Crossing the High Van Pass by bicycle
Hai Van Pass was selected as one of the 10 great scenic drives around the world in 2015 and is a beautiful pass between Da Nang and Hue, Vietnam.
These are the previous “Crossing the High Van Pass by bicycle” series
This time I will cross the High Van Pass by bicycle!
First, the south side. Here is the course layout of the hill climb from the Da Nang side to the Hue side
In Vietnam, where motorcycle culture is very popular, when you are climbing a mountain pass in the heat of the day, you will often be passed by motorcycles or cheered on half-heartedly by old men, women, and young Vietnamese on the side of the road,
I am happy and grateful for that, but the fact is that the average gradient is 5.4% and the distance is about 9km, so it is not so hard if you are riding a road bike up the pass.
It is basically a two-lane road (although the road is widened in places where there are sharp curves).
There are a surprisingly large number of trucks on the road, and many cars and motorcycles are reckless and overtaking in the opposite lane, so be careful of accidents.
When climbing, there is no problem because there is no speed, but when going downhill, the speed is high, so there are many cars that run into the opposite lane OMG!!!! I think. I do expect them to swerve into me to some extent, but….
After a short climb, a super beautiful beach comes into view on the right.
It is really nice to run while overlooking the beach.
However, it was still the first half of the climb. As we head into the second half, the gradient increases to around 10%, and it is quite tiring.
途中に、カフェ的（そんなオシャレなものではないが・・・）なもの、、がポツポツとはあるので、そこで休憩やドリンク補給はできる。ちなみに自販機は皆無です。
↑When you see the scenery like this, the summit is almost there,
At the top, there is a historical building like a watchtower and several teahouses. Prices are a little high for a tourist spot, but within the acceptable range. I often take a break to buy a drink and an ice cream, and the ladies at the stores are very friendly and talk to me.
Once over the summit, the next pass is the northern side of Hai Van Pass. The average gradient and distance are almost the same as those of the Da Nang side of the pass. However,
To be honest, the road surface is not in good condition. To be honest, it is tiring and scary to downhill on this rough road……………………………but it is not so bad when climbing up,
I descended slowly, taking breaks along the way to take pictures.
And when the Vietnam Railway crossing comes into view, the downhill trip is almost over. Just in time for the Vietnam Railway to pass by, we can stop at the manual crossing.
It takes a while for the crossing to open, but we will wait patiently.
And then, you can see Lancô Beach, a beach resort, on the right side of the road! Beautiful!
And we have also completed the charlie over the High Van Pass.
The High Van Pass is really beautiful in summer! And if you want to ride a bike, I recommend you to do it early in the morning when there is less traffic and you can ride without stress!
I live in Da Nang, so I have to go back up the mountain one more time. ・・・・
