Heavy rain last night, so that means the trails are probably going to be extremely muddy; which means hard work. So far we've done 1163km in a mix of on and off road, and we have another 200 km to do today.
Our progress stops abruptly just where another crew sits idle by some machines. At first we don't see why we've had to halt, but on dismounting and walking further on and around the corner we can see a huge section of the hillside has collapsed onto and over the road. We can't make out the other end of the road and below us is a drop so steep, we can't even see where it ends. We're not going anywhere fast. Ta confers with the crew, apparently they're waiting for the boss to direct their efforts; he's investigating what needs doing. Ta assures us it will only take an hour to clear and there's no detour available. So we wait. Having seen the damage, we're not convinced, but we agree to give it an hour before deciding how to proceed. Meanwhile a brave digger driver, climbs the steep earthen slope above the road in his health and safety steel toe-capped flip-flops and starts working in his digger. It looks so precarious and would never be allowed in Europe or the US. The boss arrives and we were right, this is going to take way more than an hour. Just as we're gearing up again to go back, there's a rumble and we see a large tree above the road tumble along with the earth and rocks surrounding it. This is clearly still a live landslide. We ride back to the main road the way we came. We've seen so many landslides in the last few days, it seems the whole area is gradually falling down! The mountains and hill are so loose and friable, it's a wonder that any roads are still intact.
Our first off-road excursion starts not long after we turn off the main road, we climb into the hills and are soon on dirt roads. Technically it's still 'road', but in the loosest sense. It's another burst of fun as we climb higher on the wide track. There's little sign of the heavy rain that fell where we stayed, perhaps it was localised. We pass by a few road building crews at work with bulldozers and diggers widening and flattening the earth, presumably ready for a tarmac road surface. Graham and Danny ahead of me are sliding their way through the muddy sections having fun, as am I.
I'm following Alan. He's riding very sensibly, obviously not wanting an honourable mention in the blog! Doesn't stop him from enjoying the trails though, like the rest of us, he's having a ball.
Then back on the main road battling traffic. Along many of the roads and in villages we've been through in the last few days we've seen corn laid out to dry on the roadside. It's a staple in the area and I presume it's ground down into flour.
We reach the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark. Karst means there will be limestone rocks, caves and interesting geological features. We climb, ending at a pass at 1100m where we stop for coffee, which I'm told was very good. There are foreign tourist groups turning up in 4x4s and also on mopeds complete with knee and elbow pads, but trainers and plimsolls on their feet.
Today is Sunday and the roads in this national park are full of waving local weekend tourists in cars, buses and on mopeds. We see a few 'proper' bikes too and a couple of old sidecars outfits with boxer engines.
Back onto the main road and refuel and then we turn off the main road again, but now we've lost Graham. He turns up eventually; after the refuel, he was told to wait for the last guy, which turned out to be Graham himself!
We're almost back to the road we were on originally as it joins up with the road we're now on. We take various off-road detours and in one place we pass through tall grass and a stoney path, which a few remark reminds them of Mijas, particularly a place there know by Baz and his team as 'little Vietnam' - well, we're now in the real thing!
Ta warns us the next offroad bits will be tough, but we are ready, so off we go. It is very rocky, which tends to throw the wheels offline and you either correct or let the bike find its own way. This is where speed assists, as the rotational momentum of the wheels gives you stability; but not too fast, or the suspension will throw you off. So it's a balancing act of speed, momentum, throttle and clutch all topped off with judicious steering. For finding the right line through the chaotic terrain is the secret of success or failure. Riding offroad, your brain has to process so much information and then control your actions, it's a finely honed machine. Getting it right is a great feeling, akin to finding a fast and smooth path down the ski slope. We have some good skiers in our group too!
At some point we enter an area call the "Challenging Road". It's mildly challenging, but the roads Ta takes us on are better.
Leaving this we start what turns out to be the hardest riding we've done yet. A rocky, narrow path barely clinging to a steep sided valley. It has a few kinks that add extra difficulty, but really it's the random rocks and stones that are the real challenge, plus the view, just don't look down! I'm following Ray and he's riding like a pro; he says he's found his groove. Perhaps now the groover will be ready for that Karaoke session?!
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It's getting dark so the light from the headlights are actually helping to guide our way. The toughest part over, we stop to regather, but some in our party are not happy bunnies. The failing light plus the extreme terrain they consider inappropriate. Most of us, however, are very happy with the challenge we've overcome.
The run to the finish line is in the dark (Ta had warned us this would be the case if we took the last off-road section) and Tang leads with his LED spotlights. He's indicating left and right on the switchbacks, which he means to be helpful, but I it find distracting as when the light is on, it reduces visibility of the road. It's getting cold and I zip up my jacket and close vents. It seems an age until we arrive, but it's bearable. We file into the hotel carpark and there's a buzz as we recall our exploits of the last few hours.
This is the frontier town of Dong Van, only a few km from the Chinese border. Towering over the centre is a huge limestone rock at least 100m tall, topped with a neon sign, that in the dark looks like it's floating on air. The market is still open and we go for a wander after dinner.
It's always a good sign when we swap stories about how we survived in style. Today, we did. It was a long day, a big day, some say, the best day. But tomorrow is another day, so let's see.
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