Kundadri - My experience

Mustafa's awesome ride report on our the trip to Agumbe -> here

I couldn't have written such an excellent report, for sure. I re-lived the days when I read the report.

All the time through the trip, I was with the group, except while climbing the Kundadri peak. Well, the reason, as Mustafa rightly said, the leechy dreams. And I never cared much about trekking in both of the trips where we actually had trekking as main plan. All I cared was, whether I had biked to my entire satisfaction or not.

Do you want, by any chance, to experience a mad climb which literally checks your climbing skills, along with presenting you an excellent vista? Kundadri is the best option I can suggest, for now. The worst part is, the climb lasts only for 4 kms, and that too, first one of those kms, can easily be managed. But the other three, really worth experiencing once, amidst the fog, monsoon winds and occasional heavy drizzles. Ofcourse, you have option to repeats, in addition to trek, to justify travelling all the way to Kundadri ;-)

When I started climbing with bike, seeing the slope at starting point, I quite underestimated it and thought, 'Let me climb it without any stop, and also repeat the climb atleast once'. But with the slope, every 100 or 200 metres of moving forward resulted in shifting a speed down. Within 2 kms, I was in biggest cog at back and second cog at front. Now came two new challenges. I couldn't shift to the smallest front cog and slowing down due to this resulted in bigger mosquitoes (or should I say, wild mosquitoes?) biting me.

With no more juice left for the instance, first break was taken. And following that was one insane ascent, which made sure I couldn't get back on the saddle immediately. Second landing again. Somehow managed to cross that level, to reach even madder ascent. If I sit on saddle and pedal, front wheel started lifting up. If I get up from the saddle and start pedaling in the standing posture putting more weight on the handle bar, with the moisture on the road (thanks to rain), back tyre skipped the road. 

One more km was pushed back somehow, with greater difficulty. Turn and see up, only to get a demotivating feel like, you are still at the base of the hill. Part of the mind thought about never ending hairpin bends, aggressive ascents and no signs of movement around (except the mosquitoes). Another part thought about dull environment, sun playing hide and seek, plants and trees which were fresh and green, and, fog and rain. I just thought, 'Am I in hell or in heaven?". Then a moment I thought of turning back. That's it. The third break.

A minute passed. First I laughed at my decision to repeat the climb. Then had a sip of water, made up my mind, and started. No looking back, and it needed everything I could put forth. Oh my god, finally I saw the road ending into a small open area, after few more hairpin bends. I reached the end, left my bike aside, and collapsed down.

I saw the dull sky.. Moments of climbing appeared in front of my eyes... Bliss... Yeah.. I was in heaven only...

Worth the climb....

Addon :-
A day before, we had a climb, a long one, but with a less slope. Having 14 Poets - 400 Brevet in mind, I asked Mustafa, "How could you rate this climb, comparing with Yelagiri?"
"This is very gentle climb. Yelagiri climb will be challenging", he said.
After the Kundadri climb, I repeated the same question.
And the response was, "Not as mad as this".
A motivating talk to remember, with two more days to go for the brevet.