Pha Din and Hoang Lien Son are the most dangerous passes in northern Vietnam. Going through the gorges lined with cliffs gives tourists an unforgettable travel experience and a feeling that they are travelling on the frontier between the earth and sky.
Pha Din means the earth and the sky in the language of the ethnic Thai people. Actually, local people say Pha Din Pass whose peak is 1,442 meters above sea level was the frontier between heaven and earth but fail to provide any clear explanation about this.
This 32-kilometer-long pass runs along National Highway 6 and connects Son La and Dien Bien provinces.
However, Hoang Lien Son Pass is much higher than Pha Din. A little more than 2,000 meters above sea level, Hoang Lien Son is the highest pass in Vietnam and runs some 64 kilometers along the sides of Hoang Lien Son mountain range to provide a link between Lai Chau and the resort town of Sapa in Lao Cai Province.
Despite their different lengths and heights, the two passes share many things in common. They are full of twists and turns, which offer travelers shivering moments as well as great excitement.
Of course, it is dangerous to travel on the passes, especially in winter when visibility is poor due to midst and in the rainy season when there is high risk of landslides. But why not to challenge yourselves to cross the passes that are full of natural landscapes.
Travelers should not get frightened and close their eyes but open them wide to view the scenery and what’s happening along the way and their fear will then die away. It is at the sections of swift bends that travelers can feel thrilled as they are on the way with upright cliffs on one side and a deep gulf on the other.
Cold winds blow through the clothes of travelers and midst refresh them on cloudy days. When it is clear in summer or autumn, the passes offer travelers picturesque scenes of ranges of mountains stretching as far as the skyline. Blankets of cloud cover mountain peaks in the long distance and ethnic people work in their terraced paddy fields.
Crossing Pha Din and Hoang Lien Son by car is great and safe but it is greater and safer to ride a bicycle or a motorcycle. Cycling is certainly good for travelers’ health and will while riding a motorcycle is recommended for those not physically strong enough.
Travelers can stop at whatever section of the passes they want to take pictures of the mountains, cloud, valleys and ethnic adults and children on their way back home or up to the mountains if they ride a bicycle or a motorbike.
Furthermore, it is easy for the riders to move up the passes, particularly at the road sections in bad condition or under construction on Pha Din Pass. So, remember to ride good bikes if you do not want to spend overnight or cancel your adventure on the passes.
