GSB!!!

It was a cold Tuesday morning on August 15th 2006. There was an annual sports event being conducted in our college. It was a holiday that we longed for-- Myself Ashwin, Manjunath and Mohit!!! The three of us decided the previous night that we would set off to the one and only Gopal Swamy Betta.(Kannada for hills). The most beautiful hill station i have ever seen in my life. It was 5.45 in the morning when Mohit came and woke me up. By 6.15am the three f us were ready with our Bikes, Helmets and Jackets. The three machines were a Hero Honda CBZ 150cc, a Honda Unicorn 150cc and a Bajaj Caliber 110cc.

We left the college premises by 6.30am when most of the students were lost in their dream world. The very first pit stop was a Fuel pump. Each of us filled fuel for Rs.250. By 6.50am we were off!!!

The best part was that the roads were excellent. Though it was full of fantastic twists and turns, it was also covered with a smooth layer of tarmac. It was a treat for my eyes and for our bikes. Both me and Manja (thats how i call him) were well ahead in our powerful bikes, but poor Mohit had a lot of catching up to do in his Caliber. But he did a pretty good job. The total distance to Gopal swamy Betta was around 86kms. The three of us maintained a steady speed of 70km/hr. It was very tough to control the irresistible urge of just letting the throttle loose as all i could see was wonderful black tarmac inviting me to hit the gas. And inevitably, there were times when i purposefully gave in to the temptation. It was an opportunity to check my bike's limits. I could actually feel the rush when i saw the speedometer touching 105km/hr. All i could hear inside my helmet was the soft humming of the bike's engine and all i could see through the vicor was the blurred images of trees and cars and other vehicles that passed me by.

It was not me alone who fell for the temptation. I could also see Manja trying to catch up with me on his Unicorn. It was fun leading the way and then being lead. At around 7.15am we stopped 4 a small break. We decided that the next stop would directly be a GSB. At 7.25am sharp, we were off again. This time there was No stopping, No turning back, No slowing down.

The three of us ripped out bikes till we reached the GSB Entrance at around 8.15am. We paid the small entrance fee and we were on our way uphill. The total distance from the foothill to the top was around 7km of steep ghat section. I had to lower the gear to 3rd to climb the hill at a comfortable pace. At times even 2nd gear wasn't enough. I can imagine how tough it must have been for Mohit. One funny thing observed was that at the base of the hill it was very warm, bright and sunny. But as we reached towards the top we could actually feel the difference. The roads ahead of us started disappearing coz of the mist. It also started raining lightly. The three of us couldn't help but stop our bikes to enjoy the climate... It was amazing.... This was when i decided to take off my helmet so that i could feel the air. It was getting cold as we moved higher. Thats when i see Manja taking off his leather jacket.. Can you believe that!!!! Me and Mohit didnt wanna act foolish and were tucked inside our jackets.

As we reached the top, all three of us were spellbound. It was terrifyingly windy, Al the roads were wet, It was still raining and the mist made it difficult to see more than a few feet. This was what excited us. While most sane people would find it wise to just visit the temple and go back, we decided to go trekking!!! Yeah u heard it right. GSB is famous for its elephant inhabited forests around the temple. We just wanted to have fun and loads of it... We trekked deep into the hills with almost zero visibility and with rain goddess showering her blessings on us. I was truly one of the most amazing experiences i have ever had! All we had with us to record this wonderful experience was a puny little camera. A 1.3 MP cam which was integrated in my Samsung E880 mobile phone. But it was doing a decent job. Missed a digi cam though...

After enjoying the climate and ofcourse the trekking we decided to head back to the college. It was 12.15pm in the afternoon and the hills were still covered in thick mist. We never wanted to leave the place, but had to. We had plenty of assignments to be completed for tomorrow.

The way back was even more fun. As we reached towards the base we could see the mist fade off and the bright shiny sun smiling at us. It was almost like two different worlds out there. The experience is beyond words. I for the first time in my life entered into a sunflower garden. With the sun shining at them, it was truly a wonderful sight to see all the flowers bloomed to their fullest.

This trip will always occupy the first row in my memory banks. And i am sure it would be the same for both Manja and Mohit. This was a wonderful experience and i would request all the people in and around Mysore to visit this place atleast one, Coz its worth it!!!