Place: Avalabetta Hilltop, Chikballapura, Karnataka
Distance: 93x 2 = 186 km
Type: Hilltop
Terrain: Hilltop with stairs
Riding time: 2 hrs one way
Ideal for: Weekend Getaways, Family Picnic
Bike: Bajaj Avenger 220cc
Crew: Solo ride
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| Best of the beast: Even she’s at awe with the view. |
Its been a month since my last bike trip to Shivasamudram Waterfalls (325 Kms round trip), in Mandya District of Karnataka. And as usual, a few weekends of being lazy in town, nothing much to do other than bearing the excessive city noise and distracting lights and coping with fast moving city life, a yearning for a short escape from all the nuances of a city life beckons my soul. For a wanderer, I think its a pleasant sickness whose cure can only be found in the lap of nature. I heard about Avalabetta Betta from one fellow biker on Bajaj Avenger Club Bengaluru whatsapp group. And so, I decide to give the place a visit.
Saturday Evening: Pulled up my riding gears on and my Canon 60D DSLR. Couldn’t hire any wide angle lens the day before. So I am forced to be content with the prime 50 mm lens. I know its frustrating but I got no choice. But they say, its not about the gear but more about the person taking a photo right? And I’m still not so confidence with my photography skills. 😛
The Ride: I switched on the GPS on my phone, clamped it onto the mobile holder on my bike and at 2:30 PM, off I go. At an average speed of 80-90 kmph, I cruised with my Avy along NH7 like a … BOSS! :-D. Feels good. Feels awesome. Feels like God. Continued on NH7 till Peresandra (77 kms from Bangalore) and took a left turn towards Madikal. Passed through some beautiful fields. The road from Peresandra to Avalabetta is decent with few humps and potholes in between. But overall, it’s a good road. Reached Avalabetta hilltop at 4:45 PM.
Avalabetta Hilltop: There is a small parking space at the top. And some local vendors selling coconut water and some eatables. Parked my bike and immediately quenched my thirst with a coconut water from the guy selling them near the parking lot.
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| Want a sip? |
Passed by the temple and climbed a little higher and on reaching the top, I know its worth it. The ride is worth it. and I must say its a beautiful view overseeing the plains and other smaller hills from atop. Though the sky was not that clear and its misty too. So couldn’t get any good shots. Took a few photos, rested a while and enjoyed the view and the cool breeze.
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| Few steps towards the temple |
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| Laksminarayanswami Cave Temple |
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| Its not gonna be long before the sun kisses the hills goodnight |
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| Yet another view from the summit |
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| Gentle slopes |
Spent some time up there and then climbed back down to the parking lot. Tried talking with the local vendors there but the fact that I couldn’t converse in Kannada or Telugu spoiled the possible fun of getting to know them better. But after taking another coconut water from them, we are all smiles and laughing with each other and that matters. I then took their leave, rode just a little ahead more and reached a Forest Department Guest House. Took some pictures there and time to leave.
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| She looks good ain’t she? My Avy. 😉 |
Ride Back: Its almost 5:40 PM now and I know its gonna be dark by the time I reach Bangalore. There is nothing else much to offer in the area though. I met some other bikers from Bangalore, had a small chat with them. And then started my journey back. Its 6:18 PM and I am on my way back along the long winding country road. And reached Bangalore by 8:00 pm. A weekend well spent. And my nomadic soul well fed.
Conclusion: Its sparsely crowded, which is good if you look for solitude in nature’s midst. And it’s a good spot for picnic with friends and family I must say. Even camping, I am told, could be organized. Hmm.. Not a bad thing for those looking to enjoy the night in a countryside, away from city lights with only the starts shining so bright. 😉
Looking forward to the next ride. See you soon. Till then, stay adventurous. Ride Hard. Ride Safe. And keep traveling. Cheers! 😉
Thanks for reading guys. If you like it, don’t forget to +1 or Like and leave a comment below. Cheers!
Well, one of my friends is coming next month to Bangalore and he planning for having a Bangalore city trip by bike. Already he talked with a bike rental company as "IRYD" in Bangalore. Your post seems helpful for help him to planning his trip.