02-Dec-2006 -- Another Friday,we made an appointment and depart from Hanoi at 2pm. The trip was decided quickly. Eskimot09 was informed and came only few tens minutes before start out. This time our target is 23N 105E. The highest point in the North of Vietnam. After buying some foods, we drive to Ha Giang. We reached the town at about 7pm. We stop for having dinner at the restaurant on the river. After that, we continued to go to Quan Ba, a highland town. The way from Ha Giang to Quan Ba is abrupt and bendy. After passing Heaven Gate Quan Ba, our car sloped down to Tam Son town. We went to Tam Son Guest house, which was new build, just start of the town. We get a room with only 100,000 VND (about 6 USD with TV, aircond and hot water). Night was came and clouds are flooding the town. We take some roasted meat with corn wine. After that we go to bed early to save up for tomorrow trip.

Next morning, after having breakfast, we went back to Heaven Gate and go further 10km sloped down to small village named Thon Trung, Quyet Tien commune. Saturday is kermis day, ethnic people crowd in to the fair. We parked our car here. GPS show only 4km as the crow flies to finish. We decided to walk from there.

After walk along the track which was stoned, passing 3 streams, climb up and down 3 mountains, we still 1.2km to the target. It is really the most difficult point. It was very lucky that we had a local guide. He know very well all the tracks around this area. We left the track and started to climb the mountain from here. But there are still two houses of Dao ethnic on the mountain top. Till the last house, GPS show still 800m. From there, we had to cut the banana forest and climb up to abrupt mountain. When around hundreds far from target, we met a tent of logging people. It was very clouded & foggy, we could not see everything, and it was very cold. We determined that only three people continue to the “0” plump point. The last meters really very difficult but in the end, we reached the finish. The way back was became easier. We were walking and climbing about 14km to reach this point 23N 105E.