Yelagiri Hills & Ambur Biryani

Route : Bellandur - EC - hosur - krishnagiri - yelagiri hill - vinayambadi (off-road) - ambur - krishnagiri - hosur - EC - Bellandur

Round trip distance : 386 KM

Trip Time : 5:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Riders & horses:

1. Praveen CJ on Thunderbird

2. Myself on Thunderbird

This trip is very important for both of us. As CJ leaving INDIA for his MS on July 7th, so CJ wanted to enjoy his ride and I am riding to Vijayawada (700 KM) next week, so I need to test my endurance on saddle. This trip helped both of us very much. How this trip was planned...? WhatsApp friends group. Its just finalized with 4 chats...

Me : Guys Saturday planning for bike trip.... will go early morning and come back by evening.... who wants to join....

Me : place is ur wish...

CJ : Lets go Saturday

CJ : Yelagiri

We knew it's not a good season to visit yelagiri... but who wants the destination? we just need a name to ride. Till now I did 4 trips but never got a chance to use my riding gear which I brought a month ago. Eagerly waiting to ride with full gear.

Yesterday filled 1000/- oil, tires inflation with nitrogen and 20 days back 2nd service done. So my bike is ready to ride. CJ has given his bike for basic checkup and got fixed headlight wires loose issue. We both are ready to go and decided to meet at silk-board junction at 5:30 AM. As we planned, CJ called me at 5 AM before he starts. For me just 10 mins ride to Silkboard...so I started 15 mins before and going slowly as the engine needs to heat up. sharply at 5:30 AM CJ joined me and decided to go through EC flyover and next stop is for breakfast. I have not removed my thermal lining from my brand new DSG NERO jacket... I am feeling horrible heat even at @80 speed. At EC toll gate I told to CJ about jacket issue, he said we can remove thermal lining. After removal, I felt so comfortable. We were riding @80 constantly and reached Anand Bhavan after 60 KM ride at 7 AM around.

We had lite breakfast and cleaned our helmet visors as they filled with butterfly dead bodies. CJ having magnetic water proof mobile pouch from his riding club. It helped greatly for continuous navigation. I have decided that I should get something like that. Ride resumed after 30 mins break. Next break is only for photo session at ghat roads and reached yelagiri lake by 9:30 AM. Roads are butter smooth 2 lane till natrampally diversion. From there single lane village road, but in good condition. There is railway crossing in this road and some old dirty AC train is about to cross. Even a tortoise can go faster than that train.

No.of turns in the Ghat section is less, but the hill view is superb and everyone should stop for few pics. Eucalyptus trees given real beauty to the entire hill and smells like ZANDOO BALM. Entry ticket for Lake is 10/- and extra 5/- for camera. Nice weather near the lake at 11 AM also. There is no security inside the lake compound. Local kids are going into lake edge and catching fishes/crabs. We played "Stones skipping" game for some time and then just sat on side wall of lake. We felt for a movement that we are in heaven.

I heard about another lake, paragliding and small waterfalls, but we thought it's not a great season to visit those places. Around at 11 AM, we started for Ambur. It was not in our yesterday plan, it's just decided after breakfast while checking for route map. Took nearly 1 Hr to descend the hill because of long photo shoot.

Ambur comes directly on Highway road, but GMAP cheated us and routed through some lengthy off-road. Somehow off-road through villages also good, as we have escaped highway heat at mid day 1 PM. We inquired locals for best Biryani Hotel, they suggested STAR BIRYANI. lucky it is on main road only. Though its small hotel with AC, Biryani taste is awesome. We both finished 3 Biryani in 10 mins, yes we are in a such a hunger. Chicken Biryani price is 110/- and the quantity is not sufficient for single person. Mutton Biryani is not that good. Took 15 mins rest and started at 1:30 PM. we checked the route, its a direct route of 160 KM till Bangalore from hotel with only one diversion at krishnagiri junction.

We reached EC tollgate by 4 PM exactly with two 15 mins halts in between. We covered 150 KM in 2 Hrs. We were literally on clouds with a zooming speed of 120 KMPH. We took 10 mins break to say bye bye to each other, as we both go different ways from silkboard.

We told each other "one day in our life's we are going to meet and going for another ride"

CJ and Me: