[Cezond666]

A while back I had a chance to ride to Yelagiri, a small hill station near Vellore. Honestly, this was my first mountain ride since Munnar in 2017. I had forgotten how it felt to ride up a hilly road in good weather and on good tarmac. I was addicted to it and I wanted to ride more hills!

I started chalking out a ride plan for the winter. When one is looking for hills in the south, one need not look past the Western Ghats – especially those south of Coorg. It houses some of, if not the best riding roads in India.
I wanted to hit them all. I figured out a route starting from Coorg down to my grandma's house in Nagercoil, mostly along or on the mountains themselves. It looked something like this.



As I had my sem exams coming up I didn’t put much thought into the plan and it was shelved for now.

Skip to Nov 19 –

So I have this group of friends with whom I have a yearly ride. We’d met for dinner and this year’s ride location was being discussed, we narrowed down on Coorg (I still hadn't connected my Ghats ride plan to this, it was going to be only Coorg and back). Ten minutes later a rough itinerary was ready and a list of 6 riders was made (my fellow bikers, you’d know that the numbers on the first list never turn up. In this case it skimmed down to 3). We had not decided on the dates yet, tentatively we knew it would be after my exams, i.e. last weeks of December.

Dec 15 – We met to decide the dates and confirm the stay/route map. December 22 was finalized and a property on booking.com was confirmed (the property was operated by Guesthouser.com)

Two days later I call up Guesthouser and ask them about my booking they say that the owner of the property has to confirm the booking only then will it be valid, and the booking.com confirmation doesn’t count. I was like ok, but when will he confirm? They asked me to wait for 24 hrs.

The next day I called them up and found out that my booking wasn’t confirmed. I immediately requested them to cancel the booking and process a refund, they agreed.

Dec 20 – I didn’t get any confirmation of the cancellation and the Guesthouse customercare number would just keep ringing. I called up Booking.com’s international helpline (thanks to them for their immediate support). They called up the AM of Guesthouser.com and requested a status update. Booking.com also promised that they would arrange an alternate property for me for the dates I had planned or if I have already another property booked, they would pay the difference. My friend had another property ready and we confirmed it just in time.

This episode had pulled down my mood a bit. Two days to go, and I still had nothing ready.

First thing I did was give the bike for service, buy the necessary spares for the trip and went shopping for some stuff.

The following was my gear for the ride –
1. Aspida Atlas Jacket
2. Aspida hades gloves
3. BikingBrotherhood boots
4. Rynox advento pants
5. Mt Thunder 3.0

My luggage was –
1. Viaterra Claw Mini
2. A backpack
3. Decathlon Hydration pack 1.5lts
4. RoadGods Zeon R1 Tankbag

The tools and accessories I had for the trip are
1. GrandPitstop Puncture kit
2. GrandPitstop G-roller – medium
3. Stanley Tool kit
4. Motul Chain clean and lube
5. Bajaj Genuine parts – Clutch/Throttle cable
6. RAM Mount
7. Yellow Aux lamps
8. LLUVIA Foglamp Holder

Now, the sad part is that the one thing I was really looking forward to having on this trip was the CarbonRacing Inc’s Windshield which I had preordered. Alas, the expected delivery date was a day after I had left Chennai.

Nevertheless, the eve of the ride, we all met at the service center to pick up the bikes ( because all 3 were Dominar’s we got them serviced together), cross checked our checklist and went home to have a good night’s rest.

Dec 22 – 4:00 am.

Alarm rings. I wake up -> run a quick check on the bike, load up the luggage, gear up, have a cup of muesli, pray, collect mom’s advise/blessings and head out to the meeting point near Tambaram Flyover.

All 3 of us were on time and we headed out of the city taking the Mudichur- Sriperumbudur road. We rode till the sun was up and stopped for coffee at CCD near Ambur.



After that it was an effortless and calm ride to Bangalore, we took the Mysore exit on the NICE road and had breakfast at the Udupi Gardenia on the left.

From Bangalore to Mandya the road was full of weekend traffic. We stopped for a snack near Mandya.



We entered Coorg around 2:00 pm. The roads were horrible, because of the recent floods. Up in the hills, at every curve roadworks were in full swing, trying to fill every pothole that they can.

We wanted to go straight to the homestay to drop our luggage and then ride out. But we found out that the homestay was in Hoskeri, a good 20 kms away from Madikeri and decided to drop the luggage at a friend’s office and ride out to Mandalpatti. He joined us on his Avenger and stayed with us for the rest of the trip being our guide.

The road to Mandalpatti, he had warned us, was a full on off-road trail. The ride to Coorg wasn’t that tiring so we were up for it. He took us to the basecamp-ish place, from where people get on 4x4’s for the journey up the slopes to the viewpoint.



We started the climb and soon realized that either us or the bike’s weren’t built for such roads. It was soft loose sand among round slippery rocks all the way. But surprisingly all this seemed like nothing for the avenger as it scrambled up like it was tarmac. Now – I’ve never actually ridden on rocks and did not know how to handle them. I tried to keep the momentum going by saddling but soon realized that the front forks were getting slaughtered. I then took to a more step by step approach and did one slope at a time, using my feet to do what the tires couldn’t.

Here's my friend, showing a thumbs up, after a tough stretch.



After a good half hour of struggle, sweat and dust we turned up at the parking spot at the top. Our riding gears shouted Orange is the new Black. We didn’t bother to dust them as we had to ride down the same route.



We walked up to the tower on the viewpoint completed exhausted, and laid down on the top. But boy it was worth it. What a view it was - the sun was setting among a carpet of mist above the rolling hills.




We had to ride down now, and it was getting dark. The only upside was that, all the 4x4’s had already left, so we had the trail to ourselves. Braking on these slopes with our ABS always-on was useless. We rolled down in gear trying to keep the front end leveled and praying that we don’t roll off the edge. Somehow we reached the bottom with a new gained respect for trail riders.

There was a stall at the bottom with one light and rest of the area was dark.The stall keeper told us to descend to Madikeri quickly, because the road down was full of Wild elephants.

Now, you know that cosy feeling that we get when we’re in a car with rolled up windows going through a dark forest? Yea, we didn’t have that. We were completely exposed, scampering down towards Madikeri in the cold. After every corner our eyes looked far ahead searching for glistening eyes or white tusks. Thankfully, nothing appeared and we reached Madikeri.

After buying food and drinks for the night we rushed to the homestay and unloaded. After dinner we went straight to bed.

The next morning, we looked out of the window and saw coffee and pepper all around us. We were smack bang in the middle of a huge coffee plantation.



We walked down to the porch and looked at our bikes. We could’ve sworn they were white when we started from Chennai, they looked orange.
After breakfast we immediately started cleaning the bikes and the gear. Scraping off chunks of orange dust and mud.
We checked for oil seal damages in the forks, serviced the chain, cleaned the brake pads, checked the tyres and in under an hour the bikes were good to go.

The targets of the day were Thalacauvery and a few spots on the way.
We headed out and reached the Chelavara waterfalls, taking the village routes led by our friend. It was a small hike up to the falls were due to recent suicide incidents the route down to the falls was fenced.



After a few clicks we were headed to the Nalaknad palace, the summer residence of the King of Madikeri. An small but beautiful establishment on the foothills of Coorg’s highest peak – Thadiyandamol. The palace was renovated for a movie shoot which had actually ruined the interiors a bit. And like any palace in India – this one also had the “now sealed off” tunnel to another palace/fort. Our friend also told us about how the last king who used the palace, was not such a good man, and left the palace with a bit of a dark history.

After that we headed to Thalacauvery. On the way I got bit by a honeybee on my nose as I opened the visor to scratch it. It didn’t hurt much so I didn’t bother stopping.



After a prayer at the temple and some clicks we rode back to Madikeri to take a look at the usual touristy spots there like the Museum, fort and Raja’s seat.



That night at the homestay I had a thought. I wanted to do my Western Ghat ride now. I told my friends that I won’t be joining them for the ride back to Chennai, instead will ride down the other side into Kerala. I had planned to ride down to Palakkad and the enter TN and start from Valparai and head down south.

That night I checked up my bike again and got ready to ride out early next morning.

Dec 24- 5:00 am – I’m on the bike and ready to leave, my friends woke up to send me off and went back to sleep as they were leaving only after breakfast.

The route looked like this



I started riding in the pitch black of the night. Only the frequent peeks from the moon among the tall trees to give a sense of place. Strangely, this was the most peaceful I had been in a long time. Songs playing, empty hill road and nothing but my headlight to show the way. I had to ride to Virajpet and then take a right from there to cross the border into Iritty.

Somewhere before Virajpet


I was nearing Virajpet when suddenly the roads opened up from among the trees, the night was slowly fading away and a very faint purple covered the sky. I looked to my right and I was blown away, there was a field of grass with a barn in the middle and an almost full moon shining above. The entire scene was laid under this soft blanket of fog. I stopped the bike and stood there mesmerized.
I get questioned by almost everyone in the family as to what I get when I ride. I realized then! This is why I ride! I pulled out my phone in an attempt to capture this amazing setting and it could only capture this much.



Eventually, I snapped out of the stupor and started riding again. I reached the small Ghat section on the border. By now the sun was up and I could see the roads. I rolled through the Ghats along with a fellow KA reg. D390. We were perfectly in sync going through the bends, I didn’t know who he was nor did we stop to exchange pleasantries. That’s what we bikers are right, doesn’t matter who you are, we are united by the passion.

The road was fantastic and it opened up in Kerala, crossing a bridge where taking a right would take me to Kannur. I took the left towards Thalasseri.

I was now in Iritty, and boy! what roads it had. Freshly laid tarmac, at least 4 lanes wide, no white paint, no speed breakers and best of all no traffic! The ride down this almost race-track like section was therapeutic!
I don’t know for how long that road is going to remain the same, but I suggest everyone to have a go on it, safely of course.

Iritty lake



Along this route I crossed many typical Kerala settlements – a tea shop/ bakery and a set of shops around it. Random uncles walking with their Dhotis half tied up, and Aunties with umbrellas waiting at bus stops.
I joined the NH66 near Thalassery and it was a two lane road, with ample traffic.
I stopped somewhere near Mahe to click this pic. I wanted to spend more time in Mahe and Thalassery but I saved it for another time.




After this I stopped for breakfast in Koyilandy at around 7:15am.
I took the Calicut bypass and survived its multiple crossings and signals until I reached the Palakkad – Kozhikode Highway - another fantastic road.

It winds its way through Malappuram and Perinthalmanna. I had an amazing time tackling the curves on this busy hill route. The roads were decent so I was naturally set into a rhythm. That rhythm was disturbed by the first police checkpost I had encountered in this entire trip. I stopped and showed my documents and realized that I had forgot to get a Pollution certificate for the bike (as it was more than a year old). A grave mistake. I felt stupid.
But the officer was kind enough to let me off with a warning and made me promise that I’d get it as soon as I reach Palakkad (which I did).

Anyways I continued the ride and somewhere near Mundur one of my aux lamp’s screw fell off and it was hanging. I got it fixed from a shop nearby and kept riding.

I reached my mom’s sisters house in Palakkad at around 12:00pm.

That evening was when it all turned upside down.
My Dad called me up and said that my cousins were coming home for New year’s so I had to be back by 28th. I had two options; rush up the ride and finish it before 28th or end it here and get back to Chennai. I was too tired to think, so I slept off and the next morning I decided that I’ll stay in Palakkad and then leave to Chennai on 26th. I spent the next two days with my cousins enjoying Christmas, Kerala style.


On Dec 26th, I took my little cousin out for a small ride to Malampuzha early morning. We took the road that connected Malampuzha to Kanjikode and back. While coming back my cousin’s dad called and told us about this place called Kava on the phone. I was intrigued, I quickly looked it up and was shocked at how close it was. It was a small diversion from the road and it went around the Malampuzha lake.

The route took us through windy roads up to a small village and then it opened up to an almost heaven like piece of land that left me gaping. The road stuck to the side of a hill and to the left was the entirety of the Malampuzha lake in all its morning glory. We stopped almost every 500 mts for a pic. We rode all the way till I looked in the map and saw that Anaikati was nearby and the TN border was almost a stone’s throw away. But since we were getting late for breakfast we had to turn back!

The following are the only pics I have from there. ( I seem to have lost some pics)

A rock trail on the way to Kava bird sanctuary ( nice spot to watch the sunrise)


A view of the hills behind Malampuzha lake



I couldn’t believe that just behind the Malampuzha park, was such a beautiful strip of road. Again, in my mind I was thinking, this is why I ride!
That evening after editing all the pics I had taken, I started cleaning and lubing the bike for the return journey.

Dec 27th

I woke up at 4:00 a.m. My mom’s sister made me coffee, I had it with some biscuits and got ready for the long haul back to Chennai. For some reason I wanted to be home as quick as possible.

I rode onto the NH and couldn’t really go, because the stretch from Palakkad to Walayar had speed cameras and the Coimbatore bypass was bumpy here and there. But once I hit the Coimbatore - Salem Highway I opened her up. And it was a straight 5 hour pull to Chennai stopping only once near Ulundurpet for fuel. I reached home by 9:30am.

This week’s journey was mesmerizing and although I didn’t get to do the hills I wanted to, the little gems I found on the way were well worth it! And I got to spend time with my relatives as well!

A beautiful end to a beautiful year.

Clicked on a private trail near the homestay that runs through the plantation.


I haven't talked much about the machine much, because there is nothing to say! It has been my companion through 40000kms of riding and hasn't let me down once. Always brings a smile on my face when I twist the throttle.

Thanks for sticking with me through this write-up, although it’s a very personal P.O.V.
Hoping to complete the ride this year and sharing the travelogue with you all.

And I know there aren’t many pictures, because I've lost some pics. The pictures were initially shot for Instagram stories hence the vertical orientation

Cheers!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by Cezond666

A while back I had a chance to ride to Yelagiri, a small hill station near Vellore. Honestly, this was my first mountain ride since Munnar in 2017. I had forgotten how it felt to ride up a hilly road in good weather and on good tarmac. I was addicted to it and I wanted to ride more hills!....

Cheers!

Congratulations on your ride, and on this neat little travelogue. As you yourself have remarked, more pictures would have been nice and would have enhanced the flavour for readers.

This area of the country offers some unparalleled road experiences that I intend to indulge in at the first opportunity. At that time, I hope to have the benefit of company like you had.

Happy to note that your motorcycle has been a fuss-free companion for 40k KMs. I know someone else who clocks a lot of miles on his Dominar and he too is super happy with how his bike performs. It really is a total value for money motorcycle.

[Arwin07]

I live 2.5 hours from Western ghats but I haven't thought of doing a single, straight trip from Coorg to Kanyakumari through Western ghats though I have covered most places in separate trips. This is on my list now. Coorg- Waynad- Nilgiris- Coimbatore- Valparai- Idukki- Thenmalai- Kanyakumari.
A wonderful trip and travelogue. Congratulations.

A friendly word of caution: Service the vehicle atleast a few days before the trip to familiarise if any setting has changed in the bike or to detect goof ups early. I'm talking from my bad experiences.