India's Killer Climb 'kallahatty'

Posted by Rajasundharam at August 18, 2016

Climbing a mountain is always an adventure. It's like calibrating our ability and reaching the top is like overcoming your comfort zone.

2637 meters above the sea level which is the highest peak in Nilgiri, 45 riding hours to cover 639km, 5 enthusiastic riders.

Yes, done, and dusted.

We are so confident and excited 

All set to roll my heart started pumping abnormally I said myself cool Raju you can do it. Much needed word at that time.

Day 1: we rode 250km started from Bangalore we rode through Mysore,gundallpet, Bandipur Mudumalai, Masanagudi, from Bangalore to Mysore is like a roller coaster since it's completely a rolling terrain it's a beautiful route both the side you will find lots of greenery and also you will find lots of food options.

Finding shades to take some rest can save you from the heat. 

Mysore is famous for its palace so A royal arch to welcome you will be so good.

Riding from Mysore to gundallpet was really an awesome experience since u will find river crossing sunflower fields and again it's a rolling terrain but u will enjoy riding because of the viewing experience.

Suddenly the climate got changed and started raining just imagine rain after a hot sunny day.

Riding cycle in rain will be everyone's childhood happiness even for me, the best part of every travel is to bring back your childhood memories. I was thinking of the days when I keep my raincoat inside my bag and riding cycle in the stagnated rainwater and get scold from the parents for not using raincoat. Sun is ready to sign off for the day and seeing the sunset in that tiered after riding 200km is the best gift for any traveler.

A day full of sun, uphill, headwinds, rain, and a beautiful, sunset to end our day 1.

it was like a practice ride for the next big day we need enough rest after riding 250km so we booked a room and stayed in gundallpet. 

Day 2: After a night of deep sleep we started in the early morning towards Bandipur unfortunately, forest guards stopped us saying cycles are not allowed but we request and we explained our one line of this trip than he suggested to take a tempo and he only referred a guy and we moved forward to cross the jungle in a tempo with our cycles

After crossing Bandipur and Mudumalai we 

reached the place where we need to decide whether we have to take a right which goes through goodaloor or left which goes through Masanagudi 

We decided to take left and a few meters forward we found the beautiful iron bridge 

After this bridge, we felt like we reached heaven's climate to become cold and riding a road filled with full of trees. It's like a black mate in between the tree we just enjoyed the climate and the greenery 

The Mountain is visible now. this road is going to take us to the killer climb, we are so much excited to ride. beauty in all the side what else a rider or a travel want. Clouds covered the mountains by seeing itself, I feel the chillness. 

after riding all the blissful roads finally, we reached 36th hairpin bend the toughest and challenging day in my life is ahead of me. We saw the board 36/36 which is officially considered as the starting point of hairpin bends.

Already people are tired due to the day one ride so I was saying about the killer climb to my fellow riders they understood the toughness and importance. Finally, we stood in front of the board 36/36.

I said, come on guys it's our turn let's push and conquer the hill

Here the countdown starts it was 45-degree incline and distance between each bends also high we started to push 36 became 35, 34, So on.

The beauty of the road and the valley was breathtaking.

That is the only way to get make you calm from the pain.

 happy to see each board and it motivated us to push harder bikers, cars, and people who passed by are waving at us yelling great, a good job few stopped us and gave water and motivated us. We slowly climbing up sun signed off for the day we are at 17th hairpin bend.

Stopped for a break and arranged light and reflecting jacket. Got back the energy and started again my eyes searching the notification board and saying to my fellow riders 16 more come on guys come on only a few more to reach 16 became 12,11,10,9 

We were so happy yes, we entered into the single-digit, only 8 more guys. Sudden change in the climate became cold, started Drizzling, the road was so silent, good smell and beautiful moonlight just enjoyed the nature along with the pain Board shows 5/36 I said myself, yeah only 4 more come on Raju push and 4,3,2 and finally the epic 1 when I saw the 1/36 board I asked a guy who passed by Anna is this the last one are we have 0/36 also he said no this is the last hairpin bend. I was so happy started screaming parked my bike and celebrated the successful climb

From there 36 became my favorite number 

We thought of coming down on the same day but climbing took lots of time and it's 12 o'clock boys are so tired we all in cycling dress no thermals all are in shivering cold one of the rider went below a van so that he can get some heat from the engine. I felt so bad and asked for a resting place in few hotels since it is a long weekend all the rooms were booked. then I requested a hotel to share a lobby with few blankets also I explained our situation and he got shocked to know that we came all the way from Bangalore so he wanted to help us and he arranged a room for our 5 people we don't know how we slept in that pain and tiredness. It was a fulfilled day of my life.

Day 3: The next day we got up and got ready to climb down than we thought we have reached all the way, only 10km more to reach the highest peak in the Nilgiris hills so I motivated all are agreed in that pain another 10 more km guys come on.

Climbing this killer climb itself a great thing for us but how I can restrict myself without climbing Doddabetta it's really a visual treat to climb the highest peak in Nilgiris

while climbing up people wanted to take a selfie with us more than 5lakh people came to visit as tourists but we 5 are unique we are so happy and we showed them that even by cycle we can reach the top.

We peddled, we accepted pain, we struggled in different situations, we climbed and we conquered. 

I had the best time of my life we got back home with all the beautiful memories.

We road all the way back to Bangalore the next day