Phou Bia
Encyclopedia
Phou Bia is the highest mountain
in Laos
and is located in the Annamese Cordillera, in the Phou Ane Plateau in Xiangkhouang Province.
It is in a restricted military area near the abandoned Long Chen air base, and for this reason sees extremely few outside visitors. Unexploded ordnance
further complicates access. As of July 2008, there has been no known ascent by a non-Lao person for at least 30 years.
The area is remote, covered with jungle, and has been used by Hmong
guerilla soldiers. In 1970s, ca 60,000 Hmongs took refuge at the Phou Bia massif. There have been reports of smaller Hmong hideouts in the area as recently as 2006.
On 10 April 1970, an Air America C-130A aircraft crashed into the mountain.
For its altitude, the climate is cold and mostly cloudy.
Although no snow has been reported for decades, it is documented that as late as the first years of the 20th century, snow fell occasionally on its top.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and is located in the Annamese Cordillera, in the Phou Ane Plateau in Xiangkhouang Province.
It is in a restricted military area near the abandoned Long Chen air base, and for this reason sees extremely few outside visitors. Unexploded ordnance
Unexploded ordnance
Unexploded ordnance are explosive weapons that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation, potentially many decades after they were used or discarded.While "UXO" is widely and informally used, munitions and explosives of...
further complicates access. As of July 2008, there has been no known ascent by a non-Lao person for at least 30 years.
The area is remote, covered with jungle, and has been used by Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
guerilla soldiers. In 1970s, ca 60,000 Hmongs took refuge at the Phou Bia massif. There have been reports of smaller Hmong hideouts in the area as recently as 2006.
On 10 April 1970, an Air America C-130A aircraft crashed into the mountain.
For its altitude, the climate is cold and mostly cloudy.
Although no snow has been reported for decades, it is documented that as late as the first years of the 20th century, snow fell occasionally on its top.