Mountain Biking at Yeoor Hills - Off road bonanza!
A short but nice off road track exists in Yeoor Hills. The Thane cyclists headed by Jose George of Haybren Adventures had announced the ride and about 30 riders turned up. We started at 6:45 am from the base of Yeoor Hills. The entrance to the park at Thane provides access to Yeoor. The road climbs up to Yeoor hills in a steep but smooth tar road. However, one needs to take care not to run into the several vehicles that are driven on this road.
To reach the off road section, take the left at the last bus stop inside Yeoor. At the end of the road, there is a private road to the right and straight ahead is the off road track that heads into the forest. About 6 km long, it is a rocky path with gentle ups and downs, that culminates in a dried river bed, that has water only in the monsoon.
Starting point of the off road section. On the right is the private road, and straight ahead is the entrance to the off road track into the forest
We waited for the rest of the riders to climb up the hill and reach the off road track
The track is quite rocky, and in monsoon can get quite slippery
We rode through the forest in single file, as the track was quite narrow
We reached a small clearing and took a break to wait for the other riders to arrive
At one point, a tree had fallen and blocked the path. We had to lift the cycles up above the tree and circle back to the track on the other side
The final resting point before the last descent to the river bed below
There was a steep descent down to the river bed and it was rocky… would be quite dangerous in the monsoon. But this time of the year its dry and safe
The group of 5-6 riders who rode ahead of the rest
Broad smiles reflect the joy of being outdoors
After waiting for a few minutes we decided to head down to the river bed
My video camera was mounted on the handle bar, and it shook so much that I could just pick still shots from the video
Everyone reached the final destination safe and sound, with no major injuries
A 30 minute water break and time to get to know each other
The river bed was completely dry, but would be great to see the water in monsoon
As it was getting really hot, we decided to head back
The return journey was exhausting, thanks to the heat and the mostly uphill climb
At some points, there was no option but to lift the cycles up
There are some stretches that are just perfect for mountain biking
Some who are confident enough hurtled down the path at full speed
The forest cover kept the heat at bay till we reached the road. From there on, the full blast of the heat caught us all
After we climbed down from Yeoor to Thane, I still had over an hours ride back to Andheri through the hot sun. Thankfully, I managed it without incident and was back home by 10:30 am.
