Aliyar hairpins up to Valparai, then out past Malakkapara the next morning
@host_creta · 1 week ago
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I've been plotting a December loop that isn't another Charmadi run. Coimbatore to Pollachi, up the Aliyar ghat into Valparai for the night, then across the Kerala side towards Athirappilly early the next day.
The hairpins are the whole point, and my turbo DCT genuinely enjoys them if I leave it in manual and hold second rather than letting it hunt. What I'd turn off is lane keep. Faded ghat markings confuse it and the steering tugs get tiring.
The bit to actually plan around is the forest stretch. Valparai.com says the Vazhachal and Malakkapara checkposts take their last entry at 4.30 pm, and it's core forest with no shoulder to stop on, so a lazy start ruins the whole day. Elephants do cross there.
Brakes and coolant get a proper look before I go, not a glance.
Has anyone taken a Creta down that descent? I'd love to compare notes before I lock dates.
Sources
Replies (1)
irfan_nair· 1 week agoArjun not done that descent but good call on the lane keep, mine does the same tugging on faded lines. That 4.30 pm checkpost cutoff is strict stuff, elephants crossing with no shoulder sounds like zero margin for a late start. Checking brakes before a ghat run full load is non negotiable for me too. Let us know how the DCT handles that gradient in manual.
