Buzz
My advice for you to support each other through this journey is to pair up strong and weak to assist each other, especially you ladies.
The steep slopes are all rocky, with no beaten path, and there's no concept of right or wrong way, just follow your leading direction, find footing, and stride accordingly. You don't necessarily have to follow in the footsteps of those before you if you find it unsuitable.
After overcoming the initial stretch of the journey, you'll receive a marvelous treat from nature: a place to sleep and play at night under a star-filled sky. Speaking of sleep, I'd like to remind you that this path is only suitable for sleeping bags, as there's only the option of lying on uneven rocks, no space for pitching tents or hanging hammocks.
This journey is not for those who have a habit of dreaming or sleepwalking at night, because once you step forward, you surely won't have the chance to turn back. For safety, you should use a backpack to shield around your sleeping spot, prioritize those who aren't used to sleeping amidst rock formations, and be extremely cautious when moving from one rock to another, as slipping or falling into deep crevices below is very likely.
After getting a splendid night's sleep, you'll greet the new day with a golden sunrise over the direction of Dau Tieng Lake. I'm confident that the resilience of those who 'love the sky more than a roof' will easily regain strength to embark on the much tougher remaining stretch of the journey compared to yesterday. Have a nutritious breakfast to fuel up, check your water supply, around 2 liters remaining, and begin your journey.
Kickstarting the second day is similar to the terrain of the first day. Then you'll set foot on the legendary steep slope, very difficult to climb. At this point, evaluate your own strength and see if you have enough courage and a pair of sturdy, suitable shoes to continue, because at the foot of this slope, there's a path straight down to Kim Quang Cave if you give up the slope and schedule another day feeling more confident, healthier, and better equipped.
For those of you continuing to conquer the slope, I have an age-old but never redundant piece of advice: be extremely cautious. This slope allows for no mistakes. It's best if you equip yourselves with a long, sturdy rope, so that one with good skills can ascend each section of the slope, anchoring somewhere, while those behind can hold onto the rope for safety.
Or to prevent instances of slipping down the slope like I once experienced, without a rope at the time, I chose to lower myself onto the rocks and forcefully step up, and I was lucky to escape death.
The skill in traversing this path lies in choosing the cracks to step on to increase grip, stepping decisively, ensuring the entire sole of the shoe is firmly planted on the rock, absolutely avoiding just the toe of the shoe touching, as it doesn't provide enough grip to keep you on this rocky slope.
Rubberized gloves are also invaluable aids in overcoming the slope when you feel your feet don't have enough grip to keep you on the slope. Prioritize the brightly colored rock area as it's clean, free of moss, hence providing better grip. Those ahead and behind should zigzag, and avoid trailing directly behind the person in front, to prevent the risk of backpacks falling, items causing accidents for the person behind, or worse, the person in front falling and dragging the person behind.
I may sound selfish, but you won't be able to help when someone falls down a nearly 700m slope almost rolling freely, attempting to only further increase the accident's consequences.
In return for the many dangers and difficulties you must endure are the breathtaking landscapes along this route, with majestic rocky slopes, adorned with beautiful golden leaves of sầu đông trees. The scenery below is unlike any other path on Mount Ba Den, along with the exciting experiences that I feel inadequate to convey through this article.
Go and feel it. The destination of this path I achieved is the peak of the slope, then afterward returning along the trail through the forest, down to Kim Quang Cave to conclude the journey. Hopefully, on this trip, I'll have enough time to find my way up to the mountain peak from this 700m slope.
According to Zing News
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Reference: Travel handbook from Mytour
MytourAugust 3, 2016
