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Pu Luong Traverse over the 1,700 m summit
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Pu Luong Traverse over the 1,700 m summit

Pu Luong, Thanh Hoa, Vietnam

From Don village terraces over Pu Luong peak down to Kho Muong

19.6 kmDistance
+1,289 mElevation gain
7–10 hTime
HardDifficulty
1,713 mMax altitude

Overview

Pu Luong in a day: start in Don village among Thai rice terraces, pass Hieu village and its bamboo waterwheels, then plunge into the reserve's primary rainforest for a relentless 1,200 m climb to the Pu Luong summit. The top is forested, but the lookout just beyond opens onto the whole Kho Muong valley. A long, humid, leech-rich descent ends at the Bat Cave and the stilt houses of Kho Muong. This is the Vietnam Jungle Marathon 42K in miniature – hot, wet, steep and very green. Nothing technical, but you need solid fitness and serious leech preparation.

Trail runningHikingUltra trainingPoint-to-pointTechnical 3/5#rice-terraces#jungle#summit#vjm-course#leeches
Elevation gain
+1,289 m
Elevation loss
−1,222 m
Max altitude
1,713 m
Min altitude
493 m
Completions
3
Trail Pack owners
5

Route

263 GPS points
5007501000125015001750024681012141618Hieu village waterwheelsPu Luong summit 1,700 mKho Muong homestay

Km 0–3.8: paddy dykes and concrete through Hieu village, one ford. Km 3.8–9.7: continuous forest climb on narrow, rooty, muddy path; km 6–8 is steepest. Km 9.7–13: ridge then a slick descent through bamboo. Km 13–16.4: widening path into Kho Muong. Km 16.4–19.8: dirt and concrete out to provincial road 15C.

Waypoints

  1. km 0.0Don villageStart493 m

    Resort area; VJM start line.

  2. km 2.1Hieu village waterwheelsWater658 m
  3. km 9.7Pu Luong summit 1,700 mSummit1604 m

    Forested, no view at the top; lookout at km 10.2.

  4. km 16.4Kho Muong – Bat CaveVillage635 m
  5. km 16.6Kho Muong homestayFood626 m
  6. km 19.8Provincial road 15C – Pho DoanFinish561 m
  7. 4 premium waypoints (water, camps, hazards) are in the Trail Pack

Elevation

+1,289 mElevation gain
−1,222 mElevation loss
1,713 mMax altitude
6.6%Average grade

1,320 m up, 1,260 m down. From 500 m to 1,700 m in 6 km (20 % average). The Kho Muong descent drops 1,100 m in 7 km.

Weather

Hot and humid in the valleys year-round (32 °C in summer), 18–22 °C on the summit. Wettest June–September; the forest is damp even in the dry season. Morning fog on the ridge.

How to get there

170 km from Hanoi, 4 h by car via Mai Chau. Limousine van Hanoi – Pu Luong 250,000 ₫. From Pho Doan back to Don village is 12 km by motorbike taxi.

Water sources

Plenty of streams and waterwheels in the first half, a forest stream at km 13 (filter). The km 4–13 climb is hot with no stalls – carry 2 litres.

  • km 2.1Hieu village waterwheels

Exact locations are part of the Trail Pack

Food

Don village homestays serve breakfast from 6 am. Kho Muong homestays do bamboo-tube rice, hill chicken and bamboo-shoot soup (book ahead). Carry food for 6–7 hours in the forest.

  • km 16.6Kho Muong homestay

Camping

No camping inside the reserve. Stilt-house homestays in Kho Muong (150,000–250,000 ₫) or bungalows in Don village (600,000+).

Safety

Mobile coveragePartial
Water availabilityGood
River crossings4
Landslide riskLow
Leech riskHigh
Snake riskMedium
Heat exposureHigh
Technical difficulty3/5
Min. water to carry2 L

Leeches are dense from km 4 to km 15 – leech socks are mandatory. Pit vipers on damp trail. Four fords that rise fast in rain. No signal in the forest km 5–14. Easy to go wrong at the km 11.3 junction – clearly marked in the Trail Pack.

Dangerous sections

  • km 6–8.2Unlock the Trail Pack to read this section
  • km 11–12.4Unlock the Trail Pack to read this section

Escape routes

  • km 3.8Unlock the Trail Pack to read this section
  • km 13Unlock the Trail Pack to read this section

Emergency

Rescue / emergency112Police113Fire & rescue114Ambulance115Cứu hộ – cứu nạn quốc gia / National rescue112Cấp cứu / Ambulance115Công an / Police113Ban quản lý KBT Pù Luông0237 3880 xxxTrạm y tế xã Thành Sơn0237 3880 xxx

Save the local contacts before you lose signal. Tell someone your route and turnaround time.

Best season

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Late September–October (ripe rice, less rain) and March–May (drier, fewer leeches). June rice is beautiful but brutally hot.

Equipment

Leech socks, draining trail shoes, 8–12 L vest with 2 litres, water filter, salt or leech repellent, rain shell, poles for the slick descent, offline GPX.

  • Leech socks
  • Draining trail shoes
  • 8–12 L vest, 2 L water
  • Water filter
  • Salt or leech repellent
  • Light rain shell
  • Folding poles
  • Dry bag
  • Offline GPX + power bank
Shop gear for this trail

Trail reports

  • Fallen treeCây lớn đổ chắn ngang lối mòn ở km 7,2, phải chui qua. Có thể vượt được nhưng mất 5 phút.Phạm Khánh Linh · 13 Sept 2026 · km 7.2 · verified by moderator

Reviews

4.7/ 5 · 76 reviews
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  • KL
    Phạm Khánh LinhTrail Expert Verified3 Aug 2026

    Vắt. Rất nhiều vắt.

    Tất chống vắt Hoàng Liên cứu mình. Đường lên đỉnh dốc và bùn, xuống Kho Mường trơn. Ngã ba km 11,3 đánh dấu rõ trong GPX, không có chắc lạc.

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