Taking King’s Mountain

      We set off from the tiny enclave of Da Hang Village at 8 a.m.
We could see Nui Chua, or King’s Mountain, in the distance, it’s 1,040-meter peak looming over the southeastern province of Ninh Thuan in the cool of the morning.
Nui Chua National Park, where we began in Ninh Hai District, covers nearly 30,000 hectares, including a protected sea area with a reserve for sea turtles and coral reef. On one side of us were the towing mountains, on the other side, the beaches and the sea. Chua’s highest point, our final destination, was a 10-kilometer, two-day hike away.
We passed six of Chua’s lower peaks before reaching the path to its roof. The higher we climbed, the more lush the jungle became. The forest seemed to change colors with every few dozen meters we climbed.
At 3 p.m., we were 800 meters above sea level. Mist gathered around our feet and a heavy rain began to pour. The winds picked up and the temperature dropped. The storm lasted for hours, through which we prepared a hasty dinner with food we brought along.
We were all grateful for the coconut wine we had brought as it warmed us before bed. We hung our hammocks by a stream and slept in our raincoats, which didn’t do much to protect against the cold.
The next morning we woke to the pleasant sound of the babbling brook. Butterflies flew around our camp and we heard birds sing and gibbons chatter as we rose and did our best to wring out our clothes and socks before the final 200- meter trek to the mountain peak.
We were asked by our guide to use walking sticks and watch out for leeches. The slopes became very steep and we had to hold tree branches and vines to pull ourselves up. The only way was to follow in our guide’s exact footsteps.
At about 10:00 a.m., we reached the mountain peak and rested on a large rock with a panoramic view overlooking Ninh Thuan and the sea.
We looked out at the beautiful Vinh Hy Bay over 10 kilometers away from where we were.
On the way down we again had to hold onto tree branches, roots and vines to avoid falling. The steep slope was extremely slippery. Many of us slipped several times and a few even tumbled several meters down the mountain.
When we saw the lamp light of a small ethnic minority community village and heard dogs barking, we knew we were nearing the end of our journey.
Sure enough, after the village, the forest opened up into the sea.
There we were on the beach, satisfied in what had been a rewarding and unforgettable adventure.