Ham Lon Mountain 'easy to climb, hard to get lost'

Ham Lon Mountain is located in Soc Son District, about 40 km northwest of the center of Hanoi . With an altitude of 462 m and diverse terrain, Ham Lon is chosen by many families, groups of young people and mountain climbers to practice physical strength, camp, and do light trekking. Ham Lon is especially crowded on weekends.

This is a small mountain, easy to climb and almost impossible to get lost if you are well prepared, said Le Nghia, who has climbed Ham Lon about 100 times.

"Ham Lon Mountain has many trails, going in one direction for a few kilometers will lead to where there are people. On the mountain there is a road system serving fire prevention and fighting, 4-6 meters wide, small paths all lead to this route so it is difficult to get lost," said Mr. Nghia.

One of the roads on the 13km Ham Lon route. Photo: Linh Huong

Sharing the same opinion, Mr. Minh Bui, Hanoi, who has climbed Ham Lon dozens of times, said that this mountain is "not difficult to climb", even primary or secondary school children are strong enough to complete it.

"It's hard to get lost if you just follow the trail," said Minh. His family has two sons, whose parents took them to climb Ham Lon five years ago, when they were still in middle school.

On the evening of May 17, a group of five young people were stranded on Ham Lon Mountain. The group went up the mountain to camp, but could not get down due to heavy rain, slippery roads, darkness, and limited visibility. The Soc Son District government had to dispatch 15 rescue officers to the scene, coordinate with the Nam Son Commune police and local people to search and bring the group down the mountain safely.

Talking about the risk of climbers getting lost when going up Ham Lon, Mr. Nghia said that most people who get lost are first-timers, subjective, and unprepared, especially young people who go camping.

"Young people who go camping often have substandard equipment, sometimes wearing sneakers with soles that don't have enough grip. In Ham Lon, even if you have specialized trail running shoes, it's difficult to walk when it rains. Raining and dark is even more difficult for those who are not used to it," said Mr. Nghia.

Usually, tourists who go camping do not go far. The familiar camping spots are only about 2-3 km from the starting point, usually Ham Lon Lake. But if you do not have specialized equipment (shoes, lights) and stay late to watch the sunset, the risk of getting lost is high. The phone's flash is not bright enough and psychological effects can make you not alert enough to find your way and handle the situation.

Manh Chien, admin and founder of the mountain climbing enthusiast association and Yolo Trekking, said that most people climb Ham Lon during the day. Those who climb at night usually fall into two groups. Group one are professionals, training for 100km or 160km distances of trail running races. Group two usually climbs and camps overnight. "Cases of getting lost usually fall into group two," said Mr. Chien.

Mr. Chien added that group one has a lot of experience, uses smart watches, is in good health, and can handle things easily. Group two is easily lost because they choose branch roads, places with streams, and do not have enough tools.

View from Ham Lon Mountain. Photo: Minh Bui

Regarding the experience of climbing Ham Lon, Mr. Nghia said that if it is your first time, it is best to have an experienced person to guide you. If not, follow the trail, do not open your own path. If you feel lost, you should go back. When walking, you should observe the surroundings to orient yourself, for example, the surrounding mountains, Ham Lon Lake. If you get lost, follow the trail towards these points.

One limitation of Ham Lon is that there are too many trails, which can sometimes be difficult for those unfamiliar. "If you get lost, just keep going, it may lead to the other side of Ham Lon mountain, further away but you will still find the fire protection road," Mr. Nghia added.

Minh said that it is necessary to prepare all necessary equipment, if going at night, it is necessary to have a flashlight, wear specialized shoes, and a raincoat. In addition, he suggested taking photos at the turn to save in case of disorientation. If the climber uses a smart watch, they should download the map and follow it to avoid getting lost. If they go off course, they should handle it calmly. It is also necessary to save the rescue phone number to prevent risky situations.

According to Manh Chien, Ham Lon is an easy mountain to climb. Most professional climbing companies do not organize tours at Ham Lon. "Those without experience can go to the camping service points at the foot of the mountain and register to hire a guide," said Mr. Chien. Food and tent services are also provided here.

There are many stages to climb Ham Lon Mountain, from easy to difficult. You can go up and down the same way, or you can go up one way and down many different ways, depending on your level and challenge. The shortest section to conquer the peak is about 7 km, the length can be tens of km.

According to vnexpress.net

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/du-lich/nui-ham-lon-de-leo-kho-lac-163888.html