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HVK forum has been conducting monsoon drives since past few years. It's conducted each year at different locations across India.

Come 2016, it was announced that instead of one drive, this year they would be conducting monsoon drive at different locations across India. Also,it was announced that KA (officially called as Mysore drive) monsoon drive will be a one day affair over a weekend. Without thinking twice, I enrolled for the same.

Similarly, few days before that there was a KL Monsoon drive which was attended by TBHPian Ddrive, this is a combined trip log by myself and Ddrive about two monsoon drives.

TBHPian Parag has already put up a travelogue about his experience of this years Ratnagiri drive here.

TBHPian arun_josie has his experience of last years listed here

30 July

Payment and planning for the drive was done and it was supposed to be a 12 hour affair from 07:00 AM to 07:00 PM. However, some 4 days before the drive date there was a bandh call across KA. With no other option, organizers decided to shift the drive date to 31st July.

USP of HVK drives are off-beaten locations. However, organizers doesn't give prior route or location information. All participants are asked to reach the starting point at a designated time, there participants are divided into group of ~10 vehicle convoy. Each convoy is assigned one leader who is given route details and has prior information about the route. For others, the route unfolds as the day progresses.

Our base camp location for Hotel Mayura on Hassan highway (NH 75) Location. We were asked to be present at the place by 07:00 AM.

We have been to this place multiple times earlier, hence knew that it would take around 2 and half hours drive from home. Based on that, we start around 04.30 from home. Driving on Hassan highway in less traffic is always pleasant. This is one of the best highways out of Bangalore, thanks to less traffic we reach base camp few minutes ahead of plan.

On reaching the base camp, we were handed over packed breakfast and assigned to each convoy. Breakfast arrangement was done by TBHPian Fauji, the food was sourced from Swathi Delicacy and was better than what we usually have at Mayura.

We were part of the first convoy headed by TBHPian addyhemmige.

Convoy enroute



We head on NH 75 towards Mangalore side and cross Hassan bye-pass. Few KM's past Hassan, we take a left turn onto SH 110.


Roads are not smooth anymore





Stop enroute




Our first destination is opposite bank of Hemavati river to Shettihalli Church.

We reach the river bank accompanied by drizzle.




HVK's famed Scorpio arrives below an overcast sky



We have a quick photo session and start off again




Next destination is Eka Resort.


We take Channapura - Harihalli - Kudrasthe route. Surroundings are green and beautiful.







Drizzle follows us all the way



Road condition is surprisingly good and devoid of any traffic



We stop for lunch around 12.30, after a heavy lunch along with highway and automobile related talk we start again around 1.45 PM.

ODO reading including Bangalore - Base camp drive stood at around 300 KM's.


During lunch time we were informed that post lunch drive is going to more longer and scenic.

Post lunch we continue on SH 107 towards Hetthur. Enroute we stop to enjoy views of grassland. Location of the same is around here



Cars parked along the road




Past that as promised scenery and roads gets beautiful
















We join NH 75 near Anemahal and take left to road towards Hanbal on to SH 27/107. Our destination is Devarmane .

However, this is one section which truly describes the words 'Journey is better as destination'


Dashcam video of this section

TUV seen in the video is TBHPian procrj's Red Dwarf


To Devermane


We reached Devermane around 05.00 PM. The place is covered in mist








There is a small hill near to temple and we all climb the same, however due to mist we are unable to see even few meters from where we stand.

In between, mist clears for few seconds and we are able to catch a glimpse of cars parked below the hill. Almost all cars seen in the pic are part of the drive.




Past that we drive towards the temple located few hundred meters away.




Here we visit a pond located next to the temple.





After a brief group photo session we continue on this road towards IOC bunk at Banakal.

This route was the highlight of the entire drive.

Will let these two video do the talking -


Video1


Video 2

Our final destination was the coffee shop located along with the IOC bunk

It was around 6.15 PM when we reached the coffee shop. After a small bio break we decide to start back on our drive towards Bangalore.

We take NH 73 towards Belur and then join Hassan and take NH 75 on way back to Bangalore.

Though it was a Sunday night, traffic towards Bangalore was relatively less since it was bit late.

We reached at our home at Bangalore around 11.00 PM. Total ODO reading was 695 KM's.


Thanks to TBHPian procrj (Ravinder)and his wife Ashwini for sharing pics taken by them.

Note from Mod : Travelogue moved to the Travelogue section. Thanks for sharing it with us

This is very exciting and really liked the way you have covered it. Thanks for sharing ! More curious to know how do we get updates about such events happening around.

I wasn’t aware of HVK forum before and just googled it to find one website named hiVayking.com. Not sure about it as it had old information of year 2014… Is this information available on any website ?.. will be very helpful if you could share more details..

Great report, combined with detailed narration and quality photographs.


You can search HVK forum on Facebook. The group is very active there.

That was an awesome log with beautiful pictures and great narration as usual Suhas. Looks like you all had a wonderful time together and the rains and the climate didn't disappoint you.

Thanks for mentioning mpksuhas. Yes I participated in the HVK Monsoon Drive 2016 - Kerala, on 9th and 10th July 2016, and this was a two day affair from Saturday morning till Sunday afternoon with a nights stay at a beautiful resort in Munnar. Planning and execution was impeccable and hospitality and stay arrangements were high class. Could see many team-bhp cars and could meet some well known bhpians like Denver, Ramky and Madbiker. Guess what? famous bhpian Jeepcaptain was my room mate that Saturday :cool:

Needless to say it was immense pleasure meeting face to face and having a short chat with Mr.H.V.Kumar.

Thanks to my computer crash, I lost my pictures I clicked during the drives. Will post them here if I could retrieve it any time sooner. So now I am just sharing some of the photos which I posted earlier on facebook.

Moments at Munnar - HVK Monsoon Drive 2016 Kerala:





























Bhpians who were part of these drives can share their pictures here, I would request.

Regards
:D

Pleasantly surprised to see my photo in the forum!- The last one, with blue umbrella :). I was also part of the kerala monsoon drive.

Good writeup. Request you to give a heads up to all of us at T-Bhp (not a bad idea to start a separate thread)before you venture out or are aware of these drives. I don't want to miss this next time.:)

Thanks Ddrive for the pics. Hope you are able to retrieve remaining pics soon.

Thats the beauty of it. Any place, any drive you find a TBHPian :thumbs up

There is a TBHP drive coming up in three weeks. Its a Hyderabad - Bangalore comibined drive. Hope you are able to make it. Link

Hi @mpksuhas,

By any chance you can post the entire trip route in a map. I guess few routes may not be there in the maps.

Thanks,
Manick

Suhas - Superb log of the monsoon drive, great narration and pictures as usual. Thanks for sharing :thumbs up

As @manickaraj posted earlier, please share the route map if possible. :)

Thanks.

Route information was posted by TBHPian Ssatheesh in Procrj's thread.

Please find the link for the same - Route