25 Apache RR 310 riders on a road trip: Luck & unpredictable conditions

Due to a couple of accidents, there was a lot of traffic on the highway & the car drivers were the most impatient & negligent ones among all on the scene.

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The Clan Summer Vacation - April - May 2023

• When: Labour Day long weekend
• Planned: Bangalore - Valparai - Bangalore
• Executed: Bangalore - Valparai - Athirapilly - Chalakudy - Palakkad - Bangalore
• Stay: Briar Group, Monica Garden Bungalow & Stanmore Bungalow

Day 1 Route Map: Bangalore - CBE - Pollachi - Valparai

For reasons unknown, a total of 37 members, decided to sign up for this trip which included 25 RR310s from the Bangalore RR310 owners group and the rest of them were mutual friends on different bikes. Props to me for planning this long weekend trip a month in advance and blocking entire bungalows. However, the dynamics of the trip suddenly shifted from easy to challenging. Since I usually start late than the rest of the group, I suggested we split the group into two for effective timekeeping and optimum coordination. Most of the guys, in fact, the majority, gave me the silent treatment, only 7 of the total signed up for a 5:30 AM start, while the rest started at 3 AM from E City toll plaza. Well, we all know how this one ends. *enter evil smile*

With my super aggressive Indie, Mayo, in my parent's custody for the rest of the weekend, I left home by 4:30 AM, to meet the rest of the 7 members at E City toll plaza, a quick pep talk later, and we began our journey by 5:30 AM. The traffic was light and the pace was good until Thoppur toll plaza, well, it had to be Thoppur of all places. Twin accidents on both up and down carriages had created mayhem, we resorted to the shoulder of the road to filter through the traffic. I was shit scared seeing & passing all of those heavy trucks, they were struggling to stop downhill in the stop-and-go traffic, props to all those drivers who were patient and handled their huge vehicles carefully. In all those car threads and travelogues Tbhpians mention how bikes are a hazard on the highways, it's time for me to give it back. The most impatient, rash, and negligent drivers were the car drivers on the scene, jumping over rocks on the side of the road, kicking up dust, and causing inconvenience to other users, harsh braking and cutting across huge trucks to merge into lanes, I mean all of this antics just to gain a few meters.

We lost around 20 minutes at Thoppur and decided to have breakfast at Hotel Sharvesh just after descending the ghat, the food was surprisingly delicious and cost less compared to all those hotels at Shoolagiri and Krishnagiri, a new breakfast point added for all of our future trips. Salem had the office rush hour traffic and we had to filter through, it added another 30 mins to our time. Our next stop was planned for a fuel break at one of those LOA IOC bunks just after Sankari. After taking the roundabout towards CBE from Salem, the road was pretty empty and I was just cruising at a decent pace. Spotted one of those LOA IOC bunks at the last minute and made it just into the fuel bunk. Lo behold at the far left of the bunk, I could see a bunch of bikers, a few meters later, ah, these are our 3 AM starters, you should have seen their faces, I was laughing like a madman inside my helmet. Told ya guys, we should have properly split into two groups.

The ride was surprisingly "uneventful" by our standards, with sedate riding we made it to Hotel Gowri Krishna, Pollachi for lunch at around 12:30 PM. We were quite puzzled about what to do if we reach Valparai before dark, haha. We were at the Aliyar checkpost by 4:30 PM and began our ascend to Valparai. I was frustrated with the Bangalore heat and I made sure not to carry any rain gear just for the sake of it, I really wanted to enjoy some rain this time. A few km later from the checkpost, the climate drastically changed within minutes, the clouds went dark, and the wind was gusting, the air had that "first drops of rain" smell, it's called Petrichor, and I knew at that moment, the time I was waiting for had come. To my disappointment, all of the guys took shelter to put on their rain gear and I among a couple of others were the only few to ride in the rain. It was a surreal experience, the roads were literally empty, with the sound of rain falling on your helmet, the beautiful ghat roads of Valparai, I couldn't have asked for a better entrance. With lots of time in hand, I also stopped at a few scenic locations to take some stunning pictures with the rain falling.

Rules are meant to be broken?

The mango showers, the reason I was here

The "Valparai" shot

We made it to our bungalow by 5:30 PM, yes, we made it before dark which is surprising with 34 odd bikes and a couple of pillions. Given how our previous trips have begun/ended I will take this. Monica Bungalow was fully booked for us accommodating around 26 members and the rest of the gang was accommodated at Stanmore Bungalow which was 3kms apart but of the same group. A gala dinner and a small "party" of sorts later, we decided to call it an uneventful day and hit our sacks late at night. With absolutely no proper plan sketched for local sightseeing the next day, I had a good sleep.

Day 1 stats from REVER

Day 2: Local sightseeing, Valparai

Me being an early bird of sorts, woke up at 6 AM, and also woke up a couple of others for a morning walk around the property.

Walks around the property, yielded this stunning shot

The overnight rain at Valparai

A game of friendly shuttle, multiple photoshoots, drone shots, and an a la carte breakfast later, we were ready only by 12:00 PM for local sightseeing. A few minutes down the road and the gang was skipping with one leg in the air trying to wear the rain paint, it started pouring on our way to Nirar Dam which was the one and only sightseeing place which we went to.

On the way to Nirar Dam

The Clan at Nirar Dam

Hungry stomachs and pure frustration about their rain gear not holding a candle against the Valaparai showers, all the other plans were canceled and we decided to head to town for lunch at the famous Sri Lakshmi Chettinadu Mess. Hungry, and wet, a big line of people welcomed us at the mess, we took our turns, trying to sit at whichever table was getting empty. It was the typical "pandhi" style where a guy behind you stands for your seat and makes you eat faster to the sheer pressure and guilt that you are making him wait in hunger. 1:30 hrs later, I was the last one standing after allocating a seat to every person from our gang, when I finally got the seat, quickly dissected a biryani and we were good to go.

I was exhausted, so I decided to head to the property to take some rest, while the rest of the gang split up towards different locations for photoshoots. The Baku GP was on by the time I reached the stay, and spent the rest of the time catching up with F1 while the rest of the gang returned. F1 priorities.

We had a couple of birthdays to be celebrated, cut them cakes, a gala dinner, and a party of sorts later, and hit the sack again late at night.

Twist

After lunch, before the gang split up for photoshoots, we had a small discussion about how we improvise, I'm stressing on improvise here, our ride by riding through Athirapilly and reaching Bangalore. Conditions were put in beforehand, we start by 6:30 AM, or else we take the traditional route back to Bangalore. A few newbies unknowing what was ahead of them signed up for this adventure, falling for their hunger for adrenaline and excitement. The rest of the core group knowing what was ahead of them had a small grin on their face.

THE PLAN IS ON! *insert Beast BGM*

Day 3 Route Map: Valparai - Athirapilly - Chalakudy - Palakkad - Bangalore

We had a 12:30 hrs ride ahead of us as per Google estimates, add in a couple of hours of breaks and it easily extends up to 15 hrs, if not more. Surprisingly, everyone was up mostly by 6:00 - 6:30 AM, we had a quick breakfast of bread toasts and were ready to leave, around 7:45 AM, remember the original plan, that we leave by 6:30 AM or stick to the traditional route, well, it didn't matter, read on.

Out of the total, 7 of them had decided they stay back at the resort, have proper breakfast and take the traditional route back to Bangalore by leaving around 10 - 10:30 AM, so we were 30 odd heading towards Athirapilly.

This was my 1st time inside the rainforest, after failing multiple times due to the checkpost being closed. The roads on the KL side were under construction, we could not ride above 40-50 kph. We didn't encounter any wildlife on the way much to our dismay, we were spoiled by all those Instagram Reels showing Elephants chasing KSRTC buses and bikers inside Athirapilly. It took us all 3 hrs to ride through the forest and exit.

Lower Sholayar Dam

An early lunch stop at Nandikarra after Chalakudy at around 12:00 PM. The sun and heat were in full force in KL, and the progress was really slow, a few stopped for a power nap at tea stalls, while the rest rode at a very slow pace around 80 kph, including myself.

By 4 or 4:30 PM, we were at the Coimbatore Jn, under the flyover, on the NH, the weather took a turn for the worst after 6 PM, and the delta belt of Tiruppur - Perundurai - Erode - Salem was lashed with heavy rains, with floodings near Perundurai bypass. It was 7 PM when we reached Erode and it was pitch dark, a few of the guys threw in the towel by calling it a day and stayed at a hotel for the night, which was probably the sanest thing to do.

Twist

Remember those guys who wanted to take the traditional route to Bangalore by starting late at Valparai. Well, one person had giddiness during the descent, he had to be medicated and take rest on the way, after feeling a little better they continued their ride. Once in Pollachi, an INT650 failed to start due to a low battery, the gang had to resort to charging it and trying to find a replacement, but they couldn't find one. They lost a lot of time due to all of this and we caught up with them at the Coimbatore Junction. We all took different routes and ended up altogether. Coincidence? Not.

Stops of 30-40 mins during regular intervals, trying to get protection from the rain, meant we were at Managalam, Krishnagiri at 11:15 PM, the break lasted an hour, when I decided to throw in the towel, heck, I am reaching home, no matter what. Heavy to very heavy rains lashed until Hosur, assisted by very strong winds, if this had happened during daytime while I could see the force of the rain, I would have probably stopped riding, since it was dark, and I couldn't gauge the force of the rain and braved the conditions, reached home at 1:45 AM, that's around 15 - 16 hrs on the road for a journey from Valparai to Bangalore.

The rest of the gang followed suit and reached home around 4:30 AM in the morning, they decided to wait out the rain at Mangalam, Krishnagiri. The Erode stoppers who had a nice, warm, cozy, sleep on their comfortable beds reached home at various times the same day. As always, we've had our fair share of luck, excitement, and unpredictable conditions on our ride, a big thanks to all of the riders in the group for sticking together throughout. I am sure I cannot find a better set of riders than these guys.

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