@karthik-shenoy
Weekend rider. If there are hairpins, I'm in.
Bisle Ghat
Dense rainforest on both sides and a viewpoint that shows three mountain ranges at once. Feels wild for a road this close to Sakleshpur. Ride it right after the monsoon, when everything is green. Check road conditions first; stretches get rough.
Valparai via Aliyar, 40 hairpins
Forty hairpins from Aliyar dam into endless tea estates, with lion-tailed macaques watching from the trees. Do it over two days and stay in Valparai. Don't ride the ghat after dark; there's wildlife on the road.
Masinagudi to Ooty via Kalhatti ghat
Thirty-six hairpins straight up from the forest floor to Ooty. Elephants and deer along the way through Bandipur and Mudumalai. The forest check-posts close at night, so plan around them. Go up the ghat, not down; it's easier on the brakes.
Mullayanagiri, Chikmagalur
The last stretch to Karnataka's highest peak is a single-lane road above the clouds. Pure joy on two wheels. Ride up early on a weekday. On weekends the narrow road jams with cars by 10.
