August 18th, 2006 to August 20th, 2006
Almost a month and a half without a long ride. Took the day off on Friday and indeed had to attend a marriage too. After attending the marriage headed off towards the Western Ghats .
Day 1:
Sringeri was the first destination. Started off at 1.30 pm. Rode till Dasarahalli (Tumkur Road Shell Petrol Bunk) filled up my bike’s belly. To reach Nelamagala it took one hour and 10 mins courtesy traffic jams. From there on just rode non stop till Chennaraya patna, took a break for 20 mins and then continued riding till Chikamagalur non stop as I was racing against time to have some rest and also free meals at the Sringeri temle :P. Reached Chikamagalur at 6.15 pm and found a good coffe shop and had good strong coffee. At 6.45pm started riding towards Sringeri. Just about 15 kms on the route, it started pouring. Thanks to PKM (Praveen KM) for suggesting the duckbacks, I was well prepared for this. The roads were getting from bad to worse and then worst. At one of the bridges had to almost ride through a foot deep slush, to make matters worse the were quite a few stones hidden beneath the slush to give me a scare every now and then till i crossed the bridge. I was very much motivated to keep myself on the two wheels rathers than falling into the sluch due to stones. Visibility was getting poorer due to fog. From Jayapura the roads where very good. Reached Sringeri at 8.50 pm.
Checked into an appartment that was being rented that too after talking to the guys over ther ein Telugu. Else it would have been a pretty tough task looking for the lodge in heavy rains. Dumped all the luggage and had dinner. After nice sleep
Day 2:
Got up casually in the morning, after all the daily chores, visited the temple. Started off towards Kalasa-Horanadu via Kudremukh at 10 am. First there is a forest checkpost where you need to register your vehicle and a slip is given to you, which you have to handover at the other checkpost (either route toward bajagole or kalasa there is a check post). Time given to cover 45 kms is 2 hours, which is quite a lot actually. Was riding pretty slow to enjoy the surroundings. Enroute to Kalasa, stopped over at a bridge to click a few snaps of the falls, found a snail as well to add to the charm of the surroundings. Reached Horanadu at 12.30 pm. After visiting the temple had lunch and headed off at 1.30 pm towards Dharmastala via Kottigehara-Charmadi Ghats. I have to admit the roads were not all in good condition by any standards. No choice, rode on towards Ujire.
On the way when we stopped to take photos, twice two leaches had started their routine of sucking blood (luckily realised it pretty soon, anyways I had salt kept ready for the leaches and it did really help). Reached Ujire (8 kms from Dharmastala) at 4 pm and took a lodge, rested for a while, freshened up and left for Kukke Subrahmanya at 5.30 pm. The Road to Kukke Subrahmanya is in the worst possible condition, moreover had to contend with rains as well. As usual after the Darshan, had dinner and left back towards Ujire at 8.15 pm. In between I missed up a road and took the wrong route in the dark. Hardly found anybody to check which way I was heading. Luckily an old man in one most remote petrol bunks that I have ever seen guided me with the route I had to take and I just as well followed to his instructions. Damn the road was very bad. Finally reached the highway and got on to the correct route and reached the lodge at 10.30 pm. Being pretty tired slept like a log which ensured I got up a bit late (by an hour from the scheduled time).
Day 3:
As usual after daily chores got ready and visited the temple and vacated the lodge at 11 am. Now headed off towards Mangalore and reached the Someshwar Beach. It was hot n humid. As usual took snaps and then got a wild idea to get the bike down to the sand. What next got it down easily, but the problem was geting back to road. The sand being very soft, never offered any traction. With the help of a few guys around the place, got the bike back on road. This ensured I used up close to 30 mins to clean up the bike. After all the hungama headed towards Bangalore. Had lunch at one of the restuarants at BC Road (Bantwal Cross Road). The roads leading upto BC Road the roads are very bad again. After lunch rode for about 15 kms and then rain started pouring down very heavily (visibility = 40-50 feet with head lights on), just rode in the rain and near Donigal the rain gods showed mercy to stop the rain . The roads are pathetic upto 10 kms to Hassan . At Hassan changed the stopped over at a remote (almosted haunted puncture shop) to put on a sweater as I was feeling lil cold after all the rain. I had a worst nightmare, after riding for about close to 30 kms, I got to know I had left my wallet there are the place where I had stopped to put the sweater on. Cursing my luck rode back to the place. It was pitch dark and it was raining. At first could not find the wallet. Without giving hope turned the bike's headlights on to find my wallet still lying there beneath a stone slab untouched. Then rode back non stop till Hirisave, had food. It was raining all the way from Hassan. If the first nightmare wasn't enough, just after Kunigal, I hit a road divider at about 80 kmph and luckily did not fall, god's grace I guess. but the rear brake pedal was cut and no way that could hold on, the CAT in the silencer had taken a beating which ensured it sounded a lil wierd and the foot rest was very badly bent. What next, took the broken brake pedal and put it in the bag and rode back for about 63 kms very cautiously in the rain with out rear brakes.
All in all, a good portion of my life reclaimed at the end of the ride.
Route:Bangalore – Nelamangala – Hassan – Chikamagalur – Balehonnur – Sringeri – Kudremukh – Kalasa – Horanadu – Kalasa – Kottigehara – Charmadi – Dharmastala – Kukke Subrahmanya – Dharmastala – Mangalore – Shiradi – Hassan – Nelamangala - BangaloreOdo reading 1197.6 kms
Let the pics do the talking, guess I have done enough on this ride………
Almost a month and a half without a long ride. Took the day off on Friday and indeed had to attend a marriage too. After attending the marriage headed off towards the Western Ghats .
Day 1:
Sringeri was the first destination. Started off at 1.30 pm. Rode till Dasarahalli (Tumkur Road Shell Petrol Bunk) filled up my bike’s belly. To reach Nelamagala it took one hour and 10 mins courtesy traffic jams. From there on just rode non stop till Chennaraya patna, took a break for 20 mins and then continued riding till Chikamagalur non stop as I was racing against time to have some rest and also free meals at the Sringeri temle :P. Reached Chikamagalur at 6.15 pm and found a good coffe shop and had good strong coffee. At 6.45pm started riding towards Sringeri. Just about 15 kms on the route, it started pouring. Thanks to PKM (Praveen KM) for suggesting the duckbacks, I was well prepared for this. The roads were getting from bad to worse and then worst. At one of the bridges had to almost ride through a foot deep slush, to make matters worse the were quite a few stones hidden beneath the slush to give me a scare every now and then till i crossed the bridge. I was very much motivated to keep myself on the two wheels rathers than falling into the sluch due to stones. Visibility was getting poorer due to fog. From Jayapura the roads where very good. Reached Sringeri at 8.50 pm.
Checked into an appartment that was being rented that too after talking to the guys over ther ein Telugu. Else it would have been a pretty tough task looking for the lodge in heavy rains. Dumped all the luggage and had dinner. After nice sleep
Day 2:
Got up casually in the morning, after all the daily chores, visited the temple. Started off towards Kalasa-Horanadu via Kudremukh at 10 am. First there is a forest checkpost where you need to register your vehicle and a slip is given to you, which you have to handover at the other checkpost (either route toward bajagole or kalasa there is a check post). Time given to cover 45 kms is 2 hours, which is quite a lot actually. Was riding pretty slow to enjoy the surroundings. Enroute to Kalasa, stopped over at a bridge to click a few snaps of the falls, found a snail as well to add to the charm of the surroundings. Reached Horanadu at 12.30 pm. After visiting the temple had lunch and headed off at 1.30 pm towards Dharmastala via Kottigehara-Charmadi Ghats. I have to admit the roads were not all in good condition by any standards. No choice, rode on towards Ujire.
On the way when we stopped to take photos, twice two leaches had started their routine of sucking blood (luckily realised it pretty soon, anyways I had salt kept ready for the leaches and it did really help). Reached Ujire (8 kms from Dharmastala) at 4 pm and took a lodge, rested for a while, freshened up and left for Kukke Subrahmanya at 5.30 pm. The Road to Kukke Subrahmanya is in the worst possible condition, moreover had to contend with rains as well. As usual after the Darshan, had dinner and left back towards Ujire at 8.15 pm. In between I missed up a road and took the wrong route in the dark. Hardly found anybody to check which way I was heading. Luckily an old man in one most remote petrol bunks that I have ever seen guided me with the route I had to take and I just as well followed to his instructions. Damn the road was very bad. Finally reached the highway and got on to the correct route and reached the lodge at 10.30 pm. Being pretty tired slept like a log which ensured I got up a bit late (by an hour from the scheduled time).
Day 3:
As usual after daily chores got ready and visited the temple and vacated the lodge at 11 am. Now headed off towards Mangalore and reached the Someshwar Beach. It was hot n humid. As usual took snaps and then got a wild idea to get the bike down to the sand. What next got it down easily, but the problem was geting back to road. The sand being very soft, never offered any traction. With the help of a few guys around the place, got the bike back on road. This ensured I used up close to 30 mins to clean up the bike. After all the hungama headed towards Bangalore. Had lunch at one of the restuarants at BC Road (Bantwal Cross Road). The roads leading upto BC Road the roads are very bad again. After lunch rode for about 15 kms and then rain started pouring down very heavily (visibility = 40-50 feet with head lights on), just rode in the rain and near Donigal the rain gods showed mercy to stop the rain . The roads are pathetic upto 10 kms to Hassan . At Hassan changed the stopped over at a remote (almosted haunted puncture shop) to put on a sweater as I was feeling lil cold after all the rain. I had a worst nightmare, after riding for about close to 30 kms, I got to know I had left my wallet there are the place where I had stopped to put the sweater on. Cursing my luck rode back to the place. It was pitch dark and it was raining. At first could not find the wallet. Without giving hope turned the bike's headlights on to find my wallet still lying there beneath a stone slab untouched. Then rode back non stop till Hirisave, had food. It was raining all the way from Hassan. If the first nightmare wasn't enough, just after Kunigal, I hit a road divider at about 80 kmph and luckily did not fall, god's grace I guess. but the rear brake pedal was cut and no way that could hold on, the CAT in the silencer had taken a beating which ensured it sounded a lil wierd and the foot rest was very badly bent. What next, took the broken brake pedal and put it in the bag and rode back for about 63 kms very cautiously in the rain with out rear brakes.
All in all, a good portion of my life reclaimed at the end of the ride.
Route:Bangalore – Nelamangala – Hassan – Chikamagalur – Balehonnur – Sringeri – Kudremukh – Kalasa – Horanadu – Kalasa – Kottigehara – Charmadi – Dharmastala – Kukke Subrahmanya – Dharmastala – Mangalore – Shiradi – Hassan – Nelamangala - BangaloreOdo reading 1197.6 kms
Let the pics do the talking, guess I have done enough on this ride………
