With the end of the rainy season, time to get the camping gear out again.
DoiGart Phi Forest park is off the Doi Wawi road, 3037. Roughly south from Thaton, Chiang Rai province.
The turn off is fairly close to the Lao Lee Resort, through a small Yao village near the base of the mountain.
You take a dirt road out of the village and after 1 klm or so, there is a sharp right turn and steep track up.
Not a good track for a road bike.
Great views.
I got to the camp site at about 16:00 and no-one else there.. But 30 minutes later several pickups arrived with a bunch of people offloading coolers of beer etc. So, I headed a klm further up the track, near the mountain peak, to set camp.
Next morning, the "Talay Mork" was wonderful in the sunrise.
Cool and wet from morning dew, but not cold.
I had pitched the tent next to the little sala near the peak, at about 1500m.
Next morning, I headed back down the mountain and onto the trail that leads northeast to the Kok river
It was a beautiful clear cool morning, dry with blue skies, through the Lam Nam Kok NP.
This trail is memorable for it's many ups & downs across many ridges on the way to the river. A good place to avoid in the wet season, just too slippery on the Chiang Rai red clay mud.
The trail passes several Akha villages, with small rice fields in the little flat valleys.
No-one about, a peaceful ride..
After a one hour ride, you reach the Kok river. The track then goes southwest alongside the river to Chiang Rai.
Past the large school on the other side, next to the river that flows from the north into the Kok.
The river was very low, as we had had little rain in Chiang Rai.
Akha spirit houses next to the track.
The dreaded motorcycle bridge over the Kok.
I recall riding it many years ago, before they fitted the handrail and doubled the wooden runners... scary indeed.
DoiGart Phi Forest park is off the Doi Wawi road, 3037. Roughly south from Thaton, Chiang Rai province.
The turn off is fairly close to the Lao Lee Resort, through a small Yao village near the base of the mountain.
You take a dirt road out of the village and after 1 klm or so, there is a sharp right turn and steep track up.
Not a good track for a road bike.
Great views.
I got to the camp site at about 16:00 and no-one else there.. But 30 minutes later several pickups arrived with a bunch of people offloading coolers of beer etc. So, I headed a klm further up the track, near the mountain peak, to set camp.
Next morning, the "Talay Mork" was wonderful in the sunrise.
Cool and wet from morning dew, but not cold.
I had pitched the tent next to the little sala near the peak, at about 1500m.
Next morning, I headed back down the mountain and onto the trail that leads northeast to the Kok river
It was a beautiful clear cool morning, dry with blue skies, through the Lam Nam Kok NP.
This trail is memorable for it's many ups & downs across many ridges on the way to the river. A good place to avoid in the wet season, just too slippery on the Chiang Rai red clay mud.
The trail passes several Akha villages, with small rice fields in the little flat valleys.
No-one about, a peaceful ride..
After a one hour ride, you reach the Kok river. The track then goes southwest alongside the river to Chiang Rai.
Past the large school on the other side, next to the river that flows from the north into the Kok.
The river was very low, as we had had little rain in Chiang Rai.
Akha spirit houses next to the track.
The dreaded motorcycle bridge over the Kok.
I recall riding it many years ago, before they fitted the handrail and doubled the wooden runners... scary indeed.