Mau Son Peak, Fansipan, Phia Oac or a few other locations may have snow and ice when the temperature drops during the cold spell at the end of January.
According to weather forecasts, the current cold spell is the coldest since the beginning of winter, in many places the temperature can drop below 0 degrees Celsius. This is also an opportunity for tourists to hunt for ice and snow in mountainous provinces. North, with popular destinations such as Fansipan peak (Lao Cai), Mau Son peak (Lang Son) and Phia Oac peak (Cao Bang).
Fansipan Peak (Sa Pa, Lao Cai)
During this cold spell, Fansipan peak (3,143 m high) is likely to drop to -2 degrees Celsius, and snow and ice may appear.
Sa Pa is one of the places that attracts a large number of tourists to hunt for ice and snow every cold weather season. One of the advantages here is good infrastructure, hotel system, facilities and quite convenient transportation.
The distance from Hanoi to Sa Pa is more than 300 km, traveling by Hanoi – Lao Cai highway, travel time is about 4.5 to 5 hours. From the center of Sa Pa town, there is a cable car system straight to the top of the mountain operating from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. depending on the time (Tet holidays, weekends).
Mau Son Peak (Lang Son)
According to forecasts, the temperature in Mau Son from the night of January 22 will drop to the lowest -2 degrees Celsius and maintain for 4 days. Around 5:00 p.m. today, thin layers of ice were clinging to tree branches and fences from an altitude of 1,000 m up to the top of the mountain at 1,520 m.
Mau Son peak is considered the roof of the Northeast region, with an average altitude of 800 to 1,000 m above sea level. Mau Son is located in the territory of 3 communes Mau Son, Cong Son, Cao Loc district and Mau Son, Loc Binh district, with a total area of 10,400 hectares. The highest area of the Mau Son mountain range is about 30 km east of Lang Son city center.
Mau Son is about 185 km from the capital Hanoi, close to the Vietnam-China border. Travel time from Hanoi is about 3 hours 45 minutes in favorable traffic conditions. Cars can reach the top of the mountain.
Phia Oac Peak (Cao Bang)
Cao Bang has many peaks over 1,000 m above sea level, of which Phia Oac is 1,931 m high, the second highest peak in the province. Phia Oac is located in Thanh Cong commune, Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province. Ice has formed on Phia Oac since 2pm today, from an altitude of about 1,600 m up to the top of the mountain 1,931 m. The outdoor temperature dropped to minus 5 degrees Celsius.
Phia Oac is located about 70 km from Cao Bang City, about 240 km from Hanoi, with a travel time of about 5 hours, depending on traffic conditions.
In addition to the three places with many opportunities to hunt for ice and snow mentioned above, the Northern region also has a number of places that can have ice and snow when it is cold, including: O Quy Ho Heaven Gate (Son La – Lao Cai), Y Ty (Lao Cai) ), Meo Vac (Ha Giang).
Regarding snow hunting experience, it doesn’t mean there will be snow every time it’s really cold, there will usually be more frost. Mr. Vu Minh Quan, a photographer who has taken photos of snow many times in Sa Pa and Mau Son, said “when it rains heavily, it is easy to snow, and when it is too dry, it is difficult to snow even though it is very cold.”
Mr. Quan also said that snow hunting also requires “luck”. “It’s best to see a snow report before arriving” or else stay for a few days during the cold spell.
“If a cold spell like today comes with rain and Hanoi’s temperature drops to 6-7 degrees, the northern mountainous area could absolutely have snow,” Mr. Quan added.
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)