When the "little warriors" conquered Chu Nam mountain peak

3 families & 6 little "warriors"

Chu Nam Mountain is 1,470 m high - the highest mountain in the west of Gia Lai province - located in Chu Dang Ya commune, Chu Pah district. Although the height is quite modest, from the top of Chu Nam you can observe a large area around: Yaly hydroelectric plant, Bien Ho, Ham Rong mountain, Pleiku city, ... Right next to Chu Nam is the old volcano Chu Dang Ya - where the annual Wild Sunflower Festival is held.

Because of the calculation for the little "warriors" to test their strength on this mountain, the whole group agreed to wait until the end of the year - when the rainy season in Gia Lai has completely ended to make the trip, because the youngest member is only 3 years old. Going on this occasion, the sea of ​​clouds in the early morning on Chu Nam peak is not as much as when it is still rainy, the Wild Sunflowers have also withered, but ensuring the safety of the children is the most important thing.

The group's preparation plan was also very thoughtful, the local guide group consisted of nearly a dozen young, healthy, cheerful men, ready for each "soldier" to carry a "leader" if necessary.

The whole group departed from Saigon on a long-distance bus the previous afternoon, and at 5am they arrived in the mountainous town of Pleiku in the cold early morning of the year, when the whole city was still asleep. The mist under the yellow street lights, along with the early morning cold of the highlands, had to surrender to the excitement of the 6 little warriors - even though they were still sleepy when they were woken up to get off the bus.

The shuttle bus took the group to have breakfast at the famous Pho Kho Hong restaurant in Pleiku, then headed straight to Tan Son dam at the foot of Chu Nam mountain. Everyone, big and small, loaded their luggage onto their backs and started walking.

The "romantic" journey of the little warriors

The “warm-up” road is about 1 km long, gently sloping along the mountainside, below is Tan Son irrigation lake with emerald green water. The early morning sun is not yet harsh, and we are walking under the shade of forest trees and the dirt road is quite flat, so the little soldiers are chirping like baby birds on the road.

Leaving the main road, one immediately hits the slope that runs up the mountainside. The slope might make adults complain, but the children are very enthusiastic. Their steps are not hesitant, they move forward. Normally, little Ni looks like a short, squat figure, her tiny backpack swinging with her steps. When going up the slope, her parents need to hold her hand to prevent her from slipping, but they just hold her hand, she still walks unsteadily to move forward.

Halfway up the mountainside, the tall trees had all but disappeared, leaving only rocks and patches of grass. The heat from the sun and the steep path had made the young warriors sweat. The backpacks were passed to their uncles or parents to ease the heat and make it easier to move forward.

Seko was 12 years old so he had no difficulty in the journey, Coca was only 7 years old but following Seko was not too difficult. The Rabbit sisters - Kin had gone through many training trips and real battles with their father, so they were completely calm in front of the towering mountain ahead. Only the two princesses Kem and Ni were too young, but had the most "tiger" parents, always encouraging and motivating but not helping when not really necessary.

When Miss Kem started to stumble a lot, the "prince charming" appeared. He was Kin. Kin's father bought a very comfortable hiking stick for Kin. When he saw little Kem starting to fall on the grass, he took the initiative to slow down, let Miss Tho go with her father, and he stepped back to walk next to Miss Kem. With one hand, he held the stick down as a support to walk, with the other hand holding the little girl's hand, his eyes attentively looking at the road and looking at his responsible little friend. There were sections where he encountered dry bushes about a hand's length high blocking the way. Kem was confused and stopped, so Kin let go of Kem's hand, stepped forward and stomped hard on the dry bushes, then turned back and held out his hand and said: "I've cleared the way, Kem, go ahead."

The most pitiful thing was little Ni, who walked on her own with her still unsteady legs throughout the journey. When she reached a flat grassy area under a cool shade of a tree, she suddenly sat down, then slowly lay back on the grass... fell asleep immediately and even snored loudly. Everyone else also stopped to rest, leaving her alone. And after about half an hour, little Ni blinked awake, propped herself up on her hands and continued her journey.

on top of Chu Nam

We continued walking, resting, and having lunch halfway up the mountain. At around 4 pm, the group reached the flat land on the top of Chu Nam to set up camp. The afternoon sun was golden like honey, spreading over the surrounding mountain slopes. The sky of the Central Highlands at the end of the year was blue, with white clouds drifting here and there. On the mountain top, the wind was blowing strongly, and the children were running around, watching the adults set up tents and prepare to light a fire to cook.

Chu Dang Ya volcano is located right at the foot of Chu Nam mountain. The wild sunflowers have all died down, the entire Chu Dang Ya mountain and the crater (extinct for a very long time) are funnel-shaped and divided into small squares of various colors: green, yellow of grass and trees; brown, moss of the soil - looking like a plaid cloak covering the volcano.

The evening gradually faded, the air became chilly as the sun gradually set in the West, also the time when the fragrant smell of food spread with the wind. Everyone gathered around the fire to avoid the cold and had dinner together. Among the little warriors, Ni even needed her mother's help when eating - this made the uncles and aunts very impressed, when they saw her almost completely walk up the mountain top on her tiny feet.

The fatigue of the journey and the cold on the mountain top at night made the 6 little soldiers quickly fall asleep after dinner. The adults really started their little party. A little wine to warm the stomach in the cold night, between the red fire flickering in the wind, the guitar sound of the guide, and the voices of the members singing one after another, echoing until late at night.

Down the mountain

Early in the morning, on the mountain top, people were already calling each other to wake up to welcome the dawn, the group of guides were bustling about lighting the fire to boil water to prepare breakfast. The sound of the wind blowing through the tents, mixed with the pleasant smell of smoke. At the end of the year, the rainy season in the Central Highlands has ended for quite a while, early in the morning on the top of Chu Nam, there will be less chance to see the thick sea of ​​clouds, but there are still "bays of clouds" floating white covering the area, with the mountain peaks rising like small islands.

In a moment, the chirping of children could be heard. Now warmed up and the first rays of sunlight were shining down on the mountain top, the children began to jump around like baby birds.

The pot of chicken porridge was steaming, fragrant in the wind. The whole group sat around the fire, slurping hot porridge, sipping strong cups of Gia Lai coffee. When the sun rose high, everyone started to clean up the tents and collect all the trash on the mountain top.

The group set off down the mountain and returned by a different route than yesterday. We chose a longer but easier route back to reduce the danger for the children. Going downhill was not at all easier than going uphill, if not to say that sometimes it was even more dangerous. On the return journey, the children were followed much more closely by adults than when they went uphill. But worrying was the adults' job, while the little warriors were still carefree on the road.

Today, by default, Kin was “in charge” of Kem along the way. The two brothers went downhill so it was difficult to hold hands like when going uphill, but they still walked close together. Seko was stronger so he often went ahead with the guide, Tho and Coca followed closely behind their parents. Only Ni had a hard time because her little legs were still too weak, she often fell downhill, so on steep or slippery sections due to gravel and sand, her parents carried her.

At the last rocky section at the foot of the mountain, all the young soldiers were carried by the guides to ensure maximum safety. The shuttle bus was waiting at the foot of the mountain, taking the whole group back to the mountain town for lunch at a restaurant by the Sea Lake, ending the journey to conquer the special Chu Nam peak.

Parents, don’t keep your children too close to you, let them have more opportunities to interact with nature. Because children can do more than adults think.

South China