Vu Quang Cuong and his gangs of cyclists challenge themselves in one of toughest mountain routes in northern Vietnam. Photos provided by the team.
The rugged Yen Tu mountain range in north-eastern Vietnam was formed along a geological fault line millions of years ago. Home to Tay Yen Tu Nature Reserve, the area is now also a popular ecotourism destination.
We aimed to cycle to the western edge of Tay Yen Tu mountain. Starting from Hanoi, the route goes past Uong Bi town then turns left to the north-east by way of Binh Khe. Here we had two choices: either to go straight ahead, or for the more adventurous, go via Elephant Pass. We chose the adventurous option.
Waterproof clothing, high-calories foods for energy supply, salted water and vitamins were the most essential things for our ride. We first drove to Dong Trieu then left the cars and cycled straight to Binh Khe, turning left after about 2 kilometers towards Elephant Pass.
It had been raining a few days before so the road was waterlogged, covered in inches of oozing mud and partially flooded, making riding difficult. The sky darkened with stormy clouds, and it looked like it might pour down at any moment.
We were so absorbed with cycling and taking photos that we quickly reached the base of Elephant Pass. Only then did we notice the steepest slope we had ever seen: rough, rocky and right in front of us. We had to plan our next moves. First, the Trek 6300, laden with supplies, was passed hand-to-hand with great effort, pulling and 
pushing, finally making it to the top of the Elephant Pass. Then we carried all 16 of the team’s bikes. Everyone was so glad to reach the top that they happily cheered each other for having come such a long way. Some guys posed for a few photo shoots; others simply lay down to recover their breath. It was all quite tiring.
The route through Elephant Pass was slippery due to heavy rain all week. Most of us felt very low in energy by now – so this was when the Snickers bars helped: some of us chewing them greedily, others eating slowly to conserve energy for even tougher roads ahead. The rain was true forest rain, not like the rain that suddenly comes and goes in the city. It rained hard, constantly, creating lots of mud, slowing our ride and using up more energy. Those with soft, flat-bottomed shoes fell off their bikes at times.
Special waterproof coats were our saviours. They not only kept us warm but also protected us from getting too wet, which could make us sick or lower our body temperature too much. We moved forward slowly, in silence. For the first time we were experiencing a whipping wind and relentless rain. It felt as if our bikes were being fiercely dragged downhill. Scratching, clawing, and clinging to anything in order to keep hold on to the bikes, we moved step-by-step up the slope, and carried on up the mountain.
The rain started to ease up and now there were just gusts of cold north-easterly wind blowing. Thick fog made the view very limited even from the height of 500 meters. When a few gusts blew the clouds away, however, the landscape below came into view: it was extraordinary beautiful.
We could see the magnificent mountain, the vast plains below, the winding rivers, small villages and Ben Chau lake gleaming like a giant mirror.
After lunch and hot tea, we packed up and started moving down the mountain.
Mrs. Thinh, a local woman who lives in the small house where we stopped for a drink, offered to lead the way along the stream and down the mountain. The stream had dried out and the slope was not too steep, so you could have easily walked halfway down the mountain – but it was another story for those on bikes. The road was covered with large rocks, so we moved very slowly and tried to keep pace. Then came the steep slopes, increasing our downward speed dramatically. With our rear wheel brakes tightly squeezed, bikes jarring from the rocky ground and front brakes held then released continually, we found our way down – all requiring extreme focus. We really did not want to lose grip of our handle bars and fall off at that moment! Then came the flatter slopes. We’d overcome major difficulties so it was now time to reward ourselves. Our 17 iron horses sped along the sloping roads without hesitation, our 
laughter and shouts echoing back from the mountain. We were all excited and relieved – we suddenly felt more adventurous and skillful.
Plunging from a height of 200 meters down into wide grasslands made us feel more relaxed as the route was pretty easy now. We reached Ben Chau lake around 3pm. There we rested, shared warm tea and chatted a bit to gain back enough strength to continue.
On the way back to Binh Khe we only had a few problems with bike chains. We then continued to cycle straight to Dong Trieu, where we climbed back into the cars and arrived in Hanoi at 7pm.
So it is possible for you to go there and back in a day, however you should keep track of the weather forecast – and remember to bring your lunch and plenty of water!
Source: MBike Vietnam
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