The Golden Triangle Rider

[Happy Feet]

On the 3/8 myself and a friend toured from Chiang Dao -Muang Khong - Wieng Haeng - Pai .

From Chiang Dao to Muang Khong had spectacular views through the slow cement paved mountain pass through the Chiang Dao conservation forest area.

Muang Khong to Wiang Haeng was some really enjoyable off road riding with the first 10km too overgrown to fit a 4wd. the wet season only improved the track which was not to difficult or slippery.

We had to carry the bikes through 2 crossings of the Mae Tang River which was about naval depth at the time. but may have had an alternative route if we looked hard.

Wiang Haeng to Pai wasn’t as good of riding as the former, but still very enjoyable. about 8km from W.H on the way to Pai we encountered a slightly difficult slippery, slightly rutted hill which needed us to have a go, but the rest was easy sailing, apart from the slick clay surface.

[Davidfl]

Mark
Great stuff doing this one in the wet season.
I think there were a couple of other GT Riders who had a go in the opposite direction several months before & turned back somewhere between Wiang Haeng & the Mae Tang river as they lost the track.
So perhaps it is easier going from Muang Khong? What do you think - which way would be easier?
Have got any photos from Kevin "Flat World Traveller" your riding partner yet?

[dlevedag]

AWESOME - I just did the same route. I posted it in "trips" with a link to my GPS files. I too looked for a alt route - That river crossing was a bitch. All part of the adventure though!!

Here's my post again:

I took off with the new 3rd edition MHS map and had a blast. Left at 11 am one day and was back by dinner the next.

My off road sections were:
Mae Taeng- Chaing Dao
Muang Khong - Wiang Haeng ("Motorcycle only track") Absolutely awesome single track!
Kong Lom - Pai

Note: Muang Khong - Wiang Haeng. When you reach "Ban Ngoo" there's a long bamboo bridge to the village. Supposedly you cant cross there, and have to cross by carrying your bike down stream a 100 meters, then back across a few hundred more meters. You can get help from the villagers for 100baht per bike. I thought it was a scam, might have been. I didnt see any other option, and I looked.

We ended up dropping the first bike in the river, and getting the plug/carb wet. Its a tuff crossing now with the water so high. Waist Level - chest level at some points. The bike wouldn't start - duh. So we waited till morning to see the damage. Also didn't want to drop the 2nd bike and be stuck with 2 dead bikes. Better to cross during the day. Finally after a few hours of cleaning things out in the morning, the bike started. Good thing too - its another 28K to Wiang Haeng and not the kind of trail you want to push a bike or ride double through.

So we spent the night with the good people of Ban Ngoo. I was the only Farang, the first to ever sleep there. Good times. Had a kid smoking opium in the corner, little old lady fixing my cigarettes by roasting them over the fire and rolling them in corn husk, Palm Heart and rice for breakfast, incredible tea.

Good times!

Anyways - Be prepared for the crossing/ getting wet /change of dry clothes/ and maybe staying the night in the village (if they will let you?). Also bring plenty of water and snacks - you're going to sweat alot and use every once of energy you have.

I kicked down 600baht for everything, crossing the river and spending the night, food and extra water.

Here's a link to the GPS files. GPX for GPS and KML for Google Earth.

Cheers Dirty
[URL=http://www.filecrunch.com/file/~py1frc]Download MXweinghaing.zip[/URL]