[harrysan]

Originally Posted by speedzak

Pictures are finished?
You won't post any pictures from Valpaara - Pollachi route? That's a heinous crime!

Zak,
with Ripper on the wheel he could not have taken any
and most probably his brother was looking like , so he could not have taken either.

I wish Ripper had taken a pic of his brother with CP gyan gurus though

Ripper, awesome write up and pictures.
I am going to talk my friends in to this trip and make it sooner.

But, do you think Santro Xing or i10 can do one of these trips?

[trrk]

Hi harrysan,

> I am going to talk my friends in to this trip and make it sooner.
> But, do you think Santro Xing or i10 can do one of these trips?

Sure.

On the 30th, I did travel this route upto Valparai from the Cochin end. My friend and myself planned this after seeing ripper's travelogue.

We actually went up and down the same route.

It was done in my City CVT and if I had been a little more careful, my car would not have scraped at all.

It gave a very creditable 12.15kpl over the whole distance with AC through out, 2 of us occupying the car on the up journey and 3 for about 90 kms in the down journey. Though most of the vehicles were SUVs or MUVs, we did encounter a Maruti 800, a Xing, a NHC, an Indica and an Omni.

About 75kms of it is in all isolation as far as mobile signals are concerned.

When I end up preparing my narration, I would probably open another thread!

All the best for your trip. It is worth it!

Thanks Rippergeo for the inspiration. Missed the 40 hairpins, though, due to short of time. My friend who had come down to Alleppey from Kollam had to get back to Kollam the same day. We left Alleppey at 05.45am and were back at 09.10pm.

Originally Posted by speedzak

Pictures are finished?
You won't post any pictures from Valpaara - Pollachi route? That's a heinous crime!

sorry zak! was too busy getting sideways in the corners to think of photography. remember or Monsoon DRIVE trip where you asked me to stop and take pics from the viewpoint and I refused,, same thing! I just cant resist hairpin bends

the roads are good in this section and the view is so-so for people who see the ghats frequently. the drive , however, is spectacular

@trrk
glad you liked it. that was a long drive for you. too bad you missed the hairpins. maybe next time.

[trrk]

Hi rippergeo,

> @trrk: glad you liked it. that was a long drive for you. too bad you missed the > hairpins.

Thanks. No proper planning and the need to be back in our respective places the same day. Both of us had to attend a marriage at 7am next day at Kollam.

> maybe next time.

That is a genuine 'maybe', though! After 25 years of marriage, there are hardly any tricks left in my sleeve which my better half would not see through!

No meets lately? I will be in Peninsular Honda for CVT's service on 5th.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

That is a genuine 'maybe', though! After 25 years of marriage, there are hardly any tricks left in my sleeve which my better half would not see through!

Simple. Take her along!!!

[deepclutch]

I would Like to know from tBhpians about the short route for Pollaci,palakkad and coimbatore from cochin(ernakulam) via Kothamangalam-Pooyamkutti-Pollachi.there was news about this route(now got only forest route for walk AFAIK!) some years back in Mathrubhumi Newspaper EKM edition.
I think Once this route will be reality ,we can save so much KMS and save from NH47 Trissur-Angamaly route to reach Coimbatore.

also ,there was Kothamangalam-Nenmara-Palakkad route in proposal acc. to newspapers.I hope if forest department allows roads ,we are better off with this new route!.
PS:this route is not via Munnar-Udumala-pollachi one.already a forest way exists and KSEB(keral) dept knows about it(sources!).and we will save so much distance to Bangaloor also by this route.

@rippergeo and all ,please share your thoughts.

Originally Posted by deepclutch

I would Like to know from tBhpians about the short route for Pollaci,palakkad and coimbatore from cochin(ernakulam) via Kothamangalam-Pooyamkutti-Pollachi.there was news about this route(now got only forest route for walk AFAIK!) some years back in Mathrubhumi Newspaper EKM edition.
I think Once this route will be reality ,we can save so much KMS and save from NH47 Trissur-Angamaly route to reach Coimbatore.

also ,there was Kothamangalam-Nenmara-Palakkad route in proposal acc. to newspapers.I hope if forest department allows roads ,we are better off with this new route!.
PS:this route is not via Munnar-Udumala-pollachi one.already a forest way exists and KSEB(keral) dept knows about it(sources!).and we will save so much distance to Bangaloor also by this route.

@rippergeo and all ,please share your thoughts.

this is news to me.
there is a turn off from the main highway after palakkad that takes us to pollachi that I'm aware of, but I did not know of this other one via kothamangalam

[speedzak]

There's also a route from Trissur to Pollachi without going thru Palakkad.
It was in a bad shape about a year back. Don't know how it is now.

[hvkumar]

As far as I know, there are only 3 corridors from Trissur region to Pollachi region:

1. Trissur-Angamali-Kothamangalam-Munnar-Marayoor-Udumalaipet-Pollachi

2. Trissur-Chalakudy-Athirapalli-Sholayar-Valparai-Pollachi

3. Trissur-Palakkad/Wadakancheri-Kozhinjampara-Gopalapuram-Pollachi (in the case of this route, you can turn off NH47 at Alathur/Wadakkancheri and go directly to Kozhinjampara without touching Palakkad)


The forest track from Kollengode to Nelliampathy to Sholayar is closed to public, which would be a kuchcha road joining the Chalakudy-Sholayar-Valparai road.

[deepclutch]

^I know that route. you meant to take right turn from vadakkanchery to pollachi.right?I had gone through that route so many years back on bike to Trichy trip .yes ,that route goes through very narrow ways.thats why most tour bus operaters go upto palakkad to turn for pollachi.
There is one KSRTC service from kottarakkara to Pazhani via Munnar ,Udumala that I recently found!
@rippergeo : that route I told is almost impractical acc. to people from KSEB.it is deep inside the forest.but "kaalavandi chaal"(bullock cart track) exists.

also ,I remember there was some trekking/biking expedition by some social organization advertised all over EKM district 5-6 months back about "regaining" Old Aluva-Munnar route which is supposed to be more scenic.
Anyone attended that ?

[trrk]

Hi BaCkSeAtDrIVeR,

> Simple. Take her along!!!

I do wish problem solving was so simple in real life! My better half and a 14 year old bundle of joy that we have, have something in common - they hate travelling!

[hvkumar]

What is the current status of the much-talked-about the North-South Kerala High Range highway, for which road survey work was completed several years ago? Has the idea been dropped?

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by deepclutch

also ,I remember there was some trekking/biking expedition by some social organization advertised all over EKM district 5-6 months back about "regaining" Old Aluva-Munnar route which is supposed to be more scenic.
Anyone attended that ?

Is that the Aluva-Malayatoor-Thattekad-Neriamangalam road? I thought there is such a route which joins the main Kothamangalam-Munnar road?

While on the same topic, has anyone driven recently on the Neriamangalam-Thodupuzha road?

[deepclutch]

@hvkumar :sir ,I am not sure about that.but in newspapers in malayalam they said old aluva-munnar road via pooyamkutty.

I had Once gone through thodupuzha-paingottoor route .note upto neryamangalam.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

What is the current status of the much-talked-about the North-South Kerala High Range highway, for which road survey work was completed several years ago? Has the idea been dropped?

I think I remember reading in newspaper sometime back that the Initial plan was from Kanhangaad to Palakkad Hill Highway.from palakkad to kothamangalam->I have no idea what plans gov have. :S

and anyone here knows more about the pollaci-pooyamkutty forest route?it is not a motorable road.it is through forest with wild animals including elephants.Only 3-4 people I met knows/heard about this route.it is definitely worth to know more about this route.

--
I had my Engg ECE during 97-2001 in karunya engg college ,nallur vayal ,coimbatore towards west to Siruvani dam.

There is a small waterfall there in Saadivayal near siruvani called "Kovai Kuttalam" which attracts all folks from coimbatore city.
Now - I researched about this route during those years but cannot visit siruvani dam as it needs special permission from Coimbatore collector etc.

So , There was this route from Kozhikode(calicut) to Coimbatore many years back via siruvani.
Kozhikode -malappuram-mannaarkad-Kanjirapuzha(correct me!)-Siruvani-Saadivayal-Perur-Coimbatore which is now closed.this route is through siruvani forest.a tar road still exists.but even Kerala Gov Vehicles comes from palakkad to kovai-pudur-perur-boluvampatti-alaandurai-siruvani to visit siruvani dam.
Anyone knows the reason why they closed this route?even rumors that there was bus services to calicut through this route decades back acc. to local tamil-kannadiga mixed lingo people.
@hvkumar :any ideas?

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

3. Trissur-Palakkad/Wadakancheri-Kozhinjampara-Gopalapuram-Pollachi (in the case of this route, you can turn off NH47 at Alathur/Wadakkancheri and go directly to Kozhinjampara without touching Palakkad)

Yes, this goes via Chittoor.
Thrissur - Vadakkanchery - Chittoor - Nallepilly - Kozhinjampara ...