3 Pagoda's (Sangkhlaburi), 7 days off-road to Chiang Mai

KTMphil

KTMphil

Senior member
Joined
Jan 11, 2011
Location
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Bikes
2007 KTM 990 Adventure Suzuki DRZ 400
12 Bikes, 12 riders, 1,200km off-road north to Chiang Mai, this could be asking for more drama than we wished for.


0630am start from Chiang Mai, managed to pull into Sangkhlaburi just as the sun was setting



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Always a beautiful sunset there


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All ready, a big group, we have to be careful we dont lose anyone for sure



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A quick rest before the jungle and getting some luck from the Monk



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In we go an conditions are great



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Trying to avoid the bamboo walking bridges, many get destroyed by the enduro bikes



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Then up to the checkpoint



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More deep river crossings with some "minor" drama


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This KLX had a quick bath



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This chap got through ok



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The full throttle option


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Then another deep crossing, everyone lining up in anticipation


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Most got through without any problems


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Huge, round pebbles were a nightmare


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....... more to come
 
Up to Umphang, there's some great trails around there.... A little slip in the sand here and front wheel needed to be re-aligned



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Then off into the real fun stuff


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It got really loose and steep, these two nearly hit each other after the first KLX went down



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Big smiles, everyone having fun



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Time to find the noodle soup (every village has it)



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Delicious, it somehow seems to replace all the lost vitamins and minerals from the liters of sweat



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Steve keeping a big smile after a few crashes



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Mick, who races motocross having a ball



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,,,,,more to come
 
Hmong lady in the village doing some needlework


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The straw is used to make traditional dresses


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Back out on the trails and some gear lever adjustments


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Mick crashed and tore all the faster fitting off his boot. It'll be duct tape every day from now



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More jungle juice from the pump up



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43 Bht a liter!



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The KLX's are a little dusty



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Mark filling up




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Trace cooling Chris down



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Steve from Liverpool, tickled by her Everton soccer shirt



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Chris



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Last edited:
Next days ride and the first river crossing


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We had fuel all lined up, perfect location. We get there and the owner has gone to the city and locked everything up\




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A bit of scouting around and we find one in a village


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Unusual bridges headed north


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Then a Kodak Moment at a viewpoint, nice group shot



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Pretty dusty when you have the white powder this time of year



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Fun creek crossing with exit options


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Cooling off



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Steve nearly ended up in this ravine


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Team work


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Another crash and some jungle tools to bend out the gear shifter


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Presume she's going to eat it?


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North of Mae Tuen, a great temple at a look out



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Another great day
 
It was a big big day off-road to Omkoi. All the mapping we'd done in the area had really paid off and we did some really special, unique trails


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Seeing as this place is in the middle of no-where, they lay on some great food



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Yesterday's ride north to Omkoi is one of the best of the tour, today's across to Mae Sariang is a photo finish


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A chat with a local hunter in the jungle




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Bike's are all doing well, no overheating and no flats so far (in the jungle that is!)


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Westwards and upwards, great views of the trails ahead



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Then the nasty hill I'd warned them about. Seemed to have got them rattled "how far is the hill"? , "are we near the steep hill yet"?, was coming from all of them. We got there and everyone took a run up.



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It's very loose and much steeper than it looks, one of those hills where if you're in the wrong gear you'll drag backwards




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Clive had a spill a little further down the road, lower leg was really hurting but was still able ride out of the jungle


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Got him to the hospital to get him checked out


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The boys waiting around for the X-ray results


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Didnt look good though



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Confirmed broken and off to Chiang Mai Ram hospital it was



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0800am start and a slip in the powder topping



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Sometimes hard to get going again on the hills


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A few more "adjustments"


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Karen tribe jungle juice


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Hinges on the fuel shutter!


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Just eaten and were friendly


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The animal sanctuary is well worth a visit. It's funded by donations and not highly publicized, they are not looking to create a commercial zoo


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This critter had been saved only 2 days before we got there, totally wild and very frightened. If only he knew he was now safe


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The gibbons had all been saved. Most common story was the mother had been shot to eat and the baby taken as a pet


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They love having their lower back scratched


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Mimi had a sad story. She was being kept as a pet, escaped and got electrocuted on some power wires and lost and arm and a leg


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Mimi seemed pretty happy in her surroundings


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The obvious question we asked was why can't they be released into the forests? The reasons they can't is that the national parks are already over flowing with monkeys and in other areas they would be hunted



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They adored the lady who had raised them from babies




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They pass away and are remembered with dignity



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There is a rescued bear there too, this is the largest bear native to SE Asia


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A great Hmong village lunch spot miles from anywhere


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A few hours of daylight left so time for a look around the Khun Yuam Japanese Memorial War Museum


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It was a base for the Japanese to attack the British in Burma. When that didnt go well and they retreated, it was a Japanese hospital camp


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Nung said he could get some squirrels for dinner with these


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A few of todays war wounds


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Last day, everyone now pretty relaxed & enjoying the great riding. It'll be the old elephant trail back to Chiang Mai, about 7 hours of riding time



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Its a perfect last days ride, not super hard, but great elevation and scenery


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A school near Wat Chan excited to see us


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Collecting firewood


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The last noodle soup lunch of the trip, interesting that no one was bored of it


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& the last pump up


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A slip in the dust and changing gear became a trifle hard


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& we made it!! ... everyone in Chiang Mai


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Dakar/ desert racer Lyndon Piskott joined us for dinner in Chiang Mai with his modified KTM 690



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100,000 km same piston.. He said religiously keeping the air filter clean was the key


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So a new off-road route, all the way back to Chiang Mai, the guys said it was better than their Cambodia ride & one f the best rides they'd ever been on.
 
That looked like a great ride Phil, was it done through your new tour company with you as the guide?
 
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