Hmmm, lots of cryptic clues!
Zak's special friend?

will be doing athirapally route like most of you suggested.
doing the trip the day after. probably start by 5AM or so. intend to take it slow, so that I get to do some photography.
Is it practical to return on the same day through the normal route after spending 2 or 3 hours at CBE?

how long would this route take at a moderate pace with no stops?

[yzfrj]

Originally Posted by rippergeo

Just curious! thats the reason.like you
its always nice to see new routes.

Cant wait to go

Wonderful, enjoy the trip
Detailed trip logs and pictures expected as always.

Did the trip yesterday.Not sure that my narration and pics will be enough for it to deserve a separate thread.
May I put up the trip description and pics here?

[speedzak]

Nice!
Put it here. Will serve as a guidance to others too. My opinion.

[johnda]

Originally Posted by rippergeo

Did the trip yesterday.Not sure that my narration and pics will be enough for it to deserve a separate thread.
May I put up the trip description and pics here?

Hey Ripper waiting for your post - Have to head out to Cmbt on the 22nd this will be useful and a good change (from the road from Thrissur to Palghat)

Route taken
Cochin-Ankamaly-Ezhattumugham-Athirappally-Peringalkuthu-Valpara-Pollachi-Cbe
Vehicle used Ford Endeavour 2.5 liter Common rail 2WD

Total time taken 7 hours

Total distance 270 kms (Door to Door)
an estimated excess of 50 kms from the regular COK-palghat-walayar- CBE route.
Started at 5.30 AM with my brother driving.
stopped frequently for photos and just to get out and walk around and see things. (6hrs to toll booth at CBE city)
Lost time at roadworks within pollachi town(1/2 hour or so)

Route conditions
(ODO- zero)Edapally- angamaly-regular route through 4 lane highway
good surface, sparse traffic early in morning.
Busy and nightmarish at all other times.

Angamaly to Vazhachal
turn Right at Karayamparambu junction(ODO-26.2)
which is the 1st turn off after the bridge after angamaly
this route winds through typical narrow kerala town areas
listed below are some of the junctions I found slightly confusing
ODO-32.3- straight ahead at 4 way junction
ODO 35- turn right at fork
ODO 35.8- turn right at fork
ODO 37.6- keep left, carry on straight ahead
40.4- turn right
40.5- turn right
48.7- turn left at junction
you should soon get to the plantation corporation's checkpost, but have not kept logs much after this, as the route is single with no options for turn offs.

the drive through the plantation is nice, with the river on your left, but photography is difficult due to fencing and dense brush on the hill side.

turn left off the plantation road towards the new bridge at ezhattumugham, which takes you to the doorstep of silverstorm.

turn right from silverstorm to carry on towards athirampally followed by vazhachal which are tourist destinations in their own right with plenty of photo- ops.

vazhachal CP (ODO-66)

[hvkumar]

Fine route detailing, thanks. Waiting for more. I presume that the plantations were mostly palm oil, run by Kerala Plantation Corpn.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

ODO-32.3- straight ahead at 4 way junction

Odo ex. edappally? Or from your door (coz. you mentioned total distance as "door to door" couple of sentences back.

[sameel]

great going Rippergeo

i havent taken the scenic route though i have been going form cbe to cochin and back very frequently..lolz.

Athirampally waterfalls

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Fine route detailing, thanks. Waiting for more. I presume that the plantations were mostly palm oil, run by Kerala Plantation Corpn.

Thank you sir, but I'm afraid, the route detailing pretty much ends here, as its straight forward from here upto the T junction with the right turn leading to Pollachi and the left leading to valparai.
The turns once we enter the tea estates near malakiparai and valparai are marked well for pollachi.

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Odo ex. edappally? Or from your door (coz. you mentioned total distance as "door to door" couple of sentences back.

From edapally. I set the odo seperately so that i could use the readings to post here.

Originally Posted by sameel

great going Rippergeo

i havent taken the scenic route though i have been going form cbe to cochin and back very frequently..lolz.

The verna could do it, if you do it carefully. But I wouldnt risk it.
All the other vehicles I saw on those forest roads were little hyundai and maruti hatches. the log books at the checkposts however showed a very very large number of mahindra scorpios, boleros and regular jeeps

difficult to shoot pics in these conditions of low light with patches of bright sunlight passing through in between. the dense foliage also doesnt allow a person with my skill(or the lack of it) to get decent pics. so, apologies

[srijit]

ooh, nice photos ripper.
Also thanks for the detailed road directions.

Pic 1.Sholayar reservoir? From inside the forest.
from a makeshift view point, which almost resulted in me falling off a cliff, trying to get a good pic.

Pic2- one of those rare sections in the forest road,where the trees do not make a dense canopy over your vehicle.

[ramkya1]

Thanks for the great photos and logs.

Have done it on bike 3/4 times between 85 and 90.... road conditions were pathetic, absolute horror. The forest check posts closes the roads around 0600 pm, its elephant country after this time.

The route from CBE, Attapadi, Agali, Chindakki, Kookanpalayam (one road turns off from here to Silent Valley, you will have to trek some distance too), Manarkad is also another alternative. Done this route many times between 85 to 90, it was a one track path, only small buses used to ply.

Ramky