Yesterday I rode the Thoerd Thai to Cha Pee but due to poor planning, time constraints, I never got to see if the route on to Doi Tung was possible. Today I took the faster and longer range bike, the CB300, and hit the highways on a quick ride up to Mae Fah Luang then took the 1149 which has a connection to the 1334, a well known road due to the switchback called Pha Bur.
This morning the ride was a little dangerous with pounded leaf litter all over the surface leaving a dry confetti that was very slippery when braking on those steep tight corners. As with everything out here its steep downhill to a stream and then steep uphill to a hilltop. At the main T junction its keep right, staying on the 1334 heading towards Pa Sang Na Ngoen and after about 4kms there is a small lane heading off down hill on the right. It may not look much but this is it.
Unlike the Thoerd Thai route into Cha Pee this is all wooded hills with very little sign of farming activity. I was actually lucky to get a confirmation that this lane would get me to Thoerd Thai from two Akha guys doing some small repair work on a hut, and yes, it was hard road all the way. So off I went.
On the top of the hills there were some tall pines which again would be a danger if they were under tyre on braking but the passage of enough vehicles and swept them to the side. Nearing the next Akha village I encountered coffee planted beneath these pines, very much the style of Royal Projects.
A short while after up came the houses and once again it was a Christian group having some sort of celebration. Almost all building were new style, cars and mbikes were on show and again I didn't fell that these people were any more living in poverty. There was a couple of old style houses but not many.
Being Akha this was a hilltop so it was the usual twisty downhill to a stream, then heading off in a twisty climb and a loop before arriving in Cha Pee. It was all one lane, pretty decent in the majority just a few sections showing surface wear. The only real problem being oncoming traffic, truck drivers delivery building materials that took up all the road. I saw one pick-up forced to reverse on a seriously steep switchback bend because the truck refused to reverse.
Cha (Ja) Pee was looking pretty good sitting on the hilltop right side of the picture but as you can see the forest didn't exist here and it was back to bare agricultural plots and corn slopes.
Then it was back over the road I was on yesterday but with a different bike and down to Thoerd Thai. At least now I felt the job was properly complete. If you want to cut from Doi Tung to Thoerd Thai there is a choice of two different routes, this one offering a slower ride but some very good viewpoints.
Thats the full route ,try it, get high in the hills with the Akha.
This morning the ride was a little dangerous with pounded leaf litter all over the surface leaving a dry confetti that was very slippery when braking on those steep tight corners. As with everything out here its steep downhill to a stream and then steep uphill to a hilltop. At the main T junction its keep right, staying on the 1334 heading towards Pa Sang Na Ngoen and after about 4kms there is a small lane heading off down hill on the right. It may not look much but this is it.
Unlike the Thoerd Thai route into Cha Pee this is all wooded hills with very little sign of farming activity. I was actually lucky to get a confirmation that this lane would get me to Thoerd Thai from two Akha guys doing some small repair work on a hut, and yes, it was hard road all the way. So off I went.
On the top of the hills there were some tall pines which again would be a danger if they were under tyre on braking but the passage of enough vehicles and swept them to the side. Nearing the next Akha village I encountered coffee planted beneath these pines, very much the style of Royal Projects.
A short while after up came the houses and once again it was a Christian group having some sort of celebration. Almost all building were new style, cars and mbikes were on show and again I didn't fell that these people were any more living in poverty. There was a couple of old style houses but not many.
Being Akha this was a hilltop so it was the usual twisty downhill to a stream, then heading off in a twisty climb and a loop before arriving in Cha Pee. It was all one lane, pretty decent in the majority just a few sections showing surface wear. The only real problem being oncoming traffic, truck drivers delivery building materials that took up all the road. I saw one pick-up forced to reverse on a seriously steep switchback bend because the truck refused to reverse.
Cha (Ja) Pee was looking pretty good sitting on the hilltop right side of the picture but as you can see the forest didn't exist here and it was back to bare agricultural plots and corn slopes.
Then it was back over the road I was on yesterday but with a different bike and down to Thoerd Thai. At least now I felt the job was properly complete. If you want to cut from Doi Tung to Thoerd Thai there is a choice of two different routes, this one offering a slower ride but some very good viewpoints.
Thats the full route ,try it, get high in the hills with the Akha.
