Triathlon Training Asia Pacific

Culturally, and in terms of adventure, this is probably the most exciting training camp on our calendar. Located in Vietnam's North West Mountains, this stunningly beautiful area is famous for its rugged, wild scenery and rich cultural diversity.

Thursday,

30 April, 2009

Team assembles in Hanoi in the evening 7:00pm

Our recommended flight is the Singapore Airlines flight (Departing Singapore, Singapore Airlines SQ176 departs 10:00am to Hanoi.) but note that Vietnam Airlines also offers daily flights Singapore – Hanoi. This (afternoon) flight will get you into Hanoi early evening, in time for our program.

Tuesday,

5 May, 2009

Camp closes in Hanoi in the morning 8:00am.

At this point if you need to leave quickly, it’s possible to get back to the airport by 10am or even earlier – please let us know your preferred schedule if you have to leave sharply. We have the use of the hotel until noon.

Note that in Singapore and Hong Kong, 1 May is a public holiday, so typically 3 days leave are required (Thu, Mon, Tue).

Tribob will arrange all accommodation and internal travel once you arrive in Vietnam (includes a somewhat luxurious overnight train journey); to join this trip, you need only book your flight to Hanoi.

The small French hill station of SAPA nestles amongst a jagged mountain range near the Chinese border. 1,600m above sea level, its surrounding region is host to numerous hill tribes.

As we ride we will meet on the road a wealth of diverse hill tribes, who up to now have steadfastly resisted integration into Vietnamese modern life and still live according to their traditional village ways.

They are extraordinarily welcoming - expect fascinating encounters on the road with the Black Hmong, Dzao, Tay, Dzay and Xa Pho - people who comprise the majority of inhabitants in this area.

While this is a serious cycling camp, it's also a cultural adventure. Apart from the training, what are the attractions? Countless rice terraces, striking hill-tribe markets, awe-inspiring mountains, lush vegetation and Phan Xi Phang, Vietnam's highest peak at 3,100m.

Camp format

Our training camp will involve daily rides, plus runs off the bike. Roads are quiet and the urfaces are good. We will have comprehensive backup.

From Friday, our schedule takes us into the amazing scenery of the Tonkinese Alps where the cycling is spectacular (and challenging in parts) but we have also incorporated essential recovery time (read: excellent Vietnamese food, good wine, etc.) at the Victoria Sapa Resort, a rather comfortable hotel.

We will have multiple groups on the road during each cycling session, with each group of10 riders supervised and encouraged by a coach.

This mountain region is known for its cool and fresh air all year long: in May the temperature is expected to be around 15ºC, so good for long rides.

Bring appropriate cycling/warm casual clothing: it's possible to get chilly spells, so cold-weather cycling gear is a good idea.

VISA INFORMATION - VISA INFORMATION - VISA INFORMATION

Other thoughts:

Due to the high volume of cycling, your bike should be in good order. There are no bike shops in this area, so a ripped tyre or broken cleat can end your camp - ensure that your brakes, tyres and cleats are in good condition.
Bring plenty of spare tubes and a track pump - you can store the extras in our backup vehicle
If you are apprehensive about completing the daily distances, it is feasible to skip sections in case of fatigue - there will be back-up vehicles following us at all times.

Package to include:

- Twin-sharing accommodation, 4 nights

- All meals, including drinks / wine.

- Recovery massage where available

- All snacks and drinks en route

- Back-up vehicle for entire journey

- Internal overnight luxury train

Cost Per Person:

Tribob Member: S$TBA Non-member: S$TBA

To register for this camp, write to Lorena via admin@tribob.com to hold you a place, as places are limited.

As for all our training camps, the Tribob standard booking procedure and cancellation policy applies.