[jkrishnakj]

Originally Posted by goandude

Planning on a cold holiday in ooty in Saturday Dec 27- to Tuesday 30 Dec. Two cars 6 adults one toddler. Now since Bangalore Mysore road has heavy traffic on weekends planning Kanakapura - Mallavali - Mangala - Gundulpet - 36 hairpin - Ooty.
Has anyone done this route recently? If so how long can we expect the drive to take? (Google mentions 300 kms 7 hrs) And as mentioned in above posts besides the Mangala and Chamrajnagar stretch, any other bad roads in between?

PS We are starting from Shantiniketan at 6 am.

It should take you about 7 hours, if you include a half hour break in between. Its not Mangala - But Kollegal town.

Roads are good all the way to Kollegal, did this 3 weeks ago enroute to Coimbatore. I aint sure about Kollegal-Gundulpet road.

Since you are returning back on a Tuesday, you might as well take the Gundlupet-Mysore-Bangalore route. .

[kala]

Originally Posted by goandude

Planning on a cold holiday in ooty in Saturday Dec 27- to Tuesday 30 Dec. Two cars 6 adults one toddler. Now since Bangalore Mysore road has heavy traffic on weekends planning Kanakapura - Mallavali - Mangala - Gundulpet - 36 hairpin - Ooty.
Has anyone done this route recently? If so how long can we expect the drive to take? (Google mentions 300 kms 7 hrs) And as mentioned in above posts besides the Mangala and Chamrajnagar stretch, any other bad roads in between?

PS We are starting from Shantiniketan at 6 am.

As another poster clarified, it is not Mangala - the town in between Malavalli and Chamarajnagar is Kollegal. Also the Kollegal-Chamarajnagar section isn't all that bad other than within 4 or 5 villages on the way where the road is narrow and patchy. It's the stretch after Chamarajnagar (and especially the last 10-12 kms before Gundlupet) that is the worst.

Since your journey is 2 months away I think it's too early to be querying about road conditions. The stretch I mentioned as bad above worsened considerably in the past couple of weeks or so after being in reasonably OK shape for the past 3-4 years. May be they will patch it up after the rains, may be not - remains to be seen. So better to keep watching these threads for up to date information.

[ambadan]

Visited coonoor last week. While going i took ghat road and from bandipur to ooty, it took 2 hrs. Road was good. In some places, it is bit bad, but if there are not vehicles in opposite direction, you can maintain good speed.

However, while coming back, cop forced all to take gudallur route. From ooty to bandipur, it took almost 5 hrs. Road condition is bad, it was raining and due to water log, once can't judge the condition of potholes. I hate the return trip.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by ambadan

However, while coming back, cop forced all to take gudallur route. From ooty to bandipur, it took almost 5 hrs. Road condition is bad, it was raining and due to water log, once can't judge the condition of potholes. I hate the return trip.

Gudalur route is tiring and cops usually don't allow to take 36 hairpin bend road on return.

With present road conditions, take 36 hairpin bend road to Ooty and return via Coonoor/Kotagiri - Mettupalayam-Satyamangalam-NH209 or NH47.

[beejay]

Originally Posted by RSUDARSANAN

Eventually which route did you take ?

Prasad's route no. 2 is the one I take - shortest and direct.

Am on Lavelle Road too; hence the query

Originally Posted by goandude

Has anyone done this route recently? If so how long can we expect the drive to take? (Google mentions 300 kms 7 hrs) And as mentioned in above posts besides the Mangala and Chamrajnagar stretch, any other bad roads in between?

PS We are starting from Shantiniketan at 6 am.

I took the Mysore highway. I am taking this road on the 13th this month.

[JoseVijay]

Originally Posted by Pilot77in

Just returned from a weekend visit to Ooty. In the previous visit, I had gone up via Kalahatty and down via Gudalur. Had pleasant memories of both with the challenge of the 36 hairpins and the scenic and good quality Gudalur descend, for quality of roads as well as views. Thought I will do the reverse this time and descend via Kalahatty. However, having taken the Gudalur route 2 days back, I must warn folks that it is in utter ruins. I was driving the XUV500 and still ended up scrapping the underbody on more than one occasion. The Gudalur route is broken at many places and the craters filled with water. There are some places were you will need to come onto the onward traffic lane to get past and at other places you simply need to go over the craters the depth of which you will know only after you have passed over. The ordeal starts right after you cross the Y junction at Mudumalai and continues till you are around 5 Kms shy of Ooty. I could see workers filling the craters with mud but that was closer to Ooty with no repair work seen at the Mudumalai - Gudalur stretch.The already long Gudalur route has become twice as long due to this issue. The last time I drove through this route I noticed scenic views, plantations etc and this time I didn't and you can guess why. Left Ooty for Bangalore at 715am Monday and although the barricade at the entry to Kalahatty said 'one way' there were no cops to enforce it so went down this route. Clearly, I should have taken this on the way up as well. The much longer TN route via Salem Avinashi being discussed can be considered providing there is no unrest there presently as I heard there was after the Jayalalitha verdict. But I guess if you drive safe and timely, the Kalahatty route should still be the route of choice both direction, at least until the Gudalur route is repaired for it is far more scenic than the Kalahatty route. In any event, the Kalahatty route requires that you have eyes on the road so even if there were plantations and tea/coffee estates, you wouldn't see them. Also, I found Mysore road a 2.5 hour breeze both ways merging at 730am Saturday from the Nice junction and having taken a left from ORR Columbia Asia at around 1030 am returning Monday.

Originally Posted by goandude

Planning on a cold holiday in ooty in Saturday Dec 27- to Tuesday 30 Dec. Two cars 6 adults one toddler. Now since Bangalore Mysore road has heavy traffic on weekends planning Kanakapura - Mallavali - Mangala - Gundulpet - 36 hairpin - Ooty.
Has anyone done this route recently? If so how long can we expect the drive to take? (Google mentions 300 kms 7 hrs) And as mentioned in above posts besides the Mangala and Chamrajnagar stretch, any other bad roads in between?

PS We are starting from Shantiniketan at 6 am.

I had just returned from Ooty. Took the Gudalur route while going towards Mudumalai. As mentioned the road is in shambles. IIRC, the mini bus I was travelling in, also scrapped the underbody once. That's how the condition of the road is! The irony is, this is supposed to be NH65.

[vsathyap]

Just came back from a trip to Masinagudi/ Madumalai. The route I took is BLR-Ramnagara - Channapatna - Maddur - Mandya - Mysore - Nanjangud - Gundlupete - Bandipur - Masinagudi. Roads all the way are good, except for the zillion speed breakers on the entire 225km stretch. I felt I was driving in the city and had to change gears very often. The stretch after we cross the TN border gets a little bad and the road narrows down compared to the Bandipur roads.

[YaeJay]

whats the best route from ooty to Mysore Infosys campus? Road conditions? I will be riding. I will be doing the 36/36. Please give directions, feed back post bandipur. Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Gudalur route is tiring and cops usually don't allow to take 36 hairpin bend road on return.

With present road conditions, take 36 hairpin bend road to Ooty and return via Coonoor/Kotagiri - Mettupalayam-Satyamangalam-NH209 or NH47.

That's nuts! Once you enter RF area, it is the forest dept. Cops have no say. why should someone do kotagiri mettu if they are heading to bangalore? 36/36 has window between 6 am to 6pm. Please specify the time of your travel.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by YaeJay

That's nuts! Once you enter RF area, it is the forest dept. Cops have no say.

Are you sure on this? There are lots of over-lapping of duties and responsibilities between these departments. Forest department, by the way does not have any policing powers. Their duties are based on the forest and environment related laws/acts. They also don't have traffic units to enforce motor laws on the forest roads. They will have to take the help of the police.

A dead body is found in the reserve forest, who do you think would do the inquest, send the body for autopsy, investigate and take the case to the courts?

[YaeJay]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Are you sure on this? There are lots of over-lapping of duties and responsibilities between these departments. Forest department, by the way does not have any policing powers. Their duties are based on the forest and environment related laws/acts. They also don't have traffic units to enforce motor laws on the forest roads. They will have to take the help of the police.

A dead body is found in the reserve forest, who do you think would do the inquest, send the body for autopsy, investigate and take the case to the courts?

I am sure. If in case a dead body is found in any reserve, it would be handed over to the police by the forest officials.

At the same time, you will not be booked for not wearing seat belts, most traffic violations as traffic cops do. They are doing their job. And inside any RF or Area that comes under the control of the forest department, they have the authority to arrest anyone who is found guilty. No, they do not have to call the cops to do the handcuffs. They rarely use that. But, they have the authority to do that.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by YaeJay

I am sure. If in case a dead body is found in any reserve, it would be handed over to the police by the forest officials.

That is because it would be the forest officials who may find the body first. But please let me know where it says that roads going through a Reserve Forest has to be policed by forest officials - and only they alone can do it. Because as I see it in many states Forest Department is more understaffed, lesser trained on policing.

NOTE: This is not a challenge to you. It is more of a request for information .

[YaeJay]

its called, jurisdiction.
It is completely under the control of forest officials.
They can arrest, lock one up, They do have their own cells.
In extreme cases they can even shoot.
They have nothing to do with the police, they interact with the magistrate, district collector or the SP.


Have you ever seen a police station inside any declared RF?

Why would I feel it is a challenge? I have nothing to prove or defend. Drive safe my friend

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by YaeJay

whats the best route from ooty to Mysore Infosys campus? Road conditions? I will be riding.

The best option will be to cross Mysore town without taking ORR and proceed towards Bangalore highway.

Road conditions are good throughout, however do keep an eye for speed breakers especially around Nanjangud.
Route will be Gundulpet - Nanjangud - Mysore.

Once you reach Mysore, proceed straight towards Bangalore. You will reach ring road junction on Bangalore side which has Columbia Asia hospital on the left. From here take left and proceed towards Infosys campus on ring road.

[YaeJay]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

The best option will be to cross Mysore town without taking ORR and proceed towards Bangalore highway.

Road conditions are good throughout, however do keep an eye for speed breakers especially around Nanjangud.
Route will be Gundulpet - Nanjangud - Mysore.

Once you reach Mysore, proceed straight towards Bangalore. You will reach ring road junction on Bangalore side which has Columbia Asia hospital on the left. From here take left and proceed towards Infosys campus on ring road.

thanks a lot mpksuhas! Any idea how long it would take to travel during daylight? ie, 6am to 6pm ?

[prashkul]

Originally Posted by YaeJay

whats the best route from ooty to Mysore Infosys campus? Road conditions? I will be riding.

As you approach Mysore from Nanjangud side, ask for Hunsur road-Ilvala road junction - You'll be turning left at some point to start towards this. There is a Shell bunk on Hunsur road. From there on, anyone can guide you to Infosys campus. The Ring road has a gradient in this stretch - you'll have Vijayanagar on your right and Infosys campus dome visible on your left. Road is perfectly fine.

I read another suggestion to cross Mysore and come all the way to Columbia Asia hospital junction. It is not required to come all this far and then turn left at the hospital junction as it'll be kinda roundabout. You can approach the campus from the other side itself.