Chu Yang Sin Summit - 2422m
near Buôn Ja Ea Kuăt, Đắk Lắk (Vietnam)
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Trail photos
Itinerary description
basecamp: Chùa Phước Lâm monastery's monk are super nice, you can stay there and they can hold your stuff during the climb.
The rumor said that the trail to the summit had been closed down for some months. Knowing that they wouldn't let a foreigner going into the jungle by himself anyway, my plan was to shortcut the buildings at the entry of the park. But on the way there I met a foreigner telling me that they allow you to go until the dam. I then decided to try the easy way through the gate. It was indeed smooth, after paying a 10,000 vnd ticket i was in. it was during Têt holiday so there was quiet a few people. I then walked up until the dam, took some picture of it and kept walking further, about 6km after the dam. That when the trouble started, a large group of Vietnamese on motorbike coming to picnic and fish catch me up among them some rangers or official, they told me that I need authorization to be here and confiscated my machete. Without my machete I couldn't use my classic technique of agreeing, refusing the hop and motorbike, saying that I'm gonna walk back down and then disappearing in the jungle. So my first attempt was a failed and they drove me back down and made me delete all the picture I took that day.
Second attempt, is the one i recorded and uploaded. I decided to go with my original plan to shortcut the entry, plus I would do the long stretch that is on concrete pavement at night where I'll have no chance to come across anyone. But the entry in the park was much harder than I hoped for. the way down the river was ok but crossing it and keeping all my stuff dry was complicated and the way backup on the road was hell, 3h of macheting at night through a dense bamboo forest. I would have to do it again I would probably enter the park walking in the river bed and getting back on the road at the bridge. I haven't spotted a clear path but I assume it's not too hard. Also if it's not busy holiday season there is a chance nobody is at the entry selling ticket (there wasn't when I left, there was just someone sleeping in an hammock that I take extra care not too wakeup ;) So it would also be possible to enter normally by the road, find a hidden spot to set the tent and wait for the night to set to do the sensitive stretch on the concrete road.
Once passing the sensitive stretch, the rest of the walk is fairly easy, the path is strong and clear 99% of the time. there was quiet a few brambles, and bamboos to cut down as it seemed indeed that nobody took that trail for a year or so i'd say. but it's a very nice hike, the rivers and waterfall are gorgeous, met some monkeys, and tiny snakes, and the rock appearing at the top is something.
Waypoints
summit
The Vietnamese flag was down, I repaired the pole and reset it. that was a nice and smooth climb, not too much crawling under trees, the path through the bamboo forest is pretty narrow though.
A majestic rock
I wasn't expected, it was jaw dropping. finding the path forward is not so straight forward. this waypoint is on the path few meter passed the rock
leaving the old forestry road
the old forestry road that the path was on since the concrete pavement went well the way to the ridge and is now going back down on the other side. path going to the crest stays very clear
big camp
I heard they officially closed the summit a while ago maybe if was quiet touristic before and this camp is from that time cause logger and poacher don't build such massive camp. water available 30m down
camp 02
the progression is good. An old forestery road took the relay of the concrete road. just have to fight with quite a bit of bramble that grows over the path.
getting jungly
even though there is still a concrete pavement under my feet it hasn't been maintain for a while. finally leaving the civilisation
crossing the main river
when does the road will stop. the road is still maintain even though less recently trimmed but meeting some rangers wouldn't be totally improbable still
road still maintained
until that point and to my surprise the rangers had kept clearing the road by cutting down the vegetation on 1m each side is the road. they also cleared this large corridor going up and down the mountain
end of the road
a massive land slide made impossible to go further with a motorbike. finally the end of the critical stretch as I'm much less likely to meet anyone from now on
intersection critical
take the small concrete road. 30m further on the main road is the dam with the quarter of the keeper and his dog. thanksfully the intersection is before
back on the road
time to make the sensitive stretch
camp 01
the pipeline indeed is a fairly easy way to the road it seems. I don't know if I'm getting paranoid but I think there is faint flow in direction of the road. is the road lighten I don't recall seeing any lighting poles in the road. either way it's too early I'm gonna camp and restart at 2am. 2h30 gonna be a very short night
finally out of the bamboo
it took 3h to find a way. just as I went out of the bamboo forest I found a water pipeline going down to the river. it should surely lead me to the road at least
crossing the river
photo was taken from the other side. crossing the river and keeping all my stuff dry was no easy task. find this spot where I could hop from one rock to the other while always having flat surface to put my feet or a rock to grab. the night already fully set now. found a spot to climb back in the jungle but not even sure it could reach the back to the road.
I'm almost down
I think I found a way down. at least I'm not the first here, there is a old snare and some macheting marks here and there you have to go across the small ravine with big rocks and the fallen tree
2nd try down
having a clear view pretty far down and the curves of OEM typographic map being nice, I give it a try
reaching the mountain pass
it wasn't the trail I saw on Bing satellite imagery but it went to the top. harder entry than the checkpoint but nicer view haha
starting
there were some villagers on the road. as their is a military camp near by and I want to have all the chances in the my side I'm leaving the road now
Comments (5)
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Wow. This is insane! 😁
Bro, can I ask you for recommendations of less extreme trails in Dak Lak? Not much I can Google here unfortunately:( Sorry for asking it in the comments - there is no way to send DM in wikiloc
please send me your trails track gpx file to bui.anh.kiet.29.04.1975@gmail.com, thanks for your experiences
Sent 👌🏻 but so know you can download any trail GPS file if you access the trail page using the web browser instead of the app 👍🏻
i don't still download your file from web browser, it will go Google play to access wikiloc app on android device, what do you use browser to download gpx file that it don't need to use wikiloc app ?