I'm posting this because there are some new trekking opportunities up there and I've just returned from my best trip ever (6th year in a row):
If anyone is up for a 12-day trek to the Yak Yeuk Grasslands (not to be confused with the popular 7-day Veal Thom Grasslands trek) to help check out camera traps in April, there is quite an adventure in store for you. My organization, Habitat ID, recently launched two camera-trapping expeditions in Virachey this year, with the first group deploying cameras in Yak Yeuk. They found an elephant wallow high in the mountains near Laos, saw a pack of 10 dhole, saw a very rare pangolin (most are caught and sold to Vietnam and China), heard gibbons every morning, saw flocks of hornbills, climbed sacred mountains and swam in secret waterfalls that few outsiders have ever seen. A ranger and a small group of Kavet porters will check the cams before Khmer new year and if anyone wants to join (you'd need to be pretty fit, but not super fit), contact me at: greg.mccann1@gmail.com
As for the second group of cameras that we put out, you can check out the Facebook photo album here (public link), and I've also written up a short report on that expedition here. The trek was beyond belief. We collected Yai Yai (or Tek Tek) -"tropical yeti" dung, have what might be a tiger photo, had barking deer shouting near our camps, spirit-laden dreams, falling trees crashing in the night, plenty of snakes, and, best of all, we made it to the top of the Haling-Halang border mountain, with one foot in Cambodia and the other in Laos, something that has been my dream for years now. The forest surrounding Haling-Halang is primeval, something straight out of Lord of the Rings. It's amazing to know that there are still places like that left in Cambodia, places that are just too far and to expensive (for now) to get to. Virachey is still worth fighting for, despite whatever is happening near the Vietnamese border or in the Siem Pang area. The Park also needs ecotourists to prove that it can generate income, so even if you cannot do that mega trek to Yak Yeuk, the Veal Thom Grasslands are simply sublime (and more beautiful, in my opinion)
The Phnom Penh Post covered our project back in December and we hope to have more press in the coming months. Anything to help get boots on the ground to deter poachers and loggers. And right now the park guides are sort of sitting around waiting for trekkers. So, if you're looking for adventure, Virachey still offers it!
I should also add that if anyone wants to trek outside of the national park, Tampuan minority guide Do Yok is your best choice. He is a very sweet guy, his English is superb, and he can speak all of the tribal languages in addition to Khmer and Laos. His web site is Minority Trek Adventure.
