Located in Ta Xua special-use forest (Bac Yen district, Son La province), Sa Mu peak (also known as U Bo) has recently become a favorite climbing spot for "backpackers" and explorers . Having just been crowned to mark its height at the end of 2022, Sa Mu peak is not only ideal for cloud hunting, but the journey through the primeval forest is an attractive experience mixed with many surprises.
Nearly 250 km from Hanoi , located on the border of Son La and Yen Bai provinces, Sa Mu peak is 2,756m above sea level, where every March and April, bright purple rhododendron flowers fill the sunny and windy mountain slopes. This is also the ideal time for the cloud paradise of Ta Xua to attract tourists to admire the majestic natural scenery, welcome the sunrise, watch the sunset and the stars at night, and even hunt for the Milky Way.
To conquer Sa Mu peak, visitors can choose to start from the foot of the mountain in Xim Vang commune or from Chong Tra village, Hang Dong commune of Bac Yen district. Choosing the direction from Chong Tra village, on motorbikes driven by local youth, we crossed the unique, precarious road to the edge of the forest and began the journey of walking uphill, through the forest, and climbing the mountain.
Stretching gradually along the height of 2,600m to the top, our footsteps gradually entered the primeval forest. The deeper we went, the more difficult the path became, the narrower the sky became, the vast green space was gradually replaced by the vast canopy of old trees, low and high, covering each other. The scenery was both majestic and poetic with soft moss carpets stretching along the path, covering the trunks of ancient trees, giant trees that could be hugged by three or four people, with tangled roots, unique and strange shapes. The ancient tea trees, several hundred years old, with rough trunks, covered with lichens, were sprouting young green tea buds. The rocks also transformed into dense moss trees with rich shapes. The vegetation was lush with many kinds of exotic herbs, wild flowers, and ferns. The wildness and mystery of the forest gradually increased with the height of the mountain climbing journey. The forest was dark green, sometimes turning yellow with young maple patches, densely dotted with azalea flowers, and pure white hawthorn flowers.
Walking slowly under the trees in amazement, I sat down next to the old trees, closed my eyes, felt myself shrink, lost in the old forest, felt a cool, fresh air surrounding me, the sunlight through the leaves, the sounds of the forest sometimes far, sometimes near, the chirping of birds, the rustling of the treetops sometimes falling into a space of absolute silence. The weather in the forest was sometimes sunny, sometimes rainy, sometimes foggy and cloudy with the wind blowing down very quickly, when the sunlight passed through the leaves, it was both poetic and magical.
The hiking trip becomes a relaxing, forest bathing trip to wash away fatigue and recharge the mind and body. The long road is sometimes flat, sometimes uphill, sometimes faltering downhill, sometimes groping, hugging the knees, sometimes freely rushing on the flat sections, although the slope is not too steep, but to reach the top, take beautiful check-in photos, sweat pours out, on the foreheads and hair of the hikers.
After about 5 km of trekking through the forest, we stopped at a flat grassy area and had lunch before continuing our journey to the summit. The chirping of birds and the sound of insects filled the air. The wind was gentle and gentle. Our companion and guide to conquer Sa Mu peak was Mua A Tanh, a local H'Mong who was familiar with the terrain. Having farmed with his family and herded cattle and buffaloes in the primeval forest as a child, Tanh was familiar with every bend and turn in the forest.
Tourism opened up opportunities for Tanh to approach new jobs, leading visitors to visit places in the village. Quickly spreading out a tarp, burning firewood, grilling chicken, boiling water, Tanh prepared lunch for our group. The light, warm meal with sticky rice, grilled chicken, sweet potatoes and boiled eggs... was also an opportunity for Tanh to share with us about the beauty of the land where he was born and raised: The right time to explore the forest route is from December to March, April. At this time, the rhododendrons are in full bloom, and around September, October, the whole forest is dyed red by maple leaves.
The ideal way to experience this route is in two days and one night, however, many tourists are limited in time, so there are groups that go and return during the day, departing early in the morning and returning late at night. The mountain climbing journey is not too difficult, but because this is a new route, there are no signs to guide the way, so if you are careless or lack experience in the forest, the climber can get lost in another forest.
Guiding tourists not only helps Tanh increase his income and improve his life, but also helps him and other local youth learn more communication skills, take photos, record clips, and create digital content on Facebook and TikTok to promote destinations such as Lang Sang village and Hang Dong waterfall in his commune.
Ms. Nguyen Bich Van, a tourist from Hanoi who has had many exciting mountain climbing trips, said: Compared to peaks such as Pu Ta Leng, Bach Moc Luong Tu (Lai Chau), Nhiu Co San (Lao Cai), Sa Mu peak is not too high and difficult to climb, the difficulty level is about 6/10, very suitable for first-time mountain climbers. However, the attraction of this hiking route is the journey through the forest, we were all overwhelmed by the wild and pristine mossy forest scenery. The mysterious scenery of the forest can become the backdrop for film crews to design scenes.
Currently, Ta Xua special-use forest is very clean and pristine because there has not been much impact from humans or the industrial tourism industry. The current mountain climbing experiences are completely self-funded by individuals. With the potential and advantages of both developing the tourism economy and creating livelihoods for the people, the local government needs to soon have comprehensive solutions so that the route to explore Sa Mu peak is both an attractive journey, protecting the landscape, natural resources, protecting the forest and contributing to the sustainable development of local tourism.
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