Kudremukha Trek

One hears the name Kudremukh, and the first thought that crosses the mind is that it’s an iron ore company. True! But there is a lot more than just the ore. It is situated in the greenest patch of our state, the all famous Western Ghats. I had been here almost 15 months ago for a drive, it hardly took some time for me to fall in love with the Kudremukh range. The greenery which is seen round about you is something which would make your eyes seek for more. It requires an effort to take your eyes off them.

Being a trekker, I made up my mind to step foot on the hills of kudremukh where no wheel takes you. The time came in 2011 when it happened. We had to plan out almost a month in advance given that there is just one bus which goes to this place. Mind you, there is no direct bus to go to the foot trail of kudremukh. Hence you need to board a bus which heads to Horanadu, and get off it when you reach kalasa. There are local buses which would further transport you to Balagal. Anirudh had spoken to Rajappa who resides near the start of the foot trail to Kudremukh path. Rajappa had arranged for a jeep to transport us from Balagal to his house which is approx. 7 kms. It was an off road drive on a Mahindra 4X4 jeep with 11 people including the driver and our hefty rucksacks cramped in it. It was one hell of a drive which could prove a good testing ground for a jeep. It took a while for the team to reach Rajappa’s house. By the time we settled down at his residence it was close to 8AM.

Freshening up and hogging on the idlis prepared by his family, we got ready for the long walk. People aren’t allowed to camp anywhere near the Kudremukh peak or anywhere on the way other than Rajappa’s house. Hence, it would become a one day affair of going to the peak and returning on the same day. Rajappa was skeptical if we would return by night fall. Nevertheless we told him we would proceed and try to return at the earliest though its gonna be dark while we are returning. A guide was sent along with us to show us the way. We didn’t have much option of going on our own coz this area is not meant for wandering on one’s own. So, we had to oblige in taking the guide along with us.

Food stuff was the only thing which we carried as we left behind most of our belongings at Rajappa’s house since we would return in the night. Geared up for the trek, we started around 10AM. It was quite sunny when we started but we had little choice about the time. Marching forward we crossed the first landmark called onti mara (lone tree) which is found en-route about a kilometer from Rajappa’s house. Heading further we moved on crossing many valleys. Almost all the valley’s had a stream running in between. There was plenty of water in almost all the streams as promised by the guide. Clean chill fresh water flowed down those streams. The mineral rich water cooled the sour and thirsty throats and relaxed our cramped stomachs. The valleys were the only places where we could find some shade and comfort. The rest of the open land was glowing as the sun shot its rays everywhere. The heat was slowing the team down a little but we moved on ignoring.

The view of the landscape as we climb higher gets only better. Many ridges, valleys and open grasslands can be seen all along. It’s a mixture of all possible sorts. The clouds hovering above at times protected us by shielding from the sun. Else, we would have burnt a lot more calories than we did. The view ahead after crossing one particular valley after an hours’ trek or so, presented us a red carpet which extended all the way till the base of the peak. The scene was simply splendid! It was like the peak giving us a warm welcome. The grass had dried up by then in this particular patch but the colour of it remained red rather than the usual brown. This indeed stood out from the usual scenic beauties, which we find. The grass was an inviting bed, one would seldom ignore to rest but we only chose to sit and relax. Crossing many patches of this red grass we moved over to Lobo’s house. It no longer looks like a house but a ruined house would be the right description. It didn’t cross our mind to check out the place but we proceeded further getting into another valley. Every time we came out of a valley, we had such amazing landscapes ahead of us; we simply could only gaze at them. We had to ascend one of the hills ahead in a zigzag fashion to reach the top. The illusion created by the hills would deceive one’s eyes to assume that once we climb this hill, we would be left with little to reach the top. But the deception was for sure. Towards the right of the trail there was a huge forest which housed all kinds of trees, small to tall, young to old, thin to thick. Amidst all these there stood a ruined building which long ago stood as a church. A slight deviation from the trail takes one to the Church. One should appreciate the will of the people to build such a structure at this height. The labour, the strength, the faith, the belief could be a few reasons for the people who built this structure. But its unfortunate that such a structure lies in ruins this day. There flows a waterfall very close to the Church, probably at a distance of a few hundred feet. Once we were satisfied looking at the surroundings, we headed back to the original trail to continue to head towards the top of the peak.

We had to descend a little and then climb a lot more. It was a steep one though. Once we were done with this last leg, we reached the top of the Kudremukh peak. We settled on the top for a while sitting and gazing at the landscape which extended as far as it could. Relaxing on the top was easy though there were no trees to provide shelter on top but the clouds took their place. It would be an ideal place to camp, only if we were allowed. Alas, we had to come down and we started our return journey. Three of our team mates chose to go on the adjacent hill as we descended. We came down near the Church to rest until the other party joined us. Once the split up party joined us, it was almost 5PM. Increase of the speed than the usual was required so that we could cover as much distance as possible in the day light. Close to running was what was done for most part of the way. Only at steep slopes, the speed was cut down coz running on the slopes wasn’t easy. One wrong step and you would find the world spinning around you crazily.

As the horizon grew dim, we were almost done with the grasslands and were on the last ridge which was to be crossed. In the open areas the moon light lit up the land enough for the eyes to look for the path but when the Valleys were entered, it became increasingly difficult to judge the track though it was wide enough. It was time for the artificial gears to be lit. Out came the torches from the bags and that illuminated the path ahead by which the walk became easier. The mercury gradually dipped as the night engulfed the horizon but it took a while for the body to show the effect coz they were heated up enough as we walked non-stop. Every valley slowed down the team and every valley was deceiving coz we thought that was the last one to be crossed. Many such deceptions later, we finally came to the Onti mara which was spotted in the morning while on the way up. A walk of the last mile brought the team to the base, Rajappa’s house. The night walk was an experience after a long time and was enjoyed every bit. Post dinner we retired for the day in the house. Rajappa had made adequate arrangements for us to have a peaceful sleep.

The next day, we headed to Hanumagundi falls which is around 30-40 kms from here. Though it was my second visit to this place, it was pretty much the same as it was, with only the people around being different. A few of the team mates took a dip while the rest of us were hanging around. By evening, we were in Horanadu where we had the Darshan of the Goddess Annapoorneshwari and savoured the dinner served by the temple. It was time to board the bus and mark the end of the journey.

A walk in the woods - Mudigere Forest trek

I had been for a trek to Ettina Buja in January this year. While returning I noticed many routes leading to the interior of the forest. It was too tempting to shrug off. I enquired our guide who was accompanying us about the possibilities of getting into the forest. He did give a positive response and started explaining about the route and other features of the area. When he said we could walk along the stream for quite a distance; that caught my ears. I made up my mind to trek this route in the summer.

For a summer trek, it would be taxing if we climb the hilltops! Reasons: 1. Due to the extensive heat 2. Unavailability of water 3. The sun’s uninterrupted beam of rays. This stretch in the forest would avoid or minimize the problems listed above. It was ideal for a summer trek. Karthick agreed to go for the trek. I was more than glad as I was eagerly looking out for doing the trek. I was a little skeptical about him if he would be fine with just the two of us. His positive response only increased my urge to go for this trek.

We reached Gopu Gokhale’s house in Shishila on Saturday morning. We were the first ones to make it that day. He told me that a couple of teams were coming to head off to Ettina Buja and Amedikallu. I was shocked! I was wondering how they would manage climbing in this heat. Nevertheless it’s their choice, if one has the will to do, he can do anything. Our guide Chennappa arrived and the exchange of greetings and introductions were completed. We headed to Holegundi in a rickshaw. Once we alighted we started off with our trek to Mudigere forest.

The thick canopy of the trees in the forest saved our skin from the sun’s wrath. Usage of caps or umbrellas to protect ourselves from the heat wasn’t required. I was more than happy seeing the shade everywhere. Chennappa took us along the stream for a while and then we switched over to the foot trail. Throughout the way, our walk was along the stream while we might have deviated a max of 100 meters and not beyond that. Few minutes of walk was enough for the bodies to warm up and sweating was instant and profuse. Though we were spared the rage of the sun, the humidity took a toll on our body.

An hour or so of walking in the forest, we heard some movement to our left. The noise was drawing closer as the tempo augmented rapidly. All the three of us froze! I was only hoping that it wouldn’t be a repeat of the Brahmagiri episode where we had to run away from a herd of elephants. The sound of the movement drew even closer as we could hear it barely a few feet away. I noticed a black animal run past us. It took a while to register that it was a Samber which was running. Behind it were three dogs chasing. That was the reason for hearing so much movement. They were probably trained hunting dogs. Their moves gave all the indications for us to believe so. It just happened in seconds. The noise died down completely and then the picture ended so we moved ahead.

It had rained almost every day from over a week just before we went there. When it rains in the Western Ghats only one thing can happen and that is a surge in the leach population. I was wearing leach gaiters, which I should say were really very helpful. Not one was able to bite me on my legs but three or four managed to climb all the way till my neck and bit me there. Every cleaning session I had pulled out at least a hundred leaches on each leg. The number was unusually enormous. Chennappa gave the oil [mixture of coconut oil n tobacco powder] used to get rid of leaches to Karthick to apply it on his legs which saved him from the leach bites to some extent.

Criss-crossing the river from one side to the other was done several times. The water flowing in the stream was crystal clear. The taste of it was very sweet which you wouldn’t find otherwise.

Whoever said that trees stand tall must have said after visiting a similar forest. The trees were gigantic in size which is found in rarity. I was quite amazed looking at these trees. At times I had to outstretch my neck way beyond the usual to look at the tip of the tree. I was overwhelmed to see that such trees still stood tall and haven’t faced an axe! God Forbid! I wish and hope that these outlive their living capacity as these are the actual assets of our land.

We had walked almost a distance of around 14 kms*. It was 1600 hrs and we decided to call it a day. Chennappa found a place similar to a cave. A huge boulder standing on other boulders below it gave the required shelter from sun and rain. The only contention was, it was right next to the stream which wasn’t advisable. I gave a thought to it and was in a dilemma whether to camp next to the stream or to camp on a flat ground elsewhere. The thought of the leaches made me go for the former and we decided to camp in the cave.

Thick dark clouds formation started in a few minutes of us settling down. The clouds bore a signature of a heavy rain. We thought pitching the tent would be a better idea as we were exposed on three sides from where we could possibly get wet. Under the boulder we pitched the tent quickly while chennappa went to collect firewood. Around 1800 hrs what started as a drizzle continued to be a heavy rain. We couldn’t hear anything but the sound of the raindrops hitting the water in the stream and the ground. A while later the stream started swelling gradually. I didn’t like the rate at which it was going. We were just 5 feet away from the stream and it had already risen a feet high from what it was earlier. There were no signs of the rain stopping or reducing and the stream only maintained the pace of swelling. We were in such a position that we couldn’t move out to another location while it was raining. I only hoped that the rain would subside in a few minutes. But then, hopes don’t work always, do they? We had dinner while it continued to rain. At around 2100 hrs the stream was barely two feet away from us. Had it rained some more, it would have reached our tent for sure. By God’s grace, the rain subsided and eventually it stopped and so the swelling of the stream curtailed. It was indeed a sigh of relief. The rest of the night went uneventful.

On Day 2 we started our walk to return to Shishila. Chennappa enquired if we wanted to take the same route as yesterday or a different route which is a little shorter than the one which we took the previous day. We opted for the shorter route not because it was shorter in distance but we would get an opportunity to visit another part of the forest. The previous day’s route was mostly on foot trails but the return route was nowhere in similarity. In most of the places we had to make our own routes. We had to walk on steep slippery ground. You miss a step and you could be swimming in the water down the stream without any effort of diving. Our pace reduced drastically as we were ensuring our feet had a good grip saving ourselves the avoidable fall. Better care in placing the foot firm would ensure a good walk. After struggling at places to sneak in between the creepers, trees, plants and bushes we managed to link up with the original route taken the previous day.

On the way we spotted a vine snake which was in the middle of the path. Chennappa tried to touch it with a stick so that it moves away. This reacted violently unlike the vine snake I had seen almost two years ago. I presumed they weren’t that violent but my presumption was proved wrong. Once it showed an aggressive action we backed out and let it pass on its own giving it all the time in the world. None were willing to take chances though it was tiny in size. As it moved away from our way we continued to pursue our path to return.

We had plenty of time, so we took more number of breaks than required and rested very frequently while returning. The number of leaches probably doubled overnight as I could see many more than I had witnessed the previous day. I was so fed up in removing them that I chose to ignore and carry on. The return was much faster as usual and we reached the end of the forest within a few hours. We took an hour or two lesser than the time taken the previous day.

The experience of walking in the forest was very exciting. My satisfaction was way higher than what I was expecting. This stretch would be perfect for a summer trek. I hope I would make it for the next summer too or will have to look out for similar stretches elsewhere.

More Pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/sunilbabuvk/MudigereForestTrek#

Getting there: Take a bus heading to Dharmasthala from Bangalore. Inform the driver to drop you off at Kokkada (16kms before Dharmasthala). There are rickshaws & jeeps which will take you to Shishila which is 15kms away. Else a bus comes around 7AM to Kokkada.

Gopu Gokhale’s contact no: 08251- 269246

Season – Post winter & summer –Between January to May

Ettina Bhuja trek

After ages i was so determined to go for a trek and somehow Ettina Bhuja was lingering in my mind. I spoke to Gopu Gokhale and checked with him if it was a season good enough for the trek. He gave an answer which i was eagerly looking for. My face lit up with joy! Initially it was supposed to be a team of 8 or so, but then due to various situations and circumstances many dropped out but for three. We still decided to go ahead. We boarded a bus heading to Dharmasthala but got down 15 kms before at Kokkada. Hiring a rickshaw we reached Gokhale's house. Freshening up and post breakfast we got into a rickshaw to go to the last road head at Holegundi. I was very surprised looking at the freshly laid roads and couldn’t recognise much of the area though I had been here a year and half ago.

Autowallah showed us the way to approach a stream which we had to cross to get onto the trail. Our guide was supposed to meet us somewhere here. Another team who were behind us approached the stream which we had just crossed. Chandappa who was guiding them showed us the path to take. So, the three decided to go ahead. The canopy engulfed almost immediately. It was almost 9AM when we started from this point. Yup, I know, we were pretty late even though we had a time advantage. The path was parallel to a stream which extended to almost two kilometers where the first deviation comes which has to be taken to go to Ettina bhuja. A localite named Lingappa met us and gave us further directions. He asked us to take the deviation and head straight where we would be meeting our guide Chennappa who would be descending from the top. Since the direction was known now, we proceeded. A while later the path disappeared. Looking around we found two paths, one leading to the left and another which was heading almost in the direction we were going. The left path wasn’t a clear track, so we decided to take the well beaten path. We were still walking along the stream for some more time and then the background noise faded gradually. The path only widened the further up we went to the size of an elephant track. It was close to 12 noon. Our guide was nowhere to be seen. Some doubts cropped up in our minds which couldn’t be ignored. The path was leading up so we decided to climb up the hill and then locate ourselves. Ettina Bhuja was very unique and could be spotted from anywhere. Once we know, then we could proceed in that direction.

Resting for a while we picked up our bags and were about to start when we heard some call signs. We responded but then we didn’t get any response. We thought it must be the other group which was trailing us and then started to move. Then one guy came running to us and introduced that he was the guide whom we were supposed to go along with. He told us we were taking the wrong path and he ran around looking out for us. We coolly told him that shouldn’t have been a problem and none panicked. I could see a shocked expression in his face. We didn’t react probably the way he expected. I had made calculations even before he met us as I was carrying a GPS with 3 days battery backup. That gave me the confidence of returning back to the village incase if we lose our way. That would have made it a real adventure into the forest which we were denied unfortunately. Chennappa took charge from there and pulled us to the well taken path by taking a detour.

The other group was resting while we overtook them. It was lunch time and we decided to eat. Gokhale had packed rotis and curry for us. While we ate and rested, the other group overtook us. An hour later we resumed the hike. We could feel the climb only now as for all the while we almost walked in the valley. We still were very much in the valley but were gaining some height. We slowed down considerably cause Anirudh happened to get a headache which made it difficult for him to take even a step further. I literally pushed him and kept him going though I knew his problem. I wanted him to rest at one stretch once we reach the base camp rather than resting for a few minutes every now and then which would be of no help.

We emerged out of the valley into the grasslands which indicated that we were almost on top of a peak. To the left stood the Bhuja. The look was stunning. But the sun curtailed our excitement and reminded us to move ahead to look out for some shade. It was screeching hot. Bottles & bottles of water ran down our throats but it did little to reprieve us from the heat. Luckily there were patches of trees every now and then which gave us an opportunity to rest for a while. By the time we made it near the base camp it was close to 4PM. Way too long for a 9 km trek. But the deviation which we took meant an additional 3 kms of walk. That way I would say we weren’t that bad. Just as you come up near the base camp, there is a way in the valley which leads to the water point. We were blessed with the sweetness of the fresh water which also was cold. What a way to cool the heated bodies. We just went on gulping to hydrate ourselves. We prepared our base camp and relaxed for a while.

Around 6PM, we marched towards the Ettina Bhuja peak. The climb was damn easy given that we didn’t carry any load on our backs. The last leg was very steep and tricky to climb. We reached the top in a few mins. The sunset was to happen at 630PM which meant we had lot of time to gaze around. I enquired about the surrounding peaks, the way to approach them with Chennappa. I already was making plans for them. While the sun started setting, we geared up for capturing it. We were slightly disappointed cause of the presence of heavy mist which didn’t give us good shots. Nevertheless we were happy to see it setting. Descending to the base camp we slept for a while. None of us had proper dinner cause I too ended up getting a headache and wanted to crash the bed. Chennappa started the camp fire but we decided to sleep.

Next day morning, I was woken up by Anirudh. He was all joshed up unlike the previous day. The sun was coming up. Without second thoughts I got up, took the camera and headed upwards with Srivathsa. Wind was very heavy as expected. I wonder how the other group managed to camp here in an open area right on top of the ridge. The sun came up within minutes and then our photo shoot completed with it. Now was the time to pack up and start descending. We wanted to get down before noon. There were two options to get down. One being the same route as we came up from Shishila, the other to get down towards Byreshwara temple which takes just 30 mins. A bus links from here to Mudigere from where we could head to Bangalore. For obvious reasons we decided to take the longer route to Shishila.

We had plenty of time as we were in no hurry. That way we descended slowly looking around to capture some things in our camera. At a point we heard a wood pecker, spotting it was a real challenge. Anirudh went behind it and I followed. He was able to spot the bird and managed to take a pic as well. By the time I came, it changed its location. Obattu was our breakfast. Somehow we had lost our appetite, we barely could eat anything. I was constantly looking at the GPS to find out where exactly we had deviated. When we reached the place we realized that the path where we weren’t sure of was exactly the point which resulted in taking a huge detour. We were near the stream by 11AM. We spent an hour and then boarded a waiting rickshaw to head to Gokhale’s house.

Bathing was in a stream that flows behind his house. Water was chill here too but then all three managed to take a dip. Lunch was ready by then. We hogged the delicious food as our appetite was back with a bang. A bus leaves Shishila at 4PM to Dharmasthala which meant there were two more hours to spare. Anirudh & Srivathsa decided to take a nap; I was conversing with the Gokhale’s family. While we were about to leave, we went to the temple in Shishila, famous for its fishes. They are easily some 20 to 30 inches long and are in hundreds. A little rice when dropped, they go haywire, each trying to get the maximum.

This marked the end of our Ettina Bhuja trek. The second in Charmadi Ghats. I hope I could come back for the rest of the hills soon which are equally tempting.

More Pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/sunilbabuvk/EttinaBhuja20100130#

Getting there: Take a bus heading to Dharmasthala from Bangalore. Inform the driver to drop you off at Kokkada (16kms before Dharmasthala). There are rickshaws & jeeps which will take you to Shishila which is 15kms away. Else a bus comes around 7AM to Kokkada.

Gopu Gokhale’s contact no: 08251- 269246

Season – Post monsoon – Between November and February.

Gokarna to Karki beach trek

The monsoon is here so are our trekking plans. The funda was to go to a place where none of us have been before. The plans were being formulated from a long time though, the reason that the four inmates of Gurukula and the rest of the seven of us were to go together leaving no one behind. The rains had cut off many routes this season so we settled in for a beach trek after considering various alternatives and many deliberations. Next was the stretch to be considered. We decided to start from Gokarna and end in Haldipur near Honnavar the next day.

The D day had arrived and we all met up in Gurukula on the Sunday late noon and headed to Gokarna. Once we reached there in the morning the next day, we freshened up and headed for breakfast in one of the hotels on the beach side. Our plans to start the trek early morning didn't materialize for obvious reasons, so we as usual had a late start when the sun was up almost on our heads. The never ending ocean on one side and the greenish patch of land on the other helped us to get going. Kudle beach was the first we hit. The resonating sound of the ocean waves was soothing to our otherwise blunt ears. Walking around in the beach for a while and gazing at the water eased our minds. The clouds hovered around shielding us from the sun.

Heading further south we climbed a small hillock to reach the Om beach which was at the other side. The top resembled more of meadows, with cattle grazing all over. Half way while descending the hill we happened to see the Om beach which was quiet outstanding. The natural formation of the Om shape was a rare sight to see. I had missed this beach the last time when I had trekked the other side of Gokarna cause of my leg injury. Crossing this beach took quite a while for us. At times we had to take off the shoes so that they don't get wet wherever small streams were flowing into the ocean. There was another Hillock at the end of this beach. The actual view of the Om was seen from here. Ascending slowly on a beaten path which is a common passage for the villagers, we happened to encounter cattle. This was at a place where the path was at the edge of the hill with a slope on one side which leads to the ocean. A small wrong move would just mean a dive into the ocean. Though a few of us were scared to take the step we managed to cross the hurdle.

Half moon beach was waiting for our arrival as we were the only souls on it. The roaring of the waves were only trying to match the speed of the wind. The weather was all cool and pleasant as the clouds refused to move away providing us a blanket of shelter throughout. The drizzle was an icing on the cake. It was just mild which still kept our clothes dry. Drona was very excited to get into the water but Srinivas used to pull him just at the right time. He kept him busy all day. Each of us were walking at our own pace, some looking at the sea, some fishing for some shells, some lost in talks and some totally lost in thoughts. Nevertheless none complained as none were in a hurry.Further up the coast line we made it to the next beach called as the Paradise beach. This was indeed a man's paradise. Just a perfect setting to have a small house on the beach side with a small private beach. You have the right company and your life is made. It was noon, so we decided to have lunch and then continue our march. We settled in a small coconut farm and started with our meals. The owner was delighted to host us and gave us tender coconuts which reenergized our otherwise tired bodies; of course at an exorbitant cost. Resting for a while we started moving out of the paradise to reach Belikan village. The rest of the journey was more or less the same with hillocks separating the beaches. The size of the beaches also varied from a few meters to a few kilometers. Kirubaile was a dead end for us. If we had to proceed further we had to hire a boat to cross Anganashini River. Looking out for a boat man in the village was tough. Once they saw the urbanites, they quoted a very high price to take us to Barka beach. The actual journey on the boat was for 5 mins. But the preparation for it took more than an hour. We had to push the parked boat into the water which itself took quite a while. We too had to show our strength in pulling and pushing the boat along with the villagers. The boat man had agreed to drop us on an adjacent beach to Barka beach reasoning that it's dangerous to go there since the tides are high. We had to accept whatever offer he made and got into the boat finally. Once we were out in the sea we did realize that the boat man was right. The swaying of the boat testified the boatman's claim. Getting off the boat we bid adieu to the boatman and his associates. Our walk continued. This area has hardly seen the movement of people. I believe other than the trekkers, the localites hardly come here. The rocks and boulders on which we were to climb in order to move ahead were damp and slippery. Slow movements were made with care to avoid slipping. Another hillock stood in front of us. Finding a path took a while and once we did, we were glad to move. On top it was a beautiful meadow with lush green grass. It was too tempting to take a nap on the natural bed. Instead we settled to rest for a while. It wasn't surprising to see a Fort on top. Which king would afford to lose such a scenic beauty?

A while passed and it was time for us to reach Sangam beach. We had decided to camp here. To look out for an ideal place to camp took us a lot of time. We checked in a village if they would allow us to utilize the Government school premise to spend the night, but none gave us an optimistic response. A small discussion among the team gave a clear mandate that it's best to move out of the village and so we did walking further ahead. In one of the many coconut farms which run along the coast we decided to camp. There was a house adjacent to the farm. We sought there help for cooking and they offered us their kitchen itself which surprised us. A quick bath freshened us and then dinner was cooked. On the beach side, under the tall coconut trees amidst the darkness with dim light surrounding us, cool breeze along with the rattle of the waves, we had our dinner.

Day 2 started late as the breakfast took a while. The people at the house offered us breakfast. Hot idlis kept flowing into our plates as we hogged them. Unpitching the tents, we started our day 2 march around 8. The walk on the rest of the beach side gave the warm up required for ours legs to climb a small hillock. Once we descended we approached Magodu beach. This beach is ideal for a camp ground as there is a well and a stream. The beach did end again and as usual there was another hillock ahead of us. Most of these were slippery due to heavy moisture on its surface. Honnali village was the next landmark we crossed. It is located along a small beach side. Another hillock later we came across backwaters which again needed a boat to cross. But we decided to call in for our tempo traveler to transport us to the other side. We were dropped off on the other side and we continued our walk to Dhareshwar beach. This stretch is another long one; it took time for us to reach the huge hill on the other side. En-route we found carcasses of many dolphins and the bones of a whale, the size of which we couldn't imagine. The kinds of bones which we saw were much taller than any of us! Dhareshwar hill was probably the highest in this stretch. It wasn't that difficult to climb it though. Descending was a little jittery cause of the slippery ground, the soil used to simply give away causing us to lose our step. Negotiating the descent, we dropped at Ramanagindi. Yet another hill was spotted a little ahead. By now our legs were all used to the multi terrain of sand, water, soil and hillocks. Getting this hillock was even more challenging as it was more slippery than the previous one. We could see Haldipura beach much before we got down. This too was almost the same size of Dhareshwar beach. It was a long walk of another 4 to 5 kms at the end of which was Karki village. Our transport was all ready and waiting for our arrival. We could see the vehicle at a distance and were about to reach when it started pouring. This time we weren't spared as we were all wet by the time we got into the vehicle. I was somewhat spared cause of my umbrella. This marked the completion of the beach trek.

Overall the pleasant weather made our trek very easy which otherwise would have been a tough terrain given the humidity with no shelter anywhere nearby.

More pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/sunilbabuvk/GokharnaHonnavarBeachTrek20090831#

Getting there: Buses head to Gokarna from Bangalore during nights. Its a one night journey.

Food will have to be carried along & carrying tents also would be a viable option

Sabarimalai

Getting there:

Nearest Airport – Kochi International Airport

Nearest railway station – Chenganur, from where plenty of buses take you to Pamba

2145 hrs – Kanyakumari Express departed from Bangalore city railway station on dot surprisingly at the scheduled time. A trust mainly set up by the Shopkeepers in the APMC Yard organizes a small pilgrimage to Sabarimalai every month where the temple of Lord Ayyappa is situated. My father and his friends had approached them if they could accommodate us in any month. They were more than eager and happily accepted our names. They charged us only for the transportation from BLR to Pamba and then back to BLR, most of it by train and the last leg by a bus. The food, accommodation was all a contribution from the donors. The train journey was to last for almost 17 hours as we had to get down in Kottayam where a bus would be awaiting for our arrival to take us to Pamba, the base of the Sabarimalai hill which is again 4 hours away by road. A long journey though but we had no reasons to complain. Thanks to the Trust who ensured that we were well taken care of.

The train had just left the station; we were being served with dinner which was relishing. A while later we all retired for the night only to be woken up in the morning by the locals who were bombarding our sleeper coaches though all our seats were reserved. They simply refused to listen and even the Travel Ticket Examiner(TTE) wasn't of much help. 4 or 5 of us were found sitting in the seats meant for 3. Sandwiches, tikki puris and others were served for breakfast which was partly filling. Surprisingly the pantry guys never came to sell any food throughout the journey.

The train reached Kottayam at 1200 hrs, which was late by 35 mins. though none of us complained. Immediately we were shifted to a bus which was waiting outside the station. The rest of the journey kicked off in no time. Almost 4 hours later we arrived at Pamba. The place gets its name from the river which flows across the small village. The Sabarimalai has no road access which is located on top of the hill. All pilgrims have to walk up a shabbily made path which leads you to the temple town. For the elderly and the people who cannot walk, a service called 'Dolly' is available. 4 men carry a person on a chair to the top and get them down as well for which they charge anywhere between Rs.1500/- to Rs.2000/-. I chose to walk bare foot which I felt was a grave mistake much later. Women aged between 10 to 50 aren't allowed in the temple.

The Pamba river needs to be crossed from where the path to Sabarimalai starts. Lord Ganesha's temple is located just at the start of the path where his blessings are sought by all the devotees. A few other temples of Goddess Parvathi, Lord Hanuman and others are all located next to each other. Once we were done with taking their blessings we kick started our walk up the hill. 7 of us, my father, his friends and I went along together. One of my uncle's chose to make use of the dolly. I was told that the path is very slushy and is slippery. Since I was walking barefoot I had to be extra careful from slipping. The information received was from the people who had walked this path several years ago. While we were walking we came across a few stairs in the beginning and then a patch of big pebbles which are arranged almost flat on the ground. A steep climb started from then on. The path was made out of concrete which had a rough surface with an intention that it doesn't slip while it rains as this place receives very heavy rainfall in a year.

Half way through we heard crackers being burst. I was wondering it could be used to chase the elephants away as this hill falls in the forest area. When I enquired, I was told that the devotees burst crackers and is part of a seva to the God. Each God and the place have their own tradition. Logically if seen, it is for the same reason as I mentioned before i.e., to chase the elephants away. The noise of these crackers is deafening and travels several miles due to the proximity of the forest area where the sound waves aren't obstructed. We came across the place where the crackers were being burst. From this place it's almost a normal walk almost the same distance which we climbed till now. The path almost flattens gradually. This patch gave me all the trouble as the slush which they were talking about was very much there. The work on concretizing the path was on the way which added to the misery of the devotees. As if that wasn't enough it started raining which only made things worse. Each step was carefully taken considering that I am not used to walking barefoot though I slipped many a times. In some time we were almost on top as we could see the temple town from the path. Once we reached there we quickly moved to the accommodation office to enquire about renting a room for a day which we were allotted. Since I am a frequenter to Tirumala, I expected the rooms to be on the same lines; which wasn't to our surprise. They were worse than godowns which resembled dark dungeons. The accommodation arranged by the organizers was chosen eventually which was much better.

The temple is open only for 5 days in a month other than the seasons during Mandal Pooja when its open for almost 40 days. Prior information about the temple being open would be useful if one decides to visit the place. Freshening up we decided to have a darshan of the God. As the June month is off-season, there was hardly any crowd. In less than 2 minutes we could have the Darshan of the Lord Ayyappa. It was my first visit and I was very much impressed looking at the beauty of the idol which has a gold covering. The temple which itself is very small has a gold plating through out including the roof which makes it look spectacular. There were many lamps which were placed one next to the other of various heights in an ascending order starting from the door till the idol of the God. Receiving his blessings we decided to go around the town which is relatively very small. In a few minutes we were done. 8 of us retired in a two bed room.

Early morning, before descending we went to the temple for darshan. The crowd was much bigger than what we witnessed the previous day. It almost took half an hour for us to have the first darshan. Once we were done with that we came around the Dwajastamb and had a second darshan. We did this several times as the Abhisheka of the Lord was happening with ghee(The idol is bathed with ghee every day during the Abhisheka). It was a sight to be watched which is difficult to witness otherwise. Once our souls were satisfied, we decided to descend. There are two paths which lead to the temple town from the half way through where they burst the crackers. We realized about it only when we finished the climb the day before as they merge at the entrance to the temple town. The path was completely concretized and had a roof. Hence we had decided to take this to descend. While we took this path which was much better than the slushy one through which we had climbed the day before, we realized that the concrete base was only for a few meters after which it was a usual foot trail walking on which was a terrible thing in barefoot. Cursing myself for having chosen this path I continued further until we reached the original path. I was much relieved once we were there as it was much easier to climb down.

The bus was waiting for our arrival. We started our return journey and reached Kottayam station where we waited for the train. It arrived on time at 1645 hrs which we boarded. We arrived in BLR the next day morning at 0700 hrs.

The overall journey was indeed very good. Thanks to the Trust who organized the pilgrimage to which we are indebted. It was the 213^th pilgrimage for the Guruswamy who organizes every month. The experience itself does the talking.

Tadiandamol trek

I logged into my orkut profile as usual, in the updates I happened to see some pictures with green pastures all around with mist engulfed. The curiosity made me get into Raghavendra's profile and check them. He had been to Tadiandamol a few days back. I was shocked and took some time to actually believe that these pictures were taken just days before. Its summer and seeing such green pastures is a rare sight. I immediately thought of making it to that place and gathered more info. I spoke to Vivek, Munielgappa sir and then to Raghavendra regarding the same. I checked with my usual trekking pals and some of whom who had shown interest in treks earlier. None of them could make it for various reasons. I am grateful to the gurukula team for coming along. Vivek was the only one who couldn't make it sadly.

The plan was to leave early morning by 0600 hrs but as always we got delayed for reasons best known to us and kicked off our journey an hour later in my truck. Mysore road was more than willing to welcome us with light traffic. Driving through the road was a pleasure indeed. The first pit stop was Maddur Coffee day as its my tradition to visit that place. Quick breakfast was had and then the journey was resumed. After Srirangapatna, there is a deviation which leads to Rangantittu bird sanctuary. This is a short route to Hunsur road which could be taken to avoid going all the way to Mysore and then deviating. 20 kms later we hit the 4 lane Hunsur road and a few minutes later we reached the town. A left turn after the bus stand leads to Irupu Falls and Nagarahole which we happened to take. This was a circuitous route to Gonikoppulu.

In Nagarahole range many deer were spotted on the roadside. Since it was noon time we couldn't see any other animal. The extra distance travelled was realized only when we reached Gonikoppulu. From there we headed to Virajpet and kakkabe. Nalaknad Palace is at the base of Tadiandamol peak. The peak is the highest at 1745 meters MSL. It was 1500 hrs and we kick started our trek from the palace itself. There is a tar road which leads upto Jungle Boot camp which is about 2 kms. We chose to walk that distance though the road was very steep. After the boot camp, a jeep track goes upwards for a distance of about 1.5kms up to the second stream. Mid-way we stopped to have lunch with the view of the never ending green hillocks. While we were about to resume our walk, I saw a black snake cross the jeep track. It was easily 6 to 7 feet long. When I described about it to my co-trekkers, they said it was a rat snake. An attempt to look for it turned futile as it got into the nearby bushes. Once the second stream was crossed, the track narrowed down to a foot trail which looked like a path taken very often. It was an easy walk to the open grasslands. A pointed hill stood ahead of us which we assumed to be the peak. Another group was camping at the base of that hill. Since it was pointed, we too chose to camp at the base. Sam and Shankar went up to have a look if there is a possibility to camp on top. Shoba too joined them. While they returned, they came along with some of the other trekkers who had camped nearby. Among them there was Uma Shankar, an avid trekker and a naturist who resides in Hebbal, BLR. A conversation with him was indeed interesting and educative.

It was cloudy and misty, so there could be a possibility of rain. 6 people in a 4 man tent was not a good idea. Thanks to Sam for getting it. Shankar, Sam and I decided to sleep out while Abhishek, Prarthana and Shoba were to sleep inside. It was cold though it was summer. All jackets were out. We hit the bed pretty early. Middle of the night I woke up cause it was very warm inside the sleeping bag. I just happened to touch the sleeping bag outside, it had dew deposited on it and was all wet but surprisingly it was warm inside.

Day 2 started a little late. By 8 we began to ascend. All bags were packed and the tent was removed by then. We had company that early in the morning. It's a frequented hill cause it can be climbed in a day. Prarthana hurt her knee unfortunately while climbing up. Some how she managed to come along with us. Every time I looked back while climbing my eyes were overwhelmed with joy looking at the remarkable hill ranges. The hillocks continued to fade till it reached the horizon. In an hour or so we were on top of the peak. Our hearts were exhilarated standing tall on the highest peak in the midst of the Coorg range. Having breakfast at this height was a nostalgic experience. It's a feel good factor when you know that you are on top of the highest peak (though only 1745 mtrs above MSL) in coorg. A good one hour was spent admiring the encompassing hill ranges. A trail of humans could be seen in the path which we took which extended as far as a kilometer. It wasn't a good sign and hence we began to descend.

Abhishek and Shankar literally were running down hill. Greeting other trekkers who were on their way up became a routine. All had one question to ask. "How long would it take to reach on top?". We did reply to them politely but then some faces were happy while the rest were somber hearing to the approximate time which they would require to reach on top. Where you find humans frequenting, there you would find their traces which is evident. How? Litter everywhere. Many plastic bottles, wrappers and covers were picked up. By 1200 hrs we were down at the palace.

The Nalaknad summer palace though small had its own beauty. The rooms were inter-linked like a maze, one after the other. The walls were all artistically painted with human figures, but sadly many of it was whitewashed. The roof was nothing less; it was decorated in length and breadth with beautiful carvings. A two storey palace had a Darbar in the second floor where the king used to have his meetings with the courtisans.

Time to leave. We headed straight to virajpet and then got into some other route to Mysore. We decided to turn back though we had covered close to 10 kms as the roads were very narrow. Gonikoppulu was the next stop where we had a relishing lunch. The return journey couldn't have been better if not for the rains which cooled down the weather completely and made it pleasant. Driving through heavy rain is something which I always crave for. Maddur Coffee day refreshed our tired souls as usual. Reaching BLR by night completed the weekend programme.

Getting there: Bangalore – Srirangapatna – Hunsur – Gonikoppulu – Virajpet – Kakkabe – Nalaknad Palace. Bus frequency from BLR to Virajpet is good enough, however from Virajpet to Nalaknad Palace the frequency is very low.

Night Navigation

Visiting Gurukula is a weekend routine for us since we were on training. Rock climbing, bouldering, navigation were some of the activities which we have been learning to improve our capabilities and techniques. It was just another week was my assumption and thought we would most probably be doing some climbing or bouldering. We were surprised when we were told by Munielgappa sir that we would be sent out for night navigation on that Saturday. A session explaining the ways to use the maps and the Silva compass was carried out by him in the evening. All of us did learn much of it and were about to put it to use very shortly. We had a quick dinner and were all eagerly waiting for the navigation.

We were split into two teams. Abhishek, Rupendra, Sam and Shoba were in one team; Pallavi, Prarthana, Shankar, Vivek and myself in another. "Target is a hill at 108 degrees 4 kms away from here" said Munielgappa sir. We noted as many landmarks he gave so that we didn't miss any. Shankar and I had missed our first night navigation almost 7 years ago; we didn't want to do the same again as well. Notes read: from Gurukula. 1. You will find a hill which has to be on the left side as we pass. 2. Cultivation fields. 3. Mud road. 4. Temple and a village which has to be on the right side. Elephant pit 5. Cross the ditch and get into the forest. Move along the valley of two hills. 6. Climb the hill in front of you. (From the elephant pit a distance of 2 kms need to be travelled). 7. Watch tower on the top of the hill is the target. If we fail to reach before the deadline of 0000 hrs a search light signal would be given at 0005 hrs and a second signal at 0030 hrs so that we could move in that direction.

With so many landmarks, we were under the impression that it would be a cake walk. We started our navigation with Vivek leading our team. The start time was 2030 hrs. We had to reach the target before 0000 hrs. The total distance to be covered was 4 kms. We thought we would be able to cover it in a very short time. Exiting the Gurukula campus we could see the hill right in front of us with the moon light. Our first landmark we crossed as said, keeping the hill to our left. The usage of torches was bare minimum because the moon light was bright enough. The second team was spotted just behind us after which we never met them again nor could we see their torch lights anywhere.

We came across lots of fields, crossing them was easy as there were no crops grown. At times we had to hop, but then most of it was a normal walk amidst the rubbles. A mud road was spotted next, the 3^rd landmark. We continued to proceed in the same direction of 108 degrees. A good pace was maintained as the team moved swiftly without any issues. A little confusion emerged here as we saw a fencing of a farm. Crossing it was slightly challenging, so we decided to go around. A while later we could spot street lights on our right, the village which we were supposed to keep on our right. The temple also fell to our sight as we moved. We rested for a few minutes and hydrated ourselves. Just after the road we found the elephant pit and then on the Bannerugatta forest range began.

We stepped in one after the other and followed each other like ants at close proximity. Navigating across huge trees which themselves acted like natural fence around the forest was exciting. Two hills stood on either side of us which formed a silhouette in the darkness caused by the moon light. A deep valley in between the hills gave us an impression that it would be an avoidable challenge of maneuvering in the thorny bushes as this area is known for the same. A look around the place revealed a rocky surface on the hill right of us. Consensus was achieved to traverse along this rocky patch and get back to the end of the valley once we cross the hill. Heading further we walked along the side of the ridge on the rock which looked like a miniature of the monolith in Savanadurga. Once we were at the corner we were unable to locate the target hill anywhere nearby. A quick discussion was commenced and possible options were considered. Since we were to cover 2 kms in the jungle we decided to continue further ahead as we had just walked 500 mtrs. Tall trees stood as though they were staring at the intruders of their territory. We silently went past them to come across a mud road. Our minds were puzzled as our sir never referred to any road in the jungle. Discussions were happening as we walked in our direction. A range of hillocks were found right in front of us, which were faintly visible at a far off distance. Convincing ourselves that we hadn't covered enough distance and the hillocks visible in front could be our target we continued ahead.

Bending, crawling, duck walks and alike were the ways we had to adopt to move in the thick shrubs. The paths made by the wild boars and other animals were the ones which we had to use to move. None of us were spared the wrath of the thorny bushes though we had dressed adequately. It was quiet tough for us to save our faces from them as well. Torches were used extensively to find possible routes. Fire was spotted on one side of the hill which we assumed was our target. Forest fires had been very common this season so there was no reason for us to backtrack and hence moved forward. It was almost 2330 hrs by the time we reached the base of the hill and were wondering why we weren't able to spot the other team anywhere. Climbing up the hill we reached a rocky patch en-route. Our bodies were given some rest here for a while and then we decided to wait there for the search light signal which would be given by 0005 hrs. Even after 0010 hrs, no where could a search light be seen. Climbing up the hill was the only option to figure out if that was the target hill. In less than 10mins we were on top and to our surprise we found a watch tower. We were glad that we made it but then none were around! Sir had told us that he and Momili ma'am would be on top waiting for us!

Our minds contemplated in deciding if this was the target hill or if we had missed it. However we thought to rest till 1330 hrs and then head back to Gurukula. Carrying mobile phones was strictly prohibited so we were virtually cut off from the Gurukula, so the only way to find out if we were on target or not was to return and find out. In the meantime while we were resting we heard strange noises all around. A kind of a trumpeting noise was heard at frequent intervals which we believed to be of an elephant's and thought it could be taking a bath by splashing water from its trunk (it was learnt later that the noise was from lose metal sheets on top of the watch towers which were swaying because of heavy winds). It was time to leave. Returning in the same path as we came was not possible cause we ourselves didn't remember much of it though we had a vague idea as to which direction we were heading.

Maneuvering across the shrubs was an uphill task which was inevitable and unavoidable. Finally we were out of these shrubs and approached the open land. A mud road was visible meters away. All of us decided to take the mud road assuming that it would take us out of the jungle; it was our exhausted selves which were making the decisions instead. Blame it on the thorny bushes which we had to cross twice. As we walked we were able to recall the places which we crossed while going upwards. Almost a kilometer of walk later we saw the road passing adjacent to a hill. I told my team we should climb up and check if this could possibly be the target hill. Almost on top but it was flat and wide. I insisted on checking out for the tower but then the tired souls were reluctant and I too gave up. Back to the road and walk and walk was the only thing we did. A road barricade was seen which was unmanned crossing which we were out of the forest area. The road was no good. The gravel on the road was hurting our heels big time cause of the continuous walk. Suddenly we happened to see Gurukula's jeep. We all jumped with excitement. We could still see the hill which we had half climbed but decided to continue to Gurukula. Walking down the road we crossed many villages and finally came near the temple which we had crossed in the beginning. From this location we took the same route as we had taken to come here and then finally reached Gurukula at 0430 hrs. First thing we did was to make a call to them saying that we are back. Then we realized that we had overshot the target. After an hour they arrived too.

Post breakfast we had a de-briefing session in which we explained the route which we took to reach the wrong hill. Sir could make out how we had missed and where we had been and told us that we had overshot by 2 kms cause we didn't get into the valley in between the hills. Shankar and I looked at each other with dismay and each of us questioning the same thing "why did our night navigation go so bad?" The other team had reached the target well before time.

We have taken it as a challenge to make our next navigation a success, even if we have to continue till day break to reach the target.