Phnom Aural Summit hiking

Aural is the highest peak in Cambodia (1813m), sitting in the Eastern section of the Cardamom Mountains. The Cardamom Mountain Range, in Western Cambodia, has great off-the-beaten-track hiking on offer.

Climbing Experience

The terrain of Mount Aural can be split into 2 district sections; the dusty road and bamboo forests. The road takes an average of 2 hours to complete. It is a relatively pleasant walk which is not seen as a challenge to most climbers. The longest section, the bamboo forest is steep and requires good physical fitness to complete, especially if the weather is humid. It usually takes climbers 5 hours to walk through the dense forest before reaching the top of Aural.
The ascent starts with an uphill road which is used for the transportation of logs. The road is pretty dusty in the dry season and the elevation throughout this section is around 200 meters which is usually not too challenging for climbers. Watch out for trucks winding down the road at high speeds. The road becomes sludgy and sometimes slippery after rainfall. It takes an average of 2 hours for climbers to reach camp 1 from the beginning of the dusty road.
At the top of the logging road, climbers will reach camp 1 which is where the forest starts. Many animals have been spotted in the forest including monkeys, boars, bears, birds and several species of big cats including leopards and the Asian golden cat. Climbers are advised to carry insect repellent as mosquitoes in the forest can become a problem. The walk through the steep bamboo forest takes an average of 5 hours.

Plan of trip:

Day 1.
Start 7.00am
Destination: Phnom Aural mountain area. Srae Kan Village. (2,5 hours)
We will make one stop for coffee and bathroom on the way.
1. Riding Cambodian moto-tractor 7 km (1,5 h)
2. Hiking 5,5 km to the first campsite.
3. Nature barbeque dinner with wine serving, enjoy the fair and starry sky.
Day 2
Start 7.00am.
We will cook breakfast and start hiking to the high campsite 7,5km.
12.00 am. Reach the first top peak of Aural. Take photos of the viewpoint at 1400 m
12.00- 17.00 The jungle trail is 3,5 km up via the high campsite Phnom Aural summit. located 3.5 km from the top of the mountain
The evergreen Aural forest is home to the Cambodian Laughing thrush (one of the two endemic bird species in Cambodia) and many other rare birds, who live at this high elevation.
The Mount Aural trek takes climbers through forests with opportunities to catch a glimpse of the wildlife in the area, including leopards, bears, boars and monkeys
We will stay at night at High campsite (1600m)

Day 3
Start 7.00am
Climb up to the summit of Phnom Aoral (1813m). The trail 3.5 km is mostly ascending.
10.00 Beginning descent via High Camp. The descent is much quicker than the ascent and usually takes around 4 hours, depending on how frequently climbers take breaks.
Walking around 3,5 km to the rainforest to see place of crushed airplane. Its location in the southern plains is a bit off the beaten track and offers a great opportunity to see some really interesting species of birds and animals that are not seen in other parts of Cambodia. Totally, descent distance is 17km to Srae Kan village.