Trip to Agumbe (Riding through the rain)

Arun, Vijay and Me ofcourse... (June 23rd and 24th of 2007)

Credit goes to Arun... My many thanks. I get introduced to the Monsoon ride when Vijay calls me mentioning about the trip they were planning. The destination was "Agumbe". The plan was to ride from Bangalore to Agumbe through Hasan - Chikmangulur - Koppa and while coming back Agumbe to Bangalore through Kundadri - Shimoga - Thumkur. 

Though I want keen on making the trip learning that we were only 3 and considering the Stormy night, gusty winds, treacherous forests, hardly visible, densely fogged cliff side roads. Arun has a way of motivating us by publishing photos of his previous trip to this place. Couldn't deny...

Let me take the pleasure of motivating you reader with the photos from Arun's previous years trip to this place.

The Perfect tour bike (Arun's Bike). I don't think I have to specially speak about a 225 Indian Honda monster... Its just awesome, no doubt about it. Thought a little exaggerated, just so you know I maintain the same babe… without further deferment... let me dive into trip that you are eagerly waiting for. 

The roads while driving to Agumbe are very scenic and one can easily be lost gazing at them. This being the place with 2nd highest rainfall in India, govt. still manages to have good roads. Lush Green, Colorful flowers and dark skies through out.

Started at around 1930 from Bangalore. As we took off on our delightful ride, rain too started showing the ugly side of its face... 




Couldn't continue with the rain poring down and pitch dark roads... planned to stay back at a place called Kunnigal 50 Km away from bangalore ( famous for tatta idli, size of a Dosa). Reached at around 2230 had some good drinks to warm us up and a few plates of chicken fry along with chapatis...

For me this beeing the first trip to the place, unaware of what is hidden at the place and on the ways was in full enthu to reach the spot...

Next day at around 0800 hrs we started off from kunnigal after having the famous tatta idlis for breakfast... Though we knew about the rains on the way as the monsoon had jus started off and was in its full glory... there were a few more surprises in store for us in the form of Cross winds... Had to stop almost every half and hour to take some rest after the great battle with the winds on the roads.

Ha! we had finally reached Hasan. As the last guy on the drive track, Vijay was always laughing all the while long looking at the way we were driving, unaware that he was doing the same too... We were literally going zig zag on the roads at a max speed of 40Km/hr... cutting through the cross winds...

As we took off from Hasan towards Chickmangalur, the winds were now proving their real streangth. Me and Vijay in the pics...

On the way to Chickmangalur, We had stopped here to admire the winds as we could not ride.

"You know you are going to fall..but you are yet to fall..and that feel continuous for hours..thats one form of torture I say! at turns it was really scary.. one spot, the scorpio behind me slammed brakes and started honking at me to stop..my bike was dancing that much to both ends of the road.. :D" - Arun.

Finally i guess it was time for us to take a longer break... Couldnt continue with the same kind of torture as arun mentioned before for hrs togather...

Couldnt light a cigarette... struggling hard... Finally lit one and relaxed for some time... Had some cakes and then admired the beauty of nature after attending nature calls...

The best of all was that me and arun were literally shivering due to cold and the winds... Luck Vijay had managed to bring in a full lenght rain coat covered from top to bottom.

Any ways din want to waste time so took off from there to chickmangalur... Had a good lunch at chickmangulur spent some time relaxing again. Had good kerala parathas and panner butter masala at a good daba almost at the end of the town.
Me zooming away in the zuma... and Vijay far ahead of mee... This sign board would give you a better idea... We have jus crossed chickmangalore and on the way to Koppa... From that sign board Koppa is about 80 Km away and Agumbe is around 40 Km from koppa...

when we were just thinking that the rains have stopped and the winds have settled there was a new surprise waiting for us to unfold... "The Fallen Trees"... There were lot of uprooted tree fallen on the road blocking our way. But the drive from there was great... It was all hilly section most of it looking fresh washed by the rain.

While on the way... Tungabadra was actually roaring with the rain water and was rushing to meet the see... Rain had completely stopped and the road from there was a little shattered till we crossed the next village in between...

Now thats what you call Luck... On how many trips will you ever have a chance to see all these adventures togather...

The tree must have fallen around an hour ago and there was a big traffic jam... Our three bikes... :). There were villagers helping us by cutting the tree ends and making way for us...

It also started to rain from there but thank god there was not wind due to the big trees in their path... At around 1730hrs reached koppa. We were wishing to see the sunset point if not for the sun atleast for the view... The rains were so heavy that nothing was visible.

Now it was getting darker and had to make a quicker move and reach agumbe in time before it gets too dark...

But the scenic spots in between were so eye catching that there was no go but to stop... There was an abndened bridge which had been replaced by a new and a wider one...

Stopped for a while as usual relaxed and started off with some great memories and enthu to reach Agumbe...

The road... was almost like slipping away... The feeling that you might fall any time during the drive but zooming at 80km/hr looking around the place not to miss the glorious views around was the best of the drive i can say i have ever taken... We moved on as there were more coming up and the night was falling upon us...

Did not want to miss the rest of them so made a move from there...

Now almost at Agumbe, it had stopped raining and suddenly...

A Bangalore Chickmangalore bus trying to over take another vehicle got stuck in the mud. No casualties though. Started off from there and finally reached the most awaited sopt "Agumbe".

We reached Agumbe at around 2100 hrs... The disaster was that the place where we wanted was already booked by some one else (Inspection Bunglow). As fas as we knew that was the only place available in the entire agumbe where we could saty... The watchman's wife told us that there is a new lodge that has been constructed a month ago at the bus stand and we could try there...

The place was even better than the inspection Bunglow and the room was great. The name of the Place was maliya Lodging We got all our stuff there and had a sound sleep.

Next day in the morning at around 0800 hrs... The sleepy agumbe...we three got ready by 0900 hrs in the mornig for the treck... Opposit to our As it was raining heavily and the place was damp a new threat started... " The Leach". Blood sucking, rubbery leaches were poping out of the ground as they started to feel our body heat...

Now at the top of the View point from where we could see the great Barkana falls, rated as 2nd tallest in indai and 305th position in the world stands there waiting for us to spread the word of its beauty...

It was a beautiful drive to the foot of the hill from where we had get on to our feet and walk for an other good 5 Km.

The raod was either full of dence vegitation of completely open land covered with thick layer of grass...

After parking our bikes we took off on foot along with our guide, a rickshaw puller... He gave us an anti leach repellant what he called "Tambaku” also popularly know as "Tobacco Leaves" he he... Thought of eating it but you see were using it for removing the leaches stuck to our legs and happily feeding on our hot blood.

As we started off there were a lot of falled trees blocking us from reaching the top... Our guide was helping us in cutting them down and making path for us. No rain and the day was bright though the sun was stuck in the clouds...

From Here its about the silence and the beauty of it, can only be heard with the ear of the mind.

Now almost at the top of the view point... There "Barkana" the Magnificent view of it...

The most surpising thing was the that rain was not from the sky but from the foot of the hill being pushed but the winds and carried along wiht it while trying to cross the hill... The winds were so stern that we were almost being pushed away...

Oops i almost forgot introducting our guide...

Mr. Thimappa (Rickshawala by profession and lives some where close to the hills...) Says that these views are best seen during the month of October and November as there would be no leach threat nor the pour of rain...

The fog in the valley was like filling up and clearing the very next minute... was jus amamzing experience...

The lush, Fresh green surroundings are so good to see that you forget your self and keep starging at the magnificant view...

Even if you reach close enough to the falls to admire it... there is only one way you can see it... That is from the top of it... wanna see that then better be there in the month of October or November.

While you stand at the top... These are the three view that you would get to see...

The Left View

The Right View

The Bottom middle view...

Clock wise...

Now i guess its time for the the back view...

Me, Vijay and Thimappa...

The wind and the rain was so harsh that we could barely stand the cold and bitter blow of the breze... The forst behind us is so dence that any thing could come out at any time...

Now as it was almost 1300 hrs we thougth of hittin the road again, we still had to visit a few other sopts and was running short of time...

Time for the next falls... Vijay had a collection of leaches of all sized by the time we hit the foot of the hill...
He was rather ejoying being bitten by the blood suckers...

On the way back Couldnt miss the Jogi Gundda falls....

On the way back to our lodge from the trek and the falls it was so misty that the road was barely visible...

Now time for some hot lunch... Drenched tired and hungry we reached the only non vegetarian restaurant available there " The Taj ".

Had some delecious plates of chicken biriyani... with a few parthas...

As always Pans and cigs...

Packed and started off from Agumbe at around 1530hrs as arun had anticipated to reach the next point called the kondadri hill... There at the top lies a beautiful establishment of Gautam Buddha...

The part of the hill at the top covered with fog is the place we are going...

" The Kondadri "

A very famous trecking spot but recently a road has been layed to the top of the hill... There also is a resting place for the treckers to stay in the night and enjoy the cold.

A huge road block again... Nothing to do... Me and vijay started to break the branched trying to make way while arun was investigating what best can be cone... Finally came to a conclusion that we have could move one bike and make a double trip to the top... Perfect Off roading what i call it to be... Arun with his cute fingure... ;).

Thats the temple at the top... Some one had already been there and poojas were done...

A head less statue wiht his two wives next to him... The last spot of the journey and took oof to Shimoga at around 1900hrs...

There ends the story nothing more to say... we were jus ripping all the while in the night and reached Bangalore by 0300hrs in the morning...

No casualties hence here we are telling the story ...

The three expeditioners...
Arun Kumar Panner Selvam
Vijay Kumarn Murugasen
Vimal Adithya Reddy (ME)

Thank you and More prictures yet to come.... Keep wathching...