Back in Dec I tried a few local routes near and along the Kok river and found it possible in the dry season on a 150cc Yamaha Exciter to get from Tha Ton to Chiang Rai via a track along the river that passed through some quite big Lahu villages. In that report I was suggesting that there may be a road leading up to the 1089 highway which I would look for another time. Being financial restricted to day trips and nearby locations its a simple case of 150b for a full tank and away at any time its not raining. Today fit the bill.
This was the route that took me from Muang Ngam, sign posted off the 1089, mostly along the edge of the river but diverting north along a joining stream to access a bridge, then back south to Mae Yao. As can be seen from the terrain map above there is a decent sized area of agriculture north of that bridge where I returned today to see if there was another way in.
It turns out my thinking that a large dirt road going off in that direction must mean vehicles are going up it was not necessarily correct. It now looks more likely that the villages up there are actually coming down to Pah Kwang, a big village on the Kok bank, and from there heading off to Ruam Mit and Chiang Rai to get to markets, banks and govt offices.
Its back to awful weather in my district today so the photos look all washed out but its also fair to say that at this time of year, after very little winter rain, there is hardly a green to be seen anywhere. The first picture I took is looking down where the bridge comes across the stream with Lahu villages on both sides. The one high on the right obscured by smog the one on the left out of view around the corner.
The track was hard dirt and stones, not difficult of dangerous, in fact easier than some on the way along the Kok , just a little rutted and pot holed. As usual a Lahu mum with two kids aboard a Wave passed me and left me choking on her dust. Its a decent sized valley, some very steep slopes and some big areas of rice paddy and fruit trees, just not easy to catch in the haze. The track followed the edge of the valley, taking the long way round and passed a few buildings and a small village before coming to a very big Lahu village, Ah Hee, where I caught the locals drinking beer and generally looking like they were avoiding doing too much. A bit wary I kept my camera in the pocket. These people told me it was 8 kms up to the highway which may be right but it felt a lot further doing it.
As you can see, quite a big place for a village with no proper road. In good weather with a crop growing and blue skies it should look glorious.
After leaving Ah Hee the track progressed up steeper slopes, sometimes on the edge of the slope and at one time right across a narrow ridge. This was all newly cut with machines still on site and signs that work has been going on for quite a while. Mr Mark Lakota, now tells me there was a narrow track through here that he found a few years back and research shows the number 4044 so you have to assume its a widening and improvement scheme for local villagers. At the moment its got a few inches of fine red dust in places and at times its awfully steep. I cant imagine anyone wanting to drive it in the set season but who knows, these hilltribes are brave fellows.
The geography is dramatic, the route cut quite a feat and if it was ever properly drained and then hard sealed it would be a treat to ride. Not likely in my short future. The exit onto the 1089 is very close to the police/army road barrier at the junction with the 1130 Mae Salong road.
Dirt bike riders who like a challenge would be the best bet for a visit in the wet season when its all green and beautiful, start at the top, go down to the Kok river and choose a right or a left out to the world of concrete, shops and buckets of ice coffee.
This was the route that took me from Muang Ngam, sign posted off the 1089, mostly along the edge of the river but diverting north along a joining stream to access a bridge, then back south to Mae Yao. As can be seen from the terrain map above there is a decent sized area of agriculture north of that bridge where I returned today to see if there was another way in.
It turns out my thinking that a large dirt road going off in that direction must mean vehicles are going up it was not necessarily correct. It now looks more likely that the villages up there are actually coming down to Pah Kwang, a big village on the Kok bank, and from there heading off to Ruam Mit and Chiang Rai to get to markets, banks and govt offices.
Its back to awful weather in my district today so the photos look all washed out but its also fair to say that at this time of year, after very little winter rain, there is hardly a green to be seen anywhere. The first picture I took is looking down where the bridge comes across the stream with Lahu villages on both sides. The one high on the right obscured by smog the one on the left out of view around the corner.
The track was hard dirt and stones, not difficult of dangerous, in fact easier than some on the way along the Kok , just a little rutted and pot holed. As usual a Lahu mum with two kids aboard a Wave passed me and left me choking on her dust. Its a decent sized valley, some very steep slopes and some big areas of rice paddy and fruit trees, just not easy to catch in the haze. The track followed the edge of the valley, taking the long way round and passed a few buildings and a small village before coming to a very big Lahu village, Ah Hee, where I caught the locals drinking beer and generally looking like they were avoiding doing too much. A bit wary I kept my camera in the pocket. These people told me it was 8 kms up to the highway which may be right but it felt a lot further doing it.
As you can see, quite a big place for a village with no proper road. In good weather with a crop growing and blue skies it should look glorious.
After leaving Ah Hee the track progressed up steeper slopes, sometimes on the edge of the slope and at one time right across a narrow ridge. This was all newly cut with machines still on site and signs that work has been going on for quite a while. Mr Mark Lakota, now tells me there was a narrow track through here that he found a few years back and research shows the number 4044 so you have to assume its a widening and improvement scheme for local villagers. At the moment its got a few inches of fine red dust in places and at times its awfully steep. I cant imagine anyone wanting to drive it in the set season but who knows, these hilltribes are brave fellows.
The geography is dramatic, the route cut quite a feat and if it was ever properly drained and then hard sealed it would be a treat to ride. Not likely in my short future. The exit onto the 1089 is very close to the police/army road barrier at the junction with the 1130 Mae Salong road.
Dirt bike riders who like a challenge would be the best bet for a visit in the wet season when its all green and beautiful, start at the top, go down to the Kok river and choose a right or a left out to the world of concrete, shops and buckets of ice coffee.
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