The electricity was to be switched off for the day last Tuesday due to roadworks on the 1016 at Chiang Saen. Couldn't work in the workshop so thought I better get out for a run. Pu Chee Fah seemed like a suitable challenge in the rain, so I went for it on the dirt bike.
Found a young French backpacker walking in the rain on the road from Chiang Saen to Chiang Khong. It was only 10:00 in the morning and he'd had 3 rides already. He'd come up from BKK without paying for any transport, just hitchin' a ride. Good on him, great sense of adventure. We rode the lovely river road round to Chiang Khong for fish and prawn noodle soup for lunch. Tristan didn't want to stay in CK and was happy to ride pillion with me up P C Fah, so we headed over to the 1155 and then 1093 up the mountains. I left Tristan in Pu Chee Fah village in the mist...... what he wanted..... honest guv...
350 Baht a night at the back of here;
I asked the lady if they get many farangs up PCF at this time of year. She said......."ONLY MOTORSIKE FALANG" ..... :thumbup:
About 8 klm further is my favourite place up there; Phu Sawan Resort
Then headed back down off the mountains on the middle road back to the 1155. Once below the mist, only a couple of hundred metres down, the views were beautiful when the rain stopped. Vivid greens all around. Almost no-one around, just superb, out in nature on your own.
Feeling in a flippant mood, decided to run the shortcut over Doi Phaya Phitak, from the 1155 to the 1020. Interesting that drivers are advised to use low gear when negotiating steep UP hills in Thailand...........:huh:
Not a road for the faint-hearted, even in the dry. It's steep up and steep down. I was scared last time in dry season I did this road, on the Thunderbird with 50 year old drum brakes......
Good tarmac all the way, so no problem on a modern bike and a must-do for those who want a thrill.
Up at the village at the top. Not sure the GTR map is correct here. The sign says "Phu Long Gung... Sa Mung Gorn". Phu Long Gung is the name of the mountain and Sa Mung Gorn is "The Dragon's Pond.. ".
Then down the other side, some spectacular views down into the flat valley where the Ing river flows out to the Kong, from Thoeng to near the new bridge south of Chiang Khong. I think I have an aversion to heights and steep hills (it's an age thing...) so it was first gear down for me...... but I was overtaken by a couple of locals on sporty bikes.
Then back home via Doi Luang after a great day's ride. Had a spot of trenchfoot when I got back as the plastic bags down the boots didn't work this time.....
Found a young French backpacker walking in the rain on the road from Chiang Saen to Chiang Khong. It was only 10:00 in the morning and he'd had 3 rides already. He'd come up from BKK without paying for any transport, just hitchin' a ride. Good on him, great sense of adventure. We rode the lovely river road round to Chiang Khong for fish and prawn noodle soup for lunch. Tristan didn't want to stay in CK and was happy to ride pillion with me up P C Fah, so we headed over to the 1155 and then 1093 up the mountains. I left Tristan in Pu Chee Fah village in the mist...... what he wanted..... honest guv...
350 Baht a night at the back of here;
I asked the lady if they get many farangs up PCF at this time of year. She said......."ONLY MOTORSIKE FALANG" ..... :thumbup:
About 8 klm further is my favourite place up there; Phu Sawan Resort
Then headed back down off the mountains on the middle road back to the 1155. Once below the mist, only a couple of hundred metres down, the views were beautiful when the rain stopped. Vivid greens all around. Almost no-one around, just superb, out in nature on your own.
Feeling in a flippant mood, decided to run the shortcut over Doi Phaya Phitak, from the 1155 to the 1020. Interesting that drivers are advised to use low gear when negotiating steep UP hills in Thailand...........:huh:
Not a road for the faint-hearted, even in the dry. It's steep up and steep down. I was scared last time in dry season I did this road, on the Thunderbird with 50 year old drum brakes......
Good tarmac all the way, so no problem on a modern bike and a must-do for those who want a thrill.
Up at the village at the top. Not sure the GTR map is correct here. The sign says "Phu Long Gung... Sa Mung Gorn". Phu Long Gung is the name of the mountain and Sa Mung Gorn is "The Dragon's Pond.. ".
Then down the other side, some spectacular views down into the flat valley where the Ing river flows out to the Kong, from Thoeng to near the new bridge south of Chiang Khong. I think I have an aversion to heights and steep hills (it's an age thing...) so it was first gear down for me...... but I was overtaken by a couple of locals on sporty bikes.
Then back home via Doi Luang after a great day's ride. Had a spot of trenchfoot when I got back as the plastic bags down the boots didn't work this time.....