Getting high in Vietnam

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Onto Sa Pa, a quaint mountainside town in the North Western corner of Vietnam. We came here for one reason, to climb Mount Fan Xi Pan; Vietnams highest mountain at 3143 metres above sea level. We started the three day trek after a days rest around town and set forth with happy optimism about the climb. The first day was a very hard slog, seven and a half hours of ascent ranging from steep, to very steep, to vertical, with little respite. Sometimes we had to haul ourselves up the slope using bamboo plants as improvised ladders and on several occasions narrowly missed falls that might have ended up in injuries that at that hight could have proved extremely inconvenient. Anyway we prevailed and enjoyed ourselves in the moment and with the inspiring scenery that surrounded us. We camped in a deforested clearing and enjoyed watching our guides (Sau and Tang) cooking our dinner over fire whilst using machetes to open tin cans, dice carrots, peel apples, and the like.
Day two was the best, we set off early after an exquisite sun rise and climbed solidly for four hours. I really enjoyed one hour or so of it as we walked from mountian peak to mountain peak, with amazing views, and miles davis on the ipod, it was great soul food and an experience I will not forget and for sure will reinvoke when in need of some inspiration. Reaching the top was awesome - we got to have a break, and we posed for some photos. The way down was as tough as going up, for another four hours we cautiously made our way down the perilous pathways, needing as much mental concentration as physical endurance.
With two very hard days behind us we were looking forward to the third day, which we thought would be shorter and easier. However our guides decided to take us back to their village so we went an enitirely deferent route to the way up. The descent was like controlled freefall, only without the control! Seriously is was very hard going and for hours at a time each footstep took strength and precision to avoid any mishap. I was carrying a heavy backpack and went over twice, Kate took one nosedive but we escaped unhurt. After two full on days already, our thighs were burning with exhuastion and this day of descent seemed to last a month!
All in all, I enjoyed every moment of it, it was an inspirational journey, an awesome test of endurance, and a proud achievement. We climbed a total of around 2000 metres and descended 2500.

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Comments

[Governor]

Great Blog
Hey! Your blog was great. Where did you hire your guides and would you recommend them again? How many minority villages did you pass through. Was that your tent or your guides. What equipment should I bring. Thanks, Governor