Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Day 156 - Aug 11- Tamini Ghat and Karloi Beach

Aug11 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Share and Plan your Trips

344 KMs Trip meter 21885 KMs

Joined PraveenS And Ashwin on monsoon ride on the western ghats. Its been long time for me on a group ride and this will be great fun. Plan was to ride out by 10.30 but the typical laziness and we had to change the engine oil too. Finally hit the road by like 12.30 Ride out of the busy pune streets and out on the hills. Its rain country and we are soon made to crawl into our rain gear. It all felt familiar, riding on broken roads with rain and the hurry to get there. Take a break paradise resort before Tamini ghats for a quick bite. Which turned out to be a long break. But the time there was well spent. The resort had a great view. We then move on towards Kundalika view point. The space now opens up give a treat to the eyes. Its light and glowing green every where. Never seen such bright grass before. Many waterfalls adorning the hills. We then take a detour for the Kundalika view point. It was a small road with lot of loose asphalt gravel. Now it take it slow its difficult for me with my heavy bike. It was great riding for some time in a forest kinda canopy. Then it opens up to a platform on the left. It looks great but i was told the best is yet to come. We park our bikes and walk a bit down and there it hits me. The great canyon view there. It was very unexpected for me and was a great surprise. Loved the views around there. I doubt the guys would ever move back to bangalore :) Spent some quality time there and took some more detours on the same road to get near lake.

All this made sure we are squeezing on our precious daylight. Now we make a run toward the beach. Rip through the green paths. It was great with light green grass on either side of smooth black road. Make it to NH17 by 5 pm and have a tea break. Its hot and not raining here. Get out of the rain gear and make a fast run towars Karloi beach. Ashwin had discovered it on his solo exploration ride couple of years back. And we are taking on the daylight. Its six by the time we are at the village. Ashwin leads us through the narrow village streets and we offroad towards the light house. We have to leave our gear below as its too narrow to climb up the the actual light. Make it up for an awesome view of the rocky karloi beach and the karloi fort ont the other side. The light house is activated and we are given some gyan of the place and surrounding light houses. it seems the just 12 watt bulb is enough for the job. The beams can be seen till 40 kms! Its all the magic in the reflectors. This was a three second light house and there are other light houses near by with 4 and 5 second intervals in beams. That is how different light houses in the area are identified by the ships nearby. With the tour done we are out of there and now ride down the slippery grassy path on to the sand. Fight it out for few feet and then we have traction on hard sand. Ride out to the rocks and park our bikes. Its hardly 7 pm and we spend almost like 2 hours just enjoying the place, chatting and clicking away. 9 pm is the time when we make up our minds to leave towards home.

Have dinner at a pretty looking restaurant on the NH17. We feel like calling it a day but bed's a 120 kms away. Its time for some late night ride and its a quick paced ride taking turns leading. It was fun ride and we stop for a tea break near the express way. And another quick riding session to pune and make it to homes by 12.30 am. It was an awesome reunion ride as we three had ridden together almost 4 years back.

Quite a contrapation on a bike in pune..


Praveen S up for the ride..


Ashwin joining us...


Praveen and Ashwin again..


Its rain country so have to get into rain gear soon...


We stop at paradise resort for a lazy quick bite :)


The resort's got quite a view..


The Praveens doing the big talk...


Ashwin and Praveen view gazing...


This is the view...


The monsoon ride continues...








Guys waiting while i click...


Many lakes enroute...


green green every where





The farmer and his bulls...


Guys taking a detour for Kundalika valley view point...


Water falls everywhere...


We are there...


Getting down to the view point...


Its a mind blowing green canyon...


Cam just cant capture the depth of the place...





Our steeds up there...


All of us at the view point...


The canyon again..


Spot the differences in the two zmas! one tour retrofitted and the other ralley stripped!


Continue for another place...


its glowing grass riding to get to a lake's edge...


the way we came...


bikes at the lake...


thats mine ;)


The shooters....


We have to leave now...


Ashwin leaving the scene


To get a bettor shot...


The shooter...


My poser bike...


PraveenS joining us...


Ride back through the forest kinda place...


Its open, its green and its great... Guys are also exited as this is their first monsoon ride this year...


More water falls


Anoter canyon view...


We take the green path...


Praveen taking a slippery detour....


Another water falls


Ashwin showing us a drag strip below on the plains...


The rain steads...


Another cool break...


Another lake enroute...


The green mile!


The monster that blocked our way...


The green mile again...


We reach the Karloi beach and offroad to the light house...


And we get in...


We have to leave our stuff here cos....


Its too narrow up there...


And it gets narrower on the top...


Our steads below...


The Karloi beach...


And we discuss!


The Karloi fort on the other side...


The Karloi cannon


Ashwin timing the light house's light's beam on my face...


Time to hit the beach...


And we fight the sand...


Settled for the evening...


Bikers on the rocks!


The light house coming into action..


Some light play...


Its dark and the light house's 12Watt light glowing brightly and it reaches 40 Kms it seems!




Following pix by Praveen Shirali:

Me there...


At Kundalika view point...


Ashwin's bike at the lake..


All our bikes...





We shoot each other...


Bikes on a break...


A colorful wet dog..


At a stop...


Me fighting the sand at Karloi beach...


Working with my cam...




Following pix by Ashwin:

Me at the paradise resort...


At the lake with my bike..


The cam's gotta be used...


Praveen Shirali working with the cam...


Riding out from the small dam...


Looking for a target


There was nothing up there ;)


Working on the light play...


Ashwin captures the beams of the light house...


Cows lit from the light house's moving beam of light...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awesome pictures. Nice travelogue.

Praveen said...

Thanks Anon :)