Idukki Circular - A solo ride

The long weekend of three consecutive holidays (March 5,6 & 7 of 2016) tempted me to take one day from it for a ride and finally selected Saturday, March 5th. To make maximum use of the day, prepared a route and time plan. Like most travellers, hills are always my choice and prepared a route plan to visit the places I havn't been to recently. And I opted riding solo. The freedom and enigmatic spirit of riding alone makes you begin to love that loneliness and soon you are addicted. Ofcourse, It has its own pros and cons.

So, on Saturday woke up at 04:30 am, got ready fast and started at 5:00 am from my home near Anchal. Passed via Kottarakkara - Adoor - Pathanamthitta - Ranny - Kanjirappally. Being early morning, traffic was very less and the first halt was at Erattupetta for breakfast. It was 7:30 am and almost 120 kms from home. Had a quick breakfast and started to my first destination of the day - Illikkal Kallu near Thekoy. From Erattupetta proceeded through Vagamon route and took a deviation to left at Thekoy Sthambham Junction to Adukkam road. After Adukkam its a steep climb and I could see the mighty Illikkal Kallu standing very high on my left side. After some hairpins through that twisty narrow well maintained road, I was soon approaching the top. Reached the top at 8:15 am and 140 kms from my home.

Even though the time was just 8:15 am, found many bikes and a van parked there and saw many visitors at the top of the hill where we can stand safe to get the full view of the gigantic rock. Parked the bike there and climbed to that point. It is said to be the highest peak in Kottayam district at 6000 feet above sea level (As written on the board there). I saw people walking through a narrow path to reach near to the rock and some of them were daring to climb up through a very narrow path on the steep side to reach a cave there and to reach on top of the rock itself. It is very steep there and is an extremely dangerous act. On the next day itself heard the news of a tourist died falling 750 feet down.

I spent sometime there admiring the beautiful view around and view of the twisty zig-zag road through which I came up. The view of the sunrise from there is said to be very beautiful, but for that I should have started as early as 3 am.

At 9:00 am I left that beautiful place for my next destination that is 85 kms away. Came back through the same route to Erattupetta and from there took the Thodupuzha road and at Muttom, turned to Idukki. Passed through Kanjar, and the road goes above Kulamavu Dam. Photography is prohibited there. Then the road goes through forest. After Kulamavu, the climate changed to cool and refreshing. Despite being the main Thodupuzha - Idukki - Kattappana road, it was almost empty and I could see only very few vehicles.

Riding alone through that empty and curvy forest road had an exhilaration of its own. At 11:15 am reached 'Hills View Park', Idukki which was my second destination for the day.

Parked the bike near Guest House. There is an entry fee to the park and extra fee for the camera. We have to walk upto the top to reach the viewing area. From there, we can see both Idukki and Cheruthoni Dams and a large area of the Idukki reservoir. There is a cafeteria and a park there.

We can enter both dams but camera and mobile phones are not allowed. As I already knew it and no way to keep my belongings as I was alone, entering the dam was not in my plan. Spent almost 45 minutes there. I was almost sticking to the prepared time plan - actually little bit early. The park itself is a hill and has three levels of viewing area. Went to the top level to get a wide view of the dams. I started from there at 12:00 pm and proceeded through the main road, passed Cheruthoni town and deviated to right through a narrow road to get the front side view of the Arch Dam very close. There was a closed gate there, beyond which vehicles were not allowed. Walked passing the gate to get closer to the Arch Dam. There was noone around there. That mighty structure stood in front of me much higher than I imagined from photos.

By then the time was 12:30 pm and the next destination - Calvary Mount View Point is 10 kms away. Proceeded via Idukki - Kattappana road and turned right from the main road at a junction where it was shown the way to the view point. Its a half km offroad. Reached there at 1:00 pm.

There is an entry fee there also. The view of the Idukki reservoir from there, is breathtaking. This location is shown in the movie "Maheshinte Prathikaram". Now being summer, most of the greenery is lost and it must be very beautiful after the monsoons. There are two beautiful huts there which are given for rent at Rs. 2500 per day. I imagined spending a moonlit night there with the amazing view of the Idukki reservoir!

Left that beautiful place at 01:30 pm and my next destination is 21 kms away - Anchuruli Tunnel. Back on the Idukki - Kattappana road and turned right at Vellayamkudi and that road meets the Kattappana - Kuttikanam road at Kakkattukada. Again turned right and reached Anchuruli at 02:00 pm.

This tunnel is said to be 4 kms long to bring water from Irattayar reservoir to Idukki reservoir. The water coming from the tunnel falls to the Idukki reservoir. We can see the other end of the tunnel at the size of an one rupee coin. The waterflow from the tunnel is very low now and lot of visitors were sitting there inside. Some visitors were preparing food on the path to the tunnel.

Left there at 02:30 pm and now its my return journey via Elapara. On the way, stopped after Elapara where we can see the vast landscape and tea plantation alongside the twisty Elapara - Vagamon road.

The time was 03:15 pm and after taking a break of 15 minutes there, continued the return trip via Kuttikkanam, Mundakayam and had a tea break at Erumely at 04:45 pm and after that it was non-stop and reached home at 06:50 pm.

Total kilometers covered: 440.

#Idukki #IllikkalKallu #ArchDam #HillsViewPark #CalvaryMount #Anchuruli