Setting foot on the top of Kon Ka Kinh – the highest mountain in the Kon Ha Nung plateau is always the desire of nature lovers and conquerors. To touch the “roof of Gia Lai”, we spent 10 hours trekking in the middle of the jungle with many emotions throughout the journey.

 Located at an altitude of 1,748 m above sea level, Kon Ka Kinh peak is considered the “roof of Gia Lai”. This mountain range belongs to Kon Ka Kinh National Park, one of the two core zones of the Kon Ha Nung Plateau World Biosphere Reserve. The shortest route to the “roof of Gia Lai” is from Forest Protection Station No. 5 in Dak Rong commune (Kbang district). We got off the station the night before, stayed here for one night so we could leave early the next morning. Mr. Nguyen Van Thuong – Head of the station told everyone before going on the road to eat a full meal, take a lot of rice, because “as big as a pile of straw, even if the rice does not fall, it will fall”. He said that this is a climbing arc on many types of terrain, so it is very tiring. 

10 hours trekking From Forest Protection Station No. 5, we rode motorbikes towards the Kon Ka Kinh range. More than 8 am, but the mountains are still deep in dense fog. Bahnar villages with typical stilt house architecture blend into the beautiful deep green mountains like a fairy tale. Ha Dung village 1 is the starting point for the trekking route to the top of the mountain. The picturesque village recedes with each eager step up the mountain. The delegation consisted of 11 people, of which only I was a female. In addition to 7 tourists, there are Dinh Van Nhan – a specialized forest protection officer of the National Park and 2 porters (porters and guides) who are both native Bahnar people. 

The other person is Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Van Nam-Head of Dak Rong Commune Police. Nam has just recovered from Covid-19 so he wants to join the trip to check his health. Mr. Nhan said that in the past, he had led a number of delegations to conquer Kon Ka Kinh peak, but none of them had preserved the number of “going to the destination”, because there was always a rate of giving up in the middle. He hopes that our group can break that “routine”, so that those who have a dream to touch the “roof of Gia Lai” continue to raise their dreams. Because conquering the top is always the aspiration of people in the journey of life. 

The road to the top of Kon Ka Kinh passes through many small streams. Photo: Hoang Ngoc

 Although it was difficult to anticipate, when I ran through the forest continuously for many hours, overcoming many types of terrain, my endurance was really tested. Sometimes walking on the back of the mountain, sometimes cutting waterfalls, cutting streams to shorten the distance. On many steep roads, both hands are always in a hurry to grasp the forest trees, sometimes suddenly slip and grab the rattan tree full of thorns, tearing the fingertips. Yet the two porters of the group, carrying heavy loads of up to a few tens of kilograms, still walked as light as they did not. They are contracted to manage and protect the forest, and sometimes do extra work leading tourist groups to earn extra income. 

The sun stood still, we just reached an altitude of 1,200 m and planned to set up a temporary camp. Mr. Nhan said that if he wanted to reach the top and return to the shack before dark, he had to leave immediately. So we left all our belongings, we only brought drinking water, a handful of rice each and continued our journey. Closer to the top, from a height of 1,720 m or more, we were like honey-drunk bees falling into the flower’s heart. Although the body is tired, it is as if there is a fresh fountain in the veins. After 6 hours of going up the waterfall and down the rapids until weasel legs are tired, the feeling of touching the rock on the top of Kon Ka Kinh is like touching freedom. 

The members of the delegation in turn pressed their faces to the stone covered with green moss, remembering this special moment. On the top of Kon Ka Kinh, Early March is already in the middle of the Central Highlands dry season, but there is an eternal spring on top of Kon Ka Kinh. Different from what many people imagine about the sacred mountain lined with ancient trees, there is only a thick bamboo forest here. The thin green moss-covered bamboo trunks are so fine that it is impossible to distinguish the green color of the bamboo trunk or the green color of the hundred-year-old moss. Bamboo leaves fall into the path in a thick layer under the heels. 

It is not wrong to call this top area a moss forest because the high humidity has caused the vegetation to grow strongly and cover all surfaces. Moss grows green on the trunks of the forest trees, on the rocks, creating the typical flora at the top of the mountain. The most impressive is the hundred-year-old plum trees (the natives call them krieng trees) near the top of the mountain, curved in all shapes, covered with green moss, reclining like smooth velvet hammocks. 

Hundred-year-old plum tree covered with green moss at an altitude of 1,700 m. Photo: Hoang Ngoc

It must be said that the flora in Kon Ka Kinh is overwhelmingly rich. Possessing a lot of endemic and rare genetic resources of flora and fauna, this place has been identified by domestic and international scientists as a priority area for biodiversity conservation in Vietnam. Below is the ancient forest, the higher up, the more vegetation changes. The trees are smaller and smaller, instead, there are layers of trees that lean on each other to create a green carpet of layers and layers. 

Ganoderma lucidum, pearl cranes, tinsel orchids and a variety of wild orchids, fruits that have fallen off the roots… we met along the way as gifts to dispel fatigue. These are also auxiliary forest products that help Bahnar people in villages living around the National Park have an additional source of income. During the bees’ season to collect honey, sometimes, the guide signaled for the whole group to be quiet to hear the bees flying clearly in the silent space in the middle of the forest. 

Black reishi grows a lot in Kon Ka Kinh National Park. Photo: Hoang Ngoc

The vegetation in Kon Ka Kinh is extremely rich. Photo: Hoang Ngoc

 He also showed us a variety of edible leaves and wild vegetables, from herbaceous sour leaves that grow along streams to tall woody plants that are taller than a person’s head, or the immense, plump, fresh coriander leaves that make us Can’t help but think of sauteed vegetables with garlic and secretly regret. But the whole group had a memorable meal with a pot of scad fish soup cooked with wild leaves with a cool sour taste, sipping a cup of soup made everyone awake. Mr. Dinh Van Loi, one of the two porters, while leading the group, had a sharp ax ready and also cut fat, ivory-white forest clouds. In the evening, he grilled it over hot coals until soft, dipped with crushed chili salt and seasoning leaves. 

The soft grilled rattan buds have the spicy taste of chili, the filling is bitter and not everyone likes it right away. But the sweet aftertaste of the dish imbued with the quintessence of heaven and earth brings tearful emotions. The most delicious is the pot of frog porridge. Late at night, While we wobbled in the hammock, the guides still had the strength to shine a flashlight to catch frogs along the stream. Talented chefs prepare fatty spring frog meat, stir-fry fragrant. Along with cold rice, the night before, the group had a delicious pot of frog porridge for breakfast before packing up their tents and going down the mountain. 

The trekking group took souvenir photos on the journey to conquer the summit of Kon Ka Kinh. Photo: Hoang Ngoc

Green tourism After a journey of 2 days and 1 night with a total distance of 19.5 km, we enjoyed the feeling of touching the top of Kon Ka Kinh. This is an attractive but also challenging trekking arc. Although the road is not too dangerous, exercising at high intensity for many hours is a test of endurance and human will. Joining the climbing group was 4 members of Gia Lai Discovery – a unit specializing in organizing adventure tours with adventure elements. Mr. Pham Hoai Thanh – a member of the group – commented: “In terms of difficulty when entering waterfall 50 is 5/10, going to the top of Kon Ka Kinh is 8/10. 

Many tourists exploring waterfall 50 require a more difficult and challenging trekking arc, so we decided to investigate this new route. Kon Ka Kinh National Park has many routes from easy to difficult to experience many types of tourism, “The roof of Gia Lai” is still a mystery among the great thousands of Truong Sons, not many people can conquer. Therefore, this is also an alluring destination for those who love adventure travel. This is also a tour for a limited audience, not a general visitor. After this trip, Gia Lai Discovery plans to build a route in 3 days and 2 nights (the National Park is having a 4 day 3-night tour). Guests can trekking, auditioning for the role of an indigenous person who both relies on the forest and protects the forest to discover the values ​​of life from the old forest. “If 50 waterfall is like a princess in the middle of Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, then Kon Ka Kinh peak will be the “G” point of the National Park, attracting tourists who love trekking and exploring nature.” a member of Gia Lai Discovery said. 

Happy to touch the roof of Gia Lai house. Photo: Hoang Ngoc

 Two porters of the delegation, Mr. Dinh Van Loi and Dinh Van Veo, from Ha Dung 1 village, said that they were paid 200-300 thousand VND/day. When there were many guests, he called more people in the village to help. If the tour to conquer Kon Ka Kinh peak develops and attracts tourists like waterfall 50, the indigenous Bahnar people will have a significant source of income from this activity. The source of secondary forest products is also a gift of the forest that any tourist wants to buy and bring back, helping people increase the value of their labor.  After 2 days and 1-night “bathing” in the middle of the Kon Ka Kinh old forest, without wifi or phone waves, we have fully felt the beautiful life that passes every second, every minute, happiness in every cell. Going down the mountain, the shadow of the old forest still lingers in my mind. The great trees in Kon Ka Kinh all start from young trees, they remind us that all great things start from very small things.