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Monsoon Ride 2021: Chennai – Valparai – Chennai; 3 Days 1300 Kms Trip
Monsoon brings a change not only in weather but also in memories too. Having a road trip with your friends during the monsoon is always a dream and a memorable experience for every one of us. Here is mine!!
Two machines are TVS Apache RR310 & RE Interceptor
Total Distance Covered: 1300 Kms
RR310 Fuel Consumed: 39.92 Ltrs (Rs 4056)
RR310 Mileage: 32.56 Kmpl
RR310 Cruising Speed at Highways Approx. for 1000 Kms: 90 – 130 Kmph
RR310 Speed at Ghat Roads & Cities Approx. for 300 Kms: less than 70 Kmph
Accurate details not calculated for RE Interceptor, approximately it consumes around 56 Ltrs (i.e. mileage of about 23.22 Kmpl), when maintaining the same speed as RR310. RE performs well in the highways but not that good in ghat roads when compared to RR310 due to heavy weight of the vehicle.
Day-1(10th September): We both met at Vandalur, Chennai where the Weather was normal. Started our journey at 6.30 AM to Valparai via Ullundurpet, Salem, Coimbatore & Pollachi route. Nearby Vandalur itself we both filled the fuel tank, then started our journey by maintaining speed of about 90-110 Kmph and reached Ullundurpet - Salem highways around 9’O clock and had our breakfast there in a roadside food stall. After breakfast, we started again at 9.40 AM riding around 90-100 Kmph speed(slowdown due to wind) and stopped at 11.15 AM before Salem for a break(20 mins). From there we started riding at 100-120 Kmph speed, crossed Coimbatore and stopped in MDS bakery(Coimbatore – Pollachi highway) for lunch around 2.15 PM, there we had yummy fried rice, juices & puffs. Around 3.00 PM we started from there and crossed Pollachi, on the way in roadside we saw some elanir shop(tender coconut) and stopped in one among them. We had a tasty drink, then beyond this point we maintained speed less than 70 Kmph and crossed Aliyar dam. Before entering the ghat roads at the foothill, we registered the vehicle/travellers details and paid the entrance fee at the check post in the forest Security office. Started from there, crossed monkey falls and reached Aliyar dam view point location around 4.15 PM. There, we spend about 15 mins and took few photos covering the top view of Aliyar dam together with ghat roads. After the short break we started from there and reached the hotel at Valparai around 5.15 PM. There we confirmed our room booking, and checked the rooms, found everything okay, started unloading the luggage’s from bike, kept inside the room and came out from the riding gears.
Day-2(11th September): Climate was so cloudy, we felt so cool outside the room. We got fresh-up and had our breakfast in nearby hotel. Then we started to visit the locations around 8.30 AM, first we visited Nallamudi Viewpoint, its just 15 Km far from the hotel where we stayed, the road was not that much good, since road work was going on nearly 3 to 4 Km. When we reached there, it started raining. After few minutes, rain stops but slight drizzles was there, then we paid the entry fee nearby the parking area, took some photos over there and visited the spot, its almost more than half a km from parking. Locations was really amazing, half of the hills were covered with tea estates and rest half of them with mountains & valleys, from that view point we can see 2 to 3 waterfalls.
Picture 15 @ Valparai – Returning from Nallamudi Viewpoint
Next, we came back towards Valparai, from there the route diverted to Lower Nirar dam, its almost 13 Km from Valparai town. The first half of the distance, the road was good, and on the way we paid the entry fee at the check post, but the second half distance was very narrow and steep downwards, road condition was very bad at all curves but I personally felt that will be very thrilling experience for all bike riders. We reached the Lower Nirar Dam at around 1.00 PM and had tea over there. Then we visited the dam, it is closer to the parking area. Dam is fully surrounded by mountains & greeneries and the chill climate over there at that time feels really fabulous. After sometime we returned back to the hotel around 2.00 PM, parked our vehicle and went out by walk for lunch.
After lunch we started to Shoolaiyar Dam at 3.30 PM. Its 24 Km from our hotel, the road was in good condition, felt breezy to ride the bike through tea estates, forest and lake side by. While on the way, sky becomes dark and started raining when we are nearer to the dam, once reached we just parked the bike and ran to the tea shop, waited for few minutes. After rain stops, we visited the water reservoir from standing over the dam, the whole reservoir was covered by mist and its looks like an ocean. We took some clicks over there and we started back at around 5.00 PM, light drizzles was there and road is fully covered with mist, we really enjoyed ourselves to ride through it. While returning, we purchased tea packets in Valparai town and reached hotel room around 6.30 PM. Whole night it was raining.
Day-3(12th September): Morning when we woke up, just checked the weather report, it states that the rain will continue till 2.30 PM, so we dropped our plans and started packing up our luggage to return Chennai. We both where having rain coats, so we wore rain coat as well all our riding gears. Other than shoes, we covered almost everything. At 8.00 AM we vacated the hotel rooms and started our journey towards Chennai. Upto Aliyar viewpoint, continuously raining and some places were fully covered with mist (0% visibility above 5 - 6 meters), so we rode the vehicle very carefully and slowly in the ghat roads, it takes almost 1.5 hours to get down from the hills. Around 9.30 AM, we stopped before Pollachi, removed the rain coats and packed it in the backpack and started again. For breakfast, we stopped in another MDS bakes in Coimbatore bypass road at 10.30 AM. There one 9-10 year old boy, he came to us with his family and asked permission to take some photos like riding the bike, after we permitted he just tried to put his leg over the bike but he felt very difficult because of backpack, so we told him to step over the foot rest. He happily climbed and sat on it, their family members took photos of him.
Around 11.00 AM we started from there, maintained speed of about 100-130 Kmph, crossed Salem and then stopped at 1.00 PM for a short break. Again we started maintained the same speed and stopped nearby Villupuram for snacks break(instead of lunch we had juices & Vada) at 3.15 PM. After that we headed towards Chennai riding at speed of 90-110 Kmph and finally reached our destination point Vandalur at 5.15 PM.
Around 11.00 AM we started from there, maintained speed of about 100-130 Kmph, crossed Salem and then stopped at 1.00 PM for a short break. Again we started maintained the same speed and stopped nearby Villupuram for snacks break(instead of lunch we had juices & Vada) at 3.15 PM. After that we headed towards Chennai riding at speed of 90-110 Kmph and finally reached our destination point Vandalur at 5.15 PM.
Actually three members planned for this monsoon trip to Valparai (2 from Tamilnadu & 1 from Kerala). Unfortunately one of our rider from kerala travelled 3 to 4 hours from his hometown and reached the check point. He was unable to cross Kerala – Tamilnadu border check post via Athirapally route due to COVID restrictions.
Thank you all for spending your precious time for reading my riding experience.
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