Cao Bang Mountain Bike Tour and Sprint Challenge

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

After arriving at the homestay you’ll enjoy a home-cooked local lunch and then have the opportunity to warm up your cycling legs with a 20km loop around the local area.

On this route, you will head to the paper village and then depart the back way along a concrete path before you turn off onto a narrow trail with a number of water crossings. Winding your way around the mountains you will pass through a village and then start a 15km loop along dirt and sealed roads back to the homestay. This route includes a nice climb to get the legs warmed up.

ROUTE MAP

Day 1 Route Map and Elevation Profile

• Drinks and snacks are available for purchase from a number of local shops in the villages along the route.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

It’s time to start stretching those legs in preparation for the Day 3 stage and time trial. For this stage, we have dusted off a route from our first tour in 2017 – the Phia Thap Epic Loop. This newly extended version of the Epic Loop along dirt and sealed roads (with a small section of singletrack) will take in a local basket-weaving village where you will not only see baskets being made but also have a go at making one yourself. And you will also be able to purchase baskets from the local villagers. We then continue along the southern half of the loop on dirt roads and through corn fields, passing close to a fresh spring where you can cool off with a quick swim.

Rejoining the main road we’ll turn right and head south before turning east onto the local dirt roads back to Quang Uyen where we’ll have lunch. Taking a steep but short climb out of town takes us onto the northern half of the loop, through amazing countryside and along narrower trails (some of which are quite rocky) back to the homestay for a well-earned rest. In the afternoon you’ll have the opportunity to see how the Phia Thap villagers make incense that they sell at the local markets, or you can take a hike up to the lookout behind the homestay for an amazing view over the village and surrounding area. .

ROUTE MAP

• Drinks and snacks are available for purchase from a number of local shops in the villages along the route.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

It’s the biggest day of the tour distance-wise.  We start with a 40min bus ride towards the waterfalls to the town of Trung Khanh, leaving behind most of the busy highway that goes to the Chinese border.  After topping up the water bottles we head north out of town, through amazing river scenery and passing rice paddies and water wheels.

Crossing the picturesque Quay Son river near to the Chinese border crossing we then turn south-east along sealed and dirt roads and enjoying a great lunch before proceeding to the start line for the individual time trial.

Individual Time Trial

Riders depart 1min apart (self-seeded slowest to fastest), and ride to the finish line at the amazing Ban Gioc waterfall where amazing views and a well-deserved drink will await you.

After relaxing over a beer at the base of the falls you have free time to enjoy the views and take photos.  From here we will take the bus back up the hill to the new homestay where you can relax or take a short but steep walk to the local temple which offers amazing views over the falls.

ROUTE MAP

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

Today we say goodbye to the waterfall region and head back to Trung Khanh by bus, where we jump back on our bicycles and ride country roads back to Quang Uyen (with a 7km fast section on the main road where you will need to be extra careful).

Once we are all back in Quang Uyen we’ll load the bicycles onto the truck and head to Phia Thap by bus for lunch and showers before departing to Hanoi.

ROUTE MAP