Conquering Khau Coc Cha Pass

Although not one of the "Four Great Passes" of Vietnam (Pha Din, O Quy Ho, Ma Pi Leng, Khau Pha), Khau Coc Cha is dangerous with 14 sharp turns that make many people hesitate when passing through, and is a favorite destination for young people when exploring Cao Bang. The challenging danger of the pass, the majestic and breathtaking scenery like a painting when viewed from above are the reasons why more and more "backpackers" are exploring it.

The majestic and poetic panorama of 15 floors is within sight, making visitors extremely excited.

From Cao Bang city, we traveled nearly 90 km to Xuan Truong commune, passing through extremely steep consecutive passes, the winding road like a soft silk strip immersed in the mist, breathtakingly winding, with the determination to conquer the pass that is being passed around by "backpackers" that they must visit once in their life. Hearing the introduction of Khau Coc Cha pass located on National Highway 4A, clinging to the vertical direction of Coc Cha mountain, connecting Xuan Truong commune with Bao Lac town, only about 2.5 km long but with up to 14 "hairpin bends", forming 15 extremely dangerous slopes, made us extremely excited, mixed with curiosity. According to the locals, the pass has existed since the French colonial period, but at that time it was only a trail about 40 cm wide. The terrain is rugged and difficult to travel, so people often walk or ride horses and it takes a lot of time to cross the pass. From 2009 to 2011, the province invested in expanding the pass, the road surface was widened to 5m and paved with asphalt. The "hairpin bends" were cut deeper into the cliff to gain more road space to ensure safety, making travel between Bao Lac district and neighboring areas easier and more convenient, while also shortening travel time. However, this is still one of the most dangerous passes in the Northeast region.

Following many tourists on the journey to discover Khau Coc Cha, we chose the top of the pass - where there is a grocery store and also the only drink shop in this area owned by Mr. and Mrs. Nong Van Ngoan - as a place to stop and enjoy the scenery. The grocery store is quite crowded, visitors are warmly welcomed by the couple. It is known that this was originally the place where Mrs. Le Thi Thuy - Mr. Ngoan's wife often rested after each time going up the mountain to herd goats. In 2007, she opened a grocery store, selling soft drinks to serve tourists. Since then, the couple has become "ambassadors" of tourism , actively participating in making Khau Coc Cha pass an increasingly popular tourist destination.

Here, we were introduced to two options to explore Khau Coc Cha: driving directly through the pass or trekking through the forest to admire the view from above. We were determined to conquer it both ways. To conquer Khau Coc Cha pass by motorbike, due to the steep, steep slope with many dangerous turns, it takes about more than 1 hour to overcome. The higher you go, the more you see the majesty of nature, the dangerous turns, the winding sections and the surrounding steep mountains, on one side are green forests, deep abysses creating a magnificent, majestic scene for the scenery here. Because of the hidden dangers, anyone traveling on the pass needs to have a steady hand on the wheel, drive safely and obey traffic laws...

After driving directly through the pass, we wanted to overcome the challenge of walking through the forest, following the mountainside of the pass to be able to enjoy the scenery and capture the majestic panorama of the pass. To know the way up the mountain, we returned to Mrs. Thuy's grocery store. Mrs. Thuy excitedly shared: After many years of herding goats on the mountains in this area, I know the roads by heart and know the most beautiful and clearest viewing spot of Khau Coc Cha pass. Whenever tourists have a need, I take them to the "peak" of Pac Thoc to fully enjoy the 15 levels of the pass. The road is 1 km long but it takes more than 30 minutes to get there. At first, the road was difficult to travel due to many sections of steep cliffs, dense trees, and slippery on rainy days... so I spent money to hire people to clear the trees, improve the road, draw directions and create check-in points so that tourists can go up by themselves. I have never cared about charging or demanding money for guiding tourists to the check-in points I created.

The higher we climbed, the more majestic nature opened up before our eyes, each slope gradually revealed under the canopy of trees. Although the trees had been cleared and the path had been improved, the path up the mountain was still very dangerous, there were sections where we had to support each other to cling to each rock to climb, everyone kept exclaiming in amazement, despite the sweat pouring down. When we arrived, the entire 15-storey view was in sight, stunningly beautiful, the whole pass looked like a giant snake slithering up the mountain. In the layer of white, floating clouds, the pass appeared winding, with winding turns, layered like steps to the "top of heaven".

The journey of walking in the forest can make you feel tired, but the panoramic view of the 15-storey pass appearing before your eyes is both majestic and poetic, making visitors who see it with their own eyes feel overwhelmed. Perhaps that is why recently, many backpackers have been telling each other that they must conquer Khau Coc Cha once in their life. And certainly, conquering Khau Coc Cha will be an extremely interesting and unforgettable experience in life.

Source link