NOV 2016
Click the images! Nearly all of them have a blow up
Surprise, respect and a look full of yearning …
In Phu Kradueng National Park, province of Loei, away from the main roads, you will find a large sandstone cliff with a height of more than 1.000 m above the surrounding area.
At the top there is a plateau, sloping slightly to the north, with an area of 60 km2. All around this plateau the rocks descend nearly vertically. In the north are waterfalls, which erode the sandstone.
In short: this is a mesa.
The ascent is not dangerous, but arduous. Depending on their stamina visitors spend three to six hours on the 5.5 km upwards to the plateau. From that point they have to walk further 3.5 km to the camp.
Consequently he or she who reaches the edge of the cliff (1.288 m) will be honoured as
"Phu Kradueng Conqueror"
Phu = Mountain
Kradueng = cow bell
You would rather expect to find such a landscape near the mediterranean shores than in Thailand. Once you were here you will never forget the paths along the edge of the cliff, the vast savanna with pines, sunrise, sunset, the waterfalls …
Meanwhile the small sleeping-shacks are substituted by larger tents. - One bungalow has two accomodation units. Behind each window there is a double bed. You can hardly go around it. On the backside there is a small washing room. - No de luxe, but pure nature and adventure,
In the rainy season Phu Kradueng is closed. At some days in the dry season or cold season
the mountain is crowded, mainly by Thais. Foreigners are more seldom, perhaps some
Japanese tourists. You will get a strong impression of the masses of people, climbing up
the mountain and adoring the sunset by this
→ videoclip in you tube (05:10).
I knew already these mountains from 1990 and 1992. Now I would try it again, rented a car and drove to the National Park. As I did not want to sleep in a small shack and because I feared a crowd of people, I went to the visitor center the day before the ascent to book a bungalow.
"What about the weather?" - "No problem!"
Early next morning, it was a Saturday, a thunderstorm was raging. But it stopped soon.
I gave my small rucksack (8 kg) to a porter. I violated the rule to keep compass and first aid with me, because there was no danger: I knew the route and there would be lots of people, who could help me when I should be in need. - But it developed entirely different.
So I carried only my water bottle, an umbrella, my trekking pole, my cameras and five bananas.
my baggage
Up and away, a very steep trail! There were only a few hikers, the porters and some monks. Not more? At a weekend in February? Strange!
The trails are mostly in a good condition. Endless stairs! The handrails are rather to protect the surrounding nature than to help the hikers. - Although there seems to be some comfort, IT IS YOURS to walk upwards step by step.
The cicadas brayed, birds sang, there was a column of ants … and than I saw this animal.
Certainly, that's a chameleon.
[Meanwhile I am bewilderd by the 160 different species of chameleons and
claim only that this animal belongs to the family of iguana-type reptiles]
Suddenly I was absolutely alone and stomped through clouds.
I passed rest houses, deserted! And now I understood:
all those whom I had expected
to accompany me, stayed at home, because they had seen the wheather forecast.
There was a board:
"BE CAREFUL ELEPHANTS", but no advice how to behave, if you meet them.
Insubstantial, spooky mood! A feeling, I never had experienced before.
Fascinating!! Wonderful! —
Fear? No! Exciting!
Rain began, water poured from heaven, flash and thunder, a heavy thunderstorm. At last I arrived at the plateau, but I could scarcely see the surroundings, I stood amidst the clouds. — From the 90ies I remembered that the camp was situated nearby. Heavy mistake: the new camp is another 3.5 km away (why should I read the flyer as I knew all about Phu Kradueng …, but I did not know the new campsite).
Deathly tired and sodden I plodded the way to the camp.
Suddenly there happened a wonder. A car -here? impossible!- passed. I was invited to step in the cargo area. Some minutes only, then I arrived at the camp.
⇐ short but very interesting
As yet they did not miss me. "Oh, yes, here lies a rucksack! Welcome!" I got my room and then went under the pouring rain to the restaurant. There were only a few guests.
On the way back I saw a foreigner under a shelter. She stared into infinity. Clouds, rain, thunder … I spoke to her in German. Whoever else will hike to this place in such a wheather?
She was on the way from New Zealand back to Germany, ok with a diversion to Phu Kradueng. Although she used to walk very much faster than I did, we agreed to walk together back to the lowlands the next day. That was a very good idea, because we had another adventure, which each of us could not dare to experience on one's own.
The public way to the cliff edge, where the descent begins, was not so interesting, only tree savanna. So I went to the office and asked, whether there is a path along the cliff edge. "No, there is no path at all. But you can walk there."
And we did it!
From the campsite we trolled to the East till we reached the edge of the plateau. Normally here are crowds of hikers awaiting the sunrise. But today we were alone and still deep inside the clouds. Fortunately it did not rain.
We left way and path and stomped into the wilderness, southward along the cliff edge. The first sign we found "That's our area!", that is to say "area of the elephants". The shit seemed to be quite fresh.
Then came an invasion of leeches. Suddenly they sucked at our calves. They were faster than we could spot them. But Christiane, doctoral candidate of medicine, did not hesitate. She used her spray against mosquitos, so we got rid of them, really!
Her eyes are so sharp, that she even discovered a leech lurking for new victims, I would never had seen it. It was a bit difficult for me to cower and take a short video. But they who have not yet seen a leech lurking are invited to look at the blurred videoclip.
blurred and unsharp ⇒
If you have not seen a lurking leech as yet, please look at …
The images are self-explaining. Do not forget to click, even on the large image.
⇐ porters,
men & women!
