Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Travelogue Approved

Apologies for the delay in approval!

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Nice starter!
Waiting for the main course!

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai


No problem Admin. Thank you very much for the approval

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

I have recently purchased Tarmac One II jacket and Viaterra Claw Mini tail bag (with 100% waterproof inner liner) which made my trip even more fruitful . Packed and arranged everything Friday night itself. I was also prepared enough for rain ride just in case.

Viaterra Claw Mini was easily fit the below,
- 2 sets of dress (Tees, jeans, cargos and inners)
- 1 Towel
- DSLR and additional lens
- GoPro Hero 5 Session and its Kit
- Tools, rain covers, bungee cords and water bottle on the sides of Claw mini bag.
- Hand bump and puncher kit
- Flipflop

Day 1: Saturday

Woke up by 3.30am and got ready by 4.40am itself. Much quicker than my previous trips! Yay .

As usual trip meter reset to '0'. Had a quick prayer and Get - Set - Start!!!


First stop, 75KMs from Vandalur.


Had a nice degree coffee and snacks. Taste and quality was very good here!


Parting shot at 99KM Coffee Stop


After crossing Thindivanam, it started raining lightly. I didn't stop expecting that it would stop after some time. But it was keep raining. As I was nearing Ulundurpet it has become heavy rain. I pulled over near a bus stop and checked whether things are alright inside the bag. It was 100% dry inside the main compartment. Kudos to Viaterra Claw Mini! Though side bags were very little wet, nothing to worry. So I decided to continue until Salem and it was raining all the way. 3 hours ride in rain. Later actually I started enjoying the rain ride .


Took a tea break at a village which was some 30KMs before Salem. Oh! I just noticed there were few currencies placed in the front packet of the jacket got completely wet. Yes, front pockets are not water proof, which i forgot. Though my mobile inside the rain liner was dry and safe. The tea shop guy was kind enough to dry the currencies.

It was funny sight though. Cooking up the currencies.. ha ha.


A short video captured in my GoPro. Between Ulundurpet to Salem. Road was nice, very less traffic and So I enjoyed the rain ride!

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Ghat road started. Actually I took the shortcut route where the roads up to Yercaud top hill would look like this..


Panaroma view of the road. Already climbed some 7 KMs uphill.


I was a lonely rider all the way upto Yercaud in this route. The road was very narrow with very less or no traffic at all. It was pin drop silent and I was little scared. But it was thrilling . Took a break for nature calling. All of sudden few monkeys started appearing from nowhere.. Enjoyed their company.


Bunch of friends!


Parting shot!


Let me quickly explain - There are two routes to climb Yercaud hills from Salem.

Option 1 - Short cut route - Take right even before entering Salem. This is narrow village road and will be mostly lonely. Bit risky and not recommended for solo riders. Especially during off season and week days. Weekends, there would be little traffic.


..but adventure riders will enjoy this route as there are few nice scenery and beautiful coffee & spice plantations.

Option 2 - The regular bus route from Salem - This is proper single lane, two way road. There are 22 beautiful hairpin bends. Real men enjoy curves . This is safest route and moderate traffic would be there almost all the time.


Screen capture from my GoPro video of this road,


So I took the adventerous route (Option 1) without knowing the risk and somehow reached Yercaud top hill around 11.30am, with lot of google navigation in drizzling rain. My iPhone SE rocked .
I stayed at Hotel Shevaroys which is pretty decent with very nice environment.


Room was good. Little old building, but that's fine. Ooofs! what a relief after 7 hours of riding. All wet!
Thank God for reaching safe!


Day 1 not yet end... still half more day left ...

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Good video and Pics sir... also nice caption for pictures. Expecting more pics and videos.

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Took half an hour rest in the room, refreshed myself and had lunch in nearby veg restaurant. Food was good. Planned to roam around the lake and near by areas like Bacoda Point and Annamalaiyar Temple View Point. It was keep drizzling and full of mist. Very nice weather, enjoyed it well.

Road leads to Bacoda point and Annamalaiyar temple


Reached the temple and had a very good Dharsan. It was special day - Karthigai Deepam day .




The view is covered with Mist



On the way to Bacoda Point. Loved this curve






Reached Bacoda Point. Still raining and temperature was very low... and I was shivering . Rain drops on my t-shirt were started freezing


View was nice, but mostly covered by Mist again. Suppose to see more landscape and Salem town from here. But no luck.


There was a beautiful village with a temple down there.


Took a selfie with the view point and Mist and rode back to hotel. Couldn't ride any more as it was started dark and cold.


As I reach the room, My arms and legs were literally shivering. I haven't wear any winter clothes purposefully while roaming .

Refreshed myself again and wore all the clothes to warm up myself.



Had dinner in the same restaurant and had a sound sleep that night, hearing beautiful songs in Sun Music!

Thus my Day 1 ended well .

Day 2 travelogue to be continued..

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Good one Sir especially the above pic....

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Thank you buddy . Hope you are having fun with your Repsol CBR

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Nicely captured!

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Nice short and crisp travelogue and good pictures.

I was there in Yercaud last weekend (16-17 Dec), but I went in my car with my colleagues, and took the same short route, via Kuppanur. I have been to Yercaud thrice, everytime in my car, and everytime we took the same route as this route is scenic and with some unexpected turns. There is a stream running parallel to the road once you start descending in this route and we always stop there for few clicks. Like you said, this route is not safer for lonely tourists as the traffic is very sparse.

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Thank you Krishna.. more to follow .

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----


Thank you JP . Hope you had fun . Wish you many more happy trips. I too plan to visit Yercaud again with my colleagues, may be car trip. I somehow missed the stream you referred. Will cover it next time .

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

Day 2 travelogue continues..

Woke up around 6am, even before the alarm.. ha ha. It was beautiful misty morning. Felt like heaven..


Good morning friends . The hotel maintains these Gooses inside. Nice



Quickly washed the bike in hotel itself. Since so much of mud accumulated due to rain ride and off roading on the first day.



Hotel was kind and allowed me to park the bike near the room.



The free buffet break fast was very nice with lot of items. But I had it lightly. I use to eat less during bike trips to ride comfortably. Also no non-veg and no drinks!.


By the time I get ready, Sunshine was showing up and no sign of rain. Excited to roam again until afternoon.


The lake glowing in sunshine


Roads to different tourist spots would look like this..


Had a better view in Bacoda point this time



Beautiful village, as viewed from the Bacoda point view! captured using my Nikon DSLR with 55-200mm zoom lens.



Selfie Time. A good friend volunteered to capture me in my DSLR


Temple at Bacoda Point..


Time-lapse video captured in iPhone SE


Flamingo is happy as the weather and roads are very good today.. Yay



We, the best friends!



To be continued..

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Great pics Flamingo250...

Thanks for sharing

ATGATT !!!

Cheers,
WindPacer

Re: Escape to Yercaud - Weekend trip from Chennai

Nicely put!