Chennai – Salem – Yercaud – Salem – Chennai Trip

Ramesh Kumar

Chennai – Salem

Chennai – 58 – Kanchipuram – 69 – Vellore – 119 – Krishnagiri – 40 – Dharmapuri – 75 – Salem

I am not exactly a biking freak but I had a long standing desire / pet project to go on a trip away from home. The planning started somewhere in Feb’05 when myself and my friend Keshav Bapat went on a trip to Pondicherry. Incidentally he also has a TVS Victor. The flawless performance of his bike motivated me to undertake this venture.

Many inputs went into the planning. Initially I floated this idea within my group. The general response I got was ‘You are Crazy’. At one point I stopped asking for views on my pet project. During July-August I started making maps from a website multimap.com. I could have as well easily purchased maps but why not relish each moment of the planning? I selected the Krishnagiri way since it was National Highway all the way and also had an idea that there will be less traffic due to less busses running on this road.

Last few days went into planning for my bike. Had my bike go through 6th service, observing the service quite closely. Two days before the journey I purchased a spare spark plug knowing quite well that every 8000 Km spark plug needs to be changed and also knowing that long nonstop runs quite touching the full speed may cause the plug to go bust (I didn’t have to change the plug after all). Finally, I got myself a brand new steel bird helmet.

There was no anxiety before the journey. Probably the anxiety factor got reduced aided by the fact that I may abort any time before starting the trip or even before the ‘point of no return’ (Halfway to Salem). The only thing that I had to keep my fingers crossed was - the bike getting a puncture.

So, on Thursday night 11th August (the night before the journey) I slept at 10 pm. I woke on 12th at 2 am and didn’t get sleep after that. I had nearly convinced myself that since I have not slept properly I would abort the trip. But, by 4 am my tummy was clear. I seriously started debating whether I should go on the trip or not. The pros were 2 days extra leave with 3 days of leave including 15th Aug (Monday), Saturday and Sunday, clean tummy, sleeplessness and lots of time that too early in the morning. The cons were less sleep during the previous night, what would people say and the risk of traveling alone.

So, at 4.15 am convincing myself that if I don’t go on this trip I will remember myself as denying a golden opportunity to have a long ride and also missing an opportunity to commemorate my Victors crossing of 10000 Km in style, I decided to push off. I had a bath, packed my bag and was near my bike by 4.35 am. Debating whether to hang the bag on my bike or to tie it to the seat, I decided tying to the seat would be good for my butt and back. So, tied the bag to the seat, said a small prayer noted the meter reading (9841 Km) and started the vehicle at 4.45 am.

Getting out of Chennai was a feat in itself. The roads were dark and much potholed. Outside the city the road was very bad till Sriperumbudur. I had expected that but I didn’t know it would take me close to an hour to get away from civilization. Anyways at a stretch I crossed Sriperumbudur and was close to Kanchipuram. I decided to take my first break at meter reading 9911 Km (70Km run @ 6.10am). At this point I decided to go visit Kanchipuram and abort the trip, but after a 10 min break feeling refreshed I decided to push on and reach Salem. Then there was no stopping.

The National highway had started long ago. It was mostly 2 laned on either side with a wide partition in between. But mostly till Krishnagiri one side or the other side was blocked hence it was either left side of the highway where both the onward and return traffic plied or the right side.

The next break was at 10,000 Km, (89Km run @ 8.10 am; 15 min break) probably the whole point of engaging on such a trip. The circumstances were not at all impressive. It was on the right side of the lane with a farmer clearing a burnt out field. I took a long break of 15 min and then was off.

I promptly got lost at Vellore. Instead of taking a right turn at Vellore fort I took a left turn and went deep into Vellore. I lost close to 15 Km but decided to fill in my petrol tank and filled in I did with 300 Rs of petrol close to 6.78 lt. Then off I was without a break.

The next stop was at 10046 Km. (46 Km run @ 9.15 am; 15 min break). The break was on a road side dhaba (taba – in Tamil). I had 4 idlis, 2 vada and 1 tea and paid only 8 Rs/-; 205 Km from home. I calculated I am past my ‘point of no return’ (ie. I may as well go forward then return to Chennai).

The landscape had changed dramatically at about 100 Km changing from flat landscapes to rocky outcrops. Most of the houses/ shops were half broken probably because of expanding the national highway. Also the road was creepy because of absence of any major towns and traffic the whole way – the road bypassed all major habitats.

The next stop in the journey was at 10093 Km (47 Km @10.25 am; 10 min break) after crossing Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri. The last break came at 10153 Km (60 Km @ 11.55 am 10 min break). Post the break I had a nonstop run till Salem 10220 Km (67 Km @ 1 pm 25 min break). Called up home and conveyed my safe arrival and made the last km ride to home @ 1.25 pm.

Salem – Yercaud – Salem

Salem – 30 – Yercaud – 30 – Salem

Feeling bored on 13th evening I decided to take a spin on my Victor meter reading 10221. Actually one of dadis’ students was to come for Veena lessons so I decided I may as well go out rather than stay in.

Initially I went out to see my fathers plot at the foothills of Yercaud. I reached there at 6 pm and was pleasantly surprised that I could locate the plot (It is located quite in the interior and difficult to locate – for my father too), then had a chat with mother on phone. Being quite close to the foot hills I decided to go a km or so and enjoy at the sunset from a vantage point. I began the climb at 10229 Km (@ 6.10 pm). I was surprised how well my victor took the climb. Mostly it was like running on a flat surface in 4th gear with no cribbing on part of my Victor. The climb became addictive. Finally my senses kicked in quite close to the summit and I stopped at 10248 (19Km @ 6.40 pm). I had planned to take the Yercaud trip on 14th morning, but here I was near the Yercaud summit 1.75 Km above MSL. Personally Yercaud didn’t hold any charm for me as I had visited only on the last trip. Anyways I saw the sunset and it became quite dark by then. Then fear kicked in, fear of not telling any one, fear of being alone on top of the summit, fear of going down in the dark. The only plus that I could manage was cold breeze and a splendid sunset. How I wish I had a camera with me. I don’t have a camera and couldn’t beg/borrow/steal one before the journey.

Anyway the climb down began at 7 pm and was mostly one of ‘who dares wins’ kinds. It would cause heart attack to most of the readers but I cannot hide from my log. The climb down was at best with all rules of mountain climbing/ descending broken. The whole way down was with the engine switched off, using only the brakes. Initially I trailed an Activa for some distance for the light it threw on the road. Then decided to stop and enjoy the scene (hands were aching by applying the brakes). Then I went for some distance in moonlight, post that I trailed an Omni, with good music playing in that Omni for quite a while (he was startled to find me shadowing him). Post that I trailed a gang of 3 motorcycles and then a triples bike. Finally at the foothills I kicked my bike into life and went off to the nearest petrol bunk. I filled in 200 Rs/- worth of petrol (4.5lts) and returned at 8 pm to dadis house, just on the gate closing time (meter reading 10276Km 55 Km).

14th and 15th I stayed in the house enjoying good food and good rest. The return trip I decided to take the well worn route from Villipuram. I had not prepared for this route and was quite apprehensive I may get lost. Initially I also debated going diagonally via Tiruvannamalai which I dropped after knowing that the road would be quite narrow and difficult in spite of being quite close to the ‘as the crow flies’ distance. One of my uncles at Salem gave me directions and off I was on Tuesday morning.

Salem – Chennai

Salem – Attur – Kallakkurichchi – Villipuram – Tindivanam – Chingleput – Tambaram –Velachery – Chennai

This morning I got up after a good nights sleep and feeling quite refreshed. Got ready at a leisurely pace and had good Dadis dosas, and started from home sharp at 8 am meter reading 10276 Km. On the way out of Salem I promptly got lost, filled air in the tyres, and generally spent 20 min searching for the Chennai Road. Finally I hit pay dirt at 8.20 am, and was very disheartened to see that the road to Chennai was badder than the baddest bad. My speed was very less and even at soft suspension for my Victor I was having the most jarring ride of my life. I was sympathizing my back and my butt and was calculating ETA Chennai which was getting quite postponed seeing my speed hover at around 45 kmph. Anyway I reached Attur at meter reading 10335 Km (59 Km @ 9.40 am).

After Attur the road was a dream all the way to Chennai. Smooth and with directions all the way to Chennai (only a dumbo would get lost). The traffic was also very little and quite well behaved. My first break came at meter reading 10377 Km (42 Km @ 10.15 am; 20 min break). I took a long break of 20 minutes enjoying the scene around and stealing a sugar cane from the field. It tasted quite super even though it was only a baby cane. Any way I started soon after that. My mind was nagging for a bigger better sugar cane and soon stopped at meter reading 10404 Km (37 @ 11.20 am; 20 min break). I stole a bigger better sugarcane and broke it using my hands and knees, enjoyed the whole cane, (I have a sore mouth till today 19th Aug), and stole another for my friends back home. I soon started and decided to make up lost time and reach Chennai before dark.

I had a lunch break at meter reading 10476 Km (72 Km @ 1.10 pm; 25 min break). The lunch was at a taba (dhaba). The food was good for the price of 10 Rs only; Unlimited with all kinds of sambar, rasam etc. I was feeling bad about eating so much during my journey. The taba walla offered chicken and seeing a cheap price of 25 Rs per plate and also the freshness I settled for it. (I must admit I am quite finicky about taking non veg any-where and had butterflies in my stomach till 3 days after wards – Thank God and my stomach I digested it).

Post lunch I started my bike and went nonstop till 10520 Km. Here I saw a Murgan Kovil on a hill top, and couldn’t resist climbing it. Any ways on the top people conveyed that the lord has gone out for collecting Dakshina (well this is what I understood; I may be entirely wrong as I know no Tamil). I lost 10 min and 3 Km here.

Post the detour, I kept going till my butt cried for a break at meter reading 10548 Km ( 72 Km @ 2.50 pm; 10 min break). Post that I reached Tambaram meter reading 10600 Km (52 Km @ 4 pm; 15 min break – I sent SMS to parents and uncle @ Chennai to convey my safe arrival), and took a detour via Velachery to home meter reading 10623.5Km (23 Km; @ 4.40 pm). This time my butt was really aching and I called up home and dadi to convey my safe arrival. It started raining only after I reached home.

The return journey thankfully I didn’t need to take tea/ coffee to keep my self awake. The whole landscape was quite stimulating in itself. Also an observation, I couldn’t have done this journey without helmet as traveling at 60+ kmph small insects can be real dangerous projectiles. On the journey from Chennai to Salem a small insect hit my only exposed part - hands and believe me it hurt for 1 week with huge swelling in my thumb. The whole visor was splattered with dead insects on both the onward and return journey.

I don’t know whether I would repeat such a feat but, I am by now quite addicted to the feel of biking. I must admit the journey is slower than going by bus or train or flight for that matter but the feeling of true pleasure cannot be missed on for any price. Probably the Bajaj Avenger ad (may sound quite superfluous) sums up the feeling ‘I feel like God’.