300KM BRM Brevet Ride - Sufferfest climb I've ever done

This Brevet ride, definitely took me to one of the most beautiful place in Western Ghats, but more than that, I took over a thing, which i feared a lot, read on....

Before doing this 300KM BRM, few weeks ago, on a casual weekend ride i was passing through Katraj old tunnel, 250m long.
But the moment i entered into it, reached half-way and i was feeling dizzy/vertigo, my heart beat spiked, i simply took a U turn, and sweared never again will i pass through a tunnel again.

DATE:24th November 2012, the Brevet day.

Started my ride at exact 6AM, this time no wasting time, is what i thought.

I had to finish 300KM in 20 hours, i have to save as much time as possible, so that i can reach home well in time, since it's 25KM away from the end station.

Started at a casual speed, chit-chatting with fellow riders, making new friends, enjoying the beautiful city outskirts morning.

After 23KM, we passed over a via-duct, a bridge over a lake, it was such a  beautiful sight(I really regret not taking pictures, but remember, I am on a no wasting time agenda) i really want to go someday and sit there for some time.

Less gradient climb, but beautiful road, and then precisely at that very moment welcomed me "New Katraj Tunnel - Length 1465m".

I was blank, is this how am i going to end my Brevet was my thought, i mean just 23KM from start point, will it be done, lets give it a try, i entered into it.

Checked my breathing, thank god it was fine, speed 17KMPH ok good, go on.

Thankfully this one had ample lights, but the heavy vehicle sound, it was horrifying.

And i was able to get over the tunnel pretty easily.

I was like, if this wasn't difficult, then why the hell i couldn't pass through the old one, never mind no time for analyzing, just peddle fast and make it quick.

I was riding at a pretty good speed, and at 80KM, was Khambatki Ghat, again a tunnel around 1.6KM in length.

I thought, god how many tunnels do i have to pass through today, but this time with much better confidence,  entered into it, and finished it off.

So now with nothing more to fear, i rode furiously and made it to wai some 100KM from starting point.

Now from here started a climb, destination Mahabaleshwar Market, distance around 30KM.
It's a kind of climb, which i have never done, not in my 600KM Brevet, and definitely not in my 200KM Brevet.
Though it was a very pleasant view, with ample shade, i was simply not able to appreciate anything, i was targeting to reach the control point by 12PM, but it was so difficult, i made it only at 13:06.
It was the most difficult climb, i had ever done, and with the best of the view, i will ask my friends to go and visit this place atleast once, if they haven't.
Enroute, i saw strawberry plantation, it was only after I reached Panchagani, drank a litre of cool water, i got some energy to finish off the ride.

After reaching the control point, i thought to buy some strawberries for home, but there I didn't see, a single vendor, and the route which I had to take for coming back, didn't had any vendors either, result - I am regretting why i didn't purchase the fruit when it was available, and waited to finish the control point.

Next control point Satara was 50KM away, out of which 30KM was mainly down hill. The road actually seem to pass through some forest, so maybe that's why there were no vendors, and nothing was available.
While on my my way back, i met Anil Uchil from Mumbai, he was doing 300KM brevet on 24th, and will be doing another 300KM brevet on 25th in Mumbai, Hats off to his spirit.
From here on, we both rode together, and were targetting to finish by 22:00PM.

While on our way coming back,we passed through Khambatki Ghat pretty easily, as for now, it was a slight down gradient.
At around 19:30, i spotted mountains, and i was literally screaming, "Look Anil we've reached Katraj".
He said, its still far, but i was not convinced, and from here on my wait for that damn tunnel started again.

Till 20:45, I didn't pass through that tunnel, i was so frustrated, damn i saw the ghat around an hour ago, and yet i am waiting to touch its base.

Finally, around 21:00, i reached the tunnel entrance, with zero doubt, and a down gradient assisting me, i zoomed into it, and dared to touch a maximum speed of 66.3KMPH.
I was damn happy about it.

Here on, nothing exciting, i reached the end control point at 22:32, punched my brevet card, shared some experience, and started my return journey of 25KM to reach home.