Waking Up: We woke up early the next morning and packed all our gear for the hike back later in the day. We had to wait a short while until the guides arrived to check our harnesses and get us hooked to the zip lines, done for safety reasons. We met the rest of the group at the dining pavilion for breakfast before heading out for a morning of ziplining. There was some rain before we left and while others in the group decided to wear rain gear, I feared it would be too hot and instead went in shorts and a short-sleeved quick-dry shirt. Peep and one other person from the group stayed in camp because they had both hit their legs on one of the landing platforms the day before. Peep wasn't injured too bad since she had slowed herself down quite a bit before reaching the platform. Being confined to camp, Peep hired one of the cooks who did double duty giving traditional massages.
Morning Adventures: The ziplines for the second day were further down the valley and required a hike through the jungle to reach them. While there was still a light rain falling, the jungle canopy kept most of it from reaching us as we hiked along the jungle floor. This set of ziplines included the two longest runs of the two day trip, giving plenty of time to soak in the magnificent views of the surrounding terrain as we glided from one end to the other. I started at the front of the group and managed to get photos of each member of the group on the zipline. The pictures were later posted by Peep on a shared drive at work for all to see.
Back to Camp: Having waited to take everyone's photo put me at the back of the group. One guy near the back was having a difficult time with the hikes, so he was escorted back to camp while another member of the group and I made a second loop on the ziplines. Being only two of us, we expected to catch up to the main group ahead of us as they waited their turn to ride down the zipline. We never found them. Hiking back up the to camp, we eventually caught up to the guy we sent ahead and stayed with him until finally reaching camp. Once there, we confirmed what we had expected - the main group only made one pass at the ziplines. I guess sometimes it is advantageous to come in last.
Lunch: We had lunch at the camp before starting our arduous journey up the mountain. We split into two groups, with the more mobile heading out first and those with injuries or having a more difficult time following behind. Peep and I were in the second group. The path leading out of the valley took a direct route up, making it one of the most difficult climbs I have ever taken. The guides did an excellent job escorted those that needed assistance up the mountain, carrying their backpacks for them and pulling them up the seemingly never-ending steep sections of the trail. Our group was able to catch up to the first group as they waited to make their way up and across the cliff face located directly on our path.
The Cliff Face: Securely anchored in the cliff face in front of us was a series of u-shaped iron bars. These bars were used to scale the cliff face, allowing us to continue our journey upward. Those that could not make climb, Peep included, were escorted to another part of cliff, hooked on to a rope and hoisted up by the guides at the top. Once at the top of the cliff, they still had to climb the steepest and, according to Peep, most difficult section of their journey. Once they were all at the top of the cliff, they continued on a short distance until they reached to top of a towering waterfall, where those of us that scaled the cliff ourselves were already waiting.
Completing the Journey: After a welcome break admiring the views from atop the waterfall and posing for a group photo, we continued our trek up the mountain. Once we reached the road that would take us back to the village where we started, we came across a tractor with a trailer attached waiting to drive the injured the remainder of the way. However, the tractor did not have the horsepower needed to get everyone loaded on back up some of the steeper hills, so most ended up walking part of the last leg of the journey anyway. We eventually all met up at the travel agency's office, where we snacked before loading up for the ride back to Savannakhet. Peep and I made it home shortly after ten in the evening.