[iyertalks]

@ ampere i am starting on Friday Early morning between 0430 - 0500 Hope to reach ooty by 1400 hope i am okay in the math.

Also a change in plan and need your advice guys ...

I am going back to chennai from OOTY so need route suggestions as always... Thanks a bunch.

Regards,
Ganesh

[ampere]

Originally Posted by iyertalks

@ ampere i am starting on Friday Early morning between 0430 - 0500 Hope to reach ooty by 1400 hope i am okay in the math.

Also a change in plan and need your advice guys ...

I am going back to chennai from OOTY so need route suggestions as always... Thanks a bunch.

Regards,
Ganesh

Take the route via Conoor-Kotagiri-Metupalayam-Satyamangalam-Athani-Mettur-Thopur-Krishnagiri-Vellore-Chennai


Or you can also do Conoor-Kotagiri-Metupalayam-Annur-Avinashi and then take the NH47/NH7/NH46 to Chennai (regular route).

[n_mouli]

Originally Posted by ampere

Or you can also do Conoor-Kotagiri-Metupalayam-Annur-Avinashi and then take the NH47/NH7/NH46 to Chennai (regular route).

Is this the route via Salem-Atthur? If yes, it is better to avoid this route completely. It was in a very horrible shape couple of months before. Not sure of the exact status now though!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by n_mouli

Is this the route via Salem-Atthur? If yes, it is better to avoid this route completely. It was in a very horrible shape couple of months before. Not sure of the exact status now though!

It is the NH47 from Salem to Avinashi. Lot of folks recently traveled all the way till Avinashi from Salem and mentioned route was very good. Its only after Avinashi (towards CBE), where the mess starts.

[iyertalks]

Originally Posted by ampere

Take the route via Conoor-Kotagiri-Metupalayam-Satyamangalam-Athani-Mettur-Thopur-Krishnagiri-Vellore-Chennai


Or you can also do Conoor-Kotagiri-Metupalayam-Annur-Avinashi and then take the NH47/NH7/NH46 to Chennai (regular route).

Conoor-Kotagiri-Metupalayam-Satyamangalam-Athani-Mettur-Dharmapuri-Krishnagiri-Vellore-Chennai

Will do this route ... Thanks a bunch guys as always much appreciated.

[sudheeshnairs]

I went to Ooty on 23rd April 09 and came back on 25th in my 2002 Indica V2 DLS. My cruising speed was 80-110kph on the highway stretches in the plains and 40-60 kph in the ghats (Gudallur Route).

Took 8 hours 30 minutes to reach the Resort from my home near HAL Airport, Bangalore, including the short breaks. Of course I lost 1 hour 30 minutes in leaving Bangalore since I started at 9.30 AM only. It was 10.45 AM, when I got to the SH-17, Mysore Road.

Took the Mudumalai-Teppakad-Gudallur-Pykara route while going.

Return was through the Kalahatty Ghat road which was a scary & adventurous experience. The road is maintained well with signboards, barricades, etc but narrow and steep. During the return trip there was full load, five passengers and full luggage in the boot as well as inside the passenger area. We were advised by many at Ooty and Bangalore that you should use only second and first gears. There are signages asking you to do so also enroute.

The Police Checkpoint at the deviation to Kalahatti Ghat road from the main Guddalur route stopped me. They first told me that generally no vehicles are permitted downhill and we have to go via Gudallur. Then took my name, vehicle no and sign in a register, took Rs.50/- as 'fee' (with no receipt) and allowed to proceed with an advise to go only in second gear.

The gradient is so steep that the rolling tyres will start running the engine, with rpm and noise level rising, so once or twice I shifted to third. Also you tend to press the clutch while braking. This resulted in the brake pads being heated up and slight smoke came out at one straight steep slope with humps in the downhill lane. I was almost standing on the brake and still the car was moving. I stopped for some time there and then proceeded. Later I heard from one of my friends that his LOGAN's brakes were almost gone up in smoke when he was speeding down the road. He had to get out of the car seeing the thick white smoke and was allowed by the forest officials only after some 30 minutes to proceed further.

This is the stretch. It doesn't appear much steep from down in the picture. You can see the there are humps provided in the 'down' lane to slow you down, but vehicles tend to avoid it just like the Mahindra in the pic is doing. It is a dangerous situation for the vehicles coming in the opposite direction. This menace was there in the Guddalur-Pykara route too. There what the authorities have done is damaging the smooth tarmac on the down hill lane at frequent intervals, instead of the humps. So there also the vehicles avoid that section and get in to the 'up hill' lane. I had one terrifying moment when I saw a container truck heading straight against me in that narrow road. I stopped and waited and luckily he had enough space to weave out and proceed. He was also followed in his tail by some 4-5 cars.

Originally Posted by ampere

I hope you mean from Bangalore?
If yes 5-7 hours depending on your breaks and what time you start from Bangalore.

[vinaydas]

i have taken the kalhatti road many times from ooty towards mysore.
I admit the first time i was a newbie while driving down hill from the palio and was stopped by the officials en route to slow me down or rather cool the brakes.
since then have done it on the Innova and relied on engine braking to slow the car on descents.

[YaeJay]

those lovely 36/36 !

[ampere]

Mostly people take Gudalur route for the return. Not because of the drive complexity while coming down, but they can visit some more places on the way back.

[sudheeshnairs]

Moreover restrictions are in place to come down that route. Barricades are there put up by Police and only if you insist, they let you go. They first ask where are you going. If you say Mysore or Bangalore they will ask you to go via Gudalur. They told me that this route is only for coming up and on the way back you should take the Gudalur route. I said I have a stop over at Masinagudi.

On the way to Ooty I had gone via the Guddalur route thinking why to strain the engine (Mine was an 7 1/2 years old Indica done over 1 lakh kms).

Originally Posted by ampere

Mostly people take Gudalur route for the return. Not because of the drive complexity while coming down, but they can visit some more places on the way back.

[ampere]

That actually makes sense. When I went, there were no cops to stop. I went up and came down via the hairpin bend route.

[Rocky_Balboa]

Originally Posted by sudheeshnairs

Moreover restrictions are in place to come down that route. Barricades are there put up by Police and only if you insist, they let you go. They first ask where are you going. If you say Mysore or Bangalore they will ask you to go via Gudalur. They told me that this route is only for coming up and on the way back you should take the Gudalur route. I said I have a stop over at Masinagudi.

Last year, when I was stopped at the Barricades, I told I was visiting a nurse at the nearby village

[mpksuhas]

Is the 9PM to 6AM road closure of the roads inside Bandipur forest still adhered to?

[Souvik]

Yes. That is still followed (except for Ambulance and Fire Brigades).

Souvik

[shamanth]

Originally Posted by sudheeshnairs

The Police Checkpoint at the deviation to Kalahatti Ghat road from the main Guddalur route stopped me. They first told me that generally no vehicles are permitted downhill and we have to go via Gudallur. Then took my name, vehicle no and sign in a register, took Rs.50/- as 'fee' (with no receipt) and allowed to proceed with an advise to go only in second gear.

Oh last time i was also stopped from taking this route, but i did not know Rs 50 would have done the job. Will try this trick next time.