Fang-New Tracks And Villages Behind The Chai Prakarn Reservoir

[Captain_Slash]

The Route 107

Total Distance 120 km

The usual cold cloudy start and its a cold ride along the 107, I take a left onto an unnumbered road and this turns to dirt at N19.76483 E099.16032 until N19.74267 E099.17521

Now to explore the track around the Chai Prakarn Reservoir

Dirt starts again at N19.70383 E099.21293

I reach a village at N19.68746 E099.21983

A couple of single tracks lead out of the village

The second one was heading south west and might meet up with another one showing but thats for another day

I ride on and theres a fork in the track that doesnt show on my map so I take the unshowing one which finishes at a small village at N19.67680 E099.23280

Now back on my scheduled track and its an unused track going by the lack of tyre tracks, its steep and rutted in places which has the fan on the KLX working a lot today

Finally I meet these workers right on the peak planting some small trees

It looks like they live and work here

Heading downhill now and it may be a rough track made even worse by the recent storms but the scenery is fantastic

Not the best surface in the world

That looks new but its on another track

I get to the outskirts of the big village I was in a few days ago and take a track heading north west to see how far it goes.
Its showing on the ESRI as the main track around these parts but as it would be well under water at the other end it certainly doesnt join up with anything now.
The ESRI is out of date as the Chai Prakarn Reservoir doesnt show on it which has submerged this track

The track turns to single well before reaching the edge of the reservoir

Here the track just disappears so its turnaround time

I reach the paved surface at N19.69023 E099.25687 then at N19.68800 E099.25800 I take a dirt track which I am told goes over to Mae Suai

I wonder if anyone does ride their bike across that

A track to my right takes me to this water tank

Now to go back and take the other fork to Mae Suai

It turns into a steep rutted loose surface where I dare not stop until I reach the top, now looking back down

A village through the trees but unfortunately I dont reach it.
I have no track on my GPS screen now only two waypoints for villages and I have no way of knowing which one this track leads to

He confirms this goes to Mae Suai

This is out a bit further and to start with I thought the track was a dead end but theres nobody here to ask

I ride through a real muddy slippery bit then this track is heading towards a village that I know

Just when I was getting excited about making the loop it suddenly turns to this

With this fallen tree thats it there is no option but to turn back, rather annoying as I am only 2.6 km from my village

I didnt expect this muddy bit to be the hardest part of the day but it was, the KLX couldnt go uphill through it and kept sliding over to the left
I got off on the right and tried walking alongside but still stuck firm, I was thinking I will have to leave it stuck until the workers come home to help me out.
Pushing from the left and really revving it I finally got the KLX free after about ten minutes of sweating, swearing and cursing

I ride back and was relieved to be back on a decent track again rejoining the paved surface at N19.68800 E099.25800

A shot of the Chai Prakarn Reservoir in sunshine for a change

On the ride back one more short dirt section from N19.74267 E099.17521 to N19.75167 E099.16967
Todays ride was another fun packed one exploring more new stuff

Food from the market for 40 Baht

Get the gdb file from my website Ride reports - Thailand, Malaysia and UK

 

[Ally]

Blimey another Hung Lae today Colin?

So what exactly did you say when you were swearing & cursing?

Great report, thanks.

Ally

 

[bsacbob]

Great pictures Colin and nice looking tracks apart from the sticky bit !

 

[Just Bob]

Nice!

 

[2wheels]

Well Colin, as I said to you recently during a coffee break .....

You are to be admired and congratulated.
You work your butt off 'back home' to save to come here and ride all the remote tracks, day after day, sharing what you see and discover
along the way.

I know you have your critics, but you are actually doing what they will/can never do!
And if they did they surely would be boasting about it (as we've occasionally seen here).

Out there in remote areas, on bush tracks, alone.
Basic requirements, on a budget.

If I wore a hat I'd raise it to you Colin.
So I'll do this ...

 

[bsacbob]

I guess it's easy for all of us to criticise a guy, but i imagine lot's of folks would need to get out of the armchair to do so.

Keep up the good work Colin, the information you supply is priceless.

 

[Lone Rider]

Yeah, without Colin riding everyday, the North Thailand Road and Offroad map would have quite a few white areas. A very big THANK YOU to him making sure that these white areas are filling up for the benefit for all of us. Just managed 10 minutes ago to get his last track in the raw map (un-compiled file - basically a text file) so all his tracks up and including yesterdays track are now in the GPS map. Some final checking and then I will send it off for compiling. Hope to have the map back soon (hopefully today) so that I can put it on my GPS and computer and provide a free copy to those who provide tracks and waypoint to make the map better.

 

[Ally]

Yeah, without Colin riding everyday, the North Thailand Road and Offroad map would have quite a few white areas. A very big THANK YOU to him making sure that these white areas are filling up for the benefit for all of us. Just managed 10 minutes ago to get his last track in the raw map (un-compiled file - basically a text file) so all his tracks up and including yesterdays track are now in the GPS map. Some final checking and then I will send it off for compiling. Hope to have the map back soon (hopefully today) so that I can put it on my GPS and computer and provide a free copy to those who provide tracks and waypoint to make the map better.

Hi there Auke

That is a very generous offer, I am sure many will want to take you up on it.

I do !

Ally

 

[Captain_Slash]

Well thank you all very much for your kind words, its nice to know the reports are appreciated and that the data collected is being utilised for everybodys benefit

 

[Captain_Slash]

GPX track

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