Alan Taff Davies Memorial Ride Weekend - 14 /15 / 16 Feb 2014

Mar 30, 2010
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G'day All,

Just back from Alan's memorial ride at Baan Ricky.

What a great weekend and a great turn out.
I know there are many more people that would have liked to attend but couldn't.

A brief report for you all below.

We had 10 riders for the first day..
Thanks for the pic Sam.
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A snap of Baan Ricky.
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The track we rode.. Alan took me on this ride one weekend when I went down to Baan Ricky to visit.
Alan wanted to scope out the Enduro trail he had planned later on in the season.
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Certainly glad I saved all the rides with Alan.. There is no way known on earth you would have found the trails with out the GPS.
Some of them you ride off the trail and through the rubber plantation and there is a small trail on the other side of the field in the corner.

First we have a fun river crossing.. Quite funny as when we arrive at the river.. It is a cliff down to the river bank.
Last time Alan just took a look and off he went.. The old farmer near by having heart attack.. (me too)
Then Alan looks at me to ride down.. I am like.. No way I can do that..
So Alan climbs back up and rides my bike down and we cross the river which is much deeper than this time

Last time with Alan.
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If you ride 50 metres further along the trail, there is a nice trail down to the river. Pretty sure this wasn't here last time.
The track for cars etc had been washed away in the rainy season.
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Sam's first ever river crossing
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K. Montri's turn.
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Not deep but loose rock and swift current made it fun..

The track guys having some fun on the Enduro trial..
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Next some lovely flowing trails to ride along up to the National Park and Ranger station.
No problem getting in at the ranger station. They were only concerned if we went all the way to Burma we would be coming back in the dark.
We agreed. As it was a late start, to turn off about 1/3 of the way in and continue on with the original track and do the Burma border run the next day.

Burning off season in Kanchanaburi.. You can see fires burning through out the mountain's at night time

Had one eye on my bike making sure it didn't burst in the flames.
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After doing a big loop around. Time to head back to Baan Ricky.
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We made it back just on sunset.. A bit of an adventure to get through the final few KM.
At Hell Fire Pass and Hintock Camping area they have put up gates across the road.. Not so good if you come all that way and need to get out.
Have dirt bike.. will find a way through.. Back we go and over the drain and through the bush and drop down on the other side of the gate…

Then back for a great dinner at Baan Ricky.
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Day 2 and 3 to follow..
If any other riders want to add pics or events to this thread.. Please go ahead.

Cheers
Brian

PS.. Not so many pics this ride.. These Pattaya guys ride fast…….
 
Dec 27, 2007
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Good stuff Brian! :clap:

Gutted I couldn't make it.

Baan Ricky should make this an annual event! :thumbup:
 

jsbkk

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Dec 13, 2010
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What a great weekend! I can easily say this was my first REAL adventure. Had done just a few simple dirt trails before and I thought I could manage. Oh man! I was so wrong!!

I am sure you (Tony) would've enjoyed a lot. I was looking forward to meet you, didnt happen :cry: next time perhaps.
-Sam
 
Mar 30, 2010
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TonyBKK;296849 wrote: Good stuff Brian! :clap:

Gutted I couldn't make it.

Baan Ricky should make this an annual event! :thumbup:
G'day Tony,

Yes, shame you were sick.. Next time.
A few people asked about you and wanted to catch up.

We have some more riding buddies in Pattaya now :)

We did discuss making this ride an annual event. May be in Oct for Alan's birthday.
The area is a little less dusty, greener and the creek and river crossings perfect..

Cheers
Brian
 
Mar 30, 2010
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Day 2 of the memorial ride.

Today is the Burma jungle run.
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The track from the Ranger Station to the Border is just fantastic.. Great trails before too.. but the Ranger Station to the border and back is epic.
Creek crossings, steep, sandy, single trail, rocks, Bamboo.. has it all.

This time we are up a bit earlier.. Sam and K. Montri head back to Bangkok.
Miesha & Kat arrive.. (Sorry if the spelling is wrong).

9 riders today.
Alan had talked about this trail. We had to turn off when we did the Enduro scouting ride…
He said his bike didn't have enough fuel.. The guys topped up with spare fuel strapped to the bikes and in backpacks.
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We all enjoyed the route the day before so much.. We decided to go the same way.
No pictures the day before.. But they have put a bloody drain right at the end of the first trail..
We could have probably done with out the drain.. I crashed each day trying to get up.. oh well.. practice makes perfect..
The second day we had about a 50% success rate.. First day 30% success rate.
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Fantastic river crossings and trails again and back to the Ranger Station
We are already getting hot and the nice lady in the station came out with small bottles of cold rain water.

Thanks for the pic K. Montri.
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All enjoying the trail with big grins on our faces..

We pass a couple of ranger stations that are closed and then make it to a checkpoint about 10km from the border.
This is where it starts to go up and up and up.. 1050 metres at the top..
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Baan Ricky at the left of the scale and where it starts to get steep is the checkpoint you need to sign in at.
Pretty sketchy in parts… rocks, loose gravel, the road had been graded some what.. but still easy to lose it in sections.

The check point at the bottom has a turn off to a very remote temple in the middle of the national park.
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No pics of the ride up.. as it was just go go go..

As you reach the top.. There are trails that go straight ahead and to the right. The trails have a couple of strands of barbed wire across them.
Burma is on the other side..

Looks like Zulu with all the fortification…
All we needed was Michael Caine in his cockney accent. "Don't you throw, those bloody spears at me"
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The helipad to the right, Buddha to the left and the Burmese Army on the hill in the background.
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The picture is deceptive.. The hill with the Burmese Army is very close and you could see the flag flying
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Back down the trail and out the same way.. Again.. Great fun then back the same way as the day before.

Saturday night we have another great dinner and the girls put some photo's out with flowers
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A weekend at Baan Ricky isn't complete with out a late night visit to the Hindat Hot Springs.
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End Day 2.
 
Mar 30, 2010
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Day 3 - The last day and Sunday.

Now the die hards are left that can't get enough riding.

4 riders today.

This time we decide to sniff out the famous Bamboo jungle trail and a general ride around this side of the 323.
Boy was it dusty..

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As you can see by the map.. We managed to get lost a few times.
But getting lost is good sometimes.. Found some great single trail and a small creek crossing.

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One of Alan's pit stops.. We stopped and had a drink
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A great weekend had by all riding Alan's trails.

Big THANKS to Ruben and Ricky for the organising

Made some new friends and re-established some friendships from last year..
Looking forward to meeting up with the Pattaya guys for rides in the near future.

Cheers
Brian

PS. I will upload these tracks to Open Street Maps in the near future.. So if any other riders want them.
All you need to do is get OSM and load it on your Garmin.
 
Feb 7, 2012
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Big thanks to all was a great weekend and Yes we will make something like that every Year but probably more end of the Year maybe for Alan's Birthday in November. Alan will be with us all the time. big loss for all of us.
of cause everybody is welcome any other time as well ;)
 
Dec 17, 2009
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Hi Brian

Thanks for the report, well done mate. Also thanks to all the other riders and wives/girl friends who made this weekend a good one.
Stay in touch for more of this.

Cheers
Ruben
 

jsbkk

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Dec 13, 2010
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Great job Brian with the report and excellent pictures! Would like to thank all - Brian, Ruben, Ricky and the riders to make this ride happen. I learned a lot from this trip which has given me more riding skills and confidence.

Cheers
Sam