Mount Khao Mokochu (Mount Mokoju)

1,964 m (6,443 ft)

It takes about 5 days to make a round trip up the mountain and back down. The total distance for the round trip is 60km (37.2 mi).

This trek is better suited for advanced hikers. There are no well-defined trails to the summit, and the terrain can be challenging with many streams to cross, and lots of baggage weighing you down given the many rest stops required.

The mountain is found within Mae Wong National Park, which is known to be hilly and covered in dense forest.

The summit of Khao Mokoju is located 38km (23.6 mi) away from the headquarters in the park.

Day 1: Day one starts at the campsite in the park. Starting around 9:30 AM, you will hike for 15km (9.3 mi)  through the forest, past streams, and up and down hills. You will spend the night beside the Mae Krasa stream, camping.

Day 2: If you leave by 08:30, you will hike for about two hours before you reach the Mae Riwa stream at about 10:30. Here you could eat lunch, and you could either set up camp (if you start later in the morning) or hike a few more hours before setting up camp for the night. There is a waterfall two hours off the trail (5-6km/ 3-4 mi round trip) here and can be visited on this day, using the Mae Riwa stream as a base camp.

Day 3: Day 3 is an 8-hour trek all the way to the summit if you camped at Mae Riwa the day before. If you hiked a couple of hours more on day 2 then day 3 will be shorter. The trail leads you through/over several hills, mostly covered in forest. The very last hill has a stream where you can fill up your water bottle.

The final camp is set up 20 minutes below the summit, and you can ascend to the summit if there is still light and return back to camp for the night. This section up the slope of the mountain to the summit is steep. Once at the top, you will see magnificent views of the forests below.

Day 4: On day 4 you can begin the descent if you managed to reach the summit on day three. If not, you can start the day by ascending to the summit, and then begin the descent. Going back the way you came, you will get a chance to stop at Mae Ki stream to eat lunch and continue trekking back to the Mae Krasa stream where you will set up camp for the night.

Day 5: If you leave at 9:00 on the last day you will be able to make it back to the park headquarters by 15:00.

The general weather throughout the year is consistently muggy and warm.

The average monthly temperatures throughout the year range between 75˚F (23.8˚C) and 87˚F (30.5 ˚C).

The hottest months are from March to May, with average daily highs of above 94˚F (34.4 ˚C). The coldest months are from November to February, with an average daily high of 86˚F (30 ˚C). This is the best time of year to see mist on the hills below, from the summit. At night, the temperature drops as low as 46˚F (8˚C) up the mountain, so pack appropriately.

The rainy season is from the end of May to October. In these months it is often overcast, and the rainfall ranges between 16 and 22 days per month on average. The dry season is from November to May. In these months it is humid and cloudy and the rainfall ranges between 0 and 7 days per month on average.

You will need to bring along your camping gear, as well as hiking boots and hiking poles for this trek. Make sure to bring a torch, and rain gear.

All food and some water must be taken with you on the hike. There are streams along the way where water bottles can be filled.

There are no special facilities or man-made camping grounds along the 5-day trek, however, there are basic accommodations and camping grounds in Mae Wong National Park that can be used on day zero before the trek begins.

A guide is required to do this hike. Mae Wong National Park will provide a park ranger/ guide for a fee.

Locals can be hired as porters to help carry camping equipment and other baggage.

If you want to make your arrangements beforehand, tour guide operators can be found online.

Bookings to do this trek must be made at least a month in advance with tour guides or the park.

Mae Wong National Park is situated in Nakhon Sawan and Kamphaeng Phet provinces, about 2 hours’ drive from Nakhon Sawan City, the capital of the province, and just over 5 hours from Bangkok.

The most convenient option from Bangkok would be to catch a bus (or hire a car) to the Khlong Lan town centre, which is 16.5km (10.2 mi) from the Northern headquarters of Mae Wong National Park.

There is no public transport available from Khlong Lan town into the park or within the park, so if you’re going from Bangkok by bus you will have to hire a car or a scooter to get there and stay over at one of the campsites or accommodation options offered in the park, before starting your trek.

There have been no reports of specific safety concerns, however given the remote location and the long trek, a park ranger is compulsory and it is not possible to do this trek alone. Insect repellent to fend off the bugs and a first aid kit are essential in case of minor injury.