Since I started cycling in Bangalore, I heard everyone/most of em' speaking of a hill; The Nandi. This Hill is considered as one of the best challenges that Bangalore surroundings has to throw to a cyclist. And what does a challenge mean to a nature's Freak?? Another possibility of playing around and killing time...
Therefore, since my first ride with the CAM guys to Jog, I was thinking of riding to Nandi.. Not a serious effort, but always toying with the idea. Couple of trips later, I grew confident that I could give it a shot. And So I settled upon an early November weekend to do it. I talked with a couple of guys to get more details on the ride and climb. Fixed a day with Anand and promised to join him on a Sunday morning, somewhere outside Bangalore.
However, things went high on Saturday evening with me binging at KFC and waking up next day afternoon!
And by then, all was done.. Nandi had eluded me.
But the spark did not die. It still remained, smoldering in some corner of my mind.
Life took on and I continued with my daily routine.
One weekend after the other were spent idling away.. and I felt the itch of giving Nandi ride another try. And so, it was fixed... accomplices or no, morning or noon.. I'll make it this time.
With everything set, I planned to set out for Nandi on the 28th. Woke up 6ish and got ready. Found myself Hungry with no food at home nor any open shops. Got Asala out and started riding to Mekhri circle. Not much traffic to be bothered about. Got a steady pace going inside the city. Stopped by the road side tea shop at Mekhri Circle and had tea. With every drop of that hot, sugary beverage, I believed that this was the day Nandi is conquered.
Set off again and after a couple of Kms, found the Cleated Warriors readying up for their 200 Miles mission. Stopped by and confirmed the route to Nandi. I somehow still do not like Roadies :P
Set off again, and covered 40 kms of so by 8'o clock by which the hunger pangs started clawing in my stomach again. Stopped by for idlis and another tea session. By now I had only seen 4 cyclists on the road (The Warriors). Everybody I consulted with had told me that there would be a lot of riders on the way.. But none to be seen for a long long way... Even the Warriors had blazed past me on their road bikes.
As I got up from the idlis and moved to another tea session, I caught a glimpse of another group of cyclists riding across the road. Just a glimpse. I finished off my tea cup and pedalled off to see if I was right :D
I caught up with a group someway down the road and tagged along.. a group of 3 roadies, 1 hybrid and 1 MTB. The roadies headed on ahead.. Us 3 tagged along to Nandi Hills turn.
*remember there still another 24 kms to go to Nandi base and 8 kms of climb yet remaining*
Finally I stopped by for tea and the group went off.. Now I had started seeing other riders coming from the opposite direction waving all kinds of victorious signs at me.
Finished tea quickly and headed off.. another 20 kms gobbled and reached a junction 4 kms off Nandi base. Another tea break. The group I had met was there waiting for breakfast. Told em I would catch em on the way and rode off..
Another 4 kms and I reached Nandi Base. Met Anand and couple other guys carbo-loading (that's what they call binging on idlis and dosas). Little chit chat and then headed on..
The view as you ride up the hill is mesmeric.. Large expanses of vegetation spanning for miles... and the frequent bikers, cyclists, autos and cars.. Planned to go up..
Stopped by for break after 2 kms.. saw a lot of roadies coming down. none going up.
By the 5th km., as i saw the ascent ahead, I had thought of climbing this thing no matter what. Kept stopping and taking breaks by every kilometer milestone.. and finally at the last bend got off the bike and walked across.
As I saw the huge fort like walls, I knew I had reached it..Got back on the bike and pedalled into the parking lot..
Nandi had been tamed.
The stats:
Pedalling time- 07:54:57
Total distance covered- 141.93 kms.
Max. Speed- 46.9 kmph
Average Speed- 17.9 kmph
...
Nandi climb- 01 hour 04 minutes..
Just another foe vanquished at the hands of ASALA...
Oh! And we rode all the way back too. clocking 142 kms in 8 hours of pedalling. :D
Until the next post,
Peace \../ \../
