#23 of 79 · mountain
Pollachi to Valparai
Pollachi, Tamil Nadu → Valparai
65 km · Oct – Mar · Moderate
Forty hairpins through Anamalai tea and rainforest. Lion-tailed macaques, estate bungalows, and a climb that feels longer than the kilometre count.
Viewpoints
Aliyar Dam
The lake before the climb begins.
18 km
320 m
Hairpin 9
The first real reveal of the valley.
32 km
900 m
Nallamudi viewpoint
Tea, cloud, and the Palani hills.
58 km
1,190 m
- Road
- Narrow ghat, well surfaced. Wildlife on the road is common. Night driving is discouraged.
Tips
- 01
Dawn for wildlife
Macaques and hornbills are active early.
- 02
Count the bends
Forty of them. Do not rush the last ten.
From the road
1 notes
Field reports from people who have driven this route.
Driven this road? Join as a driver to leave a note from the road.
Arjun P.
Jan 2026
Counted all forty. A lion-tailed macaque sat on the parapet at hairpin twelve and did not move.
