Trip to Mt. Fansipan

This past weekend, I (and my friend Josh, a fellow ETA who is stationed in Tuyen Quang, a province just southeast of Lao Cai) decided to hike Mt. Fansipan, which at over 10,000 feet is the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia.

Now, I come from Virginia. Most mountains I've been to aren't terribly difficult. Mount Mitchell (tallest mountain east of the Appalachian mountain chain) can be driven up. So, when Josh and I decided to hike Mt. Fansipan, it seemed like something that two reasonably in-shape people could do. This was a mistake. I found out that just because I look in shape (aka have the shape of a normal person) doesn't mean I'm actually in good shape. (It turns out I'm horribly, horribly out of shape and as soon as my legs start working again, I'm planning on an immense amount of cardio to rectify the problem).

Here is the story of how we successfully climbed Mt. Fansipan.

Day 1: Saturday, November 7th

Josh arrived in Lao Cai on Friday, after an 8 hour bus trip from Tuyen Quang. I showed him around Lao Cai city, and he met some of my students. We retired early, and vowed to leave at 7:30 the next day.

We packed- I packed 3 liters of water, 8 granola bars, a change of clothes, a sweater, a rain jacket, a hat, and my Kindle for the night. I did not pack: mosquito repellent, a helmet torch, hiking boots, long pants, or gloves. For future hikers, I recommend all or most of those items, depending on when you go. I assumed that this would be a light (but long stroll), maybe a rock scramble or two if I got lucky. This was a woefully wrong assumption.

We arrived in Sapa (about 35 km away from Lao Cai) around 9. We spent about an hour trying to find a tour operator to take us up the mountain. We started at the official tourist office. They quoted a price of $120 per person, and then said that the quota of 20 people per night was reached (because there is a shelter at the top and thats how many it can fit). We were bummed. Josh suggested that we do a homestay at an ethnic village instead. I had been to an ethnic village and didn't like being harassed to buy stuff 24/7 so I suggested we try go see if we could get a private tour (you need a tour operator to get the permit to hike, plus people have died on Fansipan).

Our porter, Mai, carried dinner to summit camp!

Thats actually a false summit. Fansipan is BEHIND that. (Why didn't we start closer?)

Still in good spirits, one hour in.

We found someone to take us for only $95 per person. Not bad! Then they asked us if we wanted to join up with a solo hiker for a $10 reduction. We said, sure, why not? The trip organizers took us to another hotel, where we met up with...3 more people. Two expats (an American and a Brit) who had been living in Da Nang for the past 3 years and their friend, an American tourist. Slightly confused but OK! Also, we learned that Vietnam had issued 200 permits for 20 spots at the camp. I was apprehensive but I went with it. I wanted to hike!

By 11, we had headed off! The first two hours were difficult but fun.We hiked through deciduous forest. Lots of trees, roots, branches, flowers, and streams. Pretty similar to a difficult hike in Appalachia. We hiked for about a half an hour and then took a break. Then repeat. Strenuous, but doable.

Base camp- about 2 hours in, where we had lunch

Left to right- Josh, me, Hemeish, Mika, Amy

After lunch, we started hiking pretty aggressively. Our guide, Tieng, kept pushing us. We had about 3 hours of hard hiking to complete in 3.5 hours before dark. We left the forest behind and started going up rock scrambles. I was frequently on all-fours looking for foot and handholds. This is where hiking shoes and gloves would have come in handy! My hands and knees got destroyed by the wet but sharp rocks. There were ladders, sharp cliffs, and some pretty spectacular views. About an hour in to this second part of the first day, I started to regret coming. You know, at some point, you get the idea. There are trees, rocks, bushes, and clouds. I got it.

Views weren't bad, eh?

Mai (rightfully) thinks I'm a wussie

I guess proper footwear isn't essential (look at Mai's) but it would sure help

This stuff isn't difficult, unless you do it for hour after hour haha

Finally. Finally. We made it to summit camp shortly before dark on Day 1. We had hiked for about 4.5-5 hours and we were exhausted! We were at 2,800 meters and it started to get cold. In Lao Cai, it was 70 degrees. In Sapa, it was 60. At summit camp, it was 50 and getting colder. Everyone (except me) had to foresight to bring long pants.

Summit Camp

The kitchen (no wonder Amy and I both got sick)

Home sweet home

Summit camp was great- it had food and we could sit down! However, with the toilet facilities for 20 and 200 guests, the toilets were essentially unusable. Actually, scratch that. They were unusable, period. We slept in a longhouse style thing. The 5 of us, plus our guide (Tieng) and porter (Mai) and a random Hmong man who just joined us mid-way through the night.

The night was...bad. It was freezing (sub 40) with no insulation. The ground was rocky and hard. I sleep on my stomach, so I couldn't sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time. I think I was fortunate- Amy and Hemesich didn't sleep at all. Cold, hungry, tired, uncomfortable, and apprehensive. Not a good way to spend that night. It was so cold, we ended up huddling together with each other (complete strangers). Seriously- future readers. Do not attempt Fansipan between November and March without thermal stuff. I had two jackets on and was still freezing. Amy got sick and was throwing up throughout the night (I got sick the next morning- I blame the eggs).

Day 2: Sunday, November 8th

We got an early start the next morning. We woke and had breakfast and were attacking the summit by 6 a.m. Some groups left at 2 or 3 a.m. to try to make the summit by 5:30 sunrise. The trail was really difficult, so I can imagine it was really dangerous in the dark.

We left the summit camp and went to a false summit at 2,900 meters. We then descended down a long slope (pictured 3rd below), then across a cliff face and then were finally on Fansipan. Why we didn't start on Fansipan, I don't know. 

Cool view

The trail was pretty muddy for a lot of the way

We had to go down this, then up a comparable slope, then back down, then back up this. All in one morning!
If you can see, there are some people for scale in the bottom left corner. This took about 25 hard minutes to scale.

Fansipan was a cruel mountain. We kept thinking we were on the summit, only to have another twist and turn reveal how far away we were. It took about 2.5 hours from summit camp to make it to the summit.

Finally there!

Boom. Mountain climbed

Fansipan is also called "The Roof of Indochina"

Once there, we only had to make it back down! It took about 5 hours to climb Fansipan and then go back down. Once back at summit camp (at about 11 am), we only had to do everything we had done on Day 1!

This ladder was so easy it was a joke. Most of them were at 80 degree +

Handholds!

We got down...somehow

At 4 pm, after about 14 hours of hiking (5 on Day 1 and 9 on Day 2), we finally made it back!

Josh still somehow had energy

Overall

If you like trekking, or hiking, and are actually in good shape (could do a 5k right now with no sweat), Fansipan could be for you. For myself, I learned a valuable lesson about myself. I'm definitely an indoor cat. While I'm glad I did Fansipan, no way will I ever do it again (or anything like it). It was just physical torture for hours and hours. The views were spectacular of course, and I met many interesting Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, and other tourists, but it just wasn't worth it. 

I know many people talk about how amazing travel is, and how every experience was amazing. This one...just wasn't. Of course- it was cool to see Josh and talk to him. Of course-I'm glad to say I climbed the mountain. Of course- thats all good stuff. However, I won't be doing it again, thats for darn sure. 

Future readers- don't be like me. Don't be hubristic enough to think that lifting and playing basketball daily is enough. I did it, of course (so it was enough), but in order to enjoy it, you'll need pretty good cardiovascular endurance (Amy, a fellow hiker, compared it in difficulty to a marathon she ran a couple years ago). Obviously, I couldn't do a marathon (and I did do this), but I just want to emphasize- this was tough.

My next trip (Da Nang) should hopefully involve much more sitting around and taking pictures. :)

Onwards. Always onwards.

Daniel

End of the first third!

Alright alright. It feels weird that I've only done a blog a month for the first two months of teaching. It seems like I tend to do longer blogs and less often. While I could spin it that it lets me take a broader overview- not, OMG I had a great/horrible day- but rather- here is how my month generally went. In reality, the truth is that I get bogged down in the day to day minutiae of a life where I'm either teaching, traveling, or planning to teach or travel. .

Teaching

Teaching is my major responsibility. I have two weeks of training in how to teach. That is to say, not very much. I have no syllabus. All I have is my wits and the help of the other ETAs. So, its been slow going.

As with probably many jobs, some days are better than others. Some lessons go better than others. I continue to be surprised by how the exact same lesson plan can go in wildly different directions with different classes. To give an example, I had my English major classes make skits about Halloween. My English 10 class got super into it and I had about 25 volunteers. My English 11 class was super over it and I had 2. Same lesson plan, completely different responses. Or the reverse. I had a debate on minimum wage. English 11 was all about it. English 10 was like "oh cares."

I've definitely gained a new appreciation for teaching and teachers. This stuff is hard! Vietnam makes it slightly more challenging. For example, classes are moved and cancelled without warning. I'm super proactive about asking, which has resulted in me only missing a few classes. For example, I always teach starting at 2nd period, so I usually arrive mid-way through first period (about 7:30). One day, they moved 1st period to 5th period and moved everything up a period (for rain). I arrived at my 2nd period only to find that I had missed it. Or, I asked if the school was doing anything for Women's Day the next day. Turns out, school was cancelled! In addition, the "bell system" that signals class change is actually a woman with a drum, so sometimes she forgets, or does it at the wrong time. And I can usually count on two bits of technology not to work, so I always have a Plan B and C. (Imagine, I bring a computer and charger and speakers, just in case those in the classroom don't work, and bring a copy of any handout so I can make copies if students forget to bring theirs).

Overall, I like teaching. I like the act of engaging with a group of students and seeing them learn. I get energy from their energy. However, lesson planning is the bane of my existence- it is the omnipresent thing I have to do. If I had my lessons done already (say, if I taught a 2nd year), it would be much less stressful and much more fun! Lesson planning is getting easier and easier, but it continues to be a challenge.

Group work makes everyone speak!

"What makes a man attractive?" "Like Daniel"
Nice try, suck up :)

Traveling

I've been fortunate to do a bit more travelling since my last post. I'll recap my sojurns(very briefly) here because you've probably never heard of most of these places. I remember reading the blogs of other ETAs to Vitenam in past years- it was hard to get involved because the place names meant nothing to me.

10/17
The weekend after I last posted, I went to Ha Long Bay with the other ETAs. It was pretty amazing and very beautiful. Definitely recommend checking it out if you ever get a chance.

Karen, Josh, and I enjoying free drinks on the ship

ETAs (and Mirabelle, Olivia's friend) kayaking around the bay

Cool place

10/24
The next weekend, Olivia and Mirabelle came to visit and we went to Sapa as well as Muong Khuong, a poor district in Lao Cai province with 11 English. (Every class has to promote applying to the Gifted High School to outlying secondary school once a semester.) Muong Khuong was somewhat unremarkable, but I loved the chance to talk to my students outside of class. I'm so impressed by their ability to flourish under somewhat soul-crushing conditions (11 hours of school 6 days a week).

Not a bad view, eh?

No idea who she is but we visited an orange grove by an elementary school

Goofing off

10/31

This weekend, Chelsea came to visit and we went to Sapa. The next day, I was the "celebrity guest judge" at the Halloween Talent show. On Sunday, I went to Bac Ha (another rural, but well-visited by tourists, town) with 10 Maths. It was a blast.

View of Sapa. Honestly, it was way better in person

I was the "celebrity judge" at the Halloween talent show

Bac Ha with 10 Maths students. I get it. I'm a large person.

In the next month, I'm planning on hiking the highest mountain in Vietnam (Mt. Fansipan) with Josh (this weekend 11/8), going to Da Nang with some other ETAs (11/15), going to Hanoi for Thanksgiving with some people from the embassy (11/28) and then heading back to America for a week (12/7).

Living

Daily life is still hard, as it usually is in a foreign country. Just doing normal tasks involves more planning and effort. For example, I have to ask someone to clear room in their schedule to take me to get a haircut (my Vietnamese is nowhere near good enough to say that!), or going into town to get groceries involves cycling uphill about 30 minutes.So, if I need toothpaste or something, I can pretty much count on an hour and a half roundtrip. 

I live about 5 km outside of town, down the highway. So, if I want to go into town, I can either bicycle (25 minutes in and an exhausting 35 minutes out). However, it is too dangerous to bicycle down a poorly maintained highway in the dark, so I can either leave my bike in the city (at high school number 1, where Olivia and Pauline live) and take a motorcycle taxi back, or just leave the city by dark (around 5:30). Or, I can walk into town (about an hour) and take a motorcyle taxi back. This location just adds another factor in my decision to (or not to) work out or to go sit in a cafe by the river. I'm jealous of the ETAs who live in their city center.

Of course, the plus side is the students live in the school and usually organize a fun activity (12 Hour Challenge or water gun battle or Halloween talent contest) every couple weeks on their day off (Sunday). Of course, I always get invited to be the guest judge. :)

Got a new haircut with the help of 11 Physics student, Cong

Overall

While I'm still doing the same stuff as I was in October, I'm definitely getting more adept at navigating Vietnam. I've learned to say "Oh Vietnam!" and just accept things I don't understand instead of getting frustrated by them. Life is getting easier. I'm excited for some of the trips I've got planned and I'm getting busier-I can no longer do everything I'm invited to do. I'm starting to get conflicting invitations! That might seem mundane, but feeling bad about being too busy is certainly way better than feeling guilty (like I'm a bad Fulbrighter) if I'm not busy enough!

Onwards. Always onwards.

Daniel