Phu Kradung

I enjoy hiking, but living in Singapore leaves me few options. During my last weekend in Thailand I decided to climb a mountain I have long wanted to summit: Phu Kradung Mountain. It's not a particularly tall mountain, and Thais have long considered it a domestic tourist destination. As far as I know, though, fewer foreigners add it to their itineraries, with good reason. It's not particularly outstanding when compared to hikes in other countries; you wouldn't travel all the way to Thailand to hike something like Phu Kradung.

"Once in your life climb Phu Kradung"

That said, it's still pretty. Its summit is also considered the coldest place in the country. That's a pretty big draw for me. I miss feeling cold.

The first portion of the hike is a 5.5 kilometer (3.4 mile) climb up the face of the mountain. This portion of the hike was fairly strenuous, although not outside the capabilities of the moderately fit, especially since there are multiple stops along the way. Each stop has readily available snacks, food, and drink for sale.

Besides, if you don't want to carry your own pack, they have strapping fellows (and some women) who will carry it to the top of the mountain for you for a small fee. I carried my own pack, although everyone else I met on the trail had availed themselves of the porters. In my mind, though, it's not real hiking if you pay someone to carry all your stuff.

Along the way, you travel through elephant territory. I didn't ever see an elephant, but I did see a lot of elephant poop. Pretty sure that means they were around.

The view from the top

Without elephants to stare at, I was forced to content myself with the scenery. It wasn't the worst.

Congratulations to me!

It took my party about 4 hours to reach the summit. Our meandering pace was set by a few of our party who were a little less athletic. Proof that anyone can make it to the top given enough time. Once to the summit, the remaining 3.1 kilometers (1.9 miles) to camp were flat and leisurely. The mountain top is a plateau and has sandy spots as well as boggy marsh areas.

After arriving at camp, I decided to rush to the closest cliff and watch the sunset. No one else in the party joined me, so the 2.2 kilometer (1.4 mile) walk was rather quiet. Perfect chance for a selfie.

The extra effort was worth it.  The sunset from the cliff was beautiful.

Once I made it back to camp, we had dinner at one of the many food stalls set up around the campsite. I was a little surprised that there is almost a village at the top of the mountain which serves the needs of the campers.

They also keep a herd of local deer well-fed and a bit too domesticated. This fellow walked from stall to stall begging for treats.

The next morning we were up before dawn to watch the sunrise at the Eastern cliffs. Clouds fill the valley overnight, and they last until the sun rises and burns off the fog. It was a wonderful sight.

While it wasn't particularly cold, I was reminded as to why I don't love staying in tents. Also... leeches. The campsite is home to hoards of leeches that find their way onto your ankles if you're not careful. I had to pry a few off my legs.

The second day we walked around the top of the mountain, stopping at a number of waterfalls on our way to the far Western cliff. It was the end of the rainy season, so the waterfalls were probably not as impressive as some other times of the year. Even so, I enjoyed the sights.

We eventually ended up at Lom Sak Cliff, the spot most Thais aim to visit when they come to Phu Kradung. I was the only foreigner I saw during the visit, and when I sat down for this picture, I heard multiple cameras go off. I'm guessing I can be found in multiple memory cards throughout the Thai countryside. It was a fun picture.

Here's the sunset unmarred by myself.

The next morning we made our way back down the mountain. We then rode a pickup to the main road where we waited for a bus under the iconic mountain that has become the symbol for Loei province.

Unfortunately along the way my sandals broke. The sole cracked while crossing some rocks, and they became almost unusable.

They endured until I made it down the mountain, but alas, they've made their last trek. I bid them a fond adieu. They were my friends through many adventures.

The weekend was over, as was my time in Thailand. Back to Singapore.

Here are the distances I hiked over the three-day trip:
Day 1 - 13,552 meters (8.42 miles)
Day 2 - 26,731 meters (16.6 miles)
Day 3 - 9,050 meters (5.62 miles)