Gia Ray Mountain or Gia Lao is also known as Chua Chan Mountain. This is a mountain climbing spot right near Saigon that young people cannot miss. In my own experience, this mountain is a bit difficult to climb because it is steep and rocky along the path to the summit, but there is no fear of getting lost because there are electric poles to check where you are. This mountain is only tiring for those who are climbing for the first time or do not exercise regularly because during the climb, there may be a risk of hypoglycemia.
What is attractive about Chua Chan Mountain
Chua Chan Mountain (Second Heavenly Mountain) is the second highest mountain in the South, after Ba Den Mountain (First Heavenly Mountain). With a height of 837m above sea level, a slope of 3035 degrees, this mountain has vertical cliffs in some places. This is a charming and unique landscape in Dong Nai and rare in the South. The mountain has a curved shape consisting of three consecutive hills resembling an inverted bowl. The majestic mountain, towering high; in the morning, the mountain shines green under the gentle sunlight; in the evening, the mountain stands solemnly against the white-gray sky; in October, the mountain appears mysterious in the mist along with white clouds floating, enveloping the mountain.
The natural landscape of Chua Chan Mountain is beautiful and attractive with many streams that are cool all year round hidden under dense forests, water that never runs dry; along with historical sites created by humans such as Buu Quang Pagoda, Lam Son Pagoda, Linh Son Pagoda, the summer residence of the French Governor-General, the tea garden of King Bao Dai… forming a unique scenic complex in the Southeast. Especially, this place is also famous for the “Tree with three roots”, the Secret Tunnel Area, and the natural rocky beaches, intertwining to create magnificent stone walls and caves formed by the arrangement of large underground rocks within the mountain. Inside the caves are small streams flowing all year round, where many ancient meditation masters have chosen as their meditation places, leaving traces until now.
How to climb Chua Chan Mountain?
To conquer Chua Chan Mountain, there are usually 3 main routes as follows:
- Follow the Temple Road direction: After climbing all the steps to the highest pagoda, continue straight up to reach Gia Lao peak, from here, follow the left side along the forest to reach Chua Chan peak. At the peak, there is a communication station of the military & a television station
- Follow the power line direction: this route is mainly used by soldiers, following the power lines will lead to the summit. The average time from the foot of the mountain to the summit is 3 hours.
- After climbing the pagoda via the cable car route (newly opened), tourists should go to the left of the pagoda, then follow the available signs to reach the mountain peak
In fact, overall, I think you should go to explore, improve your health, and see the majestic beauty of Vietnam (it’s really beautiful). I really enjoyed this trip because I experienced a lot about nature and life there. I intended to write a long review, but my legs are “urging” me to go to sleep, so I’ll sleep now. Have you ever climbed a mountain? If not, try it once in your life if you can!
This is not the first time we have climbed a mountain, and it certainly won’t be the last, each time there are valuable experiences.This mountain is the second highest in the South (after Ba Den mountain) with a height of 837m and a climbing distance of about 2km.
When to climb Chua Chan mountain
This is one of the most special mountains we have ever known, there are people climbing it every day of the week and at any time of the day.
- Yes, you didn’t read it wrong, we woke up at 3am and still saw people regularly on their way up the mountain. Of course, it could be because it was the weekend and crowded, but according to the locals, people climb the mountain on other days of the week as well.
- For people with normal health, it takes about 3 hours, while those who climb better can reach the summit in 1.5 to 2 hours. So the ideal time is around 2:00-3:00 pm, to avoid the sun and reach the summit just in time to set up a tent and watch the sunset.
How to climb Chua Chan mountain
You can take the cable car up the mountain, for this method just search on Google. Here I will only review the journey of climbing the SECOND THIEN SON in the South of our group!
Two of us are also inexperienced, so this time we decided to find a companion to climb together for fun. We posted on travel and mountain climbing groups, there are many teams, you can join them. Otherwise, you can also go alone because there are always people climbing!
We followed the power line route, with 140 poles numbered from the base to the summit to make it easier for you to track our journey.
From pole 130 onwards, you can set up camp. But in my opinion, the ideal spot is the milestone pole area at the summit after passing all 140 poles and going through the military checkpoint, this area is flat, spacious, and has an extremely beautiful view. There is a rock protruding, this is the most beautiful spot with panoramic views of the sky and earth. From here, you can fully enjoy the sunset (I promise you if you see this scene, you will never regret even if you have to climb again).
On the contrary, you can choose to climb this side of the mountain from around column 130 and above. If the other side offers a view of the sunset, then of course, this side will offer a full view of the sunrise. However, there are two things to keep in mind: this side has less flat land, fewer people, and is a windy area (we went in February, so we don’t know if the wind changes direction in other seasons). The wind was strong enough to almost blow away the tent, so we had to reinforce the tent pegs while sleeping a few times. Therefore, be cautious when deciding on a camping spot (partly due to our negligence, as we two climbers were late coming back from watching the sunset and taking photos, so by the time we returned, it was already dark. It was also our first time setting up the tent in the dark, so it wasn’t very “smooth”).
Review of Chua Chan Mountain
The experience of climbing a mountain is like overcoming yourself. When you feel like you have no more strength left but your teammates are still ahead waiting, you must try to keep moving forward, step by step, until you reach the top. When you see the view from the mountain top, you will realize how much your effort was worth.
During this trip, we also learned about the work of some local people, how they go up the mountain daily to cut down trees to sell, how they plant and harvest cashews (a specialty of this region)… Wherever you go, the unique characteristics of the people’s lives in each region are always fascinating.
Tips for Climbing Chua Chan Mountain
One thing that everyone is concerned about when climbing a mountain is:
Are there any vendors selling water along the way?
Well, let me tell you, Chua Chan Mountain only has 2 “supply stations”: one at column 42 and one at the mountain top. This means that you shouldn’t expect too much because you will have to go through more than 2/3 of the journey without any vendors. It’s best to rely on yourself.
Small tips when climbing Chua Chan mountain:
- Of course, everyone prepares water when climbing a mountain, but on the way, there may be a shortage, especially if you are someone who “craves ice water” like us, it’s best to bring a thermos filled with ice water to drink slowly (but ours just broke).
- The “replenishment station” at the mountain top belongs to the soldiers, they only sell coffee (instant), instant noodles, and chicken. If you need water or ice, they will give it to you but won’t sell it. They are very enthusiastic, so feel free to stop by for a chat (note that not all items are always available on the mountain, it’s a matter of luck)
- At night on the mountain, it’s windy and cold (around 15 degrees), so make sure to bring appropriate luggage
- If you go on the weekend, try to go early to find a good spot and have daylight to set up your tent
So, if you have any questions, feel free to inbox us, we will help you out, but for now… PACK YOUR BAG AND START CLIMBING
Wishing you all a trip full of experiences climbing Chua Chan mountain. Share your thoughts below.
