Day 6 (24th July, 2008) : Udupi – Agumbe – Sringeri – Chikmagalur
Wake up by 10.00 AM. It’s a rainy morning. I feel the car should have been cleaned a little because of heavy rains all night. Go down to the parking lot and check. The layer of brown mud all over the car is still there. Get back up to the room. Get ready and have breakfast. South Indian breakfast at Udupi is really good. Pack the bags and check out of the Hotel by 10.30 AM.
Right next to the hotel is the higway towards Manipal. Take the highway and have to find a good fuel station to fill diesel. Find a good HP Fuel station on the left before Manipal. Fill up fuel for Rs.800 and also get the tyres checked for air pressure. Enter Manipal town. The roads at Manipal are bad and slow go past Manipal and head towards Agumbe. But the road after Manipal towards Agumbe starts to get better. At some places the roads get narrow when passing through small towns. Pass through Hebri and then Sita Nadhi Nature camp. Pass over the Sita Nadi which was in full flow. All this while its raining steadily. After Hebri the ghat section at Agumbe starts.
The road towards Agumbe is beautiful with fog covered mountains on both sides. But as you start clibing up the road up the Agumbe Ghats there are potholes at regular intervals. Its 1.00 PM and I have to turn my headlights ON. The thick tree cover and fog force all vehicles travelling to switch on their headlights. Reach the view point at Agumbe. Its raining pretty heavily and no views because of fog. Stop there for 5 minutes and get back on the way towards Sringeri. After the Agumbe town you reach a junction. The left goes to Thirthahalli. Took the straight road which had signboards mentioning Sringeri. Nice single lane road with scenic and splendid evergreen forests. The roads from Agumbe till Sringeri was good with lots of twisties. Reach Sringeri town by 2.30 PM. Park the car close to the Temple.
Roads after Manipal towards Hebri
Towards Hebri
Sita River
Bridge over Sita River
The temple was closed by 12 noon. We were directed to go to the dining area at the temple and have lunch there as luch closes by 3.00 PM. Its very good and consists of Hot White Rice, 2 types of sambar and sweet. Again this dining are was huge similar to Udupi. Sit on the ground and lunch is served on a huge steel plates. Finish lunch and go around the temple. There is the Tunga river next to the temple. Water was ice cold here. All this while constant drizzle. Leave Sringeri by 3.30 PM.
Chikmagalur is another 100 KMS from Sringeri. Nice beautiful roads from Sringeri to Chikmagalur. Nearing Chikmagalur the coffee estates starts. Passed through Ballehonnur and the roads starts to get bad approaching Chikmagalur. Entering Chikmagalur town you will find a Cafe Coffee Day on the right and after CCD is Planters Court Hotel and check into hotel by 5.30 PM.
Sringeri Temple
Tunga River next to the temple
Spent some time here at this spot. Was very calm and peaceful.
Views after Sringeri
Roads after Sringeri
This hotel is near the KSRTC bus stand and a very decent hotel. It has been raining throughout the day. I would recommend Planters Court to anybody visiting Chikmagalur. They also have a nice family restaurant. Keep the luggage in the room, rest for some time and head towards Mulayanagiri (Highest peak in Karnataka) which is 9 KMS away from the town. The roads till the deviation towards Mulayangiri is good. But after that its filled with numerous small potholes. Further ahead there is another deviation and have to take left towards Malayanagiri. The straight road leads to Baba Budangiri and Kemmangundi. Start the climb towards the peak. The roads now are narrow just enough for 2 cars to pass each other. This has been the scariest drive ever. As we keep clibing up the fog gets denser and denser. Halfway up the hill its completely covered by fog. The visibility is not more than 10 feet. I don’t see the road/turn ahead. Its only as you keep moving ahead that you see the road/turn ahead. Just 2-3 KMS from the peak there is a small temple. Till here was manageable. I decide to carry on. Big mistake. The road is narrow and only place for one vehicle to travel at a time. I encounter a couple of hairpin bends and with almost visibility reduced to almost 5 feet now. I can hear my heart beat now. There is no way I can stop and take a U turn. (Last time I had been to Mulayangiri with my friends on a clear sunny day we had taken this route all the way to the parking lot on top.) The road is narrow and the other side a deadly drop which I cannot see because of the fog. Now the I realize how big the mistake was. The asaphalted road ends and now it’s a muddy road. I off-road slowly up ahead to reach the parking place where the place is big enough to take a U turn and get back to safety. I travel a kilometer slowly and road keeps on going. Finally I reach dead end what looks like a parking place for vehicles. The top to Mulayanagiri peak is another 1000 steps away from here. Not a soul in sight. I park the car and try to get out. I have difficulty opening the door. I manage to get out. The wind is blowing really hard carrying the fog over. I feel the wind might blow the car away. Mind does strange things when you are in such a situation. I park the car facing the direction of the wind thinking the cars aerodynamic built might counter the wind.
Both of us get out of the car. Take a few snaps and look around at the marvel of the wind and fog. Spend about 10 MINS and get back into the car. And slowly start our decent. As we keep going down the road I feel a sense of security. Head back down to the town and stop at the Cafe Coffee Day after the hotel which we noticed while coming to Chikmagalur. Both of us have a Hot Chocolate drink and talk about the Mulayanagiri adventure and how scary it was. Spend an hour at the coffee shop and get back to the hotel. Have dinner at the hotel restaurant and get back to bed.
The road towards Mulayangiri
At Mulayangiri
Bracing the strong heavy winds
The mud road we took to reach the top
The parking place at the top
This is actually the Mulayangiri Hill. Top Half covered with fog.
at CCD
Day 6 was an adventurous one. The scary ride towards the top of Mulayanagiri. The ride through Agumbe and after Sringeri was very scenic and the rains added to the ambiance. My wife is all sad because this wonderfull road trip is almost coming to an end. And tomorrow we get back to Bangalore and start the mechanical lifestyle again. Tomorrow I ride back to Bangalore and I know the roads will be good throughout. The Swift has been wonderful tackling the bad roads up the mountain and little bit of off-roading. Badly needs a wash though.