Hills of Hoang Su Phi Mountain Bike Tour

Travel by bus from Hanoi to Ban Loc Commune

Accommodation at Ban Luoc Homestay

Summary

• Travel by MTB from Ban Loc Commune to CBT site village (Suoi Thau) and back to Ban Loc Commune.  Approx 4km.  Dirt road.
• Travel by MTB along sealed road from Ban Loc to start of Tan Phong single-track Loop  (Approx 10km).•
• Ride Tan Phong single track Loop

Accommodation overnight at Tan Phong Homestay.

TOTAL APPROXIMATE RIDE DISTANCE: 30km.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

After checking your bikes you head off for a quick return trip to Suoi Thau, which is one of the sites for the Community Based Tourism project being run in the area.

After returning to Ban Loc you will enjoy a mostly downhill ride on a concrete road for 10km towards the 2nd CBT project site of Tan Phong. Just before the village you will do a short climb before dropping down off the dirt road into the 15km Tan Phong Village singletrack Loop, heading west into the valley and enjoying hardpacked trails through farmland and bamboo plantations. After 5km you will cross the river that runs through the area and head back east past an established homestay and traverse the side of the mountain back to Tan Phong village where a final climb along sealed road will take you to the homestay and lunch. After lunch enjoy the local area with some free time.

3D map of Tan Phong Village Loop

Summary:

• Travel by MTB on downhill singletrack from Tan Phong Homestay to Nam Son (8km) and then a 7km climb up sealed road to the top of the pass.
• Turn off main road onto singletrack and ride to lunch spot 3km in from the pass.
• Ride MTB from lunch spot to Kinh’s Homestay (7km)

Accommodation overnight at homestays.

TOTAL APPROXIMATE RIDE DISTANCE: 25km

ROUTE DESCRIPTION:

Leaving the Tan Phong homestay you drop immediately into dirt singletrack that is a mountain biker’s delight. Following the line of the river the trail descends downhill for 8km with only a few sharp but short pinches along the way. As you drop down the final 200m to Nam Son you get a great view of the river before you ride (or walk your bike) across the suspension bridge and enjoy lunch in Nam Son village.

After refueling and topping up the water bottles it’s back on the bikes for a grinding climb out of Nam Son along sealed road to a little shop at the top of the pass, and the start of the next stretch of flowing single trail. After a quick stop at the drinks station at the top of the pass you ride 3km to the day’s lunch location, where the owner will serve up a great selection of Vietnamese dishes cooked in both traditional and western styles. After lunch it’s back on the bikes for the last stretch to Kinh’s Homestay in Nam Hong village, along singletrack that traverses the side of the mountain. At the end of the singletrack you will take a left hand turn onto a sealed road for a short climb (approx. 300m) up to the homestay.

Day 3 Route and Profile (Part 1 of 2): Tan Phong Village to Nam Son (approx. 8km)

Day 3 Route and Profile (Part 2 of 2): Nam Son to Nam Hong CBT (approx. 17km)

3D map of Nam Son to Nam Hong CBT

Summary:

• Start with climb along sealed road to the start of the dirt singletrack (6km), and then enjoy undulating dirt trails to Tea Village (2km).
• Continue on from Tea Village along sealed road, and after a 1km climb turn left onto dirt singletrack and ride downhill for approximately 5km to the main road.
• Turn right onto main road and continue on to Thong Nguyen.

Travel by bus from Thong Nguyen to Hanoi

TOTAL APPROXIMATE RIDE DISTANCE: 22KM

ROUTE DESCRIPTION:

Today’s ride starts with a 6.5km climb along sealed roads and singletrack, before you get to enjoy 1.5k of sweet undulating trails that drop you down into a lovely village famous for growing tea. Here you will get a chance to top up your water bottles and grab a banana for the final sprint home

Leaving the serenity of the Tea Village you climb for 1km out of the valley along a sealed road before turning off onto single track and enjoying a nearly entire descending 4.7km trail back to the main sealed road, stopping for some great shots of the waterfall along the way. Once back on the sealed road it’s a fast-downhill descent to the bottom of the valley floor and an easy undulating ride following the river to Thong Nguyen township.

Day 4 Route and Profile (Part 1 of 2): Nam Hong CBT to Tea Village (approx. 8km)

Day 4 Route and Profile (Part 2 of 2): Tea Village to Thong Nguyen (approx. 14km)

3D map of Tea Village to Thong Nguyen