FlowTouring, Off road cycling for beginners – Kalasa Edition
Full Playlist of FlowTouring Kalasa videos
Dates: July 28, 2022 to July31, 2022
Location : Kalasa, Chikmagalur
Eligibility : 18 and above (Call 9741577884 for special relaxations)
Difficulty : Skilled beginners to Amateur mountain bikers (road bikes not allowed, hybrids may need some added persusion on foot)
Total cost : Rs. 11999/- all inclusive
The Plan
Day 00, (July 28, 2022, 2022 Thursday)
We load up our bikes and ourselves into transport early evening and drive overnight to Kalasa from Bangalore.
Day 01, July 29, 2022, 2022 Friday)
Arrive at Homebase, Kalasa to strretch our legs and catch up on a quality nap before freshening up.
Unload bikes, check bikes, go through the FlowRiding MTB skills workshop learning how to climb and descend off road sections and riding over rocks and other obstacles. We then depart Homebase after breakfast and head to Khyatanamakki.
Khyatanamakki hill top situated about about 25kms from Homebase with an elevation gain of about half a kilometer.
We start riding on pristine tarmac for about 12kms and then start meeting broken tarmac climbs and finally reach the base from where the terrain is purely off road and requires a 4×4 jeep.
Since your host #staraniSh is the first person to climb this hill on a bicycle, he has arranged with the forest department for more cyclists to explore this route on a bicycle.
These videos shows what the last few kilometers to the top is like.
If this feels like it’s too sketchy for you, we do have a 4×4 jeep and trained driver available at the base of the hills where you can swap out your MTB and drive up in the Jeep to the top.
The top of Kyatanamakki feels like this.
-We return to Kyatanamakki base for lunch. The trail back is demanding and will require a fair amount of downhill skills. And I promise you that it is totally worth riding down. No trail in and around Bangalore offers this kind of terrain. I even urge riders to choose certain sections and try riding it down a few times, just so you get your skills and techniques dialed in and you can get faster each time.
Based on rider morale and strength, we will either head back to Homebase or continue on towards Kalasa to locate a hidden waterfall and chill out for evening at the falls.
We return to Homebase before dark, sit by the campfire and revel in the glory of what we have achieved.
Eat yummy dinner to our heart’s content and hit the bed.
Day 02, July 30, 2022, 2022 Saturday
Rise and shine at 0600hrs. Enjoy Coffee and Breakfast.
Ride to Elaneeru waterfalls and return to Homebase after lunch.
The distance today is about 40kms total and there will of course be some climbing, but not as much as yesterday. It is mostly rolling terrain through tea estates and along the river Bhadra towards Kudremukh and is to be treated as a recovery ride. Mangalore buns are bonus!
The last 6 kms is where it gets technical. Fast descend over concrete + unpaved roads on easily 15%+ grades down in to the waterfalls, a short hike and THE BEST WATERFALL EXPERIENCE EVER! And then the climb back up the gravel and concrete path back to support van for lunch. Trust me, we will end up pushing our bikes on our way up.
Reach Homebase post lunch.
Stow away our bikes and sip on coffee number 44,297.
Freshen up and pack our bags over more coffees and inside jokes from two days of riding in terrains that your mountain bike was designed and built for.
Eat dinner at homebase, bid farewell to our support team at Homebase and board our transport.
Embark on a journey home.
Day 03, July 31, 2022, 2022 Saturday
Arrive in Bangalore a little after the crack of dawn.
What’s included?
Safe transport for you and your bicycle from Bangalore to Kalasa and back. This transport van will also be our support van as we traverse the trails in Kalasa. However, this van cannot be driven to Kyatanamakki and a separate specialty 4×4 Jeep is arranged for to support us on that leg of the adventure.
Stay and accommodation at Homebase in Kalasa.
MTB Guide
Route Guide
Bike technician for on road repairs
Forest permits where applicable
First Aid
Unlimited Coffee while at Homebase
A shit ton of memories and first time achievements to take home.
The possibility of setting a first time KOM, if you can get strava to work.
Your guide #staraniSh has gone up these routes far too many times for you to get the Local Legend on strava, but then he doesn’t always records his rides. So that’s up for grabs too.
The discovery that mountain bikes are capable doing much more that they can indeed take you to great sights.
What’s not included?
Travel and accident insurance
Personal medications.
Permissible amounts of alcohol.
Spares for your bicycle.
Refunds or transfers.
Transport to and from common pick and drop points in Bengaluru.
Tax on the amount of fun and adventure you are going to have.