What is the best off-road trail in hanoi?

so by now you know the best trails in Hanoi are in soc son. but what is the most popular off-road Trail in Hanoi? the answer is the hamlon trail in soc son. sometimes referred to as the Yoda Trail by some foreigners. soc son is 45 minutes from the center of Hanoi and has everything you need for a trip out of the city. a lake, woods, and some mountains. perfect for some Offroad riding. there are numerous Trails, hill climbs, and challenges in soc son. but the most popular is the ham lon trail. this is originally a walking path that leads to the highest point in Hanoi - sometimes called the roof of Hanoi. because it is 462 M high.

this Trail begins with winding fire roads that are suitable for any level of Rider - just ask the guys that come on my monthly soc son training. after the winding fire roads and as you get deeper into the forest you quickly face rocks, roots, and steep climbs. first you go up prequel which is relatively easy but Kavin somehow made it look difficult. one of the first real climbs is called e hill which sets the tone for the rest of the ride. if you can't make it up you should turn back now because it's only going to get harder.

I will mention now for those that know these Trails you may be confused by some of the names of the hill climbs - that is because because the Vietnamese Riders have one name, the SML team have another name, and other foreigners just use a mix of the two.

after some winding trails and Rocky sections you get to the next Hill Climb called hoc Sinh - meaning student in Vietnamese. it is called this, imaginatively, because there are often students sitting on the top of the hill admiring the view from The Mountaintop. you'll regularly get some students cheering and helping any struggling Riders up the hill.

after a steep downhill covered in rocks and potentially passing some hikers you reach the toughest hill climb on the ham lon trail. we call it slippery Hill. again I don't really need to explain why. this is by far the steepest hill and has some rocks and Roots just to add to the fun. kavin was unable to make it up this hill in one go. demonstrating how hard it really is.

after this, if it is dry, there are no major challenges. a few hill climbs and Rocky sections that are extremely fun!