14.8
PDI
13 mi
DISTANCE
3,137 ft
GAINED
4.6 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
Page Contributor(s): Ties Arts, Netherlands; (Cover photo: Google Street Views)
INTRO
Solakkadu is the top of the Kolli Hills ghat road, the famous climb in Tamil Nadu's Namakkal district that winds up from the foothill village of Karavalli through 70 numbered hairpin bends. From the plains to the edge of the Kolli Hills plateau, the climb covers 13.0 miles (20.9 km) and gains 3,137 feet (956 m) at a 4.6% average grade, topping out at 3,940 feet (1,201 m).
What sets this road apart is the hairpins themselves. The bends are numbered with painted marker stones that count you up the mountain - "34/70" at the halfway mark - and the switchbacks stack so tightly that much of the climb feels like one long staircase cut into the hillside. The gradient is never brutal, which makes this a rhythm climb rather than a wall: the lower bends are wide and sweeping, while higher up they get tighter and a little steeper. Sections run under thick forest canopy, others open up to big views of the plains below, and the air gets noticeably cooler as you climb - the plateau is often wrapped in mist.
The Kolli Hills (Kollimalai) are steeped in local history and legend. They were the domain of Valvil Ori, a chieftain who ruled the region around 200 CE and is still celebrated every August with the Valvil Ori festival, when crowds of tourists and devotees fill the hills (in 2026 the ghat roads were run one-way for the festival). Above the climb, the Arapaleeswarar temple and the Agaya Gangai waterfall make worthwhile additions to a ride day.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. The climb averages 4.6% over 13.0 miles (20.9 km), gaining 3,137 feet (956 m) from 820 feet (250 m) at Karavalli to 3,940 feet (1,201 m) at Solakkadu. This is a long, steady effort rather than a steep one - the gradient stays remarkably consistent from bottom to top, with the 70 hairpins keeping the road from ever pitching up hard.
The steepest mile averages 5.6%, the steepest half mile 6.2% and the steepest quarter mile 6.9%, with the single steepest 100 yards at 7.6%. In metric terms, the steepest kilometer averages 6.1% and the steepest 5 km 5.2%. Most kilometers sit between roughly 4% and 6%, with one brief easing around the 3-mile (5 km) mark and a gentler final half mile into Solakkadu.
The hairpins begin in earnest after about the first 1.2 miles (1.9 km), and from there they come every few hundred yards. Take the bends wide where it's safe - the inside line of a hairpin is always noticeably steeper than the outside.
Roadway: The ghat road is paved the entire way with good, well-marked tarmac and painted edge lines through the hairpins. It is narrow, though - many of the hairpins are too tight for two cars to pass side by side, let alone a bus or truck - and one side of the road drops away steeply in places, so stay alert on the bends.
Traffic: This is the main road up to the Kolli Hills from the Namakkal side, so expect a steady mix of cars, motorcycles, buses and trucks rather than a quiet back road. The 70 hairpins are a well-known motorcycling destination too. Listen for horns before blind corners and hold your line. Traffic peaks during the Valvil Ori festival each August - in 2026 the authorities ran a two-day one-way system with all uphill traffic routed via the Karavalli ghat road and downhill traffic sent down the Mullukurichi ghat road, so check for festival restrictions before planning a descent.
Parking: Karavalli is a small foothill village at the base of the climb rather than a tourist town, so there is no dedicated cyclist parking. Find a safe spot well off the road in the village near the start of the climb, before the hairpins begin.
The climb starts in the hot plains of Namakkal district and finishes on a cool, often misty plateau, so the temperature drops noticeably as you go up. Carry a light layer or vest for the top and for the descent, and start early to beat both the heat at the bottom and the bulk of the day's traffic.
Bring plenty of water - at 13.0 miles (20.9 km) this is a long, steady effort, and much of it is spent in the heat of the lower slopes. Karavalli at the bottom has roadside stalls where hill farmers sell their produce, and Semmedu, the main village on the plateau beyond Solakkadu, has a few stores and tea stalls. Bright lights front and rear are worth having for the shaded forest sections and the blind corners.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
The Kolli Hills are in Namakkal district, central Tamil Nadu, about 45 km from Namakkal town. The Karavalli ghat road is reached via Sendamangalam, and direct buses run from Namakkal to the hills on this route. The nearest railway station is Salem Junction, about 88 km away.
Semmedu, the main village on the plateau, has a couple of hotels, and homestays are increasingly common across the hills. Worth a visit once you're up top: the Agaya Gangai (Akasa Ganga) waterfall, which drops about 300 feet and is reached by descending roughly 1,000 steps near the Arapaleeswarar temple; the Seekuparai viewpoint over the valley; and the botanical garden about 3 km from Semmedu, which has its own viewpoint. The hills are also known for pepper, coffee, pineapple, jackfruit and honey, much of it sold at roadside stalls.
The Valvil Ori festival in August brings the biggest crowds of the year and one-way traffic rules on the ghat roads - plan around it or embrace it. The plateau is often in cloud and mist, so check current conditions before you go with our Weather tool.
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