Masinagudi to Pykara Falls

Day 5: Masinagudi to Pykara Falls

It was a chilled morning with dew all around and as decided last evening we went to the riverside in the morning. We spent sometime on the riverside and then started our way back to the campsite. We packed our luggage and collected lunch post breakfast. The plan for the day was to ride in the jeep for 20 km till Cudalor and then start cycling towards Naduvattam for lunch by 1 PM and then reach Pykara falls by 4:30 pm. We had to reach Pykara falls by 4:30 pm since it is closed at 5 pm and we didn’t have enough time the next day to visit in the morning.

@ Pykara Falls

We loaded the bicycles in the pickup van and took our seats in the jeep. We were to ride till Cudalor passing through the Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary. On this route we did spot some elephants, deer & peacocks. After about an hour we made it to Cudalor. While coming to Ooty from Mysore, we had passed by Cudalor. There are 2 routes to reach Ooty from Ooty; the first being through Kalhatty ghats and the second through Naduvattam. We had the opportunity to cycle on both these routes. The route through Kalhatty ghats is blocked from heavy vehicles for obvious reasons considering the 36 sharp hairpin bends.

Cudalor towards Naduvattam

We collected our bikes at Cudalor and started cycling towards Naduvattam. This was supposed to be the toughest day of cycling in this expedition. There were some shops by the road till the time we were in the proximity of Cudalor. Once we cycled for about a kilometer it was all uphill with no source of water. We had to manage with the water available with us and the water available in the ambulance.

Cudalor towards Naduvattam

Though the route was entirely uphill it was surrounded by trees on both sides with beautiful views. There were Nilgiri (eucalyptus) trees all around. The fragrance gave us company all the way. The uphill started getting steeper and the breaks started getting more frequent.

Cudalor towards Naduvattam

Cudalor towards Naduvattam

Surrounded by Eucalyptus trees

Surrounded by Eucalyptus trees

Kungfu :)

Surrounded by Eucalyptus trees

There were many view points on the way towards Naduvattam. We passed by the Frog Hill view point followed by the Needle Rock Hill view point. Both these points provided amazing panoramic view of the valley. As usual we were again behind schedule and considering that the fact that there were no sign of downhill in the near future our pace had reduced significantly. There were hardly 2 or 3 of our fellow participants who were ahead and had reached the lunch point.

Frog Hill view point

Needle Hill view point

Tea plantations

Since most of the group was trailing behind we had to call lunch early well before the planned lunch point at Naduvattam. There was a small shop by the road; the first we saw in the entire stretch of 15 odd km. We decided to stop here for lunch. By the time we finished lunch it was already 2:30 pm and we had the daunting task of trying to complete the next half of the distance in about 2 hours to make it in time to Pykara falls.

Football field

We made a move with a clear goal in mind to give it our best shot and try & make it to Pykara falls before 4:30 PM. The silver lining for us was that the first 6 odd km were uphill but the last 6 km were flat to downhill. So, we knew that we had to complete the first 6 km quickly and the rest of the distance we will be able to catch up. But, oh boy the first 6 km really tested us. Since Akhilesh was ahead I called him to on how far he has reached. His first words on the call were dude the gradient is really bad. And he is not someone who will mince his words. 

Shadow cycling

Towards Pykara Falls

With these clear instructions, we started pedaling. Small frequent breaks and sips of water kept us refreshed. Very soon I ran out of water which is when luckily I reached the actual lunch point for the day at Naduvattam. It was small village but there were shops available. I got my water replenished, took a small break and then started out again. By now there was a clear gap between all the fellow participants. Some were far ahead while people like me in between and some far behind; Mandar and Ganesh being the latter. This is when during the last 2 km of uphill they resorted to the thinkable. They hitchhiked from a call pickup truck along with some more participants to the end of the uphill. They passed by me and this is when they were really embarrassed. Well, we had our story for the rest of the trip. These 2 km were going to cost a lot :)

I finally reached the end of the uphill which is where I met Mandar & Ganesh. They were utterly embarrassed to face me and had all the excuses in the world to justify the reasons why they decided to ditch cycling and hitchhike. We made fun of this incident and decided to move on since the main target for the day was still 6-7 km away. 

Towards Pykara Falls

Towards Pykara Falls

The road from here onward was flat with slight downhill. The climate also became very pleasant. There was moisture in the air with a cool breeze and signs of some rain. It didn’t rain but that climate made the ride even for soothing. We crossed the Pykara boat house on the way which is where we got slightly confused. We inquired with the locals who suggested that the Pykara falls was ahead. We continued cycling and finally after 15 odd minutes we finally reached on destination well in time.

Pykara Boat House

I parked the bike outside the Pykara falls entrance. There is a nominal fee of Rs. 5 per head. Took the ticket and entered the Pykara falls area. Akhilesh and the ISRO gang had already reached. I met Akhilesh and told him the incident of hitchhiking by Mandar & Ganesh. The Pykara falls were amazing. The sad part was that it was guarded with railings. We were not allowed to get into the water. In some time all the participants made it to Pykara falls. We clicked many group pics and photographs with the YHAI volunteers.

Towards Pykara Falls

Pykara Falls

It was really chilled by the falls. It was getting chilled as the evening started to set in. By now it was time to close the entrance. So, we decided to leave. The YHAI campsite was very close to the Pykara falls. We reached the campsite and tea was ready. We had tea and decided to unwind. The accommodation was not up to the mark as compared to the other campsites in this trip. By the time we finished tea it was time for dinner. We finished dinner and decided to call it quits early.

@ Pykara Falls

@ Pykara Falls

Next day was going to be the last day of the cycling in Ooty. There were mixed feeling of having accomplished the toughest day of cycling in this expedition today and concluding the expedition tomorrow.

Many more memoirs to share ...... Sachin

Day 4: Manjoor to Masinagudi

Day 6: Pykara Falls to Ooty