[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by NPV

We took the NH209 route on our last visit to Calicut, nice scenic route and maniacs, speed bumps on Mysore road are avoided. Also this route completely bypasses Mysore so you can get to Gundlupet in almost same time.

Thanks Naresh. Thats exactly what we did. Roads were beautiful, temples, canals, bridges, narrow lanes at places, banyan tree hanging roots cut in the form on a road tunnel, crimson read flowers along roadside trees...this route has a character of its own

We left by 6am, reached gundulupet by 10:20. THere is a new coffee day opened in Lakkidi (just before we hit the mountain with hairpins- churams). Did not see that in the last drive.

We should do a trip together sometime soon.

[binand]

Originally Posted by kala

At Gudalur town [...] you'll come to a largish junction with a wide road going to the right. Take the right turn towards Calicut, this road passes Nadugani, Pandalur and Cherambadi and reaches Vaduvanchal junction. (About 45 kms).

The road forks into 2 at Vaduvanchal - the left fork towards Meppady/Calicut and the right fork goes to Sulthan Bathery via Kolagappara)

I'm sure there's a junction you're missing here. This "right turn" forks again a bit beyond Gudalur - the left there goes to Calicut via the (possibly shorter) Nilambur, Areekode and Mavoor route; and the right goes to Calicut via Vaduvanchal, Chundale (a small town a bit further from Kalpetta) and Thamarasserry via the regular NH 212 route.

Edit: Checked Google Maps. This is the junction I'm talking of.

[kala]

Originally Posted by binand

I'm sure there's a junction you're missing here. This "right turn" forks again a bit beyond Gudalur - the left there goes to Calicut via the (possibly shorter) Nilambur, Areekode and Mavoor route; and the right goes to Calicut via Vaduvanchal, Chundale (a small town a bit further from Kalpetta) and Thamarasserry via the regular NH 212 route.

Edit: Checked Google Maps. This is the junction I'm talking of.

You're referring to Nadugani junction which is about 10 or 12 kms from Gudalur. I did not mention it specifically because the road to Nilambur is an almost 90 degree left turn and the one towards Vaduvanchal/Meppady/Chundale is the straight road.

There are also a couple of other junctions a bit further - Pandalur and Cherambadi where you will find roads towards the right that are marked as leading to Sulthan Batheri. But I mentioned Vaduvanchal junction specifically because at that point the right fork that leads to Sulthan Bathery is the straighter road, whereas the left fork is the one that he needs to take in order to go towards Meppady (Padivayal falls on this route).

But yes may be I should have mentioned Nadugani also specifically because the left turn to Nilambur might also be marked as Calicut - don't recall what are the markings at that junction. Thanks for pointing it out.

[mpksuhas]

Did Bangalore - Calicut - Bangalore over last weekend.
Onward trip was on 15-AUG, got delayed after picking up friends and by time crossed Silk board it was 4 AM, my usual start time used to be around 3 AM. Took NICE road - Mysore road route. Stopped at Chanapatana COCO BP for around 15 mins and reached Mysore around 7AM. Reached Calicut around 11.30 AM. A one hour delay in Bangalore causing 1.5 hour delay in Calicut.
Road condition is good through out, few new humps have come up between Gundelpet and KA border. Road condition on KL side is good, however there are few cracks appearing near to Kalpetta, couple of months and those will be craters.

Return was on 18th. Started from Calicut at 3 PM, reached Batthery at 5.30, took a 15 mins break. Crossed KA forest checkpost around 6.30 PM, stopped for vegetable shopping and reached Gundelpet Coffee day around 7.00 PM. A quick coffee break and decided on taking Kollegal route against SH 17. So turned back went towards Gundelpet, took Chamarajnagar route. Road from Gundelpet - Chamarajnagar has deteriorated since my last trip in April. You will have to slow down to pass through certain sections. Once you cross Chamarajnagar road is in superb condition all way through.
Was stopped at 3 locations for police checking on account of local elections.

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Did Bangalore - Calicut - Bangalore over last weekend.
Road from Gundelpet - Chamarajnagar has deteriorated since my last trip in April. You will have to slow down to pass through certain sections. Once you cross Chamarajnagar road is in superb condition all way through.
Was stopped at 3 locations for police checking on account of local elections.

Yes. The roads are not super duper in this section. However we did not have any checking stops at all, thankfully.

We left CLT at around 9:30am. reached Gundulupet for lunch. Kanakpura ("Gokul - The Veg" for a quick tea stop and were home by 4:30pm.
Hazaar folks stopping on the KL/KA border to Gundulupet road for clicking pictures. Beautiful mariegold flower plantations all around. Patches of orange with green foliage under a mountain backdrop looks awesome.
We stopped at one of those spots to eat our lunch (that we had carried). Took a snap that i like to share

[tharian]

Any latest update of road condition from Mysore to Calicut via Nanjangud-Gundlepet-Bathery?
The last I did the route was in April and the roads were fine upto Gundlepet.

Regards

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by tharian

Any latest update of road condition from Mysore to Calicut via Nanjangud-Gundlepet-Bathery?
The last I did the route was in April and the roads were fine upto Gundlepet.

Regards

Per my friend who drove back last week, the road to bathery has developed significant potholes due to rains. But still motorable.

[kala]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

Per my friend who drove back last week, the road to bathery has developed significant potholes due to rains. But still motorable.

Did he say this about the Calicut to Batheri section ?

I drove between Bangalore and Kalpetta Saturday and yesterday, and the Gundlupet-Kalpetta section seemed to as good as it ever was and the road seemed to be holding up very well (except for the man-made problems such as the the speed breakers all through the forest on the KA side and the 3 trenches about 5-6 kms towards Bathery from the Gundlupet forest entrance checkpost).

NH209 seems to have developed quite a few potholes between Kanakapura and Malavalli (starting from about 20 kms from Kanakapura towards Malavalli and lasts for about 10 kms - just past Halagur). Nothing that can't be avoided, but need to drive slow to be able to spot them in time.

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by kala

Did he say this about the Calicut to Batheri section ?

Yes he did. Especially from muthanga to vythiri. But its definitely motorable per him (as you said)

[tharian]

Originally Posted by kala

I drove between Bangalore and Kalpetta Saturday and yesterday, and the Gundlupet-Kalpetta section seemed to as good as it ever was and the road seemed to be holding up very well

How is Kalpetta to Calicut via Adivaram?

[kala]

Originally Posted by tharian

How is Kalpetta to Calicut via Adivaram?

Haven't been that way after the rains, I went only as far as Kalpetta.

As per Binand's report a month or so ago, the Kalpetta-Calicut road is also OK, but with occasional potholes here and there.

[mpksuhas]

Kalpetta Calicut was in good shape when I did Bangalore - Calicut during Aug 15 weekend.

[tharian]

Glad to say roads are good all the way from town hall flyover to Calicut through SH17 and NH 212.
The only annoying part being the speedbreakers.

Quite surprised that the quality of work is good since its exactly the same as when it was in Dec last.

Regards

[kala]

Update on the NH212 between Gundlupet and Kalpetta. (Travelled that way last weekend)

Good news and bad news regarding the 3 trenches across the road in the initial part of the forest stretch.

These have now been filled in and replaced by speed breakers. But the bad news is that the construction of these speed breakers is pretty horrible, and one needs to be very careful to avoid an under body scrape when coming from Calicut towards Gundlupet (The height on that half of the road seems more).

Lot of white lines across the road at several places on the Bathery-Kalpetta stretch which would appear to be speed breakers from a distance, but aren't. Couldn't figure out the purpose of these. Any guesses ?

NH209 between Chamarajnagar and Bangalore has developed some potholes here and there. So one needs to be on the lookout all the time since some of them appear all of a sudden and are quite deep. (All of them are avoidable if you are looking out of them)

Also there was a discussion here sometime back on how late one can leave Bangalore in order to make it across the Forest checkpost before 9PM. This time I could really put it to test since I could get out from my home near Banashankari only at 5:25 PM. Crossed NICE road at around 5:40PM, but could get to Gundlupet by 8:35PM and the forest checkpost at 8:45 PM. A little bit of a touch and go, but I think if one can cross NICE road by about 4:30 to 5PM, one should be able to comfortably get past the checkpost before they close - even at speeds of 80-90 kmph.

[binand]

Originally Posted by kala

As per Binand's report a month or so ago, the Kalpetta-Calicut road is also OK, but with occasional potholes here and there.

Early August - Kunnamangalam town and nearby areas was quite bad. I am doing this route again between 1-4 November (long weekend); will update after that.

Originally Posted by kala

Lot of white lines across the road at several places on the Bathery-Kalpetta stretch which would appear to be speed breakers from a distance, but aren't. Couldn't figure out the purpose of these. Any guesses ?

Pedestrian crossings?