17- 18 June 2023

With an ominous name which means ‘Mountain of Death’, Kolli Hills or Kollimalai are a mountain range located in the Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu. It is relatively untouched by commercial tourism and therefore has retained most of its natural magnificence. 

The mountain is famous for not only their natural beauty but also have religious significance because of the Arappaleshwar Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The peak is accessible via road as well and the road leading up to it is winding with several twists and turns.

There was a lot of enthusiasm among the new riders discussing various issues on riding technique, ride essentials to be carried along, the timing it will take to reach the destination, riding gears etc.

This time there were many different segments of bike categories involved and this was a great challenge.

There was a lot of brain storming sessions between the Knights and the sponsors to make the event as safe as possible. Riding through the plains was definitely an important task, but manoeuvring such huge group of riders through the ghats of Kolli hills was challenging. 

Risk Management and damage control techniques was discussed. The overall group was sub divided into four groups accommodating new riders in each group. The Marshalls were appointed based on their experience. A Lead, Sweep & Tail were assigned to each group. Flag off briefing points were planned at the starting point as well as at the foothill.

I had the opportunity to Tail group 3. I just recollected my previous first ride to Ooty, where I was not able to keep up the pace with other riders, I had a fear to ride above 80 kmph, my next biggest fear was riding the ghats of Ooty and today I stood tall to manage a group, to ride the most dangerous ghats of the South India. All this was achieved by participating the rides with The Knight Ryders club. 

As planned all the Marshalls reported early on the day of the ride, we were briefed to keep the group tight. By 4.30 am other riders stated assembling and within few minutes the briefing started.

By exactly 5.00 am the first group of 21 riders roared off, followed by 2nd, 3rd & 4th group. Our next break was at 99 cafe. The 1st and 2nd group were assigned a spot for their tea break, the 3rd and 4th were assigned another spot just to reduce the rush at a single place. By this time, we were aware how many of the new riders were lagging to keep up the pace with the group. The Tail and Sweep discussed with each individual rider to overcome their fear. After a 15 minutes break, as planned all the machines rolled through the GST road. 

Our next stop was Ulundurpettai for breakfast and later after few small breaks we reached the foothills of Kollihills where the riders refuelled and the briefing took place. All the riders were asked to clarify their doubts, every rider was asked to ride on a lower gear maintaining at least a distance of two bikes between each other.

The ride followed through the 70 plus hairpin bends and we reached our resort as per the plan by 12:55 pm. It was a beautiful lake resort with absolutely no water in the lake, which came as a surprise to all of us. None of the riders seem to be exhausted. We parked our motorcycle and all the riders were allotted room accommodating 3 to 5 in each room. The weather was cloudy throughout the ride and Kolli gave a pleasant welcome. The resort provided us with a moderate quality food, later some of the riders left for Aagaya Gangai water falls which was located 12 kms from the resort. 

Aagaya Gangai is an enchanting 300 feet waterfall formed on River Aiyaru. The fall is enclosed with the dense forest which increases its charm and grandeur.  It is situated in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. The picturesque landscape created by the waterfall is an ideal destination for nature lovers.

The location is ideal for trekking. The water of the falls is considered to contain medicinal properties due to the varieties of medicinal herbs grown across the forest which makes it a natural spa. People here believe that taking bath in the water cures many diseases. Owing to this attribute, people from nearby areas take baths in the water to cure their diseases.
To reach the waterfall riders had to walk down through 1300 steps which took around 30 minutes one way. Some of us rode through the town and did some videography.

Journey back home for the eagles back to their loved ones, as all the riders finished their morning chores and assembled to leave, the mountains blessed us by light showers to make the moment more beautiful. All the riders lined up according to their group and riding positions. It just took me few words to describe the line up, but the admins and the marshals put their best effort     to make sure the riders are in their position before the roll out. The final call from the captains came at 8.45 am and the groups started their decent sequentially. This time it was   good to notice the new riders were more disciplined and organised. The decent was through Rasipuram where the scenic beauty of the majestic Kolli was observed. As I peeled off from the group at Aathur towards Salem, the group  continued their journey towards Chennai.

As the group was cruising through Deviyakurichi-Chinnasalem-Kallakurchi-Ulundurpet stretch of almost 75 Kms they were hit by a sudden downpour of very heavy rainfall, this created a chaos in group 3 & 4. Riders started scattering, some started taking shelter under whatever came first to prevent themselves from getting wet. The situation was brought under control by the swift action of the 3 marshals, let me name them (Naveen, Jaga & Chandru), within no time they regrouped all the riders and made sure no one was left behind and successfully joined the other groups waiting for them at Ulundurpet. The Knights and the sponsors were all praises to have handled the situation very efficiently.  

Overall, all went well with some small hiccups enroute. The riders reached their homes between 6.00 to 7.00 pm. Later most of the riders shared their videos and photographs and also thanking the organisers and the Knights for the awesome ride experience they had during the trip, and the beautiful trip to Kolli hills concluded.

It is always said that riding is 99% full of risk, we agree …… but when we ride with the brotherhood …… we forget the pain ….. we forget the mis-happenings in life ……. we enjoy the gust of the wind hitting our faces …… we enjoy the speed and at the end of the day…… we feel rejuvenated.

Thank you for your time.

RIDE TILL THE LAST MILE

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