GUNUNG · Thailand

Phu Kradueng

ภูกระดึง

Lanskap dataran tinggi Phu Kradueng, Provinsi Loei, Thailand (foto Wikimedia Commons). Photo: source

Information

Elevation: 1.316 m
Country: Thailand (TH)
Location / Range: Taman Nasional Phu Kradueng, Distrik Phu Kradueng, Provinsi Loei, timur laut (Isan) Thailand
Mountain type: Gunung meja (table mountain) batu pasir — dataran tinggi luas berpuncak datar, bukan gunung berapi
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 16.8897, 101.7453
Difficulty: Mudah–menengah: pendakian tebing curam ±5,2 km (banyak tangga & pegangan) lalu jalan datar di dataran tinggi menuju perkemahan; sepertiga terakhir tanjakan terjal
Best Season: 1 Oktober – 31 Mei (musim kemarau). Taman TUTUP 1 Juni – 30 September untuk pemulihan hutan.
Permits & Rules: Tiket masuk Taman Nasional Phu Kradueng: dewasa asing 400 baht (anak 200), dewasa Thai 40 baht (anak 20); kendaraan 30 baht. Jalur dibuka 06:00 dan berhenti menerima pendaki baru pukul 13:00 karena risiko gajah liar.
Hazards: Gajah liar di sekitar area perkemahan (jaga jarak ≥100 m; jadi alasan batas masuk pukul 13:00); sepertiga terakhir tanjakan terjal & sedikit teknis; panas terik di dataran tinggi terbuka.

Description

Phu Kradueng (about 1,316 m at its Khok Moei high point) is a flat-topped sandstone table mountain in Loei Province, north-eastern Thailand, forming the heart of Phu Kradueng National Park — one of Thailand's oldest and most iconic parks. Unlike a volcano, it is a broad plateau (~60 km²) reached by a roughly 5.2 km escarpment climb from the park headquarters: a steep trail with many wood/bamboo stairways, railings and rocky steps, rising from about 285 m to the plateau rim near 1,275 m. Beyond the cliff the route becomes a ~3.5 km flat walk across pine forest and grassland on the plateau to the Wang Kwang/Nong Bua campground. Its main draws are the plateau-edge cliffs: Pha Nok Aen for sunrise and Pha Lom Sak for sunset, plus waterfalls and cool air. The park opens only in the dry season (October–May) and closes June–September for ecosystem recovery. This mix of a challenging escarpment and comfortable summit camping makes Phu Kradueng one of the most popular and legendary hikes for Thai trekkers.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Rute Utama (Sri Than) — Markas Taman → Tebing Escarpment → Perkemahan Wang Kwang/Nong Bua

Mudah–menengah: bagian bawah & tengah bertangga dengan pegangan; sepertiga terakhir menuju tepi tebing terjal & sedikit teknis

±4,5 jam (beban berat) hingga ±6 jam (daypack) satu arah; umumnya menginap 1–3 malam di plateau

The standard Phu Kradueng route starts at the park headquarters around 285 m and climbs ~5.2 km up the escarpment to the plateau rim at ~1,275 m — a trail fitted with many wood/bamboo stairways, railings and rocky steps, the final third being the hardest. After reaching the rim, the route becomes a ~3.5 km flat walk across pine forest and grassland on the plateau to the Wang Kwang/Nong Bua campground, for a total of ~8.7 km from HQ to camp with about 965 m of gain. The plateau's high point, Khok Moei, is at 1,316 m. From camp, trekkers walk to the plateau-edge cliffs: Pha Nok Aen for sunrise (ranger-escorted in the dark) and Pha Lom Sak for sunset, plus Pha Mak Dook. The trail opens at 06:00 and stops admitting new hikers at 13:00 due to wild elephant risk; the park is open October–May only.

Route Segments

1

Markas Taman (±285 m) → Tepi Tebing/Sam Han (±1.275 m)

⏱ ±3–4 jam 1.275 mdpl

±5,2 km menanjak tajam; tangga kayu/bambu & pegangan; sepertiga terakhir terjal
2

Tepi Tebing → Perkemahan Wang Kwang/Nong Bua

⏱ ±1–1,5 jam 1.250 mdpl

±3,5 km berjalan datar melintasi hutan pinus & padang di atas plateau
3

Perkemahan → Tebing Pha Lom Sak / Pha Nok Aen (Khok Moei 1.316 m)

⏱ Bervariasi (tebing 1–6 km dari perkemahan) 1.316 mdpl

Pha Nok Aen matahari terbit (dikawal ranger); Pha Lom Sak matahari terbenam

Source

Climbing Experiences

Phu Kradueng is famous for its steep 5.2 km escarpment climb up to a flat-topped plateau, followed by an easy walk to the campground and the sunrise/sunset cliffs. The clips below are real trekker experiences — English and Thai vlogs — showing the stairway escarpment trail, the campground atmosphere, and the Pha Nok Aen and Pha Lom Sak cliffs.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.