A Chiang Dao Tea Loop - An Afternoon Ride

[DavidFL]

On the south side of Chiang Dao & just by the "Som O" police checkpoint at Kaeng Pan Tao there's a nice little concrete road that goes steeply up to the tea plantations.
I haven't been up here for years, but once upon a time it used to be a favourite dirt loop for hill tribes & the odd poppy field.
There used to be a confusing network of dirt trails, and many of them are now concrete but it is still a confusing network.

The turnoff off at the police checkpoint


the police checkpoint

Most people are probably too busy watching the police & traffic at the checkpoint to notice the turn, perhaps, but it is signposted and does take you to some amazing roads/trails & scenery.

Its a tight, narrow concrete road

that winds its way up the mountain

more to come

 

[DavidFL]

On the GTR MHS Loop map the trail network it looks like this

On the map above it is the asphalt road from Kaeng Pan Tao.

The elevation profile for the road coming in looks like this

It's a straight 9 kms of concrete twisting its way up the mountain

There's a couple of confusing turns towards the top, but basically you need to take the left ones.

I made one wrong turn & ended up here

The road actually continued on up a steeper, slimy slope, but it started to look a little nasty for an old art like me exploring alone on a 650. A 250 would be nice & I'm sure it loops around to Pakia still, but whether it is dirt or concrete, I don't know. Who's next...?

You backtrack & take the right

to end up in the tea gardens

at the very top there is an agricultural research station with a couple more forks to explore for someone

It has some stunning views

Backtrack from the research station & take a right to continue down the hill & all the way down, back to the highway & R107.
It's a 13 kms descent

the road is superior to the Kaeng Pan Tao concrete track

There are some magnificent trees & forest cover along the way

at altitude it is a very pleasant 28-30 celsius

a couple of hairpin bends on the descent

some fresh new asphalt

then down onto the flat & the bamboo

''

past the elephant in the middle of nowhere

& a short time later you are onto the highway & R107 again

This Chiang Dao tea loop is a sweet afternoon ride.
Turn off at the Som O police checkpoint on R107, ride up into the hills for 9 kms & make a left & come back out on R107 7.5 kms south of the Som O police checkpoint & 3.6 kms north of the Mae Tamann turn off.
You could spend hours up in here there are so many roads & dirt trails.
All the riding is steep with endless blind corners, so you need to take care. IT reminds me a lot of the Muang Khong road if you have done that one. Similar scenery & steepness but not as spectacular.
Check it out sometime.

The GTR MHS Loop map is here
Mae Hong Son Loop Map

 

[DavidFL]

Bump for Franz.

 

[Franz]

Thanks David, yes that's the easy way up, I will try and go up "my road" which is really a challenge in rainy season and take some photos to post. Just give me some 3 days without a drop of rain and I can try with any bike. At the junction you mentioned where you turn left to the tea plantation, you actually go straight and at the school's entrance at the end of the road turn left into the more or less "dirt track"...............