The trip was scheduled for 26-28th Jan 2012. The day before the trip, i happened to get to Velavan Motors to get my bike tuned. I happened to meet Prasad and Balaji apart from certain other members of the Back Up Crew. I headed back home, the adventure that awaited just wouldn't let me sleep. I was wide awake by 4.30, its hard to believe that i saw the rising sun after a very long time. I reached Velavan Motors by 5.45 am and to my utter disbelief everybody had come in on time and i was the last Biker to arrive. With the Luggages quickly loaded onto tthe car. Hari the Lead Biker began the tips, rules to be followed while driving.
The Bikers Gathered were
Hari ( Lead Biker ), MP Prasad, Sharon Padmanabhan ( Myself ), Lalith, Jaiswal, Suresh, Manikandan, Aravindan, Christudoss, Balaji, Saras, Anand, Rajesh, Saravanan, Harish, Prabhu, Jagannathan.
By around 6 am we mounted on our BEASTS and began to Roar our way to Bandipur.
We first halted for Petrol at Poonamalee. Then as soon as we hit the Highway Hari hit the throttle and we were sailing past other vehicles with the onlookers on the road baffled and amazed to see like 18 bikes roar past them. The thrill was just so amazing, can't remember the last time life felt so fulfilling.
Hari was to lead the pack, but we behind him took turns for 2nd and 3rd place. The pack ws divided into 2
In the lead pack, it was Hari, Me, Prasad, Lalith, Jaiswal, Mani and Christudoss. The rest were following behind.
All of us were cruixing at 90's and 100's, the only difference being the overtaking maneuovers. We at the lead just hit cruize control and whizzed past the other vehicles with utmost ease. Then Hari decided it's time for a Re-group and we stopped at some distance after kanchipuram. We had all just got off our bikes and were waiting to signal to our 2nd pack, in the mean time one of our bikers Suresh was like drafting behind a CAR and before we could signal to him he had already sped past us. We just had to let him go, as he hadn't noticed us. Then the rest of us regrouped and then we began to Roar again.
The thrill and the joy and the respect the road, the other drivers were all giving was just too awesome. It just felt so amazing.
Only when we reached the Arya Bhavan, CCD wala Petrol Bunk, we saw Suresh Waiting for us, nearly after 45 kms from where he crossd us. As and when we reached him, he was like I dint C u guys behind me, I was driving to catch u guys at the front, but when i din't see u i thought I must atleast wait for the Sweeper to catch up with me and then to proceed further.
Then we moved further to a place called Pallikonda where we all had Break Fast, most of us Gobbling Dosa, Idly, Poori and Coffee. Once done, we decided to stop next at Krishnagiri, to our utter suprise after finishing Break Fast at pallikonda by 10.15 am, we reached Krishna Giri by 11.45. and then while we were sipping coffe and waiting for the 2nd pack to arrive, discussions on lunch began to happen, but as everyone's stomach was full they kind of wanted to keep on the road and cover up as much distance as possible in the day.
From Krishnagiri we drove on and halted at Hosur - This halt was majorly to get our stock of Liquor for the evening parties.
Once the Stuff got loaded in the vehicle, we took a deviation from the regular highway wanting to explore a more crazier route.
We took the Hosur - Thally - Kanakpura Route. On this route fortunately, Prasad’s bike ran into a Screw that gave us another break and photo session near a lake. Here the tyre tube that we accidentally purchased in Krishnagiri was used effectively to keep the pack pouncing forward.
The road was splendidly awesome with loads of twists and turns and some breath taking views. It was unfortunate, we missed to take pics on this route Thally – Kanakapura. It was a Different terrain altogether, ghats, hilly plain terrain passing few villages. Enjoyed it thoroughly, will surely hit it back again just for the missed photographs.
Once we hit the Kanakpura main Road, we halted as we saw a few roadstide stalls for a quick Munch.
Grabbing cheap fried rice, Ash fried Omlettes, Sandwiches, Bhel Puri's and Paani Puri's.
There on we wanted to go through Nanjangud - Mysore and then Bandipur via T Narsipura.
Just as we crossed Nanjangud, it was beginning to get dark. So we again took a smal regrouping stop, tok rest for abut 15 mins before we began to proceed further.
There was a huge discussion in this break on whether to take the simpler route or the challenging T Narsipura road, spend most of this break on decidind whether to ‘GO’ or ‘NOT GO’. Finally Hari decided to take the T Narsipura route and his decision was ruled out by the impeccably bad roads. With a fair amount of distance left to cover as well as the parameter to reach Bandipur before 9.00 PM as that is the stipulated time for vehicles to enter the Forest Reserve.
Then before we knew it, we were in the middle of Mysore, so we kind of had to wait at that signal so that we could guide all the other Bikers. Once everybody had regrouped we hit the throttle again. As soon as we began, we had to take a right turn once done the road seemed Smooth and Wide, I hit the throttle over taking Prasad and Christudoss only to hit a Huge Hump on the Road. It just seemed like I had hit Flying Gear, As i regained my senses and realizing that I was still on my bike was when everyone in and around me had a huge grin on their face as everyone had hit the Hump real hard and went flying in different directions, our sweeper Rajesh hit the hump so that that he was virtually sitting on the petrol tank.
With darkness hampering our visibility and head lights of opposite vehicles turning us occasionally blind on curvy roads the road began to get difficult and the air also began to get completely chilly. The lights from the on coming vehicles was a real pain, the road ahead was barely visible and so our speeds reduced considerably and we were more concerned about safety. As we reached Gundlupet, Karnata Bank, Opp to a Petrol bunk it was 9.00 PM. The courteous Ashwini Residency resort manager sent us jeep to Gundlupet to take us through the alternative way to reach bandipur as we couldn’t ride through the usual way.The escort Jeep was there in NO time. From there on we began the ride into the Forest, little did we know that after the Highway, The narrow road, the villages now we would get to Off road on our bike at about 9.30 pm. The ride into the forest ws almost 25 kms. That felt so cruel after 575 kms and 14 hrs on the road, that it kinda took us almost 2 hrs to get to the resort from that point.
Once we reached the resort, there was this huge sense of achievement and the spirit which was waiting in the car that beckoned in everyone's minds.
There were small small cottages, it ws 3 Bikers in one Cottage. There was time for us to freshen up and then regroup for Bon Fire and Dinner. Tiring was thejourney but still everybody was ther for the bon fire and dinner. The plan for the next day was yet to be decided. We just left it at that and went to sleep. I got up by 8.30 and asked for Coffee, and as i walked outside, to my horror i saw my fellow bikers playing Cricket already. No points for guessing what I did - Just ran in to join them.
Then we all regrouped for Break fast and decided that we must like just drive in to the jungle and see it for ourselves. It was Me, Hari, Anand, Saras, who all ventured in to the wild. We went to the pond close by to see loads of Elephant foot marks and a few deer marks and Loads n Loads of Shit on the banks of the pond. Then Hari we bagan to trek into the Jungle and walked a few kms (to be exact its less than a KM J)looking into the trees hoping to find a few cats in there in a hot afternoon just to check the intensity of our luck, but as usual we returned with the luck of being unlucky.
By afternoon after lunch we decided we will go to a few places close by and as we roared again, this time I mounted on Prasad's bike leavin my bike for it to take rest.
We went to Mudumalai and then drove to Gundlupet to fill Gas and also to get money from ATM's. On our way back from Mudumalai it was decided that we will hit the road towards Masinagudi, just to have Tea.
The roads again were so much fun, with loads of sleeping bends and curves. We spotted many many Langur's and Peacock's. On our way back we did see 2 antelope's/ deer's. The camera's had a ball, lots to capture and the views were simply amazing.
We got back to the resort and then took rest before we began partying again. Thsi time the Resort owner surprised us by revealing to us the Dance Floor that they had come up with in the middle of nowhere. Then all of danced and partied.
The journey back began with the customary photography sessions and other routines.
The Bikes Roared waving Good bye to the Resort and taking the Chamarajnagar Route.
Rest to be continued.
