First BRM - A small step on long journey

    BREVETS DE RANDONNEUR MONDIAUX or BRM or brevet/ endurance rides are something for cyclists similar to marathon for runners. This is the ride on pre-defined route with challenging terrain to be finished within specific time (including all break times). These are self supported ride which means in case of any issue, rider has to tackle on own his/ her.

    Around 3 years back when I restarted the cycle (yes, it was discontinued when my first bike got stolen and it took almost 7-8 years to restart) I never thought one day will aspire for BRM. In last 3 years I heard a lot of time and seen fellow riders doing BRMs and adventures stories during the BRMs. One fine day I heard about 100 year celebration of brevets of 200km and there was buzz everywhere. It's like all your senses will see only what your mind want to see. After all what I am going to loose is registration charges and some weight. The moment when registration was opened within some moments I finished registration and later realized it was all booked and few riders has been put on waitlist. Just like train-tatkal booking. However I was happy that the first step for brevet ride is completed successfully. Then there was a month gap. During this period I was riding but not much focused. When it was just a week then preparation took momentum with shopping and practice and some more shopping. Already people started observing some change and curiously asking for that. Excitement was not lesser than writing the final engineering exam.

The Teaser poster for the event

    Reached the venue at 5:30 (already rode 15km by that time), did bike inspection and completed ride formality to receive brevet card. This is kind of ride progress report where the details about checkpoints or CP (distance from starting point, open and close time) are mentioned. Rider has to get the reaching time entered at every checkpoint and went to ride starting point. This was first CP to pass. The excitement at the venue was amazing. I could see some known faces; made mind these are the people who will help me out in case of any problems.

     During the ride I encountered many challenges and could overcome with sheer support of co-riders. On Kolar highway we miss the exit to enter into the Kolar city and options left were either come back 2km and exit or climb the flyover and take u-turn resulting more than 2kms. Then with the help of co-riders we lifted the bikes over the barricades to get them on service road. I missed the CP4 and went almost 2km to realized the mistake. Got confirmed with fellow-rider and came back otherwise my ride would have considered as DNF (Did Not Finish). The CP1 to CP2 around 74km could completed less than 2 and half hours which means the average speed was 27km/hour which I could never achieve for such a long ride; but because of excitement and seeing so many riders it was done effortlessly. However between CP2 to CP3 merely 50kms took 4 hours because of mud-guard issue (which was rubbing the tire and pulling my speed) and strong headwind. There were many times when I had to take breaks but everytime one or the fellow-rider used offer any kind of assistance. This kept motivating to push myself till CP3. When I reached the CP3 I got rid of mud-guard (thanks to organizers who assisted to take it out and carried with them to Bangalore). 

Somewhare on Bangalore-Kolar highway

Yummy lunch with Chikkaveeranna Mysore Pak, Bisibele bath and curd ride.

Talking locals about brevet event; hard to make them to believe

    Another toughest part to overcome was ride on highway from Chikkaballapur to Bangalore. I was completely exhausted, out of water. I was walking as I dont wanted to stop and loose the time. A fellow rider offered chikki which I grabbed and finished. It gave some energy to reach upto toll gate. There I spent almost 15 minutes to recollect physical and mental strength to reach finish line. I bought lots of chikkis and water bottle on next shop and prepared myself for flyovers on highway. From there, it was only road with up and down and I had already made my mind to reach complete the ride within time. Atlast when I reached the CP5 it was 6:59 pm.

On Chikkaballapur-Bangalore National Highway

    It was great feeling to achieve this feet. This could not be achieved without support of so many people (right from office collogues, ride friends, fellow riders during the ride, event organizers and family members). A big thank you to all of them. I know few riders doing multiple SRs in a season so for them 200km is not big deal. As an individual this is first step for a long way (as there are brevets of 300/ 400/ 600 and finally PBP 1200km). Now we have to wait and watch what all these finish lines these tiny steps can conquer.

The celebration time @ podium

The brevet card after CP5

Strava recorded ride

Brevet certificate

Travel through General Compartment

It was my unplanned visit to my Native, Solapur, hence could not book the ticket in advance. I checked for tickets in the morning bug no trains were having any available seats- thanks to so many travelers of India and management by Indian Railways.
I was having less time hence instead of catching train @ Yashvantpur, I went to Yelhanka and my worst ever journey started. When the train came, I caught TC and asked if any seat is available. As usual he said the train is over-flowing and RAC and WL passengers are bugging him. So no scope for people like me who are traveling through general ticket. :( Then I started towards end of the train for general compartment and the train already started moving. Somehow, entered into the coach with the help of few people standing at the door.
General compartment in Indian Railway is like 'baapjaade ki property' few people were sleeping by covering entire birth. Few are standing and trying to get some place to seat. Few people smoking near restrooms. There was hardly any space to stand and all sellers - chaiwala, bhelwala roaming from one end to other end. I saw a guy slipping over a birth. I went and put my luggage and trying to sit there. He was trying to avoid me but after little bit of 'dadagiri' I could manage the seat. Then 2-3 men joined with me and got themselves adjusted on the birth. I successfully got the seat.
Slowly I started talking with the people around me. There was a group of 5-6 lads who were on the way to Gulbarge. They came 2 days back to Bangalore for sight seeing. I shared some of my food with them.
Once Gulbarga came, half the train was empty. A family with an old man entered in the train. It seems the old man was seriously ill and visiting some hospital in Solapur. I thought I can give them my seat so that the old man can sleep. I came out of general compartment and entered into sleeper compartment. I found most of the train was empty. I found one upper birth put my luggage there. I removed my mobile charger and connected to socket in the compartment to charge the mobile and slept for some time. Around 7:00 AM I woke up to see the train entering into Solapur station. I packed my luggage and ready to depart.
The overall experience was horrible as I could hardly sleep in that chaotic environment throughout the night.

Trip to Yana and Murudeshwar.

The first experience of Jungle...
The preparation: Preparation for trip was started 3 days before only under the guidance of trip leader Kau (Kaushik). We read few blogs about the Yana trip, checking maps for geographical information about Yana. Two days before, it was confirmed that we four (me, kau, pacha, Vinodh- condi) are coming for trek for sure. Out of these, I was meeting pacha and condi for the first time. Kau sent one excell sheet listing the things to be carried personally, with group and with experts (I was junior :( ). I was surprized with his instructions like we should not take alcohol from one day before the start of trek still the end of trek. Later he explained more about them which convinced me.Make hurry: When I started from hoody, it was already 5 and the black clouds in the sky were making me fear. I had to hurry. I could not take risk and decided to catch the first bus which comes. Murphy was there to welcome and the first bus was for KR Market. So decided to go till Corporation and change the bus. The bus was full but managed to go inside and keep the luggage down. That was much more relax though I could not get the seat. When I reached till ulsoor, it started raining. It was pouring rather raining. I was making plans to continue till market and then get the bus for majestic from there. But I think Murphy went to kau help him, it stopped raining till my bus reached to corporation through bangalore road traffic. I thanked banglalore traffic at that time. I reached majestic at 6.00. Now my job to wait till other members who had also the same story to tell. Somehow they managed to arrive Majestic in time. Kau introduce me with pacha and condi. Now we all became one team member. Bus started at 7:00 exactly and we were on NH-4. We get down at sirsi in the morning from where we reached to Yana via Katgal.

At Yana: I was enjoying the different sounds, smell coming from jungle. The route was not on plains, and we had weights on our back pulling us down. But the environment in jungle was such that we hardly stopped anywhere still we saw Mohini-shikhar (one of the two shikharas at Yana for which this place is famous). We had photo session there. We relaxed there for a while and then went into the temple. The pujari was doing preaching mantras and few people were sitting in front of him. Later I came to know he was telling some mythological story about that place. All bouncers for me!!!
We came out of the temple and had walk around the temple. After conversion with local people, they came to me, those people had seen tiger in that area and suggesting not staying there. But Kau told me we would do campfire here and stay here only. What to say? Has anyone dared to go against his or her seniors during engg?? No one. There was no any option other than saying OK...
The Jungle: In the evening, we started preparation for camp firing. Kau and me went in to the jungle to bring wood for campfire. The jungle is something different from our imagination. We think all reptiles, animals are there waiting for your arrival and enjoy your flesh and chew your bones. But Actual jungle is something different and very pleasent (atleast which i have visited). While going through jungle, every step you put on dried leaves makes so noise that all animals get alert. They see whether anything is danger for them. If it danger they start making alert signals for their other friends. They start shouting. Monkeys jumps from one branch to another. Birds whistles. crackers make so much noise. While going through jungle, I took few snaps. We collected dried wood and came back.
Preparing Dinner: It was 6.00 and we started packing. Me and Kau took bags and came to base. This is to make pujaris to think that we are planning to stay on top. Then me and kau again came on with all our bags on back and cursing the pujari. It was heavy already and we were tired after bringing wood from jungle. And again 1km steps.. hushhh! Somehow we managed to come on top. Here the scene was different. Pacha and condi started preparing for food. So we helped them for preparation. We cooked rice and make rasam. (tamarind water mixed with green chilly, onions, salt and spicy rasam is ready! Seems little difficult to eat but we were so hungry that it was very tasty to us). In the torch-light we had our dinner. Now it's time for campfire. To make me more frightening, seniors decided to make campfire in jungle away from temple :( .... We took wood, kerosine (I forget to tell that, someone had stolen the engine oil, at Katgal, which I brought so we had to buy kerosine), camphor, news-papers, match-box. Thanks that we had not landed in deep jungle. We put camp-fire. I was feared looking at darkness and wildness of the jungle which was welcoming me in his lap. For our excitement, it was full moon on that night. But due to few clouds, moon was playing hide n seek. It was one of the greatest moment that I experienced in my life. You are sitting in front of camp-fire while listening animals, birds chat in the presence of full moon and your friends, away from any disturbance of civilized cities. In marathi, can be described 'swargiy anubhav' (don't think I became swargawaasi ;) ). We sat there for more than one hour listening our seniers trek experiences. Slowly the fear about wild animals vanished from my mind and became the part of that atmosphere. Condi and Pacha were tired with the trek so they went to sleep. Me and kau sat in open land and kau was giving me gurumantras about the jungle trek. I was listening sounds coming from the jungle and enjoying that surroundings. We sat there for one hour. We wanted to sit for some more time but it was getting cold. So said bye bye to chandamama and came back. That was the end of first day of our trek.

Day 2: I woke up early morning at 5.30 and could not sleep later. I went outside roam around the place (Till now I gain enough courage to wander alone). Slowly other guys woke up and started to pack. We were supposed to leave that back before temple pujari returns back. We had photo session and left in search of vibhuti falls. But Pacha was not feeling well, so after seeing the difficult way along the small stream, we dropped vibhuti falls and proceeded for Murudeshwar.

Sun ‘n sand: From Yana we reached Murudeshwar via Kumta. When we reached, it was burning with heat. So we directly went to sea shore. We bathed there, shown our construction skills by building small houses in sand. I took lots of photos. In the evening we came back to Kumta from where Kau, Pacha and condi came back to Bangalore and went to Kumta railway station to catch train for Mumbai..to be continued….