The Mae Taeng, Chang Mai, Thailand
DzaivSo, as we continued North from Malaysia we ended up spending some time Chang Mai, the major city of North Thailand. It turned out there was a river which was rafted so I rocked up and found a company that also did kayaking. Hurrah.
I paid my 2000 baht, woke up at 8am with a minging Beer Chang hangover and had to sleep the two hours out to the river. We stopped on the way to inspect one of the rapids which apparently had a shady stopper in the middle of it. It didn't look too bad to me but my guide wanted me to see the line.
After a bit of flapping about at the get-in I found myself with a rubbish BA and a rubbish helmet but a decent paddle and a decent boat. Quite what boat it was I can't remeber already but it was quite reasonble.
The initial few K were basically flat water with a couple of small rapids to float through. The river was coming to the end of the season so everything was pretty low. By the time we arrived at the first grade four rapid it was obvious that the low water meant there were rocks just about everywhere. The line down the rapid was pretty interesting. Over a small chute, round a big rock right in the middle of the flow, over another small chute and then a diagonal manuauver between some rocks and into (and through) a stopper. The rapid was probably worth the grade four my guide described it as.
It's been quite some time since I'd done any technical grade four so I was fairly pleased that I still had the skills. So, naturally, I then proceeded to make a right mess of the second major rapid. It was taken it two stages with a micro-eddy to be made half-way down. For reasons unknown the eddy-line caught the boat and before I knew it I was upside down. A swift roll sorted that out but it wasn't ideal. Following that I then managed to miss the line I wanted on the second part of the rapid. I got pushed into a rock and couldn't get round it so decided to just bosh straight down the middle. Despite very nearly getting myself vertically pinned on the final drop my tatic of PLF seemed to pay off.
We carried on down through another three named rapids, all of them probably worth a grade four at this level. Because of the low water we were making super tight moves through teeny chutes where the rocks wanted to have you're paddles off you, it was all good clean fun. Being upside down or taking a swim down any of the rapids really doens't bear thinking about. It certainly wouldn't be pretty.
In the rainy season the river apparently runs to a five plus and my guide said he wouldn't touch it at that level. Although to be fair, he was very American and thought everything was 'sick'. Obviously it was a warm water experience once again, it really is great to not wear any kit, just a deck, BA and helmet, it funny how much more movement you feel you've got. So, in the event you're ever in Thailand then the Mae Taeng is definatly worth doing, just catch it at the right time of year and whatever you do, don't be upside down going through the rapids.
Onto to Mynamar/Burma next. The Himalaya's extend into the Northern part of the country, so who knows what next?
I paid my 2000 baht, woke up at 8am with a minging Beer Chang hangover and had to sleep the two hours out to the river. We stopped on the way to inspect one of the rapids which apparently had a shady stopper in the middle of it. It didn't look too bad to me but my guide wanted me to see the line.
After a bit of flapping about at the get-in I found myself with a rubbish BA and a rubbish helmet but a decent paddle and a decent boat. Quite what boat it was I can't remeber already but it was quite reasonble.
The initial few K were basically flat water with a couple of small rapids to float through. The river was coming to the end of the season so everything was pretty low. By the time we arrived at the first grade four rapid it was obvious that the low water meant there were rocks just about everywhere. The line down the rapid was pretty interesting. Over a small chute, round a big rock right in the middle of the flow, over another small chute and then a diagonal manuauver between some rocks and into (and through) a stopper. The rapid was probably worth the grade four my guide described it as.
It's been quite some time since I'd done any technical grade four so I was fairly pleased that I still had the skills. So, naturally, I then proceeded to make a right mess of the second major rapid. It was taken it two stages with a micro-eddy to be made half-way down. For reasons unknown the eddy-line caught the boat and before I knew it I was upside down. A swift roll sorted that out but it wasn't ideal. Following that I then managed to miss the line I wanted on the second part of the rapid. I got pushed into a rock and couldn't get round it so decided to just bosh straight down the middle. Despite very nearly getting myself vertically pinned on the final drop my tatic of PLF seemed to pay off.
We carried on down through another three named rapids, all of them probably worth a grade four at this level. Because of the low water we were making super tight moves through teeny chutes where the rocks wanted to have you're paddles off you, it was all good clean fun. Being upside down or taking a swim down any of the rapids really doens't bear thinking about. It certainly wouldn't be pretty.
In the rainy season the river apparently runs to a five plus and my guide said he wouldn't touch it at that level. Although to be fair, he was very American and thought everything was 'sick'. Obviously it was a warm water experience once again, it really is great to not wear any kit, just a deck, BA and helmet, it funny how much more movement you feel you've got. So, in the event you're ever in Thailand then the Mae Taeng is definatly worth doing, just catch it at the right time of year and whatever you do, don't be upside down going through the rapids.
Onto to Mynamar/Burma next. The Himalaya's extend into the Northern part of the country, so who knows what next?
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