Days back, Sarath from the 60kph group posted a Request For Riders (RFR) and opportunity knocked on my door. Opportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no time with those who are unprepared. I saw the opportunity to cross mekedhatu with the Thunderbird and I was still screaming for more. After touch-basing with Sarath on the 60kph forum, we decide to leave 4 days later on a Saturday. These 4 days gave me ample time to plan ride and synchronize with the forest officials for permission to ride on the fabled forest road between sangam and muthathi.
The Plan
A quick plan was hatched among (pretty much almost among) the riders
Pre-Ride
I obtain permission from the forest department for sarath, his wife, and me, to protect ourselves against trespassing and definite arrest.
Ride
Ride from Bangalore to Sangam,
Ride From Sangam to Mekehat, Across the river (this was my idea of fun)
Back from mekedhat to Sangam
Sangam to Galibore (here is where the forest permission comes needed)
And Galibore to Muthathi
Muthathi to Bheemeshwari
Lunch at Bheemeshwari (organized by the kind grace of Sarath - the Chief Naturalist of Galibore)
Back to Bangalore.
I then touch base with Mr Sarath of Jungle Lodges and tell him of my plan. He was visibly very, very upset that we were riding on bikes on the jungle trail. He even conveyed his feeling about our selfishness and warned us about the elephants. But the forest permission had already been sought for and there was not much he could do. But like all sports, he offered us lunch at bheemeshwari. Special thanks to you Sarath of Jungle Lodges, you were a major source of information. The bikes were definitely non polluting Thunderbird and a Std 350
The Ride Day
We are scheduled to meet up at Khodays Factory Kanakpura Road. But out our-of-towner biker boy Sarath was hovering around katriguppe. After synching on phone, we meet way away from our intended spot in a petrol bunk where I was checking tyre pressure.
We planned to meet at 08:00 hours and its now 08:30. This called for a Non-Stop dash to Kanakapura. We stopped at a lovely kanakapura restaurant that serves breakfast (Its called Raju Hotel) and then I went to the forest department on permit business. Special thanks to this non-corrupt, adventure loving, speedy procedural department.
Bidding adieu to this lazy town, we move towards sangam on the dodda-alla-dahally road.
Mekedhatu is a notified property. This means vehicles just cant enter that place. Two condemned busses lie there that are used to transport passengers across the 4 kilometer forest trail. These two busses are refueled by jerri-cans and do not cross the river. You, the traveler are supposed to cross the river by foot.
Crossing the arkavathi river by bikes, we land on the other bank of sangam. My partner-rider, sarath's, poor wife had to cross walking. Wet sands, 1st gear, sliding thunderbird. This was my idea of fun. Realizing that we are in notified area, un-willing to violate the law for adventure, we back out and get back to sangam.
Sangam to Galibore
Galibore is a fishing camp that is situated on the bank of river cauvery, 9 kilometers from mekedhat. This is run by Jungle Lodges and its famous for those huge fishes. The approach to Galibore is a road (what road????), a mud trail that runs along side river cauvery. Stopping by a huge white tree (terminus arjuna) we were found chilling out by the bank of the river.
After being stopped at galibore by the Jungle Lodge guys, permit in hand, we were let off with a warning that the gate is closed.
The warning looming over my head, we left galibore towards muthathi, again on a rough unexplored road. For some reason I thought the route was just 4 kilometers long. But as we continued riding the end of the road was as evasive as it could get. Dogged with high ups and downs, the trail was getting tougher and tougher. The thunderbird was at its best but the standard 350 was leaking oil. Sharath then confronts me, if we don't see road in 15 minutes, we ride back to sangam. After a small meeting and assuring sarath that the end of the road is near, we are back to what we do best... riding. Note how good you feel after you have encouraged someone else. No other argument is necessary to suggest that never miss the opportunity to give encouragement.
In time I see a gate and a beautiful tar road outside it. Sarath has reached first. The forest gate is closed.
I am damn hungry. Is this why we ran around for so long? Is this the reward? A Tide of panic shakes my body, propagates through my nerves, blood rushing up my head, despair approaching me, I switch the engine off and sit on the bike while I ponder. Leadership has been defined as the ability to hide your panic from others. I was like the Prince Of Persia who was caught in the 7th level when the door closes. Ideas come pouring, maybe we carry the bikes over the forest check post gate…..
Then like the mouse who opens the gate in Prince Of Persia, Sarath, alights from the bike and opens the gate… The forest guards at muthathi were given the wireless message from kanakpura and they kept the gate open!
Crossing Muthathi, we then ride to cauvery fishing camp in bheemeshwari and have a great lavish non vegetarian buffet. After the wonderful service bestowed on us, I leave this wonderful place, indebted to Sarath (for whom we had food) and the guards who were kind and hospitable to us.
Warned by the guards not to go thru Halgoor due to bad roads, we just did just that. Leaving bheemeshwari and heading to halgoor, the roads were initially a pain.
Halgoor-Kanakpura-kaalglipura-
