Solo cycling through National parks and wildlife sanctuaries on western ghats

[Adithya Kini]

Hey everyone,

      I plan to cycle the western ghats covering most of the wild life sanctuaries and national parks in December over 2 weeks. (self supported, solo tour). 

Question - Are solo cyclists allowed thoroughfare into national parks and wild life sanctuaries on western ghats? have driven through a few times and they make note of reg number etc. What is the process they follow for solo touring cyclists?

PS : have seen many "groups" ride through TFN is one example, but have never heard of anyone going solo, hence checking.

[Yateesh Kumar]

Only place where I know of restrictions is in bandipur - mudumalai forest areas.  Rest all are devoid of any restrictions. 

Make sure to take your presence of mind wherever you are allowing the journey especially in the wild, anything else can be discounted but not this :)

All the best and come back with more stories. 

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[Chidambaran Subramanian]

Nagarahole stretch (Hunsur -  Kutta) is also out of bounds I think

[Chidambaran Subramanian]

Stretch to Kutta is also off bounds

On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 12:28 AM, Yateesh Kumar <kumar....@gmail.com> wrote:

[Chidambaran Subramanian]

Nagarhole , that is.

[Adithya Kini]

Hey All thanks so much for the response - When you say hunsur-kutta is out of bounds it disappoints me because it is part of my itinerary, hence please let me know if you are you guessing or are you sure?

 

On Thursday, 17 November 2016 11:31:24 UTC+5:30, Chidambaran S( Chiddu) wrote:

Nagarhole , that is.

On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 11:30 AM, Chidambaran Subramanian <chi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Stretch to Kutta is also off bounds

On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 12:28 AM, Yateesh Kumar <kumar....@gmail.com> wrote:

Only place where I know of restrictions is in bandipur - mudumalai forest areas.  Rest all are devoid of any restrictions. 

Make sure to take your presence of mind wherever you are allowing the journey especially in the wild, anything else can be discounted but not this :)

All the best and come back with more stories. 

On 16-Nov-2016 20:10, "Adithya Kini" <adithy...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey everyone,

      I plan to cycle the western ghats covering most of the wild life sanctuaries and national parks in December over 2 weeks. (self supported, solo tour). 

Question - Are solo cyclists allowed thoroughfare into national parks and wild life sanctuaries on western ghats? have driven through a few times and they make note of reg number etc. What is the process they follow for solo touring cyclists?

PS : have seen many "groups" ride through TFN is one example, but have never heard of anyone going solo, hence checking.

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[Prashanth M]

Nagarahole route is out of bounds not just for cycles but for two wheelers too. Alternate route: Hunsur - Gonikoppa - Srimangala - Kutta

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[Adithya Kini]

Ok Thanks Prashanth! Will modify itinerary as per your suggestion, any other stretch in the western ghats (national parks/wildlife sanctuaries) that is out of bounds for solo cyclists?

[Yateesh Kumar]

Kabini I allowed.  Hence mysore - Kabini - mananthavadi - Kutta -srimangala is a possible alternative.

[Praveen M]

I might also be doing small tour in these parts in Dec/Jan for few days.

Is it? Is Hunsur-Nagarahole road off limits for two wheelers including bicycles and not for other vehicles? I thought either Nagarahole road or kakanakote road was completely closed to restore a continuous habitat from Bandipura until Nagarahole which would allow free movement of wild animals undisturbed by traffic.

May be that plan was shelved.

Anyway we did this route to Kutta somewhere in 1985, attached a sample photo which was taken near Nagarahole. Hmmm...all this is no longer possible.

[berkeleydb]

Bandipur-Mudhumalai -- is that restricted to solo cyclists, or to all cyclists?

We had cycled through Mudhumalai couple of times few years back, as part of CAM rides. We had skipped Bandipur, but I thought that was due to lack of time.

The Nagahole forest, which others have already mentioned, is the only one I am aware of as restricting cyclists (or all two wheelers?), in Karnataka.

I have cycled solo through Waynad. And from Manantavady side to Kutta.

Have a nice a safe tour.

-{db}.

[santosh kumar]

A few of us are planning to ride to Ooty the last week of December. the itinerary is still getting its shape, will keep a close watch on this thread to come up with a plan. We are taking a lot of cues from the TFN as well.

Cheers
Santosh

[Yateesh Kumar]

On 19-Nov-2016 14:17, "berkeleydb" <dha...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Bandipur-Mudhumalai -- is that restricted to solo cyclists, or to all cyclists

   Not just solo riders. Closed to All cyclists, unless it's specifically approved. 

>
> We had cycled through Mudhumalai couple of times few years back, as part of CAM rides.  We had skipped Bandipur, but I thought that was due to lack of time.

> yes,  that's true. 

> The Nagahole forest, which others have already mentioned, is the only one I am aware of as restricting cyclists (or all two wheelers?), in Karnataka.
>
> I have cycled solo through Waynad.  And from Manantavady side to Kutta.

One needs to be careful in vaduvanchal-sultan batheri section especially if it's early morning /evenings
Mananthavadi-kutta is also a similar case. 

> Have a nice a safe tour.
>
> -{db}.
>

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[Deepak Majipatil]

@Santosh, At Bandipur itself, the riders are not allowed. Tamilnadu is little flexible if you get them confidence that you have good support system. so if you want to ride to ooty, do kabini/Nagarahole/Sultan Bathery/Gudalur/ooty. 

[berkeleydb]

Cycling through Nagarhole ? That is clearly ruled out, no?

-{db}.

[Chidambaran Subramanian]

Its not allowed, but try your luck with the forest guard at the gate

On Sat, Nov 26, 2016 at 9:46 PM, berkeleydb <dha...@gmail.com> wrote:

Cycling through Nagarhole ?  That is clearly ruled out, no?

-{db}.

[berkeleydb]

I doubt the forest officials will allow.

The gate from Kutta side, had significant forest official presence when I had gone there. There was a DFO there, which I think is not a oficial level you will see at the gates. Ofcourse, it might have just been a coincidence.

On the off chance they do allow you... my understanding is that Nagarhole has been the one forest where cyclists (or perhaps all 2-wheelers?) have been consistently barred for quite a few years. If one is suddenly allowed, that might actually be an oversight on part of the specific forest officials. Look at it as doing the right thing, not as a try and get by if you can.

It is a tiger reserve, IIRC. That poses a specifically greater danger.

-{db}.

[Deepak Majipatil]

From kutta side,The ride of any two wheeler is banned.

I was suggesting from hdkote to kalpetta and that's allowed

[santosh kumar]

Hi,

We have started to work out the routes. We have tentatively come up with two plans, I have attached the plan with the route map and an excel sheet with the tentative itinerary. The plan through Bandipur is that we hitch on ride with a truck that passes that way. (apparently Mysore bikers do this quiet often) Please do let us know if any of you has done this route, is it too aggressive a plan to pull off? Any form of suggestion is welcome.

We are planning this route during the last week of 2016.

Cheers
Santosh

[santosh kumar]

Adding one more map.

https://www.plotaroute.com/route/325439

Cheers
Santosh

[Guthrie Straw]

Hi Santosh,

Not sure if you left already on your journey but I found this post when trying to do the same. My sister and I just finished the southern crossing from HG Kote to Bavali and rode to Kalpetta today. The southern section does not allow cyclists but we were able to catch a ride with someone heading to Kerela and put our bikes aboard. There are lots of rickshaws at each entrance and before catching a ride it seemed like the going price was 500-1500 rupees though we're foreigners so I'd imagine the local price would be much better since there are many tourists in the area. Hope this information helps, and that you have a great journey!

[berkeleydb]

Thanks for the info, Guthrie.

Hope you are having a nice tour in India. What parts are you riding through? Any blog where you share your experiences?

Happy & safe cycling.

-{db}.

[Guthrie Straw]

Thanks DB!

The cycling in India has been wonderful thus far, I keep telling people that I actually feel safer cycling here than most of the places I've cycled in the US. It's been a real eye opener. We started in Bangalore and are just now completing our loop from Kalpetta up to Hunsur, and back into Mysore tomorrow. (Taking the train from there to Bangalore due to time constraints) I'll be posting photos/thoughts/writeup to my blog when I get back to the US as I was unable to bring a laptop with me this trip.

You'll be able to find those entries here:

PedalDream.com

Regards,

- Guthrie

[berkeleydb]

Interesting perspective about cycling in India feeling safer than in the US. I suppose it's more wrt cycling on open roads, since traffic speeds here are generally slower, & drivers here to tend to keep an eye out for others making unanticipated moves etc.

I have done some cycling in the US on cycle trials... can't imagine that feeling more risky than cycling in India. :)

Will check your blog; look forward to your posts from this trip too.

Have a nice remainder of your trip/tour here.

-{db}.

[Chidambaran Subramanian]

Guthrie,

When you say safer , do you mean on the road while cycling , from being hit by traffic, or do you mean the safety aspects of going around in cycles?

My perception is that in the US, motorists can't see you, they don't notice you. Here they do see you but they don't care.

Interesting thought though, I'd appreciate if you could elaborate on it.

[santosh kumar]

We don't need explanation as to why Indian media is so cynical. We just cannot accept being appreciated or to appreciate. 

I'd be happy to acknowledge the fact that someone is happy to ride in India and move on. 

Whatever you meant when you said Guthrie, that riding in India you felt safe. I'm very glad you did. Enjoy your ride and your stay here. Keep coming back for more. :) I hope my country continues to play a good host. 

Cheers 

Santosh

[Karthick Gururaj]

Genuine surprise != Cynicism

Honest curiosity != Not appreciating

Patriotism != Being blind to one's (country's) own faults

...but I can imagine how cycling is safer here in certain ways.

- Karthick

[Chidambaran Subramanian]

I just want a honest point of view from another cyclist. One thing true for both India and US is that , as a cyclist, you are an insignificant minority.

Not for or against anybody feeling good or bad.  

[Guthrie Straw]

Hey Folks! I've been trying to reply but google groups is intent on mangling my formatting/double posting on iPhone so I've been waiting till I get back into Bangalore to reply to the above since it is a in-depth issue and one that I am happy to talk about. (Transportation/urban planning is an area I have a passion in and it's interesting to me to see how different approaches are taken in different places). I wasn't catching any cynicism personally, but definitely understand that visiting a place is different than dealing with its strengths and shortfalls on a daily basis, and I want to do those differences justice in a neutral light. Hold tight, full response coming soon. (Note, if mods would like me to post this as a new thread please let me know, I certainly didn't intend to derail Santosh's thread in this fashion and think there's some great advice in here on that topic which is worth keeping on track.)

Regards,

- Guthrie

[Adithya Kini]

Thanks so much ya all for the help, every piece of advice has been taken. My trip starts tomorrow and below is my itinerary please let me know if you see any flaws in it and want me to change it in any way. or if you have some budget places you would want to recommend along the route (plan to spend no more than 700 per night on stay, lesser the better) no budget limits on food and anything good that is worth trying i will pay for.

Day 1 23rd - Bangalore to Madurai (Bus).

Day 2 24th - Madurai to Munnar (Pedal) = 154 KM

Day 3 25th - Munnar to Palaniyur , Kottur via chinar wildlife sanctuary (Pedal) = 106KM

Day 4 26th - Palaniyur to Vazhachal waterfalls Via valparai (Pedal) =  116KM

Day 5 27th - Vazhachal waterfalls to shornur (Pedal)  = 101KM

Day 6 28th - Shornur to Gudalur - 130 KM

Day 7 29th - Gudalur to sulthan batthery via madhumalai and bandipur and gopalswamy hills (Pedal) = 93KM

Day 8 30th - Sulthan batthery to HD kote via kurva deep (Pedal) = 100KM

Day 9 31st - HD Kote to Mysore (Pedal)  = 50KM and then mysore to bangalore by bus on same day.

Regards,

- Guthrie

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Cheers,
Adithya Kini

[Ashok Kumar S]

Can't agree with this. What do you mean by they don't care? It's people like you and I who are behind the wheels too. 

Thanks and regards,

Ashok

Sent from my iPhone

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[Chidambaran Subramanian]

I mean they don't care. Actually. They push you off the road if they can. You are on your own. The contrast with the US is that they don't see you. You will be on the road, but they just can't sight you.

Regards

Chiddu

[Ashok Kumar S]

My experience is that they push you only if they are squeezed for space. Haven't encountered anyone doing it just for the sake of doing it intentionally. And no one wants the troubles of accidents, police, bribe, harassment etc unless in a screwed up mental state. 

Thanks and regards,

Ashok

Sent from  my iPhone

[Chidambaran Subramanian]

And I'm not being cynical. Or judgemental. I am just stating facts as I see it.

[Chidambaran Subramanian]

I frequently use the double road downramp which is quite narrow. People try to pass me there. I stand my ground asking them to wait till we are done with the downramp and on to the main road. 

Might is right here. You have to call people's bluff. Once while travelling between Mysore and Nanjengud at 4:30 in the morning , there were cars/lorries trying to overtake among the oncoming traffic, and I would have had to go off the road to give them way. I refused and asked them to go back inside. 90% of them heeded me.

Regards

Chiddu

[Adithya Kini]

Thanks so much ya all for the help, every piece of advice has been taken. My trip starts tomorrow and below is my itinerary please let me know if you see any flaws in it and want me to change it in any way. or if you have some budget places you would want to recommend along the route (plan to spend no more than 700 per night on stay, lesser the better) no budget limits on food and anything good that is worth trying i will pay for.

Day 1 23rd - Bangalore to Madurai (Bus).

Day 2 24th - Madurai to Munnar (Pedal) = 154 KM

Day 3 25th - Munnar to Palaniyur , Kottur via chinar wildlife sanctuary (Pedal) = 106KM

Day 4 26th - Palaniyur to Vazhachal waterfalls Via valparai (Pedal) =  116KM

Day 5 27th - Vazhachal waterfalls to shornur (Pedal)  = 101KM

Day 6 28th - Shornur to Gudalur - 130 KM

Day 7 29th - Gudalur to sulthan batthery via madhumalai and bandipur and gopalswamy hills (Pedal) = 93KM

Day 8 30th - Sulthan batthery to HD kote via kurva deep (Pedal) = 100KM

Day 9 31st - HD Kote to Mysore (Pedal)  = 50KM and then mysore to bangalore by bus on same day.

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