Bangkok Weekend Warriors exploring around Srinakarin Dam

[brian_bkk]

G'day All,

Four of the Bangkok Weekend Warriors manage to escape from the Big Durian (Bangkok) for 3 days.

BWW on the ride. Mike, Rob, Frank and Brian.

We set off early on the Saturday morning after a few of us met at Mulligans for drinks to welcome James Franey back to Thailand.
So getting home and finishing packing with a skin full was interesting...

7 am start and we are on the road..

Thumbs up from the staff at the PTT.

Meet up with the other guys near the dam.

We stop for a coffee and to enjoy the fantastic views.. So clear and can see for miles..
Unfortunately the power was out. So no coffee and we continued on after a look around the resort.

We make it to our camp site.. Great place K.Nui showed us last year.
Restaurant, toilet, shower etc..

By the time we had made it to the site.. eaten etc.. It was just gone mid day.
With no real plan and to just relax and settle in before two nights camping in the bush..
We go out exploring.

After some great zipping around and going up trails we had no idea where they would go..
Back to camp with a stop by the ferry that crosses the dam

Setting up the hammocks with in three metres of our swimming hole.

We had a camp fire and copious amounts of beer and JD..
26 cans and 1 litre of JD were consumed by the camp fire and sound of the waterfall next to us.

Rob was passed out.. After a couple of attempts to wake him... I decided it was safe to move closer and take this shot with out being thumped !!

More to come...

 

[brian_bkk]

So after a good nights sleep it was up early.

Frank has to head back and be in the office Monday.. So went for a ride with us to the Klitty Waterfall area.
Heading back before we managed to get too lost in the maze of trails.

A few fun snaps of the ride...

Here comes Rob....

Hat off to Rob.. Only been on the KLX a few times and never one to pass up a challenge..

Then to some real fun technical stuff we did last year with K. Nui and the Thai guys.

After spending a good part of the day doing these trails we head to Klitty Waterfall..
But as we get close.. Decide to head to another venue and see if we can get in / camp for the evening.
(We had camped at the waterfall before and wanted to try our luck)

Not expecting to get in and it is getting late.. 1 hr plus day light left.. We rock up and ask if we can get in and camp...
To our surprise.... Yes, no permit asked for.

What a great little spot to camp.. Table, toilets and bathroom..

No camp fire.. but we have camping lights, gas stove and enough bush rations to feed a small army.
Not to mention a beer run 8km up the trail back in town and 1/2 litre of emergency JD..

After a cold cold night at 830 metres above sea level.. We are up at 6.30am.
I was really surprised how cold it was. The night before was quite warm and OK at 230 metres.

Rob was not feeling well and decided to head back.. Mike and I wanted to ride in to the park a bit.
After all.. You normally need a permit to get in here.

We decide to go to the first ranger station and then come back.. We head off at 7am

Boy was it muddy and slippery early on.. I started thinking of James and our ride slipping and sliding down the Boolaven Plateau.
It was no where near that bad.. But did make me cautious that we could actually ride back up some of the slippery clay parts.

The most difficult bit was at the beginning as it was all under the jungle canopy and the morning dew gave it a nice extra slippery touch.

Cat prints in the trail

We made it to the first ranger station

18 km to the next ranger station?

Some good fun getting back too..

This fella was walking along the trail.. Stopped said hello and photo.

Back at camp and two very dirty KLX's

More to come...

 

[rhiekel]

Yes, I can hardly wait to return to the Thungyai Naresuan park..... Except next time I would
like to be on two wheels. Great trip, the park looks like it has about the same amount of water
as the last time I saw it.

 

[DavidFL]

brian_bkk;299260 wrote:

This fella was walking along the trail.. Stopped said hello and photo.

Now that's an interesting character if he ever was.
I bet he's got some stories & history.

 

[Ian Bungy]

Great Trip Guys! In the first Photos I see someone owns a Scooby Doo, Subaru WRX? Good Choice!

 

[TonyBKK]

Good stuff Brian! Awesome that you could get in to Thungyai Naresuan without a permit! :thumbup:

 

[FrankT]

Hi Ian,

That's mine, before I got into bikes I used it to explore Thailand, then it became a Sunday club racer and now it tows the (dirt) bike around, a Scooby is a true jack of all trades

Cheers

 

[FrankT]

Great report Brian and very interesting to see such a vast off-road area fairly close to Bkk, still lots to explore there.

 

[brian_bkk]

After a great ride down the slippery trail and a slightly less slippery ride back up as the sun was out.

It was time to head off to the national park K. Nui showed me the year before.
A lovely spot with a large tree that had fallen over the river during one of the rainy seasons gone past.

We rock up to the park entrance and it is closed off. There is a little way in for bikes and a sign that says no vehicles.
While looking from the road debating if we should barge in and take a look and hopefully not offend anyone..
We spot someone on a bike that had just ridden in.. So we ride in and he talks to us and says we can't go in.
Mike has his helmet off and chatting away.. we are trying to explain we just want to go to the tree and take a pic.
He said no at first.. more laughter and joking and pleading and he says OK.

Just then some of his mates also pull in to the trail and he explains..

We have the green light to proceed.. Off we ride..
It is a great track in there and 5 or 6 km to the ranger station..
While we are zooming along thinking we will see these guys in 20 mins time after they catch up..
We CATCH UP to the first bunch.. How did they do that..
Then we arrive at the ranger station and the main man (Khun Chai) was already there...

Obviously they had another more direct route in LOL

I take of my helmet and explain to Mike... Pointing where we camped..
Then K. Chai yelled out and took two paces and gave me a hug...
He remembered me from last year with K. Nui and the guys..
It was pretty funny and I certainly didn't expect that reaction after taking my helmet off..

A snap with K. Chai.

A couple of snaps of Mike and me on the tree over the river

After a chat and sharing some muesli bars with the rangers we headed on and did a little exploring on the way to the camp site

A rather large storm was brewing and heading our way.

A little more riding up and down a couple of great enduro tracks we found on the first day and then back to the camp site.

The storm is nearly on top of us.. Load up the bikes and eat and leave just when it is bucketing down.

It was like this for a good hour and a half.. and yes.. One crazy driver over took me and others in conditions like this !!

You don't want to be tearing around these bends or you may end up with a years supply of beef and goat to carry home

Of course.. back in Bangkok and the last 7.5 km took forever

Thanks to Mike and Frank for the additional pics to make the report more complete..

Will post a few images of the tracks we rode on Google Earth shortly
Tracks to be uploaded to OSM ready for next month.

What a great 3 days with a great bunch of guys with some of the best riding..
We had it all over these three days.

We shall return.

Cheers
Brian

 

[Moto-Rex]

What a ripper report. You guys certainly know how to have great dirty weekend.

Beautiful scenery, great swimming hole, and some hot looking tracks,...that's a weekend that's got it all.

Just love the "iconic Brianbkk photo" Have mud, will blast.

Moto-Rex

 

[brian_bkk]

A couple of snaps of the tracks on Google Earth.

Plus a snap of where we were heading.
To be continued next dry season.

Cheers
Brian