LANG SON – At 3:00 pm on January 23, Thanh departed from Hanoi by motorbike, starting the journey of more than 200 km to the top of Mau Son to hunt for ice.
From the evening of January 22, ice appeared on Mau Son peak at an altitude of 1,180 m, located in Loc Binh district, Lang Son province. Under minus 3 degrees Celsius, rainwater clinging to trees freezes into white ice.
When reading the information, Hoang Van Thanh, Hanoi, decided to ride a motorbike to Mau Son to hunt for ice. He departed at 3:00 p.m. on January 23 and arrived in Lang Son City at 7:00 p.m. in the cold of 3-5 degrees Celsius and thick fog. Thanh decided to rest overnight in the city to go to the top of Mau Son early the next morning.
At 6:00 a.m. on January 24, Thanh moved from Lang Son City to the foot of Mau Son Mountain, which took about 20 minutes. The road from the foot of the mountain to the top is about 15 km long. The mountain pass road is winding and narrow, with vehicles moving up and down the top one after another, so many sections have traffic jams.
About 5 km from Mau Son peak, the trees are covered with a thin layer of ice. Some road sections are lightly icy, the road surface is slippery, and the wheels have no grip. Thanh had to use both feet to support himself on the ground and slowly push the car through.
It took about an hour and a half for Mr. Thanh to reach the top of Mau Son. At 8am, there were many private cars, passenger cars, and motorbikes parked on the top. Everyone excitedly took pictures and checked in with the gang.
The closer you get to the top, the thicker and denser the ice becomes. At the top is pure white. The ice layer is about 3 – 5 cm thick.
On the morning of January 24, the temperature at Mau Son peak was about -2 degrees Celsius. Under this heat, objects and vehicles, if left overnight, could freeze, Thanh said.
During the first cold spell in the North about a month ago, Thanh also went to Mau Son but there was no ice at that time.
Although not uncommon, not every year there is frost in Vietnam. This scene is even more strange for people living in the delta like Thanh. Therefore, despite the harsh weather, long distance and danger, “thinking about witnessing the icy white landscape for the first time made me excited all the way,” he said.
The temperature on Mau Son peak these days is always below 0 degrees Celsius, Thanh advises visitors to carefully prepare warm clothes. When riding a motorbike, wearing a raincoat will help block the wind, retain heat and prevent fog from wetting your clothes, leading to colds.
The distance to Mau Son peak is quite far, the pass is narrow, foggy and slippery. In low temperature conditions below 5 degrees Celsius, even when equipped with warm clothes, hands and feet will still freeze, operate inflexibly, and easily encounter problems. Therefore, the experience of ice hunting on a motorbike is only suitable for those who have experience riding long distances, Thanh shared.
Photo: Internet