cardamom on 17th or 18th feb 2010

dtd · Feb 15, 2010

hi all,

i , a guy, and probably a mex with do the cardamom ride on either 17th or 18th feb.

we will do without GSP and go slow. last year i failed after entering from the cardamom protected area. however, this time we will enter pursat and come out thru koh kong---head back to pp or either go to shv.

any tips on town names since we dont do GPS would be very appreciated--i have already got some from harry, bard and alkiri. they have been very helpful.

if anyone wanna join, please send me messange.

cheers,

dtd

BignTall · Feb 17, 2010

DTD,

Sorry mate I am in the USA right now otherwise I would love to join you on your trip. I also do not have any maps to consult here in the states (they are in my house in Thailand)to give you town names. However if you haved talked with Bard and Harri they were on the same trip so should be able to furnish names of towns for you. By all means get the Gecko paper map of Cambodia as it has town names and tracks. Once you leave Pramoey the next town you will come to is Osom which is right before a wide shallow river crossing. This is the last place for water and gas so stock up here. The next town will be Koh Kong. You will come out on a cement road and to get to Koh Kong make a right.

If you like to take the pace a bit easy I would recommend stopping in Pramoey for the night and leaving the next morning. That way you can take your time and still make it into Koh Kong without a worry.

Best of luck and enjoy the ride.

Justin

alrikki · Feb 17, 2010

Hi justin,
do you remember the turning onto the old track through the mountains?was it easy to find?
You are on a new road, then you turn right onto the old track.
did you follow the GPS track I made there?
I did it the other way and dont recall where it was, nor how obvious it was.
It must be south of Ou Saom

btw, I'm back inCM this week
sent you a PM

BignTall · Feb 17, 2010

Yes I remember the turn. We were going from Pramoey to Koh Kong and it was a left off the truck road onto a singletrack. When we did it in November the track was graded smooth from Osom about 9KM then it turned into a road that was just scraped through the jungle, with all fresh cut branches lying about. The left onto the singletrack was at the transition between graded road and fresh cut road, the singletrack branched off southwest from the road.

I don't have my GPS SD card in the states with me however Bard and I road up the newly cut track 100 yards before turning around and coming back to the singletrack cutoff. Therefore he should be able to i.d. the point on his track from the ride to give you a GPS location off the turnoff.

The turnoff was about 9km's (guessing) south of Osom and the trail was angling through a gentle right curve with the singletrack going off the trail to the left at about a 35 degree angle. It is noticeable. The jungle canopy opened up also at the junction a bit, however that was November and not sure if that would be relevent as we are getting into hot season now.

If you are coming from Koh Kong you will just run onto the road from the singletrack and it will be obvious.

Hope that helps.

alrikki · Feb 17, 2010

I was thinking of a place we turned left(going north)
we stopped to talk to an english guy/s working there
He said it was a road to a chinese built dam iirc
It suddenly felt like we were finally back on a road

dtd · Feb 18, 2010

hi,

thanks everyone. i cant sleep. i cant wait for the ride---have done the packing already. lotta ciggarettes with me lolz

cheers

dtd · Feb 21, 2010

hi all

we have made it. Once i arrive phnom penh. I might write a report and post photo--if i know how.

cheers

alrikki · Feb 21, 2010

congrats,glad you made it
stay around ko kong a few days and enjoy yourself

dtd · Feb 21, 2010

our itinerary was pursat=> pramoy => o'som => and then koh kong.

we did not stay in koh kong for the night but we rode to sihanouk ville. i am currently in sihanouk ville now.

no more bushed road as i have asked the villagers there.

well if u ask for pramoy, the villagers might not understand you guys. you gotta pronounce it as pro mouy ( eleplant trunk ). oh u can draw a photo of elephant and then show them the elepthan trunk lolz... funny?

i might come up with a report..

bill · Feb 22, 2010

I just talked to a couple of guys who did the Cardamons last week.
In short, they reckon you could drive a Camry through there now, such is road works and logging that has occurred recently.

BignTall · Feb 22, 2010

Bill,

Wondering if the guys you chatted to did not get onto the singletrack south of Osom? When Bard and I did the track there was a plowed wide smooth road that continued passed the singletrack turnoff. A left onto the singletrack some place about nine KM south of Osom is needed if you are heading north to south.

dtd · Feb 22, 2010

we turned left onto a road which closed to the 2 guesthouses we stayed. also, asked people along for the bushed road but those people said that there was no bushed road after a telecom company has paved the road and installed the concreted stands to put the wire on. wonder if there is still bushed road. would not mind doing it again if the bushed road is still there.

bill · Feb 24, 2010

BignTall wrote: Bill,

Wondering if the guys you chatted to did not get onto the singletrack south of Osom? When Bard and I did the track there was a plowed wide smooth road that continued passed the singletrack turnoff. A left onto the singletrack some place about nine KM south of Osom is needed if you are heading north to south.

BnT
I didnt get a chance to ask about the singletrack Sth of Osom.
Hope to have a look up there in March and have your groups tracks from Auke. So should be able to report if its still there.
Might also check out the track/road ?? heading west from Pramaoy. No-one I've talked to has done it.

dtd · Feb 24, 2010

the place where i met the military, locals with the chinese-made truck, i asked them for the bushed road---thinking if we were taking the wrong way since were on the paved road and we DONT LIKE IT--- they said one to the left, it was and ended road but we could ride in and came out. we were told it was fun and nice road to have some fun. Yet, we decided to keep moving.

i am thinking of doing wat i did last year again entering thru kirirom national resort ( cardamom protected area) coz i failed last year. wish i was good at mapping and noe how to use GPS. well, i dont even own one.

normally, how much is it for a used one in thailand?

bill · Mar 16, 2010

bill wrote: I just talked to a couple of guys who did the Cardamons last week.
In short, they reckon you could drive a Camry through there now, such is road works and logging that has occurred recently.

Went to Osom last week. A Camry wouldn't make it on some of the steep climbs.

However, two mates recently made it thru on a 1100cc Shadow and Yamaha TDM850. They scared themselves a bit though.

My trip was all dirt bike riders. Highlight was a huge waterfall (around 60meter drop) near Osom.
On the way back to Sihanoukville, we took the old Smugglers trail which was a fairly tough day ride.

Will post up a full trip report with pictures in a few days.

BignTall · Mar 16, 2010

Yep all graded roads until you get into the dried muddy section right leading into Osom.

Tell us more about your Smugglers route, sounds interesting Bill. Can't wait for the report. Also some beta on the waterfall would be nice.

dtd · Mar 16, 2010

during my riding, we stopped at a river--with the 3 bikes standing on the river on my report, there was a pick up driving thru the river as well. agree that toyota camary wont make the drive-tru or climbing the hill right after river.

BignTall · Mar 16, 2010

By your description DTD it sounds like the river just outside of Osom. A wide river but only upper shin deep in November. Going from Osom to Koh Kong yes the exit would be a challenge in the Camry :lol: .

dtd · Mar 16, 2010

there are few rives which will be real challenges for toyota camary. the one with unfinished bridge construction, for instance. hope those TOYOTA CAMERYs will not roll like balls.

bill · Mar 18, 2010

BignTall wrote: Yep all graded roads until you get into the dried muddy section right leading into Osom.

Tell us more about your Smugglers route, sounds interesting Bill. Can't wait for the report. Also some beta on the waterfall would be nice.

BnT
Trip report posted on ride report forum. Kept it brief and open for any questions.

**************************************

Just a followup on 2 mates that did the Cardamons, (Koh Kong to Pursat) in March on an 1100cc Shadow and TDM850, plus one sane mate that documented it while riding his 250cc dirtbike.
They rode from Kampot to Sihanoukville for a day trip and hatched the Cardamon plan over a few beers at the beach. Hence Craig completed the trip in thongs.
Here's a few pics

1100cc Shadow crossing the river

On the trail

GH at Osoam