[Samurai]

Originally Posted by JMaruru

How to approach this road, on both the ends? I mean, belthangady and samse.

No idea at all. Our trail started in Bangady and ended in Samse. Had 14 stream crossings, lot of deviations, forks, etc. Without a local guide, I can't repeat it.

[roamingrao]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

Was this done recently? I had heard about this route sometime, not did not have any info.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Two years back, it was made by villagers since the forest department was not approving a plan to create the road.

Nostalgia !

As a part / member of 'Save the Western Ghats' movement in December 1987, we had walked on this 'road' from Didupe to Samse. We started from Ujire and took the road to Didupe just before Mundaje. Starting to ascend the ghats from Didupe at 3.30pm, this 'road' took us to samse at 7pm.

It was meant to be a all-weather road. ( probably during the british days ). we saw proper embankments, culverts and counted about 9 hair pin bends ( of course, not asphalted and heavily shrubbed ). The only missing link was a bridge across the rapidly cascading netravati ( which we crossed on a wooden bridge ). But for this missing link, which i feel was deliberately not constructed, this would have been a proper link road from ujire to Samse. Down the years, with a National Forest tag to this region, this road remained hidden.

I had heard of political pressures to open this road in early 2002 ( if with the construction of a road bridge ) and knew someday it could open.

The action of the villagers here shows the desperation of the people of this region to get access to samse / DK dist. Again, this is my opinion - nature / wildlife bows down in the name of development !! Wither the most bio-diverse spot in Karnataka.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by roamingrao

The action of the villagers here shows the desperation of the people of this region to get access to samse / DK dist. Again, this is my opinion - nature / wildlife bows down in the name of development !! Wither the most bio-diverse spot in Karnataka.

Very interesting read roamingrao, thanks for sharing. I wish I had this information before I attended the event, I could have asked lot more questions to them.

Anyway, here is my completed report on the event: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...lthangady.html

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by roamingrao

Nostalgia !

As a part / member of 'Save the Western Ghats' movement in December 1987, we had walked on this 'road' from Didupe to Samse. We started from Ujire and took the road to Didupe just before Mundaje. Starting to ascend the ghats from Didupe at 3.30pm, this 'road' took us to samse at 7pm.

The action of the villagers here shows the desperation of the people of this region to get access to samse / DK dist. Again, this is my opinion - nature / wildlife bows down in the name of development !! Wither the most bio-diverse spot in Karnataka.

Thanks for the Info Ashok. Hope the pristine wilderness remains and not fall prey to development madness.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Very interesting read roamingrao, thanks for sharing. I wish I had this information before I attended the event, I could have asked lot more questions to them.

Anyway, here is my completed report on the event: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...lthangady.html

Thanks Sharath. What fun you guys had!!

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Anyway, here is my completed report on the event: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...lthangady.html

Wonderful blog, nice to read on a friday morning. There was a time when we all were doing offroading on our city cars.. thanks to the state of Shiradi ghats

[prasad14]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Anyway, here is my completed report on the event: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...lthangady.html

Samurai-san, As usual a gripping story with amazing pics. Could this be done in bikes or by walk/trek? Approximately how many kms you covered till Samse from the start?

Thanks

Prasad

[prasad14]

Originally Posted by prasad14

Samurai-san, As usual a gripping story with amazing pics. Could this be done in bikes or by walk/trek? Approximately how many kms you covered till Samse from the start?
Prasad

OK Samurai-san, I got my answer in the TL. After having read many of your OTR threads, I should have ideally guessed it.

Prasad

[avasekeh]

How is the road condition via ujire-belthangadi-karkala-udupi from shiradi ?

Hows shiradi ghat holding up?.

Planning to do it this week.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by avasekeh

How is the road condition via ujire-belthangadi-karkala-udupi from shiradi ?

Hows shiradi ghat holding up?.

Planning to do it this week.

Shiradi has gone worse, but the Ujire - Belthangady - K'kala - Udupi was good middle of July.

If you have to do shiradi, factor in some extra time to your travel plan.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by avasekeh

How is the road condition via ujire-belthangadi-karkala-udupi from shiradi ?

Hows shiradi ghat holding up?.

Planning to do it this week.

There was a post on this thread(sometime in july begining) saying its doable. I am driving down on Wednesday and hoping the conditions have stayed same.

From what i have found out so far, to go to udupi this looks like the better route.

@JMaruru , how worse ? can it be done at 30-40kmph ? i dont think we have those mining trucks now. And cant predict rains and fallen trees. as long as the potholes can be managed, i want to take this route.

Also is there any alternative ? chikmaglur-sringeri-agumbe-hebri-udupi is too curvy,so takes more time..also saw some news report that this route is not that great either

[avasekeh]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

There was a post on this thread(sometime in july begining) saying its doable. I am driving down on Wednesday and hoping the conditions have stayed same.

From what i have found out so far, to go to udupi this looks like the better route.

Coincidentally, i am doing the same too!!. Planning to start wed early morning and take the Ujire road to udupi and continue on to shirali.

Yeah, i did read the post about it being doable, but heavy rains since. So i was just wondering if anybody had done it last week.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by avasekeh

Coincidentally, i am doing the same too!!. Planning to start wed early morning and take the Ujire road to udupi and continue on to shirali.

Yeah, i did read the post about it being doable, but heavy rains since. So i was just wondering if anybody had done it last week.

Yes, it all depends on how worse the roads are. I think its clear that except Shiradi everything else seems to be fine. I am on a tight plan to reach udupi by 12 noon. hope the roads wont let me down

I was traveling by bus(durgamba) so didnt drive down after last Jan. Sadly they have cut down their fleet so much that now they have only around 5-6 busses as compared to earlier 15-20 every night. !! so forced to drive down

Anyone with updates ?

[u_chill]

I am planning to drive down to Mangalore this weekend. Any update on the conditions in Hasan-Shirali Ghat route post expose of mining scam? Should I just stick to the via-Madikeri roue?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by u_chill

I am planning to drive down to Mangalore this weekend. Any update on the conditions in Hasan-Shirali Ghat route post expose of mining scam? Should I just stick to the via-Madikeri roue?

Why Madikeri? I think Shiradi is the best option of all.

[u_chill]

Last I heard buses were still taking the Madikeri route? Also wondering in terms of rain damage on the Shiradi ghat route.