Ta Xua Mountain

Country: Vietnam
Province: Yen Bai

Tinh Yen Bai Holiday Weather today

Date/time of update: February 22, 2025, 12:12 am, Timezone: GMT+7
Overcast Clouds

Temperature: 17.05°C
Temperature feels like: 17.42°C
Minimum Temperature: 17.05°C
Maximum Temperature: 17.05°C
Atmospheric pressure: 1019hPa
Humidity:100%
Visibility: m
Wind speed: 0.94m/sec
Wind Direction: 74 degrees
Cloudiness: 100%
Sunrise: 2025-02-21 11:27:42
Sunset: 2025-02-22 11:02:21

The Ta Xua Mountain is located in Tram Tau District, Yen Bai Province. The peak of the mountain is 2,865m above sea level and this is among the highest mountain peaks in Vietnam.

Travel Guide Overview for Ta Xua Mountain in Yen Bai

The Ta Xua Mountain Range, which runs northwest-southeast, forms part of the natural border between Yen Bai Province to the east and Son La Province to the west. The three highest peaks of the Ta Xuan Mountain are in Tram Tau Yen Bai.

The stretch to the southeast of the mountain is where Ta Xua Nature Reserve is located. This area belongs to Son La Province.

Except for the peaks in Tram Tau and the area to the southeastern stretch, Ta Xua Mountain Range remains undiscovered. This travel guide is dedicated for the adventure to the three peaks of the Ta Xua Mountain.

Trek to the summit of the Ta Xua Mountain

Weather and Climate, Best Time

+ Summer: May – August, strong sunshine, hot temperatures (33-39oC), possible typhoons between June-August;
+ Autumn: late August – early November, the maple leaves turn red or yellow in September-November, possible typhoons in August-October;
+ Winter: late November through January or early February, peach and plum blossoms in January-February;
+ Spring: February – April, the Rhododendron offers full blossoms;

There may be typhoons in June – October which make a trekking trip to the Ta Xua Mountain not possible. There are more or less than 10 typhoons per year hitting inland Vietnam and half of which go to the North. There are several beautiful autumnal days between September – November that are great for climbing the Ta Xua Mountain. And typhoons can often be forecast 10 days in advance.

The famed Dinosaur Backbone on the trek to the summit of Mount Ta Xua in Yen Bai

Winter months are cold and dry and there may be frost or snow on the mountain peaks. Some love snow would choose the winter to hike up the mountain then. The coldest time is often between mid December to mid January.

Spring time is certainly beautiful with blossoms everywhere: peach, plum, rhododendron...

The most challenging part of the trek to the summit of Mount Ta Xua on Day1

What to expect from a trekking tour to Mount Ta Xua Yen Bai

1/ Tram Tau – Ta Xua Village (5km)

This leg of the adventure is done by motorbike. The trail is small and gradually steep; it could be very slippery when it is wet.

A paved path to the village from Tram Tau

Then comes the dirt path with rice terraces around

It may get nice from time to time around the village

2/ Ta Xua Village – Dinosaur Backbone (8km, 7-8 hours)

The trail goes up steeply most of the time (5-6 hours). It is quite slippery even on a dry day and there are no leaning points on the way up. Then it gets more on flat ground near the Dinosaur Backbone which is also the first peak of Ta Xua. Right before the Dinosaur Backbone is one of the two wooden huts.

The Dinosaur Backbone is like a bridge connecting to sides of a mountain gorge. The wind blows very hard and the mountainsides are vertically steep. It is only 2-2.5m wide. It used to be fatally dangerous but now things get a bit less dangerous thanks to the railings installed in 2020. Caution must be exercised crossing this leg still.

A slippery path with lots of undergrowth

Panoramic views of the surrounding mountains

3/ Dinosaur Backbone – Peak No. 3 and Peak No.2 (4km each way, 6-7 hours)

The trail is less steep and the landscape changes suddenly with dense forest of mossy trees and mossy roots. The leg from Peak 3 to Peak 2 passes through an area with wildfire some time ago. The second hut is approximately 1 hour trek from the Dinosaur Backbone.

The mossy forest which looks unreal but it is real!

Where to stay

There are wooden huts before and after the Dinosaur Backbone (2,300m) with poor facilities each of which could accommodate 20-30 persons a night. There is only one rudimentary toilet at each hut.

A simple hut on the trek at the Ta Xua Mountain

We just have to put in more cushion and it is our home tonight here

How to get there

From Hanoi we travel northwest via Route 32 to Nghia Lo Town which is 150km away. And from Nghia Lo to Tram Tau it is 40km east. The base to start the trek is at Ta Xua Village, 5km west of Tram Tau Township.