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Old 24th September 2010, 20:35   #16
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So, which is the route Samurai (and the Mahindra Great Escape, Munnar edition) took from Munnar to Kodai?
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Old 25th September 2010, 21:17   #17
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Originally Posted by ampere View Post
Wow! Did you walk all the way? Do they allow this or any permits needed?
Do you have any snaps of this trek?
Ampere,
You need the forest Department's permission. I have organised through theYouth Hostel located in Kodai. They have arranged the permission and have sent a guide with us. I have some snaps. Let me locate it . I will post it

Quote:
Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR View Post
So, which is the route Samurai (and the Mahindra Great Escape, Munnar edition) took from Munnar to Kodai?
.
Backseat Driver, Mahindra great escape was not from Munnar to kodai. It was inside munnar itself. The next day we drove through a place called vattavada. It is a totally different route. The forest route was an old road from the britishers time. You can still see the milestones
Suresh
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Old 25th September 2010, 21:58   #18
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Suresh (or rather, whoever is interested), here is the context:-

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...ml#post1153677

I now realise that you were with Samurai.

Fished out that link, just in case somebody wants to try that!!!

Yes, that post describes the day after MGE.

Last edited by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR : 25th September 2010 at 22:05.
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Old 25th September 2010, 21:58   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Suresh Stephen View Post
Backseat Driver, Mahindra great escape was not from Munnar to kodai. It was inside munnar itself. The next day we drove through a place called vattavada. It is a totally different route. The forest route was an old road from the britishers time. You can still see the milestones
Suresh
Suresh, I thought the Top Station-Vattavada road goes on to Kodai too, but is a OTR track. I remember a TBHP OTR event a year or so ago.
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Old 26th September 2010, 20:35   #20
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Suresh, I thought the Top Station-Vattavada road goes on to Kodai too, but is a OTR track. I remember a TBHP OTR event a year or so ago.
Yes you are right It goes to Kodaikanal through vattavada
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Old 26th September 2010, 23:08   #21
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June 1987: I was in my Ind-Suzuki AX100. I made enquiries in MUnnar town market (it was a real small town then) about the Kodai road, and they all dissuaded me from going this way, told me go via Udumalaipet or Theni. Needless to say, I don't listen!! So I left Munnar at around 230 pm, being wary that I should reach Kodai before dark. After the first 5 kms or so, the balance 20 kms via Mattupetty and Kundale to Top Station was mere rubble. At Top Station, there never used to be any check post, and I simply rode on. As decode explains, the trail conditions were awful and I kept going. ON one occasion, I fell down badly and landed in the ground on my chest - so badly that I suspected a rib fracture. The headlamp casing popped off and the atmosphere was so eerie that I scrambled onto the bike quickly and kept riding. I had this impression in the back of my mind that the putter of the bike's exhaust would scare away any animals. I realised I had reached the TN border when I saw some labourers - they were startled when they saw me and my bike come out of nowhere crashing through the stones and bushes - who were collecting eucalyptus for South India Viscose Ltd (it had its factory near Mettupalayam). Crossed Berijam by 6 or 630 (have to refer my log book!) and reached Kodai in the next 30 minutes. That is when I stopped and examined the damage - luckily, minor bruises and no bike damage - and then proceeded to Coimbatore.
Very interesting trip..( in 1987 I was just 4 years old.. good to hear a very adventurous bike trip of that time especially in Ind-Suzuki ..!!!)
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Old 27th September 2010, 12:02   #22
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Interesting bike rides.
A retro thread.
All routes through munnar and nearby areas are known for Elephant attacks.
So be careful.
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Old 27th September 2010, 13:17   #23
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Manavdotcom, the road I am referring is definitely not drivable. You could ride on your bike if you met all the capabilities and expectations . The road that you would be referring would be Munnar – Chinnar – Marayoor – Udumalpet – Palani –Kodai which is a motorable road.
Am sure we never came to palani or marayoor.I think it was via Poombarai.
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Old 27th September 2010, 17:03   #24
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Am sure we never came to palani or marayoor.I think it was via Poombarai.
You must have taken the Munnar - Pooppara - Bodi - Theni - Vathalagundu - Kodaikanal. The standard route this side of the ghats.
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Old 27th September 2010, 19:02   #25
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I have done this scary route too; one yezdi classic and one road king, 4 of us, way back in 1988/1989, our odo said 97 kms from Munnar to Kodai. Like everyone else said, it's was a ride of a life time, something to die for, we almost did!!!!

We hit Munnar around 12 noon, had lunch and head out, there were chains across the road in many sections of that road, don't know for what, we removed the chain or went aorund it. The guy on Road King said he knew the road well, turned out to be a nightmare (we almost killed this guy when we reached Kodai) Some sections were just trails on the edge of mountains with abbys on the other side, some sections just wide enough to drive carefully through. 25-30 kms into the ride we turned a bend and ran into a bunch of bisons and stopped, the lead bull charged us... man you can never live that down!!!!!

The Road King managed to turn around somehow, his pillion was fortunately out of the bike, so they survived. I was benind him, did't know what the heck was happening, then I saw the bull...... don't remember how I turned my bike, Paddy, my pillion fell, got up, ran after me and jumped into my pillion, it was like a Spanish Bull show. We drove for our lives, fortunately that section was clear for us to scoot or we would have dropped the bike and ran !!!! Waited with baited breath for 15 mts turned around, cut the engines and silently pushed it to by-pass the bison zone (in retrospect, another stupid move, I guess) by that time bisons were gone. Afte that we did not even stop for a piss-stop scared of elephants, some locals at Munnar, told us that's possible and we had laughed at them, they had the last laugh, I guess.

Took us almost 6-7 hours to reach Munnar, light was fading fast. With due respects to all who did this trail, no sane person would do such a drive.....

One thing..... the Yezdis took the abuse like nothing else can, it could wade through any muck and come out kicking.

This road is closed now as HVK said, if I am right, they closed it in 1992 officially; the regular road is Bodi, Teni, down the hills to Bettilagundu and again up the hills to Kodai.

--Ramky
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Last edited by ramkya1 : 27th September 2010 at 19:13.
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Old 27th September 2010, 21:06   #26
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Originally Posted by Suresh Stephen View Post
It is a totally different route. The forest route was an old road from the britishers time. You can still see the milestones
Suresh

Very true, and really melancholy do these milestones look...

Lost all their significance now, and relegated to be half-hidden behind the tea plantations.

Here's one snap I took when I was in Munnar -
Attached Thumbnails
munnar to kodaikanal- thro the forest-k18.jpg  

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Old 29th September 2010, 11:25   #27
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Originally Posted by roadie_swift View Post
Very true, and really melancholy do these milestones look...

Lost all their significance now, and relegated to be half-hidden behind the tea plantations.

Here's one snap I took when I was in Munnar -
Lovely photo of the milestone.

I clearly remember doing 97 KMs on the ODO when we did it. Wonder how we did 37 KMs extra in the forests ............ Or is this milestone indicating 60 miles?

Any other detours on this road?


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Last edited by ramkya1 : 29th September 2010 at 11:30.
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Old 29th September 2010, 11:34   #28
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@Ramky - Thanks. Actually, this snap was taken fairly close to the Top Station, guess that's why the difference in the distances. I think distance to Top Station itself is about 30 km.

I don't remember seeing any other roads branching off from here on, just the barricaded road beyond the top station.

Cheers,
R_S

Last edited by roadie_swift : 29th September 2010 at 11:38.
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Old 29th September 2010, 11:37   #29
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@ramkya1 : This snap must have been taken closer to Top Station, which accounts for the missing 37 kms as per your odo. I remember there used to be a milestone at the point where you take a left for the road to Kodai at Top Station, not sure if it is still around.
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Old 29th September 2010, 12:41   #30
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The sign board is immediately after you get down from Top Station.

BTW, 2 kms down the road, there is a left turn to Vattavada.
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