[balenoed_]

How is the Madikeri route coping with the heavy rainfall? Hope the ghat over these stretch will not be impacted with flooding or landslides.

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

How is the Madikeri route coping with the heavy rainfall? Hope the ghat over these stretch will not be impacted with flooding or landslides.

Not sure about the Sampaje ghat as such but the entire district is under the spell of heavy rains. Schools and colleges were closed due to this.

Link

[Thilak29]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

Not sure about the Sampaje ghat

Originally Posted by PrideRed

I am travelling every week to Puttur.

PrideRed should know latest.

News reports suggest there is a heavy downpour and Sampaje - Madikeri ghat is seeing heavy traffic and yesterday there was hour-long jam as two vehicles collided. Over the weekend expectedly a surge in vehicular traffic will be seen. It's best to avoid any drive unless there is an absolute need or choose public transport means.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

How is the Madikeri route coping with the heavy rainfall? Hope the ghat over these stretch will not be impacted with flooding or landslides.

Originally Posted by Thilak29

PrideRed should know latest.

News reports suggest there is a heavy downpour and Sampaje - Madikeri ghat is seeing heavy traffic and yesterday there was hour-long jam as two vehicles collided. Over the weekend expectedly a surge in vehicular traffic will be seen. It's best to avoid any drive unless there is an absolute need or choose public transport means.

While the road is good, there was traffic jam today morning as well. Earlier people travelling to Mangalore used to take Charmadi, and after below state(refer link) I doubt if anybody would take that route for another month!. If you are in absolute need to travel, go during odd hours -late night or early morning- You have to manage to rain and poor visibility though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE7vv8FslqQ

[procrj]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

I doubt if anybody would take that route for another month!

IMHO, the above video is a year old and was doing the rounds last year. Think it was Malshej ghat.

[neeravnaik]

I need to travel to Mangalore tomorrow and I am seriously considering coming from Hiriyur Agumbe Udupi route.

Anyone taken this road in last 2 days?

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by procrj

IMHO, the above video is a year old and was doing the rounds last year. Think it was Malshej ghat.

Not 100% sure, the curves are exactly same as one in Charmadi ghat near Annappa temple. Again this might be Malshej as you mentioned but situation in Charmadi is pretty bad.

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

(refer link)

Are you sure the scene is from Charmadi?

I got the same video on WhatsApp yesterday and found it hard to believe. But then the current rainy season has compelled us to suspend our disbelief and witness things that appear too far fetched. Hence, it could indeed be Charmadi .

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

Are you sure the scene is from Charmadi?

I got the same video on WhatsApp yesterday and found it hard to believe. But then the current rainy season has compelled us to suspend our disbelief and witness things that appear too far fetched. Hence, it could indeed be Charmadi .

I am not really 100% sure of the video. The curves though look exactly similar to one in Charmadi(Near Annappa temple). The pictures for sure are of Charmadi ghat. It rained heavily yesterday night and schools are given holiday today.

[Romins]

I was riding through these parts last weekend. So update as of 12th June:

Roads in Chickmagalur district are in their best condition ever. The usual potholed, bitten at sides roads gave way to fully tarred smooth tarmac. The lush green scenery can be enjoyed instead of gluing your eyes on the road. With the heavy rains, there are streams and ponding at every corner and fallen trees are very common. Avoid night driving, if possible.

Due to heavy construction at Shiradi ghats on Bangalore-Mangalore national highway, there is a detour for vehicles through Belur-Mudigere-Kottigehara-Charmadi, from Hassan. There was heavy traffic on this route. Roads are in excellent condition.

Please carry liquid cash on this route, there was no power at Kalasa for 4days. Expect ATMs not to work and petrol pumps asking for cash.

[neeravnaik]

Reached Mangalore by 230 pm on starting at 6 am

Came from Madikeri and it was all clear with no jams and road good throughout.

[aithalsandy]

Hello All,

Update on some ghat roads.

Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Seethanadi in great shape. There was a minor issue at Bharathipura hairpin curve around Thirthahalli, but resolved now.

One can try food at a small homely place at Seethanadi ( I think Hotel Sathyanarayan) I tried this for the first time, it's kind of retro and homely.

There were serious issues around Balehonnur, Koppa, Hornad, NR pura. Now seems resolved. There was no power for days together around that area due to tree/electric pole fall, land slides and bridges overrun by rivers. Now most of them are fine. In fact, Tunga almost reached the outer area of the temple at Sringeri, I saw Tunga carrying multiple trees in her fury.

Also drove from Sringeri to Agumbe - things are fine including the ghat.

[unk9ja]

The buses seem to run normally now. My son took Reshma travels bus to Udupi day before. He woke up at Karkala in the morning. The bus continued it's journey through Nitte and Belman before joining the highway at Katapadi . The bus left Hanumanthnagar around 2130 and reached Udupi at 0625.

[Glifford]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

If travelling to Udupi, you should try Agumbe route. I heard roads are in good shape though narrow.

Originally Posted by Sangre

To Udupi, the Agumbe route (via Hiriyur-Hosadurga) is, according to me, the best option right now.

Originally Posted by procrj

+1 to Hiriyur - Hosadurga - Agumbe - Udupi. Drove this a couple of months ago and was such a peaceful drive. Given the rains and landslides around charmadi, jayapura etc, I think Agumbe might makes more sense.

I have to thank the three of your immensely for suggesting this route! Thursday night my wife's cousin (who is based near Chikkamagalur, but now in Bangalore) called asking us to drop plans as Sringeri was also flooded.

Later that evening, I had to drop my in-laws to take the KSRTC Airavat heading to the same place (they decided to take the bus to keep the car less cluttered). Spoke to the Airavat driver and he said the best option is only the Madikeri route.

Nevertheless I was in no mood to do the longer route esp. since we had to head some 50km North of Mangalore (to Subhashnagar, near Shankarpura, a bit inside from Katpadi, 6 km before Udupi). I would have loved to make a pitstop in Mangalore and meet my relatives there, but that would mean we would reach the destination only after nightfall (after an ice cream at Pabba's).

So decided to take the risk and follow this route! Had no clue how Agumbe was yet decided the risk was worth the time saved.

Roads were brilliant throughout. First stop was at VRL (courtesy this thread itself). Decent place, moderately priced. Best of all the service was superfast and we could get out in just 30 mins. Our normal stop at A2B at Udayapura when taking the Shiradi route takes at least 60 mins (blame the kids play area).

Agumbe was beautiful as always and much much better than when I last took it some 6.5 years ago. The concrete surface has now been layered with grippy bitumen and was a great drive. Took a sightseeing break at the Sunset Point on Agumbe and had a late Neer Dosa lunch at Someshwara.

Started at 7:25 and were Subhashnagar at 16:25. 9 hours door to door. With a stoppage time of around 90 mins, we were looking at a great drive time of around 7.5 hours. Slightly lower than Google Maps's estimate!

Head back tomorrow early morning.

[neeravnaik]

Took the Karkala Kudremukh route on return. There are trees fallen on the road at many places but there is space cleared for vehicles to pass through. Traffic was very less in this section so it was smooth traveling.

This is a very scenic route through some of the densest rain forests I have ever seen.

Overall madikeri route is best right now I think