[bullinb]

That's good news Adi. Thanks for the update.
So it is better to drive upto CKM instead of taking Belur - Gonibeed - Mudigere road right? I think the detour just adds some 20 odd kms.

[adi99]

I am not sure where Gonibeed is but I think there is a road from Mudigere to Belur. The mistake I did was taking a right turn 8 kms from Kottigehara towards Belur. I feel I should have gone to Mudigere from Kottigehara and then take the Belur route from there.

Best thing is to take main road - Belur-Mudigere-kottigehara and avoid any shortcuts/by-pass.

[VTEC_Rocks]

Originally Posted by adi99

Back to Blore.

Route: Udupi-Karkala-Belthangady-Charmadi-Kottigehara-Belur-Hassan-Kunigal-Magadi-Blore

Started at 3:30 AM, reached at 10:30 AM (NICE road). Total 7 hrs including 3 tea breaks and 1 for breakfast. Total kms - 425

The Charmadi ghat road is fantastic. 95% new road and 5% rough road. No potholes, yes, None. Even the road from Udupi to Kottigehara is superb.

After Kottigehara, I took a right before Mudigere (big mistake). Million potholes till you reach Belur. After that, no stopping. You can cruise between 120-140 kms/hr. So currently, Charmadi route is the best!

Awesome. Good to know that. I was planning on a trip in the same route. Last time I went there was on a trek. The roads were amazing even then. I think they have banned all heavy vehicles in that route.
Attaching a top view of the Charmadi stretch.

[ampere]

That picture looks inviting!

I have request to all the experts of this route section.

Can you folks please summarize and put an attachment/XL/Picture FAQ etc to label the best possible routes from Bangalore through the western Ghats to various destinations.

I guess the destinations mostly would be Mangalore, Udupi, Up North Kundapur or Murdeshwar, Gokarna, or deep into Western Ghats etc. I am just throwing ideas. Because while going through this thread, I am totally lost. In spite of information being there, one still needs to a post a query to ask for the same route.

Best course of action according to me, if experts can compile an FAQ and post it, which folks can read and then accordingly ask question, that becomes more efficient.

I see that there is Kerala thread, which again is in the same state.

Am I asking for the impossible here?

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by adi99

I am not sure where Gonibeed is but I think there is a road from Mudigere to Belur. The mistake I did was taking a right turn 8 kms from Kottigehara towards Belur. I feel I should have gone to Mudigere from Kottigehara and then take the Belur route from there.

Best thing is to take main road - Belur-Mudigere-kottigehara and avoid any shortcuts/by-pass.

Gonibeedu is on the Belur-Mudigere handpost route. This is a direct route to Kottigehara bypassing Mudigere town. The other route (already specified by Sushrutha) is the Mudigere-Gendehally-Belur route, which is a single carriageway but is in better condition. You have to go into Mudigere town to take this road.

adi, the route you took was a very good road until recently. It got worse during the last monsoon and onwards.

@VTEC_Rocks, try driving at night in the mist. you'll love it. It's a good thing that they have banned all heavy vehicles on the route.

btw, where in Charmadi did you go for the trek?

[Bullfrog]

Originally Posted by ampere

Can you folks please summarize and put an attachment/XL/Picture FAQ etc to label the best possible routes from Bangalore through the western Ghats to various destinations.

I guess it will not work as that is not the intention of the thread.

There are 6 ways to cross over to Karnataka coast from the plains. Namely Sampaje, Shiradi, Charmadi, Kudremukh, Agumbe and Hulikal. All these roads are in various states of conditions/disarray at any given point of time. Road conditions are purely a function of time

When you want to travel anywhere on to the coast you come in and find out which is the best way to reach with the vehicle you have.

To find out about all the wonderful places, there are other threads in the travelogue section.

- Bullfrog

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by Bullfrog

I guess it will not work as that is not the intention of the thread.

There are 6 ways to cross over to Karnataka coast from the plains. Namely Sampaje, Shiradi, Charmadi, Kudremukh, Agumbe and Hulikal. All these roads are in various states of conditions/disarray at any given point of time. Road conditions are purely a function of time

When you want to travel anywhere on to the coast you come in and find out which is the best way to reach with the vehicle you have.

To find out about all the wonderful places, there are other threads in the travelogue section.

- Bullfrog

. The above routes pertain to the southern coast of Karnataka. There is one more route under construction. Dharmasthala-Shishila-Bhairapura-Mudigere. This will be between the Shiradi & Charmadi ghats. I'm not sure of it's status though. The work had supposedly begun about 2 years back.

@ampere. A spreadsheet or document will defeat the very purpose of the thread. Don't you think so?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

. The above routes pertain to the southern coast of Karnataka. There is one more route under construction. Dharmasthala-Shishila-Bhairapura-Mudigere. This will be between the Shiradi & Charmadi ghats. I'm not sure of it's status though. The work had supposedly begun about 2 years back.

@ampere. A spreadsheet or document will defeat the very purpose of the thread. Don't you think so?

I totally agree. All I wanted was a summary of the road map. For the road conditions, we WILL need the thread, as conditions keep changing. As pointed out there are multiple routes through Mysore/Hassan/Tumkur leading to the Western Ghats.

I just wanted that summary, of which is the shortest distance, ignoring the road condition. Today, I am not able to assimilate this information. At least a picture of this section, would be quite informative.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Bullfrog

There are 6 ways to cross over to Karnataka coast from the plains. Namely Sampaje, Shiradi, Charmadi, Kudremukh, Agumbe and Hulikal. All these roads are in various states of conditions/disarray at any given point of time. Road conditions are purely a function of time

When you want to travel anywhere on to the coast you come in and find out which is the best way to reach with the vehicle you have.

You left out Bisle ghat. And Hulikal is same as Balebare ghat I think.

There are further routes, to reach the northern shores within Karnataka. Hubli<-->Ankola, Jog<-->Honnavar, etc.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Samurai

You left out Bisle ghat. And Hulikal is same as Balebare ghat I think.

There are further routes, to reach the northern shores within Karnataka. Hubli<-->Ankola, Jog<-->Honnavar, etc.

This is exactly what I am saying. The high level information, will be very good to have so that folks know geographically, which way they are inclined.

Today, I need one route; I ask in the forum; I get my answer and I move on.

A birds eye view of the state would be very good esp. for North Karnataka.

[kadri007]

Originally Posted by Samurai

You left out Bisle ghat. And Hulikal is same as Balebare ghat I think.

Yes ..Hulikal and Balebare ghat are the same, its on the Kundapura - Siddapura- Hosnagara/Thirthalli route.

There is one more ghat called the Kodachadri connecting Hosnagara/Sagara to Kollur.

[kadri007]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

. There is one more route under construction. Dharmasthala-Shishila-Bhairapura-Mudigere. This will be between the Shiradi & Charmadi ghats. I'm not sure of it's status though.

I think this was supposed to be the MRPL - Hassan/Bangalore pertoleum pipeline route which goes through the above mentioned places and not a new ghat road. Correct me if I am wrong.

The petroleum pipeline is operational currently where in Diesel and Petrol are pumped from MRPL refinery in Mangalore to Hassan.

[MCR]

Guys, please let me know the condition of the attached route. As per adi99, the route is good till Kottigehara and after that bad till Belur. I got a bit confused about "taking the right turn after kottigehara to Belur'. This route is not available in the map. Can somebody explain

[kadri007]

Originally Posted by MCR

Guys, please let me know the condition of the attached route. This route is not available in the map. Can somebody explain

You need to take the following route from Belthangady to Udupi.

Belthangady - Guruvanyakere- Venoor - Mudabidri- Karkala - Manipal - Udupi.

The map shows the Naravi and Modubele route to udupi which is not the main road.

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by kadri007

I think this was supposed to be the MRPL - Hassan/Bangalore pertoleum pipeline route which goes through the above mentioned places and not a new ghat road. Correct me if I am wrong.

The petroleum pipeline is operational currently where in Diesel and Petrol are pumped from MRPL refinery in Mangalore to Hassan.

I'm not sure if this is the pipeline route. It seems that this road already exists as a rough jeep road and they want to upgrade it to a major road. Check out the following links about that road

Udayavani - First look on Karnataka

The Hindu : Karnataka / Mangalore News : Western Ghats waning under development activity

Deccan Herald - BJP resorting to politics with money from mines, land mafia

Mangalorean.Com- Serving Mangaloreans Around The World!

Originally Posted by MCR

Guys, please let me know the condition of the attached route. As per adi99, the route is good till Kottigehara and after that bad till Belur. I got a bit confused about "taking the right turn after kottigehara to Belur'. This route is not available in the map. Can somebody explain

MCR, in the screenshot you have posted, you can see a place called Gendehally approximately north-east to Mudigere. There is a route from Mudigere to Gendehally and to Belur from Gendehally. This road is a single carriageway road but it is supposed to be better.

To take this route from Kottigehara, do not turn right at the Mudigere hand post circle. Continue straight into Mudigere town and ask for directions to Gendehally road.

Hope this helps!!