9 km southwest of Sa Pa is Fansipan Mountain, a part of the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range. At the height of 3143m, Fansipan is known as Vietnam's highest mountain and called The roof of Indochina.
What to prepare?
The peak is accessible all year to those in a good shape and properly equipped but don't doubt about the difficulty. It is wet, cold and needs a good preparation.
The summit of Fansipan is 19km from Sapa and only can be reached on foot. The terrain is rough and adverse weather is frequent. Normally, it would take three or four days to conquer the Fansipan Mount. We will go through different valleys, lush jungle, rivers and a beautiful hill tribe village at the bottom. No ropes, no technical climbing skills are required but endurance of climbers.
Besides, mountaineers need to prepare a sleeping bag, waterproof tent, food, stove, raincoat and other miscellaneous survival gear that you may think of.
When to go?
Fansipan's summit is accessible year round though the best time for making the ascent is from mid October to mid December as well as in March, when wild flowers are in bloom.
Travel Tips:
Unless you are a well experienced mountaineer, hiring a trained guide is vital. You also can have a porter to carry your gear. Prepare a sleeping bag that is rated to at least 40 degrees as it gets a bit cold at night and a good camera for incredible scenery.