing journey.
According to him, visitors should pay attention to preparing for good health and fitness before climbing for several days due to the high altitude. Moving the forest road for two days with limited food and drink will erode climbers' health and make travel difficult.
It is not recommended that those without climbing experience attempt this journey on their own. Visitors can join groups, go on guided tours, and have porters help them transport their belongings.
Furthermore, visitors should learn more about how to deal with situations such as centipede snakes, hypoglycemia, fainting, heat stroke, and so on.
The flowers are light purple and grow in clusters on steep cliffs in the mountains.
Visitors can see goats grazing on the cliffs at the top of Tà Chì Nhù, along with dreamy purple flowers.
Although the path to Tà Chì Nhù peak is difficult, visitors will find the effort well worth it when they see the poetic scenery, such as the European sky on a field of chi beard flowers.
The flowers are arranged in small bunches that are not as dark as lavender but are a delicate, pure white color. Flowers bloom on the mountain slopes, creating a soft, picturesque purple scene.
According to many climbers, in addition to watching and photographing chi beard flowers, visitors to Tà Chì Nhù can also hunt clouds and catch the romantic sunrise.
Source: Khải Anh - Photo: Đỗ Văn Tuyến