[lancer_rit]

Just drove back from a trip to Ooty over the Ugadi weekend. Took the BLR -> Kanakpura -> Kollegal -> Chamrajanagar -> Gundlupet route in both directions.

Like my trip last year, this road is way better than the maddening SH17, great roads and surfaces, scenic, twisting sections and very low traffic - a drivers delight. Only a bit of broken surfaces between Chamarajnagar and Gundlupet.

Climbed up by Kalhatti ghats and returned by Gudalur route. Gudalur route close to Ooty has developed some bad patches/broken surfaces (and the odd craters further down as well) unlike in 2011. But the route is way more scenic and great to drive down when traffic is less!

Roads in Lovedale, and to Upper Bhavani and towards Emerald are great esp. to Upper Bhavani.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

Roads in Lovedale, and to Upper Bhavani and towards Emerald are great esp. to Upper Bhavani.

Did you have to take a permit from EB or DFO for visiting Upper Bhavani?
How are the catchment water levels ?

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by ampere

Did you have to take a permit from EB or DFO for visiting Upper Bhavani?
How are the catchment water levels ?

I'm not sure if Avalanchi qualifies to be in Upper Bhavani. If yes, you can get the permit at the entrance barricade itself. But you need to rent a jeep and go with the guide. After driving through the barricade and going in the jungle track for a km, there is an office of the DFO that issues the permit.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I'm not sure if Avalanchi qualifies to be in Upper Bhavani. If yes, you can get the permit at the entrance barricade itself. But you need to rent a jeep and go with the guide. After driving through the barricade and going in the jungle track for a km, there is an office of the DFO that issues the permit.

Emeralad and Avalanchi are lakes close to each other. They dont require any permits. You can drive to the lake. Upper Bhavani is another 30-40km further.

@Ravib mentioned earlier that they need a permit for that. But I just wanted to know, if that has changed.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by ampere

Emeralad and Avalanchi are lakes close to each other. They dont require any permits. You can drive to the lake. Upper Bhavani is another 30-40km further.

@Ravib mentioned earlier that they need a permit for that. But I just wanted to know, if that has changed.

Ok thanks. But we did not take the right turn towards Emerald Lake at that junction, but proceeded straight and took another right turn after a km or so. That was a narrow road that took us to a barricade with a bus stop beside it.

We were not allowed to drive through, but had to rent a jeep and also take a permit to go into the forest. We drove around 20 kms over the hills, amid thick forest, and then descended into a scenic valley with a waterfall adjacent to a temple. We had to stop where the road ended, and that was at Bhavani lake. Perhaps that was lower Bhavani.

Now that you say no permit is needed, I wonder if we could have taken a different route. But we thoroughly enjoyed the forest and the misty valley, which was the highlight of our trip.

We did see another road at the top of the cliff to the left saying 'upper Bhavani', but were told that visitors are not permitted to go there.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

We did see another road at the top of the cliff to the left saying 'upper Bhavani', but were told that visitors are not permitted to go there.

Yes thats the road to Upper Bhavani. The road that goes into deep forest takes you to a trout hatchery ( I think thats the one you may have taken).

Thanks to Lalu I came to know about it and had a chance to visit it.

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by ampere

Did you have to take a permit from EB or DFO for visiting Upper Bhavani?
How are the catchment water levels ?

Well, we were going to Upper Bhavani, but in the forest, we drove for 7-8km and from the GPS, we were going away from the lake. Google maps does not show any road to Upper Bhavani lake - I realized that I had taken the wrong fork (3km after entering forest from the tea estates) inside the forest. By that time, my wife "convinced" me to return back and not experiment further :-( I didn't have a permit - I read somewhere that you need a permit to drive over the dam to the forest on the other side. On the other hand, a person at Manjur said, there is a checkpost before the lake, and I need a permit. ... I thought let's take a chance and see.
Finally, it seems I was about 6-7km away from the lake when I had taken the wrong fork in the forest. I drove back to Avalanchi instead.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

Well, we were going to Upper Bhavani, but in the forest, we drove for 7-8km and from the GPS, we were going away from the lake. Google maps does not show any road to Upper Bhavani lake - I realized that I had taken the wrong fork (3km after entering forest from the tea estates) inside the forest. By that time, my wife "convinced" me to return back and not experiment further :-( I didn't have a permit - I read somewhere that you need a permit to drive over the dam to the forest on the other side. On the other hand, a person at Manjur said, there is a checkpost before the lake, and I need a permit. ... I thought let's take a chance and see.
Finally, it seems I was about 6-7km away from the lake when I had taken the wrong fork in the forest. I drove back to Avalanchi instead.

The Following place you can drive without any problems.

Emeralad/Avalanche Lake Location

The trout farm and the avalanche forest rest house is close to the south of the lake. You must have ended up there. Google maps does not show it. But Google earth does, and I believe that is not the right location. Wikimapia puts it correctly I think.

Trout Hatchery

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by ampere

The Following place you can drive without any problems.

Emeralad/Avalanche Lake Location

The trout farm and the avalanche forest rest house is close to the south of the lake. You must have ended up there. Google maps does not show it. But Google earth does, and I believe that is not the right location. Wikimapia puts it correctly I think.

Trout Hatchery

I am very familiar with Avalanche and Emerald - been going there since 2003 :-) First time I went there, I went to the Avalanche power house and waterfalls.

I did go about 7km to Upper Bhavani before I went on the wrong fork, and then returned back...

[ampere]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

I did go about 7km to Upper Bhavani before I went on the wrong fork, and then returned back...

Sorry. Thought that was your first and hence was trying to explain. While going towards the Trout Hatchery I saw the board for Upper Bhavani (40km to the left). But I never went as I was told there was a permit needed.


Here are the snaps by @Ravi.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2123099

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by ampere

Sorry. Thought that was your first and hence was trying to explain.

No issues at all. There are two routes to Upper Bhavani. I was taking the longer one through Manjoor before I aborted. In the other thread, hvkumar (as usual) has already given all the details including that permit is not required to reach the dam from the Manjoor route - thanks for that link.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

No issues at all. There are two routes to Upper Bhavani. I was taking the longer one through Manjoor before I aborted. In the other thread, hvkumar (as usual) has already given all the details including that permit is not required to reach the dam from the Manjoor route - thanks for that link.

I went till the Avalanche forest rest house and trout farm and then returned. So does the forst road to Upper Bhavani goes beyond this place? I was only aware of the road via Manjoor village. I did not ask the forest guys there, as I never thought there can be another road!

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by ampere

Yes thats the road to Upper Bhavani. The road that goes into deep forest takes you to a trout hatchery ( I think thats the one you may have taken).

Thanks to Lalu I came to know about it and had a chance to visit it.

From the pics I have, the place I visited seems to be in the board below, that is at the check post.






And this is where we got the permit and paid for the Jeep:




The lake view:

[lancer_rit]

^^^ That place is Avalanche forest checkpost from where safari is carried out these days - there is a forest resthouse nearby.

BTW, surely, the best hill road in the country - just after Manjoor ...

[ravib]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

No issues at all. There are two routes to Upper Bhavani. I was taking the longer one through Manjoor before I aborted. In the other thread, hvkumar (as usual) has already given all the details including that permit is not required to reach the dam from the Manjoor route - thanks for that link.

Yea, thats correct. There are two routes to Upper Bhavani. One via Avalanche forest needs permit, whereas the Manjoor route doesn't.

For sure, you would have had out of this world for a day when we go till Upper Bhavani and back. No cell phones, no traffic and just a life with virgin forest !

Are the roads to Upper Bhavani via Manjoor route better? The road via Avanalanche was not good when i went there.

Thanks for the nice snaps.

-Ravi