The Dam Run is basically about covering a route which takes us through 4 different water bodies, all set amid beautiful landscapes. The four destinations being Sultangarh, Madikhera, Mohani and Harsi. Now, although the route continues further along the same waterway to more places like Dhumeshwar, before it reaches Gwalior, we branch off after Harsi being satisfied by the whole experience till that point.
We had a ride on this route last Sunday, which actually turned out to be a great day for the experience as it rained all through the day, the intensity ranging from drizzles to downpours. The water levels in the dams were high, with the flood gates open making for great views and swift rivers.
Starting from Gwalior at around 6am, we reached Sulatangarh at 7:30am. This was after having some breakfast at Mohana. The tea and poha at the bus stop at Mohana has been a regular breakfast for while heading towards Shivpuri.
Sultangarh is very near Mohana, just a couple of kilometers off the highway. The trail leading from the highway to falls is fine in most seasons, although there can be water logging at some points during heavy rains. The pictures below show the journey from Gwalior to Sultangarh. The trail was fairly dry at this time.
After Sultangarh, we started off for Madikhera. The road for Madikhera branches off the highway 17km before Shivpuri. The road is a bit patchy, although its fun to ride on, being narrow, surrounded by greenery. The dam is officially called the Atal Sagar now.
After Madikhera, we head to Mohani Reservoir via Narwar. The roads from Madikhera to Narwar are fine. Mohani is just a bit of the main road, after crossing Narwar. There are two roads, one goes alongside the canal and is a bit slippery. Another one, turns in just maybe 100 meters before the canal road, which is partly tarmac and is better, especially if the current in the canal is strong.
After Mohani, we head to Harsi. Harsi is the name of the dam as well as the village which sits near the gates of this massive water body. This spot has been visited by the group on our rides quite a few times and thus is well known to almost all members.
The roads from Harsi to Gwalior are patchym leading from Harsi to Aron to Rani Ghati to Ghatigaon to Gwalior. But the section from Harsi to Aron, which was mostly unpaved up till maybe 6 months back is now fine. Another new development was a couple of large waterfalls which could be seen falling off the plateau along which the ghati is located. The size of one of these was rather exceptional for a seasonal waterfall.
The ride was great, definitely better than last year’s, considering the weather and the landscape. Looking forward to more exciting routes in the coming weekends.
Dam Run 2016 The Dam Run is basically about covering a route which takes us through 4 different water bodies, all set amid beautiful landscapes.
