3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue 1 & 2 Jan - Apr 2 3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue | Page 95

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
days. I had 3 days on hand. For a while, I was
planning a visit to Meenakshi Temple in Madurai.
I thought of taking the long weekend opportunity
to go to Madurai and then go to Mumbai (I was
working in Hyderabad at that time). Madurai was
1000 kms from Hyderabad, Madurai to Mumbai
was about 1470 kms. This is when the idea of
attempting
the
Saddle
Sore
Challenge
took shape in my mind.
First level of the challenge was to complete 1600
kms (1000 miles) in 24 hours. Madurai to Mumbai
– 1470 kms, add another 200 kms which could
be covered by going to Thirunelvelli and back
(approx. 250 kms to and fro Madurai) would help
me cover the distance I was falling short of. I
checked the rules for successfully completing
the Challenge. Took printouts of necessary
documents. Got tips from few of my biker friends
who had attempted it before. I had about 4 days
to go before I left for Madurai.
I was not very positive about completing the
challenge but planned to at least attempt and test
my endurance.
April 30, 2015 - I woke up at 6.00 am, got all my
stuff ready to be packed. Finished my house
chores, went to office. Went to the service centre
to get my bike checked although I had serviced
it very recently. There was some heating problem
in it which was addressed. Reached home
by about 7pm, packed my bags, left around 8.30
pm. Few of my friends were waiting for me on
the Hyderabad-Bangalore highway to wish me
luck. I reached there around 10.30 pm. We had
dinner and after bidding farewell, I left for
Bangalore around 00.30 am.
May 01, 2015 – I reached Bangalore outskirts
around 7.00 am. I reached my friend’s house
around 8.30 am and we talked for a while. By
the time I slept, it was almost 11.00 am. Couple
of hours of sleep, some lunch and I left for Ma-
durai around 2.00 pm. Took a pit stop at Salem
around 7.45 pm, called up my friend in Madurai to
inform him that I shall reach around 10.30 pm or
11.00 pm. This didn’t happen though. I was sleep
deprived
and
it
finally
started
taking
a toll on me. I was 50 odd kms from Madurai,
when I couldn’t ride any further. I stopped
after every 4 or 5 kms to take a nap. Tea,
snacks, chocolates, mints…nothing helped to
keep me awake. 00.15 am – I was about 15
kms to Madurai. There was only 1 thing left
to do – call up someone and keep speaking
till I reach my destination. So I tried calling my
Vol 4 | Issue 2 |Mar - Apr 2019
friend in Madurai, but couldn’t get through to
him. Next option – my friend in Mumbai – who
generally sleeps by 11 pm. I called him and thank-
fully, he picked up my phone. I briefed him on my
problem and requested him to keep talking to me
while I covered the last few kms to reach Madurai.
He obliged and I reached Madurai. My friend
there picked up the phone this time and guided
me to the hotel he had booked for me.
We went to the bus stand to eat something
(it was the only place to get food at that odd hour).
After dinner, he took me back to the hotel where I
rested for the night. It was around 2.00 am.
May 02, 2015 – I woke up around 6.30 am for the
early morning darshan. My friend had some work
to finish, so his parents accompanied me to the
temple where I took blessings of the Goddess,
bought few things from the shops nearby and
returned to the hotel by 10.30 am. I had to check
out by 12 noon and thus managed to get an hour’s
sleep.
Start of Saddle Sore Challenge
I packed up and went down to meet the manager
to request him to sign the witness sheet for the
start of my Saddle Sore Challenge attempt. The
manager obliged and the next thing was to get an
electronic proof of the time I started. I had to fuel
up the tank so went to the nearest petrol station
to fill up but they did not have an electronic billing
system whereby I could get a digital proof. Thank-
fully, it had an ATM and I withdrew money and got
the slip with the time stamp. It was 1.00 pm.
Summer time, afternoon hours, the sun at its
hottest, temperature soaring over 45° C, I was
struck by heat wave and completely dehydrated.
I reached Thirunelveli around 3.30 pm. I was tired
and the heat was unbearable – especially with
the riding gears and all. The board ahead read
99 kms to Kanyakumari. I knew the route and the
condition of the road was excellent. I did a quick
change to my plan and headed to Kanyakumari.
Re-working on my calculation, it now said 125
kms to Thirunelveli + 100 kms to Kanyakumari =
225 kms covered one way. The return thus calcu-
lated to 450 kms until I reached Madurai again,
which was nearly 1/3rd of my journey of 1600
kms. On my way back, I was wondering how to
counter the heat when it suddenly started raining
as I reached Thirunelveli. It was such a welcome
change of weather for which I said small prayer to
thank God.
The atmosphere cooled down making riding a
lot easier and sustainable. I reached Dharmapu-
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