Teasers Approved

Will wait for the rest.

Thanks Ken da.. Will be posting the logs tonight..

wonderful pix there...bring em On...

Congrats on completing the ride Karan! Heard about your ride through Ananth. Waiting for your trip log.

Thanks

Thanks Manoj..

I am posting up the Day 1 log now.. hope it isnt that bad

Dates : 14, 15 & 16 Aug'09.

Ride : HH-Hunk

Ride prep and Day 0

Intials plans were made for another ride and unforutnately those plans had to be shelved due to various reasons. But i was confused on to what to do with my leaves i had already got at work specifically for this ride. Then my hunt for a destination that can be done in a couple days began. One fine moment i hit on the idea of doing Valparai. PMed Thy to know the climate and road conditions as the monsoon was almost over. He did a short trip and his ride report boosted my plans. Also i had discussed a lot about this route with Ananth. But the thing was that, i had almost 3 days leave extendable to 4, and Valparai alone wouldn't do good. So started going through various trips done by Ananth(his 5days trip), Xinfii and Manoj(& RCD). Thanks to you guys, i was able to chart out a plan from your blogs and logs. Then came my tough part to convince my Mom, and succeeded. Now i was all set to ride out. Had my ride serviced a week ahead of trip and tanked up. My plan was to leave as early as 4am.

Odo : 5467 Trip : 0


Day 1

Route : Chengalpet - Villupuram - Veppur - Salem - Coimbatore - Pollachi - Valparai

As planned, was up and ready and rolled out at 4.30am.Since i was starting from home (Chengalpet) had to take the NH45 and SH10 to Salem. NH45 was butter smooth and after the previous night's rains, wet and cool. I cruised at decent 80s. caught up with sunrise after 6 somewhere near Ulunurpet and i was also treated with a rainbow.Reached the diversion to SH10 at Veppur pretty early by 7.10.








Took a break and proceeded to Salem. From here on the roads were bumpy and pot-holed. Felt the temperature rise as now i was riding through dry villages. Did manage 50-60 KMpH and reached Salem pretty soon by 9. Took the wrong turn and headed towards Namakkal a good 10kms before realising the blunder and turning back to Coimbatore road. Trip meter stood at 300, but didn't care about the breakfast. Rode out the really frustrating stretch of 35kms of "Take Diversion" roads , as the 4lane widening works were going on. Reached Sangagiri and tanked-up. After this place the roads were pretty good and the highway was too smooth to cruise. Then began my search for the diversions to Pollachi. Was worngly diverted at Perundurai and went into the village for just turning back on the highway. There on didn't bother to look for diversions. Rode till Avinashi and asked for directions while i took a puff-break. The folks at the shop weren't much helpful and i continued on and at one place people advised me to take a l'lle long route which has the diversion to Pollachi after those line-up of 4 toll-plaza's after Coimbatore towards Palakkad. The road was awesome and really liked the route. Reached Pollachi at 2pm and was wondering if it was real. From the logs i had gone through i thought i would make it to Pollachi only after 6pm and had informed Thy that i would be crashing for Day 1 at Pollachi. But now i had lots of time at hand. Finished up lunch and moved off to valparai at 2.30pm. As i was moving forward after paying the entry-fee, i got SMS from Thy and called him up. He informed me that he was down with viral fever and wouldn't be able to come over, but gave me certain tips. I started my climb after staring at Aliyar for some time. This was the first time i was climbing up a mountain and also negotiating the hair-pins. It was an awesome experience. Had to stop at places to click some of the beautiful vistas on my phone's cam. Had the tea stop after 27th hair-pin at Water-fall tea estate, also bought some tea to take home. Then climbing i was surprised to see mist spreading around, it was just 5 pm and temperature was already dropping and it was beginning to drizzle. Mist grew thicker and 31st hair-pin was blinded somewhat with mist (but i didnt know that i had not yet seen the blinding nature of mists).





















Reached the top around 5.45 and managed to find a room at low cost. The pretty damp and cool, but was managable. I thought of doing the Sholayar as i still had time, but when i came out after checking-in, i found that the drizzle had built up into a nice rain. Called up my Mom and also Thy, updated them about the current position and returned back to room after doing what i do the best on the street corners, "people watching". Jotted down the hard-copy of this log on to my diary and went to an early sleep in that cold room.

Odo : 6047 Trip : 580


to be contd......

Nice write up and Beautiful shots !!

Thanks Beru bhai..

Day 2

Day 2

Route : Valparai – Athirapally – Chalakudi – Perumbavoor – Adimali

Checked out of the room by 7.45 and I was happy to do so. Couldn’t find any pay-phones near by, hence I shot-off to Sholayar Dam. Enroute encountered more beautiful plantations and when I tried unlocking my phone, I found it to be dead. I had charged it to the full previous night before going to sleep, and now it was dead. My bad, awesome mountain sides were passed by without even a single click. Reached Sholayar and spent some time there. Later called up Thy from there and told him about the plan for the day. I was getting mixed response about the condition of the forest path from Sholayar to Athirapally. I was previously advised by Ananth that I should skip that route when doing solo. But then it was the thrill part, I went ahead and climbed down the forest path. For the next 60kms my speed was reduced to not more than 30kmph. Tarmac was playing hide&seek with occasional small mud slides and boulders. But it was kinda fun riding around those roads and got accustomed to condition pretty soon. Encountered many bikes and SUVs on that stretch. Once I came across a beautiful cliff face. Took a break there and stood at the edge and all I could see ahead were just the mountains and their valleys stretching to the limit of visbility. But looking down the edge scared the s**t out of me. Both Vazhachal and Athirapally were brimming with tourists and local groups and I decided to give them a pass. Instead I watched Athirapally from the view-point. From there to Chalakudi the roads where butter smooth. With considerably less traffic I was flying down those S bends getting acquainted with the leaning aspect of my ride. Took a couple of breaks at Chalakudi for tanking up and later one for a smoke and snacks. Reached Perumbavoor and decided to take break for lunch. I put my phone to charge and got a relief when I saw it boot-up. Spent some time around shopping for certain food items needed for Onam. Seeing those houses enroute Chalakudi and Perumbavoor, the good old past in me came flooding reminding my childhood days. By 2 my phone was somewhat charged up and I left for Munnar. It was awesome to ride up the twisty roads uphill, but there was considerable traffic with lots of SUVs and Buses plying up and down. Some 10kms after Adimali I took a puff break. There was this good old fella to whom I enquired on the road conditions and probable availability of rooms. He took a step forward and called up some contacts he had on the agents and lodging side and informed me that getting a room at Munnar that evening was not at all possible. It was easily guessable from the amount of traffic one can witness that day. So I rode back to Adimali and secured a very good room for a very cheap rate, with even a locked parking space in the night. It was just 4.30 in the evening and I decided to head back to a waterfall I had seen on the way to click some pics. But it started to drizzle with a heavy cloud looming overhead; I was forced to return back to room with only a pic or two clicked for the day.


Odo : 6292 Trip : 245




Can anyone spot the stream??





To be Contd....

Day 3

Day 3

Route :


As planned the previous day I was to check-out at 6am, but the stupid reception guy was not seen anywhere near the lodge and I was stuck there for another one hour. Pushed out of there after 7 and headed uphill towards Munnar. I came across many places engulfed by mists and I thought that was known as Blinding Mist, just to be proven wrong not more than 4 hrs later. Reached Munnar at 8 and headed straight to Top-Station. The vistas enroute to Top-Station was just awesome with green-green plantations and meadows. Went on happily stopping my ride to click some pics every now and then.Rode into Top-Station premises through a slight gap, by 9. Tried to trek down to the paid view-point, but since I was getting uncomfortably phobic about the steep cliff faces, I was content to stare at those deep valleys from the top itself.

































Back on the plains





Odo : 6917 Trip : 625

Total Trip : 1450km

Excellent cool pics karan...... Have u managed to notice the mileage given by your hunk?

thanks man.. my ride gave me an average of 42kmpl in this trip. Usually it gives around 40.

oh, not bad...You should be cruising around 100kmph

with my heavy weight, my ride cant do more than 110... i cruise at 80s-90s..