The Lao U Road - Sensational, Excitement Plus.

[DavidFL]

One of the joys of Chiang Khong is riding the Lao Border & roads R1155 & R1093, with the magnificent roads of
Pha Tang
Phu Chi Fah
Singapore Road
Huai Laeng
The Big Dipper

and then there's the little known Lao U Road....but where is Lao U....

80 kms down R1155 from Chiang Khong is the small village of Pang Kha.

Riding R1155

R1155 is as good as anything in the North.

Pang Kha is just a small village, basically at the end of the mountains on R1155 to the North,

There's a small road off to the east here, that runs up to R1093 & the old Hmong village of Lao U, now called Rom Pho Thai.
The road junction at Pang Kha looks like this

The Lao U road has featured on GTR before
A short GT Loop

Doi Pha Tang - a meander. Chiang Mai - Chiang Kham - Chiang Khong return.

It is only a short road, but what a road

You'd never know that looking at the start in Pang Kha

How it looks on google earth

I first went down this road when it was dirt a few decades ago, & will try to dig out some photos.
In 2008 it was in good condition at the top Lao U end.

It is a magnificent road for photos if you want to take your time!

In 2014 the road had suffered significant flood damage & was a mess

Doi Pha Tang - a meander. Chiang Mai - Chiang Kham - Chiang Khong return.

But in 2019 it is all good again.... go for a ride up the hill soon..

The road is a total beauty & in perfect race track condition

The road junction on R1093 at Lao U.

From Lao U you have two options, continue north along R1093 to Phu Chiu Fah & Pha Tang.
From both of these places you can drop back down to R1155 again.
The Phu Chi Fah descent is 12.9 kms
The Pha Tang Descent is 13.5 kms
So you can see the Lao U descent is the more rapid one!

Use this for an exciting day trip from Chiang Khong.
Check out
My Chiang Khong & 2 Brothers On Tour.
for some more options from Chiang Khong.

 

[ianyonok]

It's been a few years, must get up that one again, looks great in your photos, David.

 

[ZCM]

The 1093 is my preferred road, rather than the 1155.
I guess that's the good thing about my 250cc in that I tend to search for the twistier routes than the fastest ones, because its no fun chugging along straighter stretches on a smaller cc bike. Ive been lucky in that it often turns up some amazing quiet routes with often fabulous views.
Thank you for the update..and for the 2014 images. Shocker!

 

[DavidFL]

Bump for Dave DKT

 

[Lakota]

I ride this road regularly, every couple of weeks. Over the new Bridge on the Ing river (road not officially open but no problem on a bike) which takes you directly to the Junction with the road to Paya Pitak and the big dipper. Up to Puchifaa for Lunch and then a descent on the Lao U road and back again.

 

[DavidFL]

I ride this road regularly, every couple of weeks. Over the new Bridge on the Ing river (road not officially open but no problem on a bike) which takes you directly to the Junction with the road to Paya Pitak and the big dipper. Up to Puchifaa for Lunch and then a descent on the Lao U road and back again.

Curious, you always go up Phu Chi Fah & down Lao U, because of the lunch at PCF.
But lunch excluded, which way is a better ride?
For me it is up Lao U & down Phu Chi Fah, simply because I found Lao totally awesome to ride up from Pang Kha.

 

[Lakota]

Curious, you always go up Phu Chi Fah & down Lao U, because of the lunch at PCF.
But lunch excluded, which way is a better ride?
For me it is up Lao U & down Phu Chi Fah, simply because I found Lao totally awesome to ride up from Pang Kha.

I've just realised I've never done it anti-clockwise ! ........ I'll do it today !

 

[ianyonok]

Good stuff, I need to ride that road again.
I was riding up 1155 2 days ago and noticed a lot of dirt roads too, off to the east towards the PCF ridge.

 

[Lakota]

I've just realised I've never done it anti-clockwise ! ........ I'll do it today !

It's got a totally different feel going anti-clockwise. An absolutely magnificent ride non-the-less. The actual Lao U road I think I prefer in descent. It's a bit more challenging on ascent. Descent you can select a low gear and come down with bags of engine breaking and just take in the Scenery. Up on the 1093 the air was clearer as the smog seems to linger more in the valleys and still a bit cooler .

 

[DavidFL]

It's got a totally different feel going anti-clockwise. An absolutely magnificent ride non-the-less. The actual Lao U road I think I prefer in descent. It's a bit more challenging on ascent. Descent you can select a low gear and come down with bags of engine breaking and just take in the Scenery. Up on the 1093 the air was clearer as the smog seems to linger more in the valleys and still a bit cooler .

I love the Lao U road powering on up.
Maybe c u for lunch at PCF later this week.