36 bends, 40 bends, 70 hairpins — the legendary ghat climbs of the Nilgiris, the Anamalais, and the 'Mountain of Death'. A guide to the South's best curves.
The South counts its greatest roads in hairpins. Each ghat has its own famous number, painted on the rock at every bend, and riding them in sequence is a rite of passage for anyone who loves a corner.
36 bends to the Nilgiris
The climb to Ooty via the 36 numbered bends is the most famous of all — cool blue-hill air, a toy train chuffing alongside on the switchbacks, and tea gardens as far as you can see. Ride it at dawn before the tourist traffic wakes.
40 bends at Valparai, 70 at Kolli
Valparai's 40 hairpins climb quietly through the Anamalai tea country, with monkeys on the railings and a good chance of Nilgiri tahr up top. Then there's Kolli Hills — 70 numbered hairpins up the so-called 'Mountain of Death', the most technical and rewarding ghat in the South, with the Agaya Gangai falls as your reward at the plateau.
Count the bends on the way up. On the way down, you'll be grinning too hard to bother.
The ghats are good most of the year, but October to March gives the clearest air and the best views.
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