[bala80]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

AFAIK, you cannot cross the Upper Bhavani Dam and go beyond without forest department permits and guide to escort you. There are 2 forest bungalows inside, which also you will be allowed to stay in.

May be things have changed in the recent past. I did a trip to ooty couple of months back and was not allowed to go beyond the forest guest house in Avalanche. There is a check-post installed at this location and we need the DFO-Ooty 's permission to go beyond this place to reach Upper Bhavani. I made a trip again this month to Ooty and made sure i got prior approvals from DFO before making the trip. I produced the letter on the check-post and i was allowed to go upto Upper Bhavani (A guide would accompany you on your car from the avalanche check-post). I was not allowed to go beyond this point even with a permission/guide though! I also learnt that access to Western Catchment Areas is very restricted due to non-availability of roads which were washed out during recent rains. If you are still intent on doing it, you need to trek to the place, ofcourse with prior permissions for that too. However, i need to admit avalanche/upper bhavani was a fantastic experience, the drive, the place, pristine nature, everything about that place was an experience to cherish in itself!

[zaks]

May I know when and where we can get this permission from? Do we have to pay a fee?

[hvkumar]

Forest Office, Ooty. Check out Outlook Traveller Wldlife Holidays book for contact details.

[bala80]

Originally Posted by zaks

May I know when and where we can get this permission from? Do we have to pay a fee?

DFO office ooty is very near to the collectorate. Yes, you need to pay a fees, however that depends on your negotiation skills! Good bet would be to check with the hotel/resort that you stay in ooty as they have contacts and can get it done easily. Just for your information, i paid 600 Rs/ for 5 people and got it done through the contacts at place where i stayed in ooty. Officially its much less though, should be around 150-200 Rs if you can get it done directly from the DFO. However, i have heard its quite a challenge...

[speedkrish]

planning to make a trip to emerald and avalanche in Feb 2010

Would love to go to western catchment but not sure if the roads would permit and I dont have the time to get permission from the forest dept.

Western catchment is and awesome place out of the world.

Dream trek would be trekking through western catchment and reaching Silent valley.

Anyone been to western catchment through parsons valley of late?

Please post road condition. Can a ford fiesta make it on these roads? I am not sure.

[speedkrish]

I made the trip to Upper Bhavani in Feb 2010 ( 11th Feb ).

Route - ooty-kundah bridge-manjur-upper bhavani

Road conditions - Good till manjur
About 10 kms is bad but can still make it from manjur to upper bhavani.

Preferably take permissions from Forest Range Office ( DFO - South in Ooty ) or TNEB officials. I did not take permission but gave 200 Rs to the TNEB dam incharge at Upper bhavani and he let me in.

The place is awesome out of world, pristine, remote and untouched.

An even more better route is through emerald-avalanche-upper bhavani. Very bad roads from Avalanche but definitely needs permission from Forest Range office in Ooty ( Note : There is a DFO south, north and Wildlife office in ooty. As per info I got Mukurthi, Western catchment, Upper Bhavani and Avalanche each comes under a different range office and we need to approach the correct office for permission )

Distance 63 KM via Manjur
27kms to Avalanche and 20-25Km from Avalanche to Upper Bhavani

Donot travel during rains and prefer to leave Upper Bhavani well before nighfall lest your vehicle runs into some trouble.

Some snaps attached

[hvkumar]

Where is teh check post on the UB road? Did you manage to go up to the TNEB guest house on the banks of the UB reservoir?

I have some snaps from teh views off the UB-Avalanchi road, taken several years ago when teh road was not restricted.

[speedkrish]

On the road via Manjur the checkpost is right next to the dam near UB. So can drive till the dam.

On the road via Avalanche there are multiple checkposts. The first one is near Avalache power station. Only if you get through this the next is on the road to UB from Avalache.

I visited the dam and spent some time there enjoying the remoteness of the place and natural beauty. Wanted to go further after crossing the dam but the TNEB official asked me to return as some engineer would be coming.

[ravib]

Last weekend (23-Oct-2010), decided to goto Ooty and then to Emarald, Avalanche & Upper Bhavani. We knew a friend working in TNEB at Avalanche, so he made required arrangements to cross Avalanche check post. Weather was perfect.

Hired a Tavera from Ooty as it would be wise to take a bigger vehicle than my WagonR for those roads. Left Ooty at 9 am ( I know its too late to start but the Tavera came to my hotel only at 9 ). Reached Emarald around 10 am, Avalanche check post at around 10:30 and Upper Bhavani at about 12:30 pm.

Spotted few Sambar deers on the way. The TNEB friends told me that there is not too much of wild life in upper bhavani due to cold weather, except for few leopards, elephants and deers. Don't know how true it is, but we were not lucky enough to spot any wildlife in that route.

Roads are good till Emarald with amazing views. After that the last 8 kms till avalanche are not good. From Avalanche check post, till upper bhavani, 50% of the roads are good. There is absolutely no human (as expected) till Upper Bhavani TNEB guest house/Dam.

On the way back to Avalanche, we saw the Canada Power House and had food in that friend's house.

Some awesome snaps attached....still correcting the other snaps to limit below 1MB size. More snaps to follow...

-Ravi

[hvkumar]

The Avalanche-UB drive is definitely one of the must-see places in the Nilgiris, maybe all the more desirable because of the permit restrictions! Any insight on whether the permits are granted easily? Since you have TNEB connections, you must also try to go on from UB to Bangitapal where there is a FRH/TNEB GH.

[megazoid]

These ones are on the way to red hills.

[ampere]

You reminded me of that beautiful drive. But for me the sky was not that blue.
I think for EB you will need an EB permission to be taken in the city.
Here is one from me.

[ravib]

Few more snaps attached on the way to Upper Bhavani.

Quality of pics is little low now due to size reduction to less than 1MB

-Ravi

[ravib]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

The Avalanche-UB drive is definitely one of the must-see places in the Nilgiris, maybe all the more desirable because of the permit restrictions! Any insight on whether the permits are granted easily? Since you have TNEB connections, you must also try to go on from UB to Bangitapal where there is a FRH/TNEB GH.

with you @hvkumar. This is a must see place in Nilgiris. Many tourists don't visit this place due to lack of basic facilities or the so called "usual" tourist specific thingie missing there. But IMO thats the good part to keep the virginity of this place as is.

I don't think there is any change in the process to get permits easily.

I have reserved Bangitapal, Western Catchment & Mukuruthi for my next trip

-Ravi

[ampere]

Ravi, The second-last snap looks exactly like the place on the way to the trout hatchery!