Malshej: Midnight Masti Ride
By Ujjwal Dey
Destination:
Malshej Ghat is located at 130 KM from Mumbai and has Hanuman Ghat atop with a Shiv temple, Hanuman idol and Shani Dev idol there.
The Trip:
We at random decided to have a midnight ride to Malshej Ghat to view the sunrise from Hanuman Ghat. 23 Motorcycles and 5 pillion showed up for this Weekend Ride.
Trip Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/udey11/MalshejGhat
All Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/udey11
Meeting Point:
Eternity Mall, Thane.
10:30 PM, 5th April 2008
Group:
Bombay Bikers http://www.bombaybikers.com/
Saturday 5th April 2008:
Being bikers to the core we just wanted to ride and utilise the weekend for fun. So began Midnight Masti Ride and even though we declared the ride to start at 10:30 PM we saw a huge turnout with about 20 Bikes at the meeting point. The range of bikes included 6 Bullets + 3 ThunderBirds and ZMAs, 1 P220, 1 Caliber AND ONE MONSTER Yamaha Royal Star 1600cc aged 7 years, etc. Finally Mr. Nilesh the ride co-ordinator showed up with a fashionably "last" entry. A few words of advice from Kamal to all riders for this night ride to a Ghat which has an incredible drop and even better view. We rolled at about 11:40 PM with first halt at Thane itself for newbies who had not refueled for the Trip.
Soon we thundered together on the road to Bhiwandi bypass with our turn-signals on to identify each other in front and rear. Even after the pre-ride lecture some riders missed the turn and kept on going ahead towards NH3. Mustafa chased these riders and brought them back to the turn on the road from where we headed to Malshej Ghat.
Here the formation got screwed. We stopped once when Nilesh informed that a biker had a tyre puncture so the gang rolled ahead while a few waited for puncture repair. The road was straight with everyone doing 80 KMPH with clear road signs to the road ahead.
The lead team went over 90 KMPH and soon I let others zoom ahead as I fell back to ride safe at night. So I was with a small group that was in the middle while the lead and sweeper groups were far away from us. The middle group I was in was worried about where we were headed as we were just hypnotically chasing the turn signal all riders had kept on LOLz.
The Bitchy Witch Project:
Soon I stopped near one of the mountain enveloped roads and the small group behind me also stopped with me. We had no mobile phone network here. We wondered whether we were going the right way. Ashok soon joined us with his pillion here. After a few smokes Prasad and his pillion also showed up at this halt.
Plus the mysterious accident of a rider in a previous private ride of Ashok and Sodhiji got us wondering about the road we were on. A rider with them on that ride didn't know what fell on him, his front mud guard was cut into 2 pieces, he had deep cuts on his chest which required stitches, he just couldn't speak about what fell on him. I added my masala that the guy was attacked by a "chudail" witch. Anyways the joke was on me because now they all unanimously said that I should continue leading them riding in front, LOLz. A Police jeep stopped and asked us where we were headed and we realised we were on the right path. So we rolled and I said prayers under my helmet on this Moonless Midnight Ride.
Sunday 6th April 2008:
Finally all reached at the dhaba before the Ghat - Red Chilly hotel stop be damned. Lot of food with biscuits as backup for the remaining night. After a hearty meal we rode together to the Hanuman Ghat.
We reached Hanuman Ghat at about 2 AM. Lot of chatter and some songs by Ashok's many gadgets. Some of us went on till the end of the Ghat towards Nashik to refuel at about 4 AM - at the petrol pump Kamal allowed Hussain to start his ancient Bullet Deluxe which Hussain tried desperately for many many kicks but it refused to start, LOLz. We got back to Hanuman Ghat by 5 AM and soon Hussain's portable coffee was ready as well.
At about 6 AM there was faint light but not enough for good photography so my mountain and gorge photos may not be too impressive due to the lighting. A final photo of lineup of bikes and the gang decided to use Ashok's "idea" to ride towards Nashik for the MTDC Hotel which is on Malshej Ghat itself. So instead of heading back towards Mumbai to get our breakfast at the wonderful dhaba where we had our dinner we went in the opposite direction with opposite results.
There is no electricity at this MTDC hotel with only one working wash basin. The water offered for drinking is tap water. They charge Rs 15 for a lousy tiny cup of coffee so forget about the exorbitant expense on simple breakfast food items like poha, upma, etc. They didn't even have more than 10 eggs at this grand sprawling resort. Worse thing is that at least at the dhaba we could have found cigarettes to satisfy our souls par yahan @#$%&* Sutta na mila. The MTDC Management have spent all the Tax Money on pretty posters for all their walls and not on service or facilities.
Lazing around at this stop riders came up with ideas of visiting nearby Shivneri Fort, of sleeping till 12 PM, then lunch then riding to other places before heading home. I got into the sunlight outside to keep myself wide awake.
Anyways a few riders wanted to head back to Mumbai and I agreed to go with them. Wisdom dawned upon others too and all decided to head back to Mumbai. This was about 9 AM and we had probably been awake for exactly or more than 24 Hours now.
At the Ghats I was with the group and as it ended all of them zoomed away and I rode alone for an hour or so till I saw about 3 to 4 bikes parked - Nilesh's Unicorn had acceleration/pickup problems and they were doing some R&D. I waited there with them and we called Kamal who had stopped back for more "pet" Puja on Gudi Padwa. Gauresh and his pillion joined us too here and we decided to keep moving and they zoomed off.
So alone I treaded under the hot sun, following road signs at a good speed of around 70KMPH. At Ulhasnagar there was traffic and I stopped for tea and asked directions, made a call to my home and was on the way. Found my way to Bhiwandi pass and then on to apna ghar ka angan hai.
I waited at Eternity Mall but no one was there so called up the "Ride Coordinator" Nilesh and he couldn't hear a thing I was saying - so had a sutta and got going home. I reached home at about 11:30 AM.
Not really tired because I rode at my speed and on ROADS; not on Martian surface like previous ride LOLz.
Author: http://www.ujjwaldey.com/
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