Photo trip report: Unseen Northern Provinces

[Big Boy]

That was what I was hoping. We had the same experience on Doi Inthanon.

[buksida]

The views were outstanding though and the whole place had the atmosphere of some mountain camp site in a far flung place with the weather changing every ten minutes and the evening temperature dropping to 15 degrees. There were no other farangs here aside from myself as the place slowly filled with SUVs and Thai youths on high powered motorcycles. Apparently it gets really busy at the weekends!

It certainly was an interesting spot but only worth an overnighter unless you were a millionaire content to live in a shed with no amenities on a hillside. The next day the truck wouldn’t start as it was the first time it had ever been cold. We got on the road eventually and had to do a little more Kafkaesque paperwork to secure the next booking before driving through Nam Nao national park to Phu Kradueng where we spent the night before the big ascent the following morning.

DSC_2644.jpg (78.5 KiB) Viewed 628 times

Teens don't do sunrise - this was our hundred dollar presidential suite that all four of us crammed into for the night. Must be the most expensive place for accommodation in Thailand.

To follow: Phu Kradueng

[Big Boy]

Are the colours in 2639 real, or through a filter? Very colourful if natural.

Knowing your love of camping at the New Year (and didn't you camp at Kaeng Krachan?), I thought in the previous set of photos and now this one, why didn't you you take the tents? I don't think you'd have been any less comfortable.

In 2649 (also 2650), what are all of the people doing? Is that a local view point? The arm gestures seem to suggest selfies are the order of the day.

In 2651 there are a lot of what I can only describe as 'round' houses. I don't think I've seen this design before. Was it just a quirky architect, or is there a story behind the design?

It looks an amazing place, but I'm not sure it is somewhere I'd be comfortable in .

[buksida]

Yep, there are filters on some of them, I've seen better sunrises but the view was still pretty impressive.

We didn't take tents with us but it wouldn't have bothered me sleeping in one! I think the tent sites were 800 baht each and I didn't dare look at the shared toilets.

That's the summit viewpoint, selfie central, which also has a temperature gauge, I think it read 18 at that time of morning.

No story as far as I know, maybe just an effort to do something different to the standard bungalow. Pretty much every hut up there started at 1,500 for two people - the ones at the front were full.

[buksida]

Phu Kradueng
I had read up on this place as it is one of the most popular national parks for Thais and somewhat of a pilgrimage to make the climb. Relatively unknown to foreigners, Phu Kradeung is a 1,300 meter high mount with a mesa spanning 60 square kilometers. There are no roads to the top and the plateau is a protected wildlife sanctuary and national park.

After a little wrangling and buksi charm, the park officials accepted my Thai ID card and the ‘farang barriers’ came down, I was an honorary Thai then and got in for 40 instead of 400 baht. More paperwork and officialdom needed to be done before we could start the ascent - national parks are now a very military affair. We also need to pay for insurance in case we needed rescuing, though I’m not sure what the ten baht policy (40 for farangs) actually covered.

The climb had only been opened for a couple of days since it cannot be done during the wet season. It was 5.5km to the summit followed by a 3.5km trek across the flat top to the camp site - you cannot start after 2pm as most mortals won't make it by nightfall.

I was mentally prepared for it but not physically, it was the most grueling hike I have ever done in Thailand. Every kilometer or so up the trail were rest stations which had snacks and soft drinks. Alcohol is banned in national parks and you wouldn’t want to be drinking on this trek.

Not wanting to eat too much we used grilled eggs (kai bing) and fruit as sustenance. The going was tough but there was a good sense of camaraderie among fellow climbers and everyone was very friendly. There were no farangs at all doing this and many of the Thais we met had travelled from all corners of the kingdom to make the ascent.

Because there are no roads to the summit, everything had to be physically carried to the top and the squadrons of porters (including women) humping water, gas cylinders, luggage and food up and down all day made us feel even more unfit.

More to follow, not at the top yet ...

[Ginjaninja]

Bet the boys were glad to see the top of that one....

My Dad used to always tell me there was a McDonalds round the next corner.
There never was

[barrys]

Great pics - brings back memories - I did the hike in 2002 and it is very gruelling - I even saw Thai people there paying 2 porters to carry them to the top in a hammock slung on a pole.....

[hhfarang]

Thanks Buksi, always wanted to do that but feared I couldn't make it so never tried. Maybe if I'd known about the hammock bearers mentioned in Barry's post... ...but then no beer would have probably still prevented me from going.

[buksida]

The going got tough for the last 500 meters or so which was almost a sheer climb and the cramps had started to set in, but after 4.5 hours we finally reached the top following a 07.30 start. It was not over yet as the campsite was a further 3.5km into the heart of the plateau but fortunately this part was flat. Five and a half hours and 9km later we had arrived and proceeded to collapse onto the freshly mown grass.

Our accommodation was basic to say the least and in no way reflective of the monumental effort it took to book it and get to it. A wooden bungalow that slept 8 people on the floor with a primitive bathroom and no electricity until 6pm cost 1,680 baht per night, but it was better than the alternative – a tent.

We grabbed a bite to eat and crashed out for a couple of hours to recover and allow the pain to recede. It was a little later that we had realized our mistake in only booking one night up here, the place is huge and we had to climb back down tomorrow.

We wanted to check out a waterfall just a kilometer or so down the trail but were told by park officials that it was closed at 4pm as that is when the wild animals come out. Rented some bicycles and gingerly pedaled to a sunset lookout about 2km away. All the ‘roads’ atop this mesa are either sand or mud making the going tough. It was a very strange landscape that reminded me more of Australia than Thailand. With no traffic or dwellings the place was extremely peaceful and serene, devoid of soi dogs, teens on screaming bikes, pumping bass speakers, or screeching locals – unlike Thailand at all really!

That evening we dined at a small restaurant back at camp among the other hikers as exhaustion from the day’s physical exertions became overwhelming and sleep beckoned. Everything up here is priced at a premium, it is effectively an island in the sky and everything has to be physically carried up here hence a bottle of water was 50 baht. Considering the monumental efforts involved we didn't begrudge it.

More to follow ...

[buksida]

The next morning it was time to grab the bicycles again - which were also a premium at 300 baht each - and go to the waterfall. This was a little underwhelming as there hadn’t been much rain hence not much coming over the falls. The cycling was tough over sand and through mud, even with the ‘fat bikes’ and we had originally planned to head to the lookout at Lomsak Cliff around 9km from the camp.

We soon gave up on this plan as we had to return the bikes to the mountain top where the climb ended to begin the descent before midday. At least two nights are required to fully appreciate this place. After around 8km cycling and a few viewpoint stops we’d arrived back at the start of the descent as the heavens opened.

More to follow ...

[PeteC]

I noticed the "Beware of elephants" sign. Is it possible for them to come and go from that plateau, or is it a herd that has been isolated up there for generations?

The trails going up in your photos look impossible to me for an elephant to get up there. Perhaps a different type incline on one of the other sides?

[buksida]

I wondered the same thing, I guess they've established territory up there now since there is minimal human interaction. The way up we took was the only 'official' route to the summit, the rest is dense jungle. One of the main concerns the park officials had was any of the visitors running into any of the wildlife which clearly wasn't afraid of humans!

[Nereus]

I noticed the "Beware of elephants" sign. Is it possible for them to come and go from that plateau, or is it a herd that has been isolated up there for generations?

Maybe the sign should read "Watch out for falling Elephants"!

[Big Boy]

I notice the sign below the elephant states no cycles. Can I presume, as usual, that sign doesn't apply to regular or honorary Thais?

[caller]

Fantastic pics Buksi!