First let me start with the purpose of the trekking, most recently I feel that I started to loss my creativity, courage and positive energy. I know that I have to do something to get it back. The only way is to travel and do outdoor activities and trekking is one of my favorites. Fortunately on May 1st to 3rd are the public holiday in Cambodia and my father has plan to go to Tbeng Meang Chey mountain for Buddhist day called Vesak Bochea with his engineer student, yet for me it’s a good occasion for trekking.
The first time I’ve been there was in 2003, I was young, curious and energetic. It will remind me back my youth and hopefully I get back my creativity and positive mindset.
Tbeng Mean Chey mountain is located in Preah Vihear province, 282 km away from Phnom Penh with 5 hours drive via national road 62. It’s 600m in height and not the highest mountain in Cambodia. With this height, it might not sound that high and challenge for experience trekker. However, the statement I want to make here is that the trekking I made is the hurdle I tried to overcome. It is about self-challenging and most importantly it will get me out of my comfort zone.
Before I’m talking about the journey, let me tell you about myself. I’m 168cm tall and 70kg, according to BMI, I’m at 24.8 which almost at the overweight zone. I’m not doing any exercise over the last 3 to 4 year, and my belly is noticeable now. Physically, I’m not quite fit for this trekking, yet ultimately it is the mindset that push me to the limit and reach my goal. Beside mindset, my mom is the pulling factor who drive me moving forward. I will talk about this in later stage.
As planned, we supposed to departure from Phnom Penh around 5am and you know I’m so proactive when come to traveling. I woke up at 4am to cross check all the stuff in my checklist and be ready for the trip. Yet plan not went well, one of the drivers were late. We gathered at Norton University as the majority of the people are from this university, they are my father’s student in engineering class. In total we have up to 50 people with two minibus. We departure at 6:30 am and had breakfast along the way before we reach Kampong Cham. By 11:30 we had lunch at the section where you go to the left for Siem Reap via national road 6 and to right for Preah Vihear via national road 62.
Before we reach Tbeng Mean Chey, we also visited the Preah Khan Kompong Svay temple or Ban Kan Temple, where I learned more about this historical site and it story. It’s around 44km from nation road 62, you can search this location; 13.4079884,104.7484803 on google map.
You can also read more about this temple via this link and the detail with this link.
Day 1: Thing get worst than expected
Let move on our journey to Tbeng Mean Chey, on the way back to national road 62, we had pack our meal and ready for the trekking. We reach the foot of the mountain at 4:30pm with excitement. Everyone prepare my stuff to bring to the mountain, like me I have Quick access back (small black), Camera back (gray and orange), Water bottle (green) and heavy backpack (near my foot). The total weight were not less than 15Kgs, which at the end it makes my trekking even tougher. I like to mention here is that there some trekking gadgets I used such as; GoPro Silver 4 with head strap to capture great moment with hand-free, MotionX-GPS app on my iPhone to record trekking track so that I can find way back if I get lost and view the track on the map.
The journey start around 4:50 with climbing, hiking and trekking of 2km from altitude of 200m to 500m.
The first 20 minutes of climbing the 1000 stairs were the exciting moment and it reminds me the legacy I made here in last 12 years ago yet there were no stairs at that time. But after that it become a nightmare for me. I started to have a hard breath, dehydrate and almost fainting. I walked a few stairs, I stop and drink some water and enjoy the view, I keep repeating this technique until everyone by passed me.
By 6:00pm I walked alone in the forest, no one behind me, I started to feel desperate and want to give up. I was stop and put all my stuffs down and take deep breath, I start to think how can I move on with such heavy backpack then I throw away 3 bottle of water in my back pack which around 1.5kg.
“The body was already given up but yet my mind still push me to move on“
It’s getting darker, I started to walk again and after a few minutes, I see a lady’s standing on the trail waiting for somebody. When I got closer and closer, I start to realize that she’s my mom, waiting for me.
That moment, I started to feel excited, my energy get boost up and walking faster toward her. And I tell myself that “Mom will never left you behind”
Around 6:30pm, the sun nearly set and it getting dark. I walked with her and finally I meet the other team including my father who were waiting for us.
Around 7:00, we reached Wat Dombok Kmao (វត្តដំបូកខ្មៅ), a Buddhist temple where only a fewn monks and nuns stay there, I would considered a “Base camp 1″. All people include my parents were prepared their tent in the canteen area, only 4 of us (Me, my 2 colleagues and Pisal) who stay outside in the small cottage. We started to unpack and take shower before having our dinner pack. It’s a tough day for us yet we smile and sharing the talk about our trekking. My father sharing some religious story with his students until 10pm and we all fall asleep.
Day 2: Brighter Day
We get up at 6:30am and have instant
noodle for breakfast. Thanks to the nun who get up since early morning
and boiled water for monk and our team. Before we left Dombok Kmao
pagoda, we have share our contribution as money in return as we use most
of the water in the reservoir which suppose to serve for pagoda
multipurpose.
We left Dombok Kmao around 7:00am toward Three
Stones (ថ្មបីដុំ) where local people believe that this place is most
spiritual place. I have to walk around 5km on the mountain.
It’s not
that tough as yesterday. I’m going to have fun and take lots of photo
and video. Again three of us are last team who left Dombok Kmao but I’m
not worry as I know the trail to our goal. I speed up and lead the way, I
should show you more photo and video here.
After 15min walk, I had catch up with the team who left before. This time I can take group photo and video.
While I enjoyed walking and taking photo, I started to realize that I lost my team. Opp where are they? I got to walk slower and wait for them.
Everyone gone far away and my team still don’t come.
Waiting waiting, still not see they are coming. So I think they’ve been passed me already. I decide to moving forward at least I can catch up with the other team.
Lesson learn, “Always walk as a team in the forest”, I mean when you have a team.Moving forward
After I speed up around 20mins walk around 8:13, I catch up with the team again and we arrive at the three stones around 8:25. I would call it as “Base Camp 2″
After we keep our heavy stuff at the old house, we continue our trekking another 1.3km to old airfield which they believe that it has been build during Lol Nol era. You will not see the airfield as expected as it covered by grass. Here are some photos.
We walk back another 1.3km to our base camp 2 and took shower before we have lunch together around 11:00am. We share our food and eat together. It reminds me one Khmer wisdom “At home we have separate mom, in the forest we have the same mom” - in local “នៅផ្ទះម្តាយទីទៃ នៅព្រៃម្តាយតែមួយ“
After lunch we take a rest, some in their tent and I used my hammock under the three. It’s a bit hot yet windy, I relax until 2:30pm then I started to remember that the first I’ve been here I enjoyed the cliff. I got up and try to find the place, after I found it I also invite my team to enjoy there too. Here are the photos and video at the cliff.
The most enjoy moment of the trip.
You can view more video at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcAGxg3M1REgdBUdafyoS1PnTTpcDHNxK
Day 3: One shot !
Wake up at 6:30 and had instant noodle again. Then we go to visit the “Three Stone” before we left. I call this day as One shot, because I have in mind that I will trekking non-stop until I reach the foot of the mountain and I did in 1 hour 22 minutes. You can see the walking speed in some point is up to 9 km per hour.
Here is the photo from the foot of the mountain. We left Phnom Tbeng around 10 am back to Phnom Penh.
Hope you enjoy reading my post. I will post more on the trip to Aural Mountain, the highest peak in Cambodian.
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