Coimbatore to Calicut

hvkumar · 11th July 2010, 00:33

Some additional info to supplement whatever has been said:

Kotagiri route also goes via Mettupalayam. Coimbatore-MTP-Barliar-Conoor-Ooty or Coimbatore-MTP-Kotagiri-Ooty/Conoor.

Nadugani is 11 kms from Gudalur, not 20 kms. At Nadugani, the road branches off to the left to go to Nilambur, right to go via Meppadi to Vythiri.

THere are no night drive restrictions on the Gudalur-Nadugani-Nilambur road, but expect wildlife. No idea about the Nadugani-Meppadi-Vythiri road though.

jeevmenon · 11th July 2010, 11:29

An other question: Long time back I had gone to Silent valley (Palakkad dst) with my cousin from CBE on a bike. I vaguely remember the route to be from Attapadi into CBE without touching Walayar. Is it possible for a crossover from Attapadi into the TN border? If so, is it possible for a car to go thru? On the map, CBE, Mankarai, Anaikatti, Pudur, Pudur-Attappadi and then to Mannarkkad. Does anyone know about this? On the google map a non-existant Pudur-Attapadi but then Panathoor-Bhagamandalam for Kasargod-Coorg link is also missing and so is an incorrect Parambikulam - Chalakudy link.

hvkumar · 11th July 2010, 15:53

Yes, the Attapadi road goes to Mannarkad, is a good road. Go in daytime, there are checkposts with restricted access after dark.

GM is wrong in many places.All the routes you mention are completely wrong, especially the Valparai-Chalakudy road which is shown as coming from Parambikulam!!

jeevmenon · 11th July 2010, 22:14

Awesome! Thanks hvk. I will take the Attapadi route on my way back. However, HVK - do you know the CP timings? Surprise - just found very minimal mention in the forum in the 4 links I got about this route! There is another road below this the Siruvani route - thats closed. I am trying out different routes to get into Kerala from the Coimbatore area other than Walayar. Thanks once again. Anything I need to take care for this Attapadi route, how long is the Attapadi-Pudur route? CPs at both ends? Thanks a lot, HVK. This helps.

hvkumar · 11th July 2010, 22:37

Yes, the road from Coimbatore is via Anakatti, Pudur, Mulli, Silent Valley and Mannarkad to Palakkad.

I don't know the exact timings, but normally these CPs close between 6/8 pm - 6 am.

Siruvani route is not normally permitted.

Don't know the distances because I have ridden in the area in mobike in 1987! But heard from some bikers recently that the road is OK with some dirt roads in between. Am worried if it is OK during the rains.

jeevmenon · 12th July 2010, 09:07

Is this car-able? Am I the guinea-pig to try it out this coming weekend in a car and give a report? :-) All the Bengaluru folks to Calicut go either via Nilambur or via Kalpetta. All others from Chennai/CBE just take the Walayar route! If HVK is unsure (probably for novices like me) I should tag it as risky! Probably a phone call to the Attapadi CP officer to see if its ok.

hvkumar · 12th July 2010, 09:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeevmenon

Is this car-able? Am I the guinea-pig to try it out this coming weekend in a car and give a report? :-) All the Bengaluru folks to Calicut go either via Nilambur or via Kalpetta. All others from Chennai/CBE just take the Walayar route! If HVK is unsure (probably for novices like me) I should tag it as risky! Probably a phone call to the Attapadi CP officer to see if its ok.

Normally, it is car-able, but with rains, not sure. Yes, good idea to check out with Attapadi or Forest Office in Palakkad, or even the Silent Valley office.

Bigzero · 12th July 2010, 10:37

A cousin of mine told me a few weeks back that he had done the Coimbatore-attappadi-Mannarkad route in his i20 ( he was driving down from Chennai). Dont know the details, will try to get it..

Bigzero · 12th July 2010, 12:52

Update: here is what I understood from my chat with my cousin: ( He did the trip in last April or so )

From Coimbatore he went via Anakkati and from there thro silent valley to Mannarkkad.

Coimbatore - Anakkatti road quality is quite good. Is a narrow road with some twists and turns , with very low traffic. One has to climb a bit to reach Anakkatti.

From Anakkatti, you have to come down via Slent Valley to Mannarkkad. The road was ok in April, but I am told that post monsoon you could expect some bad patches in this stretch.

Overall the drive is supposed to be quite scenic and traffic-free.

He tells me that one cant go wrong much - take the Anakkatti road from Coimbatore ( SH164, as I see from Google maps) , and then just carry on. Google maps does not show Anakkatti-Mannarkkad connection, but he assures me that its there. The only iffy part is the surface quality post monsoon.

Hope this helps, and have a nice trip!

Edit: Just to add something from memory: I was in Palakkad in late eighties as a student, and I remember seeing some buses with Anakkatti destination boards while passing through Mannarkkad.

jeevmenon · 12th July 2010, 16:08

Thanks, all. Team-bhp malabar folks should make this route popular - just as the valparai route. Let me see if I can call up the forest guard and find out the road conditions.

jeevmenon · 19th July 2010, 18:45

Mission accomplished!!! Thanks to all on this thread - ampere, jeeva, hvkumar and BigZero.

ampere · 19th July 2010, 18:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeevmenon

Mission accomplished!!! Thanks to all on this thread - ampere, jeeva, hvkumar and BigZero.

Great! Lets hear some update and more importantly : see some SNAPS!

Bigzero · 19th July 2010, 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeevmenon

Mission accomplished!!! Thanks to all on this thread - ampere, jeeva, hvkumar and BigZero.

Good to know this! What routes did you finally take, how was the experience, and as ampere mentioned, where are the photos?

jeevmenon · 19th July 2010, 19:49

The Mangalore mail from Chennai reached a bit late in arriving at 3:45 am at Podanur junction. We took the auto home and after the bath were only ready by 6 am for our journey. Mom had made breakfast to-go and coffee-in-flask for the journey. Dad's M800 was ready and for its long journey with the present owner.

Off we go - Avinashi road, to Melpalam and down close to the railway track and on to the MTP road to Ooty. I did not take any snaps as I was too scared of a crowd which might swell up as the day went by. We did not encounter much traffic though, however we did get stretches where there were quite some vehicles jostling for space on that narrow stretch and extrapolated it to visualize a bad mid-day traffic.

Crossed Ooty at 8:30/8:45 am, crossed town towards Gudalur and at 9:15 had breakfast. It was quite cold at this point and no one was willing to venture out and have a buffet breakfast except me.

Coimbatore to Calicut-breakfastpointjustafterootytown.jpg

Bigzero · 19th July 2010, 19:57

Wow! that was quick response, man!

Terrific photos, waiting for more!

Ah, I remember that rock-face mural - looked a bit strange, In my view it was not required amidst all that wonderful greenery.

11th July 2010, 00:33	#16
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,466 Times	Some additional info to supplement whatever has been said: Kotagiri route also goes via Mettupalayam. Coimbatore-MTP-Barliar-Conoor-Ooty or Coimbatore-MTP-Kotagiri-Ooty/Conoor. Nadugani is 11 kms from Gudalur, not 20 kms. At Nadugani, the road branches off to the left to go to Nilambur, right to go via Meppadi to Vythiri. THere are no night drive restrictions on the Gudalur-Nadugani-Nilambur road, but expect wildlife. No idea about the Nadugani-Meppadi-Vythiri road though.
	() Thanks

11th July 2010, 11:29	#17
jeevmenon BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: TN07 Posts: 472 Thanked: 23 Times	An other question: Long time back I had gone to Silent valley (Palakkad dst) with my cousin from CBE on a bike. I vaguely remember the route to be from Attapadi into CBE without touching Walayar. Is it possible for a crossover from Attapadi into the TN border? If so, is it possible for a car to go thru? On the map, CBE, Mankarai, Anaikatti, Pudur, Pudur-Attappadi and then to Mannarkkad. Does anyone know about this? On the google map a non-existant Pudur-Attapadi but then Panathoor-Bhagamandalam for Kasargod-Coorg link is also missing and so is an incorrect Parambikulam - Chalakudy link.
	() Thanks

11th July 2010, 15:53	#18
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,466 Times	Yes, the Attapadi road goes to Mannarkad, is a good road. Go in daytime, there are checkposts with restricted access after dark. GM is wrong in many places.All the routes you mention are completely wrong, especially the Valparai-Chalakudy road which is shown as coming from Parambikulam!!
	() Thanks

11th July 2010, 22:14	#19
jeevmenon BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: TN07 Posts: 472 Thanked: 23 Times	Awesome! Thanks hvk. I will take the Attapadi route on my way back. However, HVK - do you know the CP timings? Surprise - just found very minimal mention in the forum in the 4 links I got about this route! There is another road below this the Siruvani route - thats closed. I am trying out different routes to get into Kerala from the Coimbatore area other than Walayar. Thanks once again. Anything I need to take care for this Attapadi route, how long is the Attapadi-Pudur route? CPs at both ends? Thanks a lot, HVK. This helps.
	() Thanks

11th July 2010, 22:37	#20
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,466 Times	Yes, the road from Coimbatore is via Anakatti, Pudur, Mulli, Silent Valley and Mannarkad to Palakkad. I don't know the exact timings, but normally these CPs close between 6/8 pm - 6 am. Siruvani route is not normally permitted. Don't know the distances because I have ridden in the area in mobike in 1987! But heard from some bikers recently that the road is OK with some dirt roads in between. Am worried if it is OK during the rains.
	() Thanks

12th July 2010, 09:07	#21
jeevmenon BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: TN07 Posts: 472 Thanked: 23 Times	Is this car-able? Am I the guinea-pig to try it out this coming weekend in a car and give a report? :-) All the Bengaluru folks to Calicut go either via Nilambur or via Kalpetta. All others from Chennai/CBE just take the Walayar route! If HVK is unsure (probably for novices like me) I should tag it as risky! Probably a phone call to the Attapadi CP officer to see if its ok.
	() Thanks

12th July 2010, 10:37	#23
Bigzero BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 460 Thanked: 594 Times	A cousin of mine told me a few weeks back that he had done the Coimbatore-attappadi-Mannarkad route in his i20 ( he was driving down from Chennai). Dont know the details, will try to get it..
	() Thanks

12th July 2010, 12:52	#24
Bigzero BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 460 Thanked: 594 Times	Update: here is what I understood from my chat with my cousin: ( He did the trip in last April or so ) From Coimbatore he went via Anakkati and from there thro silent valley to Mannarkkad. Coimbatore - Anakkatti road quality is quite good. Is a narrow road with some twists and turns , with very low traffic. One has to climb a bit to reach Anakkatti. From Anakkatti, you have to come down via Slent Valley to Mannarkkad. The road was ok in April, but I am told that post monsoon you could expect some bad patches in this stretch. Overall the drive is supposed to be quite scenic and traffic-free. He tells me that one cant go wrong much - take the Anakkatti road from Coimbatore ( SH164, as I see from Google maps) , and then just carry on. Google maps does not show Anakkatti-Mannarkkad connection, but he assures me that its there. The only iffy part is the surface quality post monsoon. Hope this helps, and have a nice trip! Edit: Just to add something from memory: I was in Palakkad in late eighties as a student, and I remember seeing some buses with Anakkatti destination boards while passing through Mannarkkad. Last edited by Bigzero : 12th July 2010 at 12:55.
	() Thanks

12th July 2010, 16:08	#25
jeevmenon BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: TN07 Posts: 472 Thanked: 23 Times	Thanks, all. Team-bhp malabar folks should make this route popular - just as the valparai route. Let me see if I can call up the forest guard and find out the road conditions.
	() Thanks

19th July 2010, 18:45	#26
jeevmenon BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: TN07 Posts: 472 Thanked: 23 Times	Mission accomplished!!! Thanks to all on this thread - ampere, jeeva, hvkumar and BigZero.
	() Thanks

19th July 2010, 19:49	#29
jeevmenon BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: TN07 Posts: 472 Thanked: 23 Times	The Mangalore mail from Chennai reached a bit late in arriving at 3:45 am at Podanur junction. We took the auto home and after the bath were only ready by 6 am for our journey. Mom had made breakfast to-go and coffee-in-flask for the journey. Dad's M800 was ready and for its long journey with the present owner. Off we go - Avinashi road, to Melpalam and down close to the railway track and on to the MTP road to Ooty. I did not take any snaps as I was too scared of a crowd which might swell up as the day went by. We did not encounter much traffic though, however we did get stretches where there were quite some vehicles jostling for space on that narrow stretch and extrapolated it to visualize a bad mid-day traffic. Crossed Ooty at 8:30/8:45 am, crossed town towards Gudalur and at 9:15 had breakfast. It was quite cold at this point and no one was willing to venture out and have a buffet breakfast except me. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

19th July 2010, 19:57	#30
Bigzero BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 460 Thanked: 594 Times	Wow! that was quick response, man! Terrific photos, waiting for more! Ah, I remember that rock-face mural - looked a bit strange, In my view it was not required amidst all that wonderful greenery. Last edited by Bigzero : 19th July 2010 at 19:58.
	() Thanks