COMPLETED -The Umpung Tung Yai Naresuan jungle track

[KTMphil]

Karen villagers

 

[KTMphil]

A beautiful bridge towards the north of the trail






& a beautiful trail after






Back onto the partial tarmac towards Umpang, looks like this guy had a nasty surprise








The beautiful R 1090 south of Mae Sot near the Myanmar border









Karen refugee camp on R 1090

 

[KTMphil]

A beautiful bridge towards the north of the trail






& a beautiful trail after






Back onto the partial tarmac towards Umpang, looks like this guy had a nasty surprise








The beautiful R 1090 south of Mae Sot near the Myanmar border









Karen refugee camp on R 1090

 

[KTMphil]

This is the tracks of the jungle trail from Sangkhlaburi to Umphang






We mapped all the fuel stops we could find along the way, the longest distance without fuel was about 65km, we'll give all this data to Auke for his map.






You can see below that the trail took us into Myanmar, there are no checkpoints or indications that you have gone across the border, do at your own risk






This is the tarmac route from Umphang to Mae Sot, then to Tak

 

[KTMphil]

This is the tracks of the jungle trail from Sangkhlaburi to Umphang






We mapped all the fuel stops we could find along the way, the longest distance without fuel was about 65km, we'll give all this data to Auke for his map.






You can see below that the trail took us into Myanmar, there are no checkpoints or indications that you have gone across the border, do at your own risk






This is the tarmac route from Umphang to Mae Sot, then to Tak

 

[Pounce]

You just keep giving me more reasons to keep coming back Phil.
Excellent story & pics mate.

 

[Pounce]

You just keep giving me more reasons to keep coming back Phil.
Excellent story & pics mate.

 

[mikehohman]

A wonderful trail, excellently documented. I really enjoyed reading this one, Phil. Now you got me all excited to ride this one again. And looks like you bypassed Thung Yai altogether, avoiding quite a bit of hassle with the authorities. Nice!!

So, ah, 1 Question: How does one fall off a bridge on a motorcycle and walk away unscathed?? Good prep, the right PPE, and a bit of divine intervention i guess... wow.

Cheers, Mike

PS: I chatted with Robert last night, man, was he impressed with your and Jonny's machines...

 

[mikehohman]

A wonderful trail, excellently documented. I really enjoyed reading this one, Phil. Now you got me all excited to ride this one again. And looks like you bypassed Thung Yai altogether, avoiding quite a bit of hassle with the authorities. Nice!!

So, ah, 1 Question: How does one fall off a bridge on a motorcycle and walk away unscathed?? Good prep, the right PPE, and a bit of divine intervention i guess... wow.

Cheers, Mike

PS: I chatted with Robert last night, man, was he impressed with your and Jonny's machines...

 

[MastaMax]

Great report Phil, you convinced me to go there!

Now I wonder how did you get back to your pickup in Sangkhla Buri? That's a long long ride on the road right?

Do you think there might be a trail parallel to the one you took so you could make it a loop?

 

[MastaMax]

Great report Phil, you convinced me to go there!

Now I wonder how did you get back to your pickup in Sangkhla Buri? That's a long long ride on the road right?

Do you think there might be a trail parallel to the one you took so you could make it a loop?

 

[KTMphil]

Great report Phil, you convinced me to go there!

Now I wonder how did you get back to your pickup in Sangkhla Buri? That's a long long ride on the road right?

Do you think there might be a trail parallel to the one you took so you could make it a loop?

Max --My loving Thai wife drove the pick-up back from Sangkhlaburi all the way back up to Mae Sot and waited for us there, the logistics worked perfectly. It would have been better for us for her to meet us in Mae Sot but I didn't want her to have to drive west to Mae Sot on the windy R 105 with it's 2 lane one side & 1 lane the other, it's nasty in a pick-up.


I think there's a lot of exploring to do in that region. Roberts Karen friend Jack knows the area extremely well. When he heads back to his village 1/2 way along the jungle trail in rainy season, it's impassable by motorcycle and takes him 3 days to walk there. We'll explore the idea with him about poking around some more. Robert found out that Jack ran out of fuel returning to Sangkhlaburi and had to leave his bike somewhere and walk the rest of the way back.


Logistics for the future, we're thinking about hiring a truck from Nim See Sing for say 5 bikes and shipping them down to Sangkhlaburi, then flying down, its a very long 920km drive down there from Chiang Mai.

 

[KTMphil]

Great report Phil, you convinced me to go there!

Now I wonder how did you get back to your pickup in Sangkhla Buri? That's a long long ride on the road right?

Do you think there might be a trail parallel to the one you took so you could make it a loop?

Max --My loving Thai wife drove the pick-up back from Sangkhlaburi all the way back up to Mae Sot and waited for us there, the logistics worked perfectly. It would have been better for us for her to meet us in Mae Sot but I didn't want her to have to drive west to Mae Sot on the windy R 105 with it's 2 lane one side & 1 lane the other, it's nasty in a pick-up.


I think there's a lot of exploring to do in that region. Roberts Karen friend Jack knows the area extremely well. When he heads back to his village 1/2 way along the jungle trail in rainy season, it's impassable by motorcycle and takes him 3 days to walk there. We'll explore the idea with him about poking around some more. Robert found out that Jack ran out of fuel returning to Sangkhlaburi and had to leave his bike somewhere and walk the rest of the way back.


Logistics for the future, we're thinking about hiring a truck from Nim See Sing for say 5 bikes and shipping them down to Sangkhlaburi, then flying down, its a very long 920km drive down there from Chiang Mai.

 

[Midnitemapper]

Thanks for the great report and photos, of course it had the desired effect..Jealousy

There fore, I am packing the gear, and repairing the ride, for the Ho Chi Minh trails now!
Was Robert riding the famous Chinese "Zipstar"?

 

[Midnitemapper]

Thanks for the great report and photos, of course it had the desired effect..Jealousy

There fore, I am packing the gear, and repairing the ride, for the Ho Chi Minh trails now!
Was Robert riding the famous Chinese "Zipstar"?

 

[KTMphil]

Yep - Rob was on the 200cc Chinese bike and funnily enough, it was the only bike that didn't need fixing along the way!

 

[KTMphil]

Yep - Rob was on the 200cc Chinese bike and funnily enough, it was the only bike that didn't need fixing along the way!

 

[KTMphil]

A wonderful trail, excellently documented. I really enjoyed reading this one, Phil. Now you got me all excited to ride this one again. And looks like you bypassed Thung Yai altogether, avoiding quite a bit of hassle with the authorities. Nice!!

So, ah, 1 Question: How does one fall off a bridge on a motorcycle and walk away unscathed?? Good prep, the right PPE, and a bit of divine intervention i guess... wow.

Cheers, Mike

PS: I chatted with Robert last night, man, was he impressed with your and Jonny's machines...

Mike - Joe was INCREDIBLY lucky he didn;t hurt himself. He hit the bank of the river and he thinks his neck brace saved him.

 

[KTMphil]

A wonderful trail, excellently documented. I really enjoyed reading this one, Phil. Now you got me all excited to ride this one again. And looks like you bypassed Thung Yai altogether, avoiding quite a bit of hassle with the authorities. Nice!!

So, ah, 1 Question: How does one fall off a bridge on a motorcycle and walk away unscathed?? Good prep, the right PPE, and a bit of divine intervention i guess... wow.

Cheers, Mike

PS: I chatted with Robert last night, man, was he impressed with your and Jonny's machines...

Mike - Joe was INCREDIBLY lucky he didn;t hurt himself. He hit the bank of the river and he thinks his neck brace saved him.

 

[MastaMax]

Logistics for the future, we're thinking about hiring a truck from Nim See Sing for say 5 bikes and shipping them down to Sangkhlaburi, then flying down, its a very long 920km drive down there from Chiang Mai.

When?

Actually that's why I asked about doing a loop, from Chiang Mai to Umphang it's "only" 500km according to google maps, that's saving 400+km.

 

[MastaMax]

Logistics for the future, we're thinking about hiring a truck from Nim See Sing for say 5 bikes and shipping them down to Sangkhlaburi, then flying down, its a very long 920km drive down there from Chiang Mai.

When?

Actually that's why I asked about doing a loop, from Chiang Mai to Umphang it's "only" 500km according to google maps, that's saving 400+km.

 

[KTMphil]

Logistics for the future, we're thinking about hiring a truck from Nim See Sing for say 5 bikes and shipping them down to Sangkhlaburi, then flying down, its a very long 920km drive down there from Chiang Mai.

When?

Actually that's why I asked about doing a loop, from Chiang Mai to Umphang it's "only" 500km according to google maps, that's saving 400+km.

Max its south of Umphang thats interesting, the southern 1/2 of the trail towards Sangkhlaburi especially, thats the problem, north of Unphang is tarmac most of the way.

 

[KTMphil]

Logistics for the future, we're thinking about hiring a truck from Nim See Sing for say 5 bikes and shipping them down to Sangkhlaburi, then flying down, its a very long 920km drive down there from Chiang Mai.

When?

Actually that's why I asked about doing a loop, from Chiang Mai to Umphang it's "only" 500km according to google maps, that's saving 400+km.

Max its south of Umphang thats interesting, the southern 1/2 of the trail towards Sangkhlaburi especially, thats the problem, north of Unphang is tarmac most of the way.

 

[Stokes70]

Fantastic stuff Phil, count me in for the next one once my new bike arrives...
The scenery where you stayed the night looks stunning, and the emerald green river awesome. very envious!!

 

[Stokes70]

Fantastic stuff Phil, count me in for the next one once my new bike arrives...
The scenery where you stayed the night looks stunning, and the emerald green river awesome. very envious!!

 

[KTMphil]

River traffic

 

[KTMphil]

River traffic

 

[Captain_Slash]

Yes a fantastic report there Phil, the scenery is superb

 

[Captain_Slash]

Yes a fantastic report there Phil, the scenery is superb

 

[AlexUSA]

Nice one, Phil. Me and Maxime are talking about heading down here in the near future.

 

[AlexUSA]

Nice one, Phil. Me and Maxime are talking about heading down here in the near future.

 

[KTMphil]

Nice one, Phil. Me and Maxime are talking about heading down here in the near future.

Alex _ Rob & I were talking this morning & it would be interesting to poke around the very southern end of R 1090 as it ends in the middle of no where inside the Huai Kha Kheang Wildlife Reserve.

There must be a bunch of trails coming off it to gardens and villages, so would be a fun exploring area

 

[KTMphil]

Nice one, Phil. Me and Maxime are talking about heading down here in the near future.

Alex _ Rob & I were talking this morning & it would be interesting to poke around the very southern end of R 1090 as it ends in the middle of no where inside the Huai Kha Kheang Wildlife Reserve.

There must be a bunch of trails coming off it to gardens and villages, so would be a fun exploring area

 

[mikehohman]

Check out the latest issue of National Geographic if you have time. There is an article about tigers, and it lists the Western Forest Complex, and Huai Kha Khaeng in particular, as strongholds of tiger habitat. According to the article, there are 60 wild tigers in Hua Kha Khaeng, and a total of 100 in the Western Forest Complex. It says the Thai management of Hua Kha Khaeng is superb.

Together with Thung Yai, these two parks are a UNESCO World Heritage site. You can read more here:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/591

You can also try routing on Google Maps between Umphang and Snagkhlaburi also, it will route you right through... I have been up past the ferry dock north of Si Sawat, but not farther. Would be interesting to explore from both ends...

Cheers, Mike

 

[mikehohman]

Check out the latest issue of National Geographic if you have time. There is an article about tigers, and it lists the Western Forest Complex, and Huai Kha Khaeng in particular, as strongholds of tiger habitat. According to the article, there are 60 wild tigers in Hua Kha Khaeng, and a total of 100 in the Western Forest Complex. It says the Thai management of Hua Kha Khaeng is superb.

Together with Thung Yai, these two parks are a UNESCO World Heritage site. You can read more here:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/591

You can also try routing on Google Maps between Umphang and Snagkhlaburi also, it will route you right through... I have been up past the ferry dock north of Si Sawat, but not farther. Would be interesting to explore from both ends...

Cheers, Mike

 

[bigntall]

Absolutely awesome. I've tried this trip twice and have yet to get it checked off my bucket list. Thanks you bastards for applying the salt liberally to the open wounds. Phil is correct as its a horribly boring drone from Chiang mai to Sanklaburi on an XR250, then not get through the checkpoints and have to drone pavement all the way back to Chiang Mai in reverse. Very smart for a car shuttle and count me in on the next ride. Great routing avoiding the checkpoint gents!!

Also nice to see Jack at the helm of a bike and enjoying the riding again as he's a great guy. Of course Johhny looks the cover of GQ in his nappy stockings, sure he was trolling for the locals in those duds. Rob H's Chinese bucket continues to defy odds and keep on running. Last time I saw that was in the back of a pickup heading back to Pattaya. That thing has more lives than a bloody cat.

Mike - speaking of Tigers I believe Don (midnight mapper) has a picture of some Tiger tracks he came across in that region when he was exploring that area.

 

[bigntall]

Absolutely awesome. I've tried this trip twice and have yet to get it checked off my bucket list. Thanks you bastards for applying the salt liberally to the open wounds. Phil is correct as its a horribly boring drone from Chiang mai to Sanklaburi on an XR250, then not get through the checkpoints and have to drone pavement all the way back to Chiang Mai in reverse. Very smart for a car shuttle and count me in on the next ride. Great routing avoiding the checkpoint gents!!

Also nice to see Jack at the helm of a bike and enjoying the riding again as he's a great guy. Of course Johhny looks the cover of GQ in his nappy stockings, sure he was trolling for the locals in those duds. Rob H's Chinese bucket continues to defy odds and keep on running. Last time I saw that was in the back of a pickup heading back to Pattaya. That thing has more lives than a bloody cat.

Mike - speaking of Tigers I believe Don (midnight mapper) has a picture of some Tiger tracks he came across in that region when he was exploring that area.

 

[KTMphil]

There's been some talk of doing it again once Luke's bike arrives in a few weeks, i'll keep you posted.

Absolutely awesome. I've tried this trip twice and have yet to get it checked off my bucket list. Thanks you bastards for applying the salt liberally to the open wounds. Phil is correct as its a horribly boring drone from Chiang mai to Sanklaburi on an XR250, then not get through the checkpoints and have to drone pavement all the way back to Chiang Mai in reverse. Very smart for a car shuttle and count me in on the next ride. Great routing avoiding the checkpoint gents!!

Also nice to see Jack at the helm of a bike and enjoying the riding again as he's a great guy. Of course Johhny looks the cover of GQ in his nappy stockings, sure he was trolling for the locals in those duds. Rob H's Chinese bucket continues to defy odds and keep on running. Last time I saw that was in the back of a pickup heading back to Pattaya. That thing has more lives than a bloody cat.

Mike - speaking of Tigers I believe Don (midnight mapper) has a picture of some Tiger tracks he came across in that region when he was exploring that area.

 

[KTMphil]

There's been some talk of doing it again once Luke's bike arrives in a few weeks, i'll keep you posted.

Absolutely awesome. I've tried this trip twice and have yet to get it checked off my bucket list. Thanks you bastards for applying the salt liberally to the open wounds. Phil is correct as its a horribly boring drone from Chiang mai to Sanklaburi on an XR250, then not get through the checkpoints and have to drone pavement all the way back to Chiang Mai in reverse. Very smart for a car shuttle and count me in on the next ride. Great routing avoiding the checkpoint gents!!

Also nice to see Jack at the helm of a bike and enjoying the riding again as he's a great guy. Of course Johhny looks the cover of GQ in his nappy stockings, sure he was trolling for the locals in those duds. Rob H's Chinese bucket continues to defy odds and keep on running. Last time I saw that was in the back of a pickup heading back to Pattaya. That thing has more lives than a bloody cat.

Mike - speaking of Tigers I believe Don (midnight mapper) has a picture of some Tiger tracks he came across in that region when he was exploring that area.

 

[johnnysneds]

Count me and my stockings in for another dose of that...awesome