Brahmagiri is a peak situated in the Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary near the Karnataka-Kerala border on the Kodagu district side. This is a scenic trek starting with a waterfall, crossing over twice the pristine stream that leads to the waterfall, staying at a forest guest house at 1418mts above the sea level. Also the trek promises definite sighting elephants, deers and other wildlife.

The base of the trek is the irpu falls alongside the Rameshwara temple. The irpu falls or Lakshmana Theertha falls is formed by the Lakshmana Theertha river and it is believed that Srirama and Lakshmana , while resting here, during their search of Sita, were thirsty and Lakshmana shot an arrow into the ground which sprung up water and brought into the being of this river. The Rameshwara temple is a famous pilgrimage spot and is visited by many during Shivaraathri.

To do this trek, permission is needed and needs to be taken at a town called Srimangala, 9kms before the Irpu village. A fee of 200 for trekking and additional 200 as guide fee per person must be paid there. And this trek will have a guide joining the group.

Irpu falls, flowing down from a height of 170ft, has good platform where one can stand and take bath and has steps leading right till the waterfalls. The guide usually meets the group at this point. Right besides the Irpu falls, is a deviation to the right leading to the Brahmagiri peak.

Upon starting the trek, the first few kilometers involving passing through thick forests, infested by leeches and towards the flowing path of Lakshmana theertha river. Upon crossing 2 and a half kilometers, the group will have to cross the river. It could also be the lunch point if the trek is started which usually happens with guides always running late. A kilometer and a half from here, with one kilometer of that hike around the Narimale mountain is on flat terrain with half a kilometer alongside the thick forests leads us to the beautiful camp besides the Narimale peak called, Narimale Guest House which in local language means Tiger Hill. To the left will be the Narimale peak and to the right is the guest house with the stream flowing close to the guest house serving as the source of water.

The guest house has utensils required for cooking food for lunch/dinner or both. In case the group has plans to cook, they can buy ration from Srimangala town and carry it till here. The guides usually help in cooking. Now in case the group reaches the guest house early, then the trek to Brahmagiri peak can be undertaken the same day. The brahmagiri peak is still 6kms away from this guest house. Also the Munekal caves, which falls within the kerala border of Wayanad forests can also be explored and is at 3kms from the guest house. If the same day trek cannot be done due to the delay in arrival of the guide or in reaching the guest house, it has to be undertaken the next day. The luggage can be dropped off at the guest house and that is huge load off the back.

The next 6kms trek to the peak is mostly through shoal grasslands with occasional and small stretches of forests. The monsoon trek here presents with beautiful views of blooming flowers that are distributed across the stretches of the forests with the hues being blue and purple, reddish etc. It is a treat to watch the distribution and one forgets all the tiredness caused while ascending the peak. The peak is located in the Kerala region with the south being part of the Kerala border and the North part of it under the Karnataka. Also another best part that is visible from the peak is the Chembra Peak which is the highest in the Wayanad forests and will be all mist-filled.

The ascent path is same as the descent path. So take the same way to reach back the Narimale guest house and pack your bags and start heading towards Irpu Falls. There ends one of the most scenic treks that can be undertaken in Karnataka.

Note: A trek to the Brahmagiri peak can be undertaken from the Kerala end as well and it is called Pakshipathalam trek. It is a simpler and one day trek compared to the 2 day tiring effort from the Karnataka end. The trek for this starts at a place called, Thirunelli, 25kms off Mananthavady in Wayanad district of Kerala.

Road-Route:

Bangalore > Mysore > Hunsur > Gonikoppal > Ponnampet > Srimangala > Irpu or Kurchi

Travel:

No train facility available on this route. The train connectivity ends at Mangalore for this route. The road route is well maintained and there are regular buses from major towns till Srimangala or Ponnampet. All the buses heading towards Kutta will stop over here.

The places of stay can be at Narimale camp, which comes midway during the trek. Prior permission must be taken to visit here though.

Nearby Places of Visit:

Irpu Falls, Virajpet, Dubare Elephant Camp, Barapole Rafting Centre, Buddhist Monastery @ Bylakuppe, Chiklihole Reservoir, Iguthappa Temple.

Kudremukh, known for its vast and beautiful stretches of shoal grasslands, tropical evergreen forests, is also known for the picturesque trek route options it provides. Kurinjal amongst them is a beautiful route where you cross the Bhadra river en route to the peak , lot of wildlife sighting that include deers, bisons, wild rabbits etc.

The base of this trek is at 14 kms from Kudremukh town after passing the Bhagavathi Nature Camp, which by itself is a wonderful place of stay and further towards SK Border. The initial part of the trek passes through deep canopy forests which is a hotspot for leeches. Once out of the forest, the views open up, some of them peeping through the clouds, looking all evenly distributed with ebullient green. It is always a pleasure looking at the peaks within the Kudremukh range.

The trek is of 7km uphill, with a abandoned UHF station just before the peak. The last part of the trek, climbing the peak boulder can be considered tough. Otherwise, it should be a moderate trek. With camping being disallowed on any of the peaks in the Kudremukh National Park region, the trekkers must descend the same day.

Places of stay within Kudremukh include the Bhagavathi Nature Camp. Prior booking must be made by calling them and also sending a fax containing the details of the group. The contact details for the RFO Kudremukh is 08263255998/08263254311/08263255704. Another option for stay is at the Kudremukh guest house which is within the Kudremukh town. There is a restaurant at the Kudremukh guest house which is the best option for food. When at the Bhagavathi Nature Camp, one has to carry the groceries and the cook staying there cooks food using the groceries bought.

Road-Route: Bangalore -> Hassan -> Belur -> Mudigere -> Kottigehaara -> Kalasa -> Kudremukh Bangalore -> Hassan -> Belur -> Chikmagalur -> Sringeri -> Kudremukh

Travel: To reach Kudremukh, road is the only option as the nearest railway stations are at the least 100kms away (Mangalore or Puttur). Visit www.ksrtc.in for bus bookings.

Nearby Places of Visit: Hanumangundi Falls, Kadambi Falls, Lakya Dam, Gangamoola, Sringeri, Kalasa, Horanadu, Ballalarayanadurga Fort, Ale Khan Falls, Agumbe, Dharmasthala etc.

Narasimha Parvatha in the Someshwara wildlife sanctuary region is a hillock at 1150 mts providing a rejuvenating view of the sunrise as well as the sunset. Though the height above the MSL seems lesser compared to other peaks within Karnataka, this trek is difficult considering that the route for the most part is through dense tropical evergreen forests and there is no trail leading to the peak and most of the times it is hit and miss when searching for the routes. The route here is based on the landmarks rather than the route itself. However the setting sun as well as the rising sun at the peak is just exquisite. Also there is an old dilapidated house on the peak, which provides shelter during monsoon. Otherwise the right in front of the house, is a flat space where many tents can be pitched.

This trek can be done from 2 sides.

1. From Agumbe (Malandur)
2. From Sringeri (Kigga)

The route from Agumbe side starting at Malandur is a difficult one with the trek to the peak covering 13kms and mostly through dense forests. However this is the most picturesque trek considering there will be stream crossings (Sita River), reaching the Barkana Falls tip, surrounding peaks etc.

This route starts at a village called Malandur, at 6kms from Agumbe. Prior forest permissions must be taken at Agumbe. You can hire auto from Agumbe to drop you off at Malandur. It is through the same road leading to Jogi Gundi – a small waterfalls, one of the places to visit in Agumbe. A good place to relax helped by the pleasantly cool flowing water from the Sita river.

As indicated earlier, the trek from Malandur side is based on landmarks. So the landmarks here are:

1. Barkana Falls
2. Exiting Forests to come out at a huge boulder.
3. Final and a difficult ascent before the peak, leading to a visible dilapidated house.

The Barkana falls from the start of the trek is at 6kms. At the malandur village, take a right to enter into the forests, proceed further in the flatlands for half a kilometer and then take a right turn where there is a forest department board about Someshwara wildlife sanctuary. It is this point where you enter the thickest of the forest. From here it is a gradual descent on a muddy, slippery trail until a Y junction is seen. Take the right-going branch on this Y junction. After a quick trek for 2 hours along this path, the Sita river will be heard flowing at a distance. The river here has to be crossed at this point. A small ascent from here will open up a scene where the Sita River will be dropping from a height of close to 200mts over a rocky gorge with the opposite side providing a 180 degree view of the evergreen forests and occasional, unnamed waterfalls seen at a distance. Take precautions to make sure you stay at a distance from the tip of the falls as for those with fear of height, this can prove to be tipsy. And yes, reaching the tip of the waterfalls involves walking on a dead and a mammoth tree twig that has fallen in a position as if to provide the crossing path near the tip of waterfall.

After spending time here, go back to the same place where you crossed the river to reach the waterfall, to take the next route to the grasslands. Stay right here and take the ascent route and walk for 4 more kilometers to move out of the forests to enter the grasslands with a huge boulder at the end of forest providing for a very good resting place. Oh yes, the leech attack within the forest is a lot. So brace yourself and carry required protection.

The route from here is pretty straight-forward with the trail clearly visible. However the ascent is steep and is for a long period and for close to 4kms. During this ascent, there will be crossing of small forest patches 3 times. Upon coming out of the 3^rd forest patch, a small descent from there, the old house at the peak will be visible. After reaching the house, take a left and walk for 300mts to reach the water source where a small concrete pond structure has been constructed to collect the water flowing from the top of the mountain. This is the only water source here during non-monsoon months. And the wide land opposite the old house is the place to pitch the tents here.

From the old house, to the sunset point is a small hike of 20 minutes. To the south-west of the house, is a small hill, climbing to the top of which leads to the beautiful sunset-spot. The place also provides wonderful camp-fire opportunity. To the North-East of the old house, is a small descent walk to reach the sunrise point where the views are just magnificient.

The descent path from the peak is same as the 2^nd route through which Narasimha Parvatha can be climbed. The descent path starts at the water source near the old house. A small ascent for the first 5 minutes opens up a steep descent path which starts with entering the forest. Compared to the ascent path, this route has a clear trail till we reach the end of the trek which is the Kigga village. The trail is a moderate grade 6km descent from the peak. The same route can be chosen as the ascent path to reach the peak. The start at Kigga village starts at a road behind the Rishyashringa Temple at the Kigga village. Ask for the big lake at the Kigga village and once reaching the lake, at the end of it, take a left and then the first right and the first left to start the trek. From here it is a steep hike hike of 6kms. Make note that there is no water source until the pond at the old house.

Road-Route:

Bangalore > Hassan > Belur > Chikmagalur > Sringeri > Kigga/Agumbe (Depending on where you start the trek) Bangalore > Tiptur > Arsikere > Shimoga > Thirthahalli > Agumbe.

Travel:

No train facility till Agumbe. The train connectivity ends at Shimoga for this route. The road route is well maintained and there are regular buses from major towns.

The places of stay can be at Sringeri, if the trek is being started from Kigga or at Dodda Mane in Agumbe is the trek is being started from Agumbe. The Dodda mane is a 130 year old mansion where the Malgudi Days was shot. The matriarch of the house, Kasturi akka, welcomes everyone with warmth. There is facility to freshen up, for breakfast and for lunch and if you are looking to stay back as well. The contact number of the house is 08181- 233075.

Nearby Places of Visit:

Kundadri Hill, Onake Abbey Falls, Sita River Adventure Camp, Jogi Gundi, Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, Kudlu Theertha Falls, Sringeri, Manipura Kote, Sirimane Falls, Magebylu Falls, Kuppalli, Chibbale Gudda, Thirthahalli, Kavaledurga.

Tadiandamol, is a word in the Kodava language that means broad and tallest hill. And at 1748 mts, Tadiandamol is the highest peak in the Coorg region and is the 4^th highest peak within Karnataka following the Mullayanagiri, Bababudangiri and Kudremukh. The awareness that it is the highest peak is visible right on the sidelines of the road to the base of the trek when the surrounding mountains of the chain aspire to reach out to this highest point. For the onlookers, it looks like a challenge to climb it. This is also one of the peaks surveyed under “The Great Trigonometric Survey of India” undertaken all through the 19^th century and when Everest, K2 and Kanchenjunga were also surveyed.

This hill is nestled within the heartlands of western ghats near Virajpet. If the route from Madikeri is taken, then it is through Napoklu, Kakkabbe. If the route from Virajpet is taken, then take the Virajpet-Madikeri road, then take a diversion to the left towards Club Mahindra and Tamara Coorg resort (It is actually the Virajpet-Talakaveri road). On the same road proceed for 14 kms until you find a signboard indicating the palace (Nalknad Palace), this hill and Yavakapadi school.

4 kms into that road, you will reach the base of the trek. The historical Nalknad palace is located right at that spot. Nalknad means, 4 villages – the villages surrounding this palace. The palace is historical since it was the palace where the Kodava dynasty king, (Chikkaveera Rajendra), last sought refuge and before he was deposed by British. This is a preserved monument and has been restored by INTACH. Right behind the palace is the Yavakapadi school, which is a small but beautiful school with a hilly background.

A tarred road starting from this point is the start of the trek. It is a walk for 4 kms on this road passing through coffee, pepper and cardamom estates. Cars can pass through this road and so in case you are taking your car there, you can avoid hiking over this stretch. The end of this road has a small stream flowing where the water bottles can be filled up. The actual trek begins here where the estate board reads something like this “Chaayi Kodagu Naadu Estate” and it means “Beautiful Kodagu region Estate”. Start the hike on this trail and always head left whenever there is a confusion when one more trail is seen. It so happens that after a 10 min hike through this trail, a Y junction is seen with a road leading down and the other leading up. Take the one on left and the one leading up. Another reference is a home stay right at this junction. As you proceed further along this trail, you will see the forest department signboards to your right. Proceed ahead along the same road. In another 15 minutes, you will see the end of the jeep track trail and the trail route becomes narrow just enough for 1 person to walk along at a time. By this time, the hiker would have covered a kilometer and a half on the trail. Another kilometer of hike along the same trail, the big rock is seen. The big rock area is the last place where there is source of water and also a wonderful camping spot where a maximum of 8 3 man tents can be pitched. And also this place is good to fetch the wood for lighting the campfire. The hike till this point is easy and should be covered within an hour.

The next stretch to the peak is about 1.6 kms and it is steeper. It has 2 view points en route to the peak and one has to cross a small stretch of forest and which upon crossing, the peak will be visible.

Standing on the peak, glancing around, gives the excitement of standing atop of everything with greenery everywhere around, surrounding peaks protruding through the rising mist and clouds being subdued. As the evening approaches, the peak becomes a lively sight with the clouds and mist rising and engulfing the views of all other peaks surrounding tadiandamol. There is a place to pitch 3-4 tents at the peak but be warned that it is heavily windy at the peak and it is colder compared to the big rock. Also it doesn’t have water source.

The descent path is same as the ascent path, so one has to return along the same path to the base. It is an easy grade trek and is suited for beginners. But the panoramic and exhilarating views it provides is unmatched. And it is also a wonderful trek to be done in monsoon too. Although sunset is not visible due to the rising clouds and mist, the sunrise is best viewed sitting on the big rock (the camping spot).

Road-Route:

Bangalore -> Srirangapatna -> Hunsur -> Periyapatna -> Virajpet -> Yavakapadi (On Virajpet-Napoklu-Talakaveri road).– 270kms. Bangalore -> Srirangapatna -> Hunsur -> Kushalnagar -> Madikeri -> Napoklu -> Kakkabbe -> Yavakapadi. – 296 kms.

Travel:

Kodagu region is connected only by roads. So buses and own transport would be the best choice. Visit www.ksrtc.in for bus bookings.

Nearby Places of Visit:

Chelavara Falls, Irpu Falls, Talakaveri, Madikeri Fort, Raja Seat, Nishani Motte Hill, Kabbe Motte Hill, Chomakund Hill, Nagarahole Wildlife Sanctuary, Chiklihole Reservoir, Dubare Elephant Camp and Kaveri Nisargadhama.

Amedikallu is one of the prominent treks that can be undertaken in the Charmadi range. At 2800ft, it may not be amongst the high mountains around this region however this promises to be one of the tough treks that one can encounter provided the base of the trek is close to the sea and the entire ascent of close to 2800ft is during the trek is covered over a smaller distance of 9kms. The difficulty of this trek varies with seasons, monsoons – very slippery, leech army infestation, summer – hot sun, high temperature, non-availability of water. The name Amedikallu is derived from two words, “Ame” meaning tortoise and “Dikkel” meaning a stove in the locally spoken Tulu language. The peak mountain has 4 parts with the 3 of them forming the shape of a camping stove setup using stones the middle stone , the bigger one, looked like a tortoise with a shell.

But the difficulty aside, once at the peak, it is a treat to the eyes with the ettina bhuja, deepada kallu and other peaks protruding ahead of us over the cloud engulfed forests. The sunrise in the midst of all the beauty around is like an icing on the cake. As the saying, more the difficulty, more sweeter the result, reaching the peak and enjoying the views is exactly comparable to the saying.

The ascent and descent path of this trek are the same. The base of the trek starts at a village called Shishila, near Kokkada, on the way to Dharmasthala. The route to Shishila takes a deviation at Kokkada to the left. Jeeps can be arranged in advance and they will ferry the trekkers to Shishila. A person, Gopu Gokhale, by name is a prominent person in this village who takes care of arranging food, guides and other camping materials for the trekkers in this region. It is his house which will be the first stop before the trek. There are facilities to freshen up at his house and a small stream, Kapila River, flows by behind his house which can be a pass time idea to take a dip in.

The base of the trek is 5km from this village. There will be autos in the village which will ferry the people to the trek entrance. There’s a forest department demarcation at the entrance, where a left turn must be taken to get into the forests. It is a 2 day trek with 7-9 hr ascent done during the Day1 and 4 hour descent done on the day2 with camping just beneath peak. The trek is about 9kms one way to the peak. Straight away into marshy forests, where the leeches are in great numbers, take required precautions to scare the leeches away. The initial 3.5 km is through the tropical semi-evergreen forests and it is here that it is cooler under the shade. And it is an easy tread with the regular ascent and descent and with no much altitude gaining.

With being close to the sea level, the temperature and humidity is on the higher side. Except for the water source at the beginning of the trek, there are no other water sources till the 50% of trek is complete. Right after getting out of the forest canopy, the amedikallu peak will be visible. The next trail is to go around the mountain where the charmadi valley consisting of various peaks such as ettina bhuja are visible. The end of this trail, opens up a plain grassland with a good gradient ascent. And this is where the next water source is available. One has to get down to the left into the forests and collect the water from a narrow water source looking like a drip from the mountains. It is after this point that a lot of altitude is gained and under the hot sun. And the water source where the water was collected was the last one and no other source is available, until just beneath the peak. Along this route, a huge rock is seen and this can be used as a shelter for lunch.

The view of the ame or the middle rock becomes more prominent as we head towards it. However to the climb to the peak, the trail leads us around the middle rock through thick vegetation. This place just beneath the rock is ideal for camping and tents can be setup here. It prevents strong winds from blowing the camp out and also is a good place for pitching the camp-fire. The peak from here is a 30 min hike over the rock with step-like structures helping in climbing it. A water jet flowing from the mountains just around this thick forested area is the last place for water collection and is quite close to the camping area.

The peak is an ideal place for sunrise with the mist covered minchkallu in the front and ettina bhuja at a distance. The mist surrounded forests are a treat to watch from here.

Road-Route:

Bangalore > Hassan > Sakleshpur > Kokkada > Shishila

Travel:

The nearest railway station here is the Kukke Subramanya Station or the Sakleshpur station through the Bangalore-Kannur Express and Bangalore-Karwar express. However the roads, except for the Shiradi stretch, are good and are very well connected by buses.

Nearby Places of Visit:

Dharmasthala, Anadka Falls, Alekhan Falls, Jamalabad Fort, Ballalarayanadurga Fort.

Shimoga district in Karnataka is a bountiful region for the amazing galleries of western ghat mountains it has, for the numerous rivers and rivulets that are sourced from here, for the amazing waterfalls, historically vibrant. It is a bewitching place to say the best.!

One such marvel within this district is the Dabbe Falls in the Sagara Taluk of this district, a beauty of a waterfall that plunges from a height of close to 120m. It is always true that to reach something that is as marvelous as this waterfall, it takes some effort. This place is nestled deep in the thick evergreen forests of western ghats of Sharavathi valley. One has to reach Sagar from Bangalore and from there on, needs to reach a place called Hosagadde in the road that connects Bhatkal to Sagar, which is about 45 kms from Sagar. Only one bus starting at 6:45 am from Sagar will take you to Hosagadde. Upon reaching Hosagadde, one has to get straight into the woods by taking a right turn and upon a walk for 6 kms, you will reach Gowdara Mane or Gowda's house, the frontier house on the lines of this trek. Gowdara mane can be reached by another route, Konjuvalli - 6 kms ahead of Hosagadde in the same road, that has a jeep track till one reaches the house. The route to Dabbe must start here. One has to wade through the paddy fields of Gowda's house, also called Jain Gowda's House. A steep trek (we mean very steep) downhill will lead towards the verticals in the rock cut that opens up the view to the marvellous, roaring Dabbe falls. Be aware to carry ropes while descending during the trek. The average time taken to reach the falls from the Gowda's house is about an hour and half and ascent back to place will take about an hour.

Arrangements for food and stay can be made at Gowda’s house, provided they are informed before-hand.

Road-Route:

Bangalore - Tumkur - Tiptur - Arsikere - Shimoga - Sagara - Kargal - Hosagadde.

Travel:

The nearest railway station is Talaguppa near Kargal. The train from Bangalore (SBC) to Talguppa (TLGP) is:16227/16228 - Talguppa Express However the best way to travel is by bus, visit www.ksrtc.in for bus bookings.

Nearby Places of Visit:

Jog, Keladi, Ikkeri, Sigandur, Kollur, Honnemaradu, Honnavar Apsara Konda beach and waterfalls, Nagara Fort etc

Balekallu Gudda in the Charmadi ghats region is the highest peak within its range. Although there is a dispute between Minchukallu Gudda and Balekallu Guddaon which is the highest, the view from Balekallu is just amazing. A walk on the peak provides a 360 degree panoramic view of the surrounding peaks. And also this trek is along the moderate grade ones around this region. The best thing about this trek is that, one enters the grasslands quite early into their trek.

This can be a 2 day trek if camped either at Balekallu Gudda or Kodekallu gudda and taking the same ascent path as the descent path. Otherwise from Balekallu gudda, it is a downhill trek to Kodekallu and further 2 kms along the same trail, we enter into the desolated roads of Charmadi. So depending on the plan, do make sure you ask for jeep service at the other end of the trek when you get down there.

To begin with, the trek starts at a village called Bidruthala having only 5 houses belonging to a family. Bidruthala village is on the road between Charmadi and Kottigehaara. Once you enter the Bidruthala village, the Bidruthala hill will be visible from there which is the first landmark during the trek. The initial route till the Bidruthala hill is through marshy forests and once the Bidruthala hill is reached, then it is all through thick and tall shoal grassland region. The best part about this trek is that, most part is on the ridges - a small wide walk trail on the mountains. The ridge is on the chain of mountains we start to ascend starting with Bidruthala, then to Jenukallu hill. The trek on this ridge is comfortable and easy and the icing on the cake is that it provides beautiful, green carpet look of the surrounding hills. The only bothering thing would be the high humidity around this region.

Jenukallu gudda is the first peak along this ridge that will surely be missed if you are just walking along this comfortable route. It is the first peak after Bidruthala hill that you will step on. Right after that is the highest peak of Charmadi which is, Balekallu Gudda. The name of this peak is derived from the wild bananas that used to grow up here. Bale means banana in the local language here. One can spot many hills from the peak like Himagiri, Minchukallu etc.

The best part about this trek is that, water is available all along the route and there is just no need to worry about the water shortage. Also any of the peaks are good camping spots in case you want to camp up there. Camping is discouraged here as it is a high intensity area for elephant trails, sloth bears and bisons. More likely, the trekkers get to sight herds of above mentioned wildlife.

The next peak, Kodekallu, meaning a stone like an umbrella is just 45min away from Balekallu gudda along the same ridge. The name is derived from the fact that there is a stone on the peak that is so big at the least 25 people can stand under it taking shelter from rains, scorching heat or from wind. Also tents can be pitched under this rock. From this peak, a little descent ahead for 15 min, the charmadi ghat road will be visible. That should end the trek when the road is reached. It hardly takes 40 minutes to descend from this peak to the road.

Camping is a good idea here considering the pleasant morning sunrise, cloud-covered hills that is on offer here. Also this being a easy-moderate grade trek, most people can consider this to be a starter trek.

Road-Route:

Bangalore > Hassan > Belur > Mudigere > Kottigehara > Bidruthala

Travel:

There is no rail connectivity to this place. The road connectivity either from Bangalore or Mangalore is good and so is bus service till Kottigehara. From Kottigehara to Bidruthala village, there are occasional buses but it is always good to rely on jeeps or autos that ply locally.

Nearby Places of Visit:

Alekhan Falls, Anadka Falls, Bandaje Arbi Falls, Jamalabad fort, Ballalarayana Durga Fort, Kudremukh, Horanadu, Dharmasthala.

Jogimatti is a nature's surprise in the usually hotbed regions of Chitradurga. With a lush green cover, rotating windmills, himavatkedara falls, it makes for a worthy visit to a hill station. The hills named after the saint (Jogi), who lived there worshipping shivalinga - an idol of Lord Shiva. This place is located at 10 kms away from Chitradurga and attracts visitors, trekkers, hikers across the towns. Spread over a region of close to 10000 hectares covering 3 taluks of Chitradurga, Holalkere and Hiriyur. This place is an active wind power generation region as well. The place has a variety of flora and fauna, like peacocks, few migratory birds etc. One has to take permissions from the forest department to enter this space. Plans have been chalked out to notify this area as a wildlife sanctuary.

Jogimatti played a very key role in the water table management in this region with scant rainfall. The rulers had the thought process to collect all the rain water from these hills into branched ponds called, "keres(ponds)" and "hondas(reservoirs)" constructed one below the other. At 1323 mts of elevation, this place is generally cool compared to the hot and dry Chitradurga.

There is a traveller's bungalow constructed by British atop the hills and a natural cave consisting of shiva linga and idols of veerabhadra and basavanna. There is a small temple built in the name of the saint which can be reached by climbing footsteps. The area has a small zoo and an eco-tourism education centre. On the way to these hills, one can visit HimavatKedara waterfalls. The area that these hills belong to is called, Adumalleshwara and is surrounded by Chinnamuladri hills.

The places of stay here is the available traveller’s bungalow which needs to be booked prior or heading over to Chitradurga is the best option with it being a sizeable town has necessary stay options. Even for food, Chitradurga is the best source.

Road-Route:

NH4 - 209 kms - Bangalore - Nelamangala - Tumkur - Sira - Hiriyur - Chitradurga - Jogimatti.

Travel:

Chitradurga is very well connected by road as well as rail route. By road it is a breeze driving down till Chitradurga along the NH4. Visit www.ksrtc.in for bus bookings. Otherwise there are trains that ply between Bangalore and Chitradurga.

The nearest railway station is Chitradurga (CTA). There are 2 trains that ply everyday between Bangalore (SBC).

56519/56520 -SBC-CTA Passenger

56909/56910 - Hospet Passenger

Nearby Places of Visit:

Chitradurga (Fort, Chandavalli caves etc), Hampi, Mari Kanive or Vani Vilas Sagar Dam, Ingaldalu stone age copper, gold and silver mines, Neerthadi Ranganatha Swamy temple, Dasaratha Rameshwara.

All the peaks, after a heavy day's trekking would make you feel relaxed. But Kodachadri is one such peak which overwhelms you with relaxation laden with some mythology thrown in here and there. The silvery view of the Linganamakki Dam, the clouds rising up above the surrounding peaks in various shapes, the vastness of the green-carpet around the peak, the iron pillar that has the shape of a weapon which, according to mythology, was used to kill the demon, Mookasura, by Lord Mookambika, a Sarvagna Mantapa - a stone structure where Shankaracharya, the proponent of Advaitha did penance, a cave ganapathi temple, wonderful camping opportunities and all these at one place. That is Kodachadri peak for you.! At 1343 mts above the sea level, this is one peak that would have made a mark in every trekker's list of to do treks.

The trek can be done in 2 grades (Easy and Medium) depending on where the trek is started. There are 2 entry points to the trek, one from Karekatte (nearer to Kollur) and other via Nittur (nearer to Hosanagara). The karekatte route is an easy trek compared to the Nittur entry point. From Kollur, Karekatte is 22 kms and from there, a right turn (as indicated by a post at the entrance) starts the trek route. The initial route till Santosh Hotel (5.5kms) is an easy fair. And this place can be used for breakfast and for buying snacks. It is from here that the actual trek starts. An uphill trek of 4kms, through dense forests infested with leeches in monsoon and post-monsoon. At the end of 4kms, one reaches the PWD guest house, where the stay and food can be arranged. Also at the same point, Bhattara Mane exists run by a person called Seetharam where stay and food can be arranged. From the PWD guest house, the peak is approximately 1km.

The other trek route that starts from Nittur is more challenging considering steep ascent one has to cross after the beautiful Hidlumane falls on the way. The initial route is on a jeep track until one reaches a government primary school. This is about 4km from the Nittur village or 2.5 kms from the trek starting point as the trek starts 1.5 kms earlier to Nittur. From the school till Hidlumane falls is an easy trek until the river bed is reached and from here the toughness suddenly increases until one crosses the waterfall. The ascent near the hidlumane falls is steep and care needs to be taken to avoid brushing on the thorny creeps in the dense forest area.

Once this region is crossed, we enter into the jeep-track that forms another route to the peak entirely done via the jeep. From here, till we reach the PWD guest house, it is about 4km. This is the stretch that opens up the green carpet look that is so beautiful in the kodachadri region. It just looks as an unending spread of lush green shola grassland and it looks at it best during monsoon.

Camps can be pitched near the PWD guesthouse or in front of the Bhattara Mane. The peak is windy and known for the beautiful sunrise as well as the sunset. There are many hillocks around the peak and one can enjoy climbing up each of them and enjoy the cloud-spread that is known for at this place. The ridge walk near the iron pillar at the peak is a beautiful experience in itself. One can consider the descent route from the peak towards Karekatte having hiked from Nittur route. Along the route, Arishinagundi falls can be visited and it is a waterfall that cannot be missed at all. Although adding this to the places to cover, one has to hurry down to reach Kollur by early evening, but this is one place that is not supposed to be missed.

Road-Route:

Bangalore > Tumkur > Arsikere > Shimoga > Ripponpete > Hosanagara > Nagara > Nittur Bangalore > Tumkur > Arsikere - Shimoga > Ripponpete > Hosanagara > Karekatte

Travel:

The nearest railway head is at Kundapur and it is not the best mode to travel as the train from Bangalore takes about 16 hours to reach this place. However the bus service is among the best. So that can be availed.

Nearby Places of Visit:

Nagara Fort, Hidlumane Falls, Arishinagundi Falls, Kollur, Maravanthe

Kotebetta is the third highest peak in the Coorg hilly region that boasts of lush green meadows, year long cool temperature and amazing coffee estates alongside the mighty Kaveri river. This peak stands at a height of 1620 mts and is behind the Tadiyandamol, Pushpagiri and Brahmagiri ranges. Although there have been differences whether the Brahmagiri is at a higher place or the Kotebetta. Let us leave aside the differences so that we can read more about the majestic Kotebetta trek.

This is a medium grade trek with 10km uphill and returning back via the same route. The peak is nestled within the Pushpagiri range between Madikeri and Somwarpet. The trek starts at a place called Hattihole which is 24kms from Madikeri and is at an equal distance from Somwarpet too with the Somwarpet route being the more scenic one. A small rivulet (You will find many of them in this route) flows through at Hattihole. One can also get down at a place called Madapura, 6kms from before Hattihole, a bigger village amongst others in the area where one can find a small hotel where there are options to have simple breakfast and in case the team decides to pack lunch, this is the last point. From Madapura, there are no modes of transportation except for few jeeps that can be hired from here and they cost a bomb.

The start of the trek is on a tar road. To identify the trek trail one has to get down at Hattihole bus stop and travel along the Hattihole river with being to the left until one finds a hanging bridge constructed on it. From here there is a 2 way diversion of the road. Take the one that goes to the right (i.e away from the river). During the initial trail, you will cross many homes, coffee estates before gradually venturing into the forest and the road is still tarred. After a while, the tarred road leads into a wide muddy jeep track. A clear view of the Kotebetta will be visible from here. It stands out amongst other peaks around it with it being highest. Unless it is monsoon when it rains heavily in this region and is all misty across the trail, the route to the peak will be clearly visible. The wide muddy road continues till the base of the peak which is rocky and super slippery during rains. And also the base of trek is last option to get some drinking water. The trekkers must be careful while ascending the peak as it will be very slippery during the rains. And the route to the peak from the base of the hill is pretty straight-forward and there is a small shiva temple on the peak indicating there is constant flow of people across the region (at the least once in a year for a puja, as it is with so many mountain temples).

Standing atop the kotebetta, one can witness the nearby villages, lush green paddy fields, flowing rivulets, thickets of western ghats and beautiful valleys. Also it is very windy at the peak and when it is raining, it is totally misty and the visibility is very less. The usual trek trail opens up in tiers of 100m. And it gets very chilly as night gets older. So all the campers must keep this in mind. Oh by the way - it has one of the best camping spots amongst many treks that are there in karnataka. Flat surface at the top and amazing views of both sunrise as well as sunset. Although the problem that surfaces here is the non-availability of water. So it is advised to pitch the camp at the base of the hill and for the sunrise and sunset, one can hike up within an hour. Also be advised about the wild animals that roam around the base of the hill. There have multiple instances of elephants, bisons, wild boars paying a visit here. The return route to the base is same as the ascent one and it can be done without much of an effort and can be finished off in 2-3 hours depending on the speed of the group.

Road Route:

Bangalore--> Mysore--> Hunsur--> Kushalnagar--> Madikeri--> Hattihole/Madapura - 263 kms. Bangalore--> Mysore--> Hunsur--> Kushalnagar--> Somwarpet--> Hattihole - 258 kms.

Travel:

The nearest railway station is Mysore and the bus service from major cities such as Bangalore, Mangalore and Mysore is very good. So it advised to take up the state bus services as the private bus services from the cities aren't regular here. Upon reaching Madikeri/Somwarpet, the local bus services can be enquired about. There are regular buses between Madikeri and Somwarpet though.

Nearby Places of Visit:

Madikeri, Raja's Seat, Mandalpatti, Abbey Falls, Mallalli Falls, Somwarpet, Honnammana Kere, Chiklihole reservoir, Dubare Elephant Camp, Bylakuppe Monastery, Harangi Reservoir.

Kudremukh must be named as the green-carpet capital of India considering the beauty it exudes during the monsoons. Amazing and vast green land patches and view-points along the trek that make the trek even more memorable, amazing cloud formations, a windy peak and occasional spotting of bears, few waterfalls on the way to the peak, river crossings, leeches - All in All, it makes up for an experience that can be treasured.

Standing 1894 mts, this is the third highest peak in Karnataka after Mullayanagiri and Bababudangiri and a moderate-difficult grade trek to go with it. This has always been qualified under the to-do trek during Monsoons. The trek is 9km to the peak or 16 km to the peak depending on the starting point. The trek starts at a place called Balgal near Samse (on the way to Kudremukh from Kalasa), also the reason why this peak is also called Samseparvatha. A guide must always accompany the trekkers in Kudremukh National Park region and camping is not allowed. So when one does the 16km trek to the peak, it becomes really difficult to cover the peak and come back to the camp as well. So there are 2 guides in the village of Mullodi, 7 kms ahead of Balgal, where they have the homestay at affordable prices and also take care of the forest and trekking fee payment which otherwise has to be done going to Kudremukh town which is 16 km ahead of Balgal village. This facility makes for a good trek since 18kms to and from can be done in a day with a brisk trek. Also these places offer arrangements to ferry the group from balgal village to Mullodi. The ride on the jeeps is a memorable one to start with. The tracks often inundated by the rains proves to be a major hassle with landslides happening on a regular basis. The drivers here are very skilled and sitting inside gives you a kick, that starts the trek on a lighter note. Right across the homestay, the river somavathi flows and forms a small waterfalls called Somavathi falls (coined by locals) alongside a check dam. It is a good place for playful time to be spent in the river.

The trek starts from this point. And one can reach Kudremukh peak directly via Ontimara (Lone tree) point and Lobo's house point or via Gomukha peak, Tirumalaguppe peak and many others. It all depends on the tenacity of the group doing the trek. With each addition of a new peak, the trek becomes more difficult. The usual trek route passes through a rolling terrain (regular ups and downs) for the initial part, where one has to cross many rivulets along the trail and its a dense forest area and usually moist resulting in leeches being present all through the monsoon and winter season. We reach a point when a flat plain area is seen and it is the place where the dilapidated house of Lobo (an erstwhile British officer) exists. We can hardly figure it out as a house but a keen observation does throw up some clues to it. We proceed ahead from there and a kilometer after that, the trail starts sloping down for a while ending at the Ontimara. It is the place that is visible from far as with the lonely tree. it is the beginning of the green-carpet views that engage and enthrall you during the trek. Right after the ontimara, the steep ascent starts and we gain altitude linearly alongside the green carpet mountains. We cross a waterfall on the way, which presents a slippery pass to the other end which one needs to be careuful off. Right after the waterfall area, we continue the ascent and Kudremukh peak will be visible from far and the trail starts leading towards to the left. It is like we cross a offending mountain along its base and then start climbing it up from the back of it to reach the peak leading into kudremukh peak. As we trek along this trail, amazing view-points acting as resting points will be seen and each of them provide an exquisite view of the mountains. As we reach the peak, a bunch of stones are grouped together and the height is marked on one of the stones. It is heavily windy and during monsoons it rains heavily and you can feel the clouds colliding and bringing out rains and the sounds of collision of clouds seem like they are happening right next to you. The rains will be so heavy that nothing will be in front you except for the trail. And the water flow will be so high that you make guess work to figure out if you can place your next step. All the rivulets which were calm during the ascent starts becoming ferocious and we just have to be a little careful about our step.

The ascent and descent route are the same in this trek and there is a well established trail and there will be a guide too. So there are little chances of getting lost in the jungles. Also since the ascent is steep, it provides a clear view of the route from the peak too. All in all, scaling kudremukh peak in the monsoon is an amazing and an unforgettable feeling.

Road Route:

Bangalore > Yediyur > Hassan > Belur > Mudigere > Kottigehaara > Kalasa > Balgal > 326 kms Bangalore > Yediyur > Hassan > Belur > Chikmagalore > Sringeri > S K Border > Kudremukh > Balgal > 391 kms

Travel:

Travelling by own transport or by the state run buses are the best option considering the nearest railway station is Mangalore, which is 120 kms away.

Nearby Places to visit:

Kurinjal Peak, Gangadikal Peak, Hanumangundi Falls, Gangamoola, Kudremukh town, Kalasa, Sringeri

Kumaraparvatha is a hillock that can be seen as the mist covered peak right behind the Kukke Subrahmanya temple in the temple town of Kukke. And also Kukke is one of the entry point. This trek has long been the qualifier for all the trekkers wanting to venture into the tougher treks as this trek presents a terrain that is more than a moderate grade difficulty. At 1712 mts, this is the 6th highest peak in Karnataka. And when it comes to providing the trekking experience, it comes right at the top with exquisite sunrise and sunset points, lush green shola grassland, moist forest area, ample camping area, abundant water source, well marked route throughout the trek and a terrain that poses enough challenge to test one's knees, rocks that are slippery enough to make one crawl at some places, areas where the density of leeches is at the maximum.

There are two routes of entry and exit in this trek. One from the Kukke and the other from Kumaralli, 17 kms off Somwarpet, on a road that presents a view of nature's bounty adorned by flowing river, mist covered mountains, lush green paddy fields, arecanut fields etc. The famous trek route has been to start at the Kumaralli by visiting Mallalli Falls - an amazing waterfall, getting down to the base of it is a challenge where one has to walk from the Mallalli village for 3km and further climb down close to 400 steep steps. Once you get back from Mallalli Falls, along the same road (Somwarpet-Kumaralli), proceed ahead for 6km from Mallalli to reach the base of the trek, to the left of the road, a temple of Lord Ganapathi at the entrance of the trail and a forest checkpost a km afterwards. The trail to the peak from the temple is 9km, on a very well marked route and properly placed dust bins along the route. Right after the forest check post, one can witness a dilapidated hanging bridge beneath which the river flows. Any time of the year, the river can be crossed comfortably but not without wetting the shoes. Water source can be found along the way at multiple places, however during the seering summer, that poses to be a difficulty as none of these rivers are perennial. After 6kms of the trek on the leech infested trail, we hit upon the region where we have to climb upon the slippers rock leading to the peak. No water source can be found until one reaches the peak. This part of the trail is a little difficult as one finds it tricky to carry load on the back and step hard on the slippery rocky area. Care must be taken to make sure proper shoes are worn to counter the slippage caused by the rain and algae. Right after crossing this terrain one reaches the peak. The peak under monsoon is a tricky place to pitch the camp as it rains incessantly and the downpour is big and washes off most things and also the wind that blows atop is big and chilly. So be careful to choose the proper place to pitch the tents. There are many bushy areas where the tent can be pitched. During monsoon, you can find water everywhere, no dearth for it. Post Monsoon/Post winter, one has to get down on the other side of the hill (towards Kukke) to fill the waterbottles.

From the peak, the Kukke exit is 13kms. Another route that is famous to start from is the Kukke entry. This is more arduous compared to the Somwarpet but also has more pitstops and the presence of slippery rocks is limited only to the area just beneath the peak and not like it is on the Somwarpet route. Again the route is very well marked althrough the trek. The trek entrance here is at about 2km from Kukke and a walk down to the right of the temple on a tarred road will get you there. A signboard indicating the trek route, water points, important landmarks, distance etc will welcome the trekkers. A water source point called Bheemana Kallu, is located to the right (during ascent) and is not visible on the trail but a 200m walk inside the forest leads to the place where the Kumaradhara flows and water here is available for the most part of the year. 6km from the start of trek, Bhattara Mane can be reached. The inmate of this house, Mr. Mahalingeshwar Bhat, allows trekkers to stay here for a minimal charge and also has space where the tents can be pitched or sleep inside the house where he lives in as well. The latest prices at the Bhattara Mane for any meal of the day is 90/meal. Right across the Bhattara Mane are the view points - with a platform laid with chairs to witness the amazing sunset and sunrise. Just close to the view points is the forest check-post, where every trekker will have to pay a fee of 200/person for the trekking to be undertaken in these hills. A check post exists on the Somwarpet end as well and a fee paid there will be enough for the entire trek and a slip will be provided and that can be used as a reference at the Bhattara Mane check post as well.

The trail from the Bhattara Mane till peak is rugged and looks similar to a place with big steps and it needs careful watch and proceed ahead strategy. Right after crossing the forest check-post, the next milestone is the Kallu Mantapa - a flat land with a visible stone structure. It is an ideal place for camping with the high speed winds being stopped by the surrounding hills and the trees, the presence of the flatland where the tents can be pitched and constant flow of water. It can hold upto 8-10 tents and there will usually be competition amongst trekking teams to come early and occupy camping space here. The other options for camping is the peak and the bhattara mane. However the peak has no water source. Another option could be the small wide space just before the final ascent to the peak where the kumaradhaara originates from the mountain water. Only a tent or two can be pitched here.

At the end of it, this is a 28km trek considering ascent and descent are for Kukke and 23 km trek considering ascent from somwarper/kukke and get down at the other direction.

Road-Route:

Bangalore --> Kunigal --> Hassan --> Sakleshpur --> Gundya --> Kukke Subrahmanya. Bangalore --> Mysore --> Hunsur --> Kushalnagar --> Somwarpet or Bangalore --> Kunigal --> Hassan ---->Sakleshpur-->Somwarpet

Travel:

There are plenty of buses that play between the major towns of Karnataka to Kukke and the advantage here is that the bus station is in the kukke town. There is a train service as well, however the railway station is far off from Kukke at 12kms.

Nearby Places of Visit:

Mallalli Falls, Kumaradhara river, Dharmasthala, Kukke Temple, Anadka Falls, Manjrabad Fort, Belur and Halebid, Bylakuppe Monastery, Dubare Elephant Camp, Chiklihole reservoir

Mukurthi is a national park area located within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve - the first such reserve reconized in India. And this national park area was created with the main intention of preserving the endemic Nilgiri Tahr - a species of deer spotted around this region. At 2554 mts, this is the fifth highest peak within the Western ghats and promises to be wonderful trek. However getting permission here to do the trekking is a very difficult task considering this is present within one of the best biosphere reserves within India and a stricter negation to such requests too.

However the views from the top are amazing, mukurthi national park on one side and Silent Valley National park on the other, lush green shola grasslands, emerald blue lakes of mukurthi, porthimund, kundah river flowing from the peak that eventually joins the Moyar river. There are 2 entry points for the trek. One is from the Porthimund valley, with the trek starting at the fishing hut. The ascent and the descent route are the same here and the trek can be finished within a day.

The other entry point being, from the T R Bazaar forest entry. T R Bazaar is located between Gudalur and Ooty and is a sleepy town with lakes and forests on one side and tea estates on the other. The second route is more challenging considering the ascent is about 10 kms and the descent is about 20 kms on a difficult trail.

The trail 1 starts at Porthimund valley fishing camp, located 30 kms off Ooty and initial forest permission is needed to enter the area and needs to be taken at Ooty. Forest jeeps drop you at the fishing camp situated adjacent to Porthimund lake. Groceries need to be bought and the caretaker of the camp will cook food. It is a wonderful place to stay and it has few beds that are rented out upon taking permission. The peak from here is about 10 kms with close to 4 km on a flat trail. The initial 2 km is through a canopy of trees with low-rung branches and machete becomes must to clear the path and proceed ahead. And a welcome change after this terrain is the pine forest that is present for 2km that has lofty pine trees and a cool weather to accompany. It makes the trek very relaxing. Right after the pine forest, the steep ascent through the thick shola forest starts alongside the kundah river. It can be treated as a resting point as well. Further 6km ahead on the clearly visible trail, one should reach the peak with some effort. The peak will be visible right after crossing the pine forest though. The peak opens up a beautiful range of lofty peaks of western ghats, occasional spotting of Nilgiri Tahrs and clouds stacked up right in front of us in the chilly weather which remains cool for the most part.

The trail 2 starts at the T R Bazaar village between Ooty and Gudalur. Before reaching the T R Bazaar, one has to take a left turn into the forest alongside the T R Bazaar lake. A board indicating the height and way to the peak will be seen. A guest house at the trek starting point is present and serves as a good camping spot as well. However with prior permission camps can be pitched on the peak itself. But it will be very very chilly at the top and required gear must be carried. The trail to the peak is about 10 kms. From the peak, one can take the Porthimund valley route and reach the fishing camp and ask for a transport to be arranged or continue ahead on the same route to cross more such lakes and dams to reach the main-land. However from Porthimund dam to main-land , it is about 12 kms through the forests involving gradual ascent as well as descent. The best part about this trail is that it passes through forest with mukurthi lake as the background. The pristine and still water makes up for the beauty that is elevated to an unimaginable level by the terrain at the first place.

Travel:

Going to Ooty via state run buses or by own transport is the best option. A point to be noted is to make sure the passage of vehicle happens between 6 am and 8 pm between the madhumalai and bandipur tiger reserve forest region to enter the route towards Bangalore.

Road-Route:

Bangalore > Mysore > Nanjangud > Gundlupet > Bandipur > Mudhumalai > Gudalur > T R Bazaar Bangalore > Mysore > Nanjangud > Gundlupet > Bandipur > Mudhumalai > Gudalur > Ooty > Porthimund Valley

Nearby Places to visit:

Pykara lake, Bandipur & Mudhumalai tiger reserve, Himavad Gopalswamy Hill, Ooty, Coonoor

Mullayanagiri, is the highest peak in the whole of Karnataka – actually between Nilgiris and the lower Himalayas, this is the highest peak at 1930mts. For the best part of the morning, this is totally foggy, very low visibility but still providing charming and bewitching views of the hills below it.

Bababudangiri being the second highest peak within Karnataka, is no less beautiful when it comes to arrangement of greenery in display. The grassland when looked at from a display looks like a lawn and is also called carpet arrangement of shola. It is also a religiously important place – one for the sain Bababudan, who it is said is responsible for coffee plantations around Karnataka as it all started from the coffee seed that he brought from the middle east. He is worshipped via the dargah that has been built. Also there is a permanent seat for the Lord Dattathreya, a diety who is worshipped. This in a way represents the communal harmony that has been existing in this place for years.

Kemmannugundi, also known as, ooty of Karnataka, is one of the prominent hill stations within Karnataka. Also known for variety of tourist places around it, tourists throng this place all through the year.

When such mind-blowing places are covered by walking over the mountains through mist, waterfalls, carpet-walk, ridge-walk, you are sure to be spellbound experiencing the silent adrenaline rush in the body and the visible result will be the goosebumps.!

This is a difficult grade trek with close to 30kms being walked on over a period of 2 days. The Day1 of the trek involves reaching the Mullayanagiri peak, which is fairly easier and then continuing ahead to reach Bababudangiri. The day1 camping will be at a place called Gaalikere. The next morning, the trek towards Kemmannugundi must be started. It is a 15km walk through shola grasslands interspersed with small sections of thick forests coming in the way. It is better to carry GPS loaded with the map to cover this part of the route.

The initial trek to Mullayanagiri starts at a point called Sarpadaari entrance (Snake trail entrance) indicating the zig-zag pattern of the trail to the top. It is at 16kms from Chikmagalur town and there is a bus at 7:45am that leaves towards this point. Or jeeps/cars can be hired from the town and they charge exorbitant amounts. Once reaching this point, an entry arch made of steel railings can be clearly seen with a granite slab on which the donor (For steel railings) names are engraved. The trek starts at this point. A walk on this initial steep terrain involves going around the mullayanagiri hill through the shola grasslands. Instances where one enters forests are for very short part of the route. Within 90 minutes of this straight-forward trek, an idol of Basavanna/Bull is seen on the way. From here the peak, is just 15 minutes away. The mullayanagiri caves can be seen first, which is a good and interesting place to visit. Right besides the cave entrance, couple of mud steps lead to the peak. A shiva temple at the peak is present which is revered by many. It is at this point that the steps from the road route to the peak and from the trek trail meet. The trek to peak is about 3kms from the Sarpadaari entrance. The peak is highly windy and cold. The wind is so big here that you feel like you are being pushed off to the sides of the ridge.

The trail to Bababudangiri starts right behind the temple at the Mullayanagiri peak. Do ask the temple priest for directions. It is in the North-East of the temple. It is a downhill initially to cover for the 35mts height difference between the 2 peaks. After that it is a rolling terrain with ups and downs. A landmark along this route would be a bent-over tree to the left of the trail. No water source around this point. So be sure to take water supplies here. Right after that point, one will cross few steps with Swami Vivekananda’s picture placed on a pedestal. Right after the steps here, you enter into the road. A checkpost located here ask for trek permissions which must be furnished from RFO Chikmagalur or from Aranya Bhavan, Bangalore to proceed further. Right opposite on the other side of the road is the continuation of the trek. From here, Bababudangiri is 7kms with 4 kms is along the famed, windy, slippery, narrow ridge till the BSNL tower near Bababudangiri. Just before the ridge walk, one has to cross a 45 degree inclined rock boulder which is slippery. Care should be taken here since there is no support to the right and is deep down into the hills. During monsoons, the textures of the grasslands completely change with some flowers blooming here that give a purplish-blue hue for a long stretch of the path. After the ridge trail is complete, the BSNL tower will be clearly visible which leads to the Bababudangiri village. Jeeps can be hired from here to cover the 4 kms on road to reach Gaalikere, which is the camping site. It is a good camping site since it is covered by hills on 3 sides and one side by the lake. It is very windy at night and is a little filthy during non-monsoons considering lot of human movement here. Also since it is the starting point for the trek to Kemmannugundi, it is better to go camp here.

The next morning, one has to start early from Gallikere towards the temple that one can see on the eastern bank of the lake. The path from here till Kemmannugundi is called Raja-Haadi or King’s Path and is wide for most parts. Do keep a map loaded onto your GPS or on the phone to track the route as this route is not frequented often and chances of losing the way are more here. This can help - http://en.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=3296148 . The trail is very scenic and one can spot herds of deers, sambhars, porcupines etc on the way. The trail is for 15kms over a rolling but a non-difficult terrain. But be ready with food supplies to last for a while.

Road-Route:

Bangalore > Hassan > Belur > Chikmagalur > Sarpadaari Entrance

Travel:

Chikmagalur is very connected by road through state-run buses and the roads are very good if own transportation is arranged for. The nearest railway station is Birur and is at 50 kms from Chikmagalur.

Nearby Places of Visit:

Hebbe Falls, Z Point, Kallatti Falls, Shanti Falls, KudureMarga, Jagara valley, Amruthapura, Ayyanakere, Sringeri, Belur, Halebid, Belavadi, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary.

Pakshipathalam, which means Den of Birds, is a trek within the Wayanad region of Kerala bordering the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka. Actually, the peak is situated right across the Brahmagiri peak and Wayanad trail to Brahmagiri is also a very good option to trek as well. This is an easy trek comparitively with 7-8 kms one way to the top. The peak seems as if it is standing out in the midst of surrounding peaks except for the Brahmagiri peak, which is clearly visible and is bigger than this. Another addition to this trek is the visit to Munekal Caves which cannot be done during the Brahmagiri trek as the forest guards in Karnataka claimed that it is a violation to enter the Kerala to visit the caves. However during this trek, we alternate between Karnataka-Kerala often crossing the boundaries created by a burnt shola grass path and the demarcation will be clearly visible.

The trek starts at a place called, Thirunelli, 25 kms off Wayanad near Mananthavaady. Prior forest permission needs to be taken to do this trek and it is given at the Range Forest Office located in Thirunelli. After paying the forest permit and trek fee, a guide will accompany during the trek and the trek has to be completed within a day considering camping isn't allowed in the forest.

Trek to Brahmagiri peak can be done from Thirunelli end too, however it is just a 3 km steep trek and it doesn't give the experience of doing the trek from Karnataka end with Iruppu Falls, Narimale camp stay etc on the way to Brahmagiri peak in Karnataka.

The start of the trek is at the back of Thirunelli temple, which opens up the reserve forest filled with bamboo trees. Many small streams are part of the trail and would be filled with water for most part of the year. So drinking water points are never going to be a concern for the trekkers here. The initial route is through the forest where several stream paths are crossed. After 3km into the forest, the grassland opens up into a majestic cloud covered views of the mountains with the Chembra peak seen in the opposite direction to our trail. Also Brahmagiri peak will be clearly visible during the most part of the trek and you might have the urge to cover that peak considering this is an easy grade trek but that costs another bomb to get permission, trek fee, a new guide etc even though it is on our way and we can clearly see it. The trail route is well created and highly unlikely that anybody gets lost here. After few kilometers along this route, we cross over to Karnataka and trail looks as if we are hiking up towards Brahmagiri until we take a left turn and enter into a patch of forest where a small stream flows. This can be your lunch place. Right after the forest patch, a granite rock hill will be visible which is the Pakshipathalam base. A hike up above the granite rock for sometime, we reach the peak. A watch-tower post, calm breeze blowing past our ears, amazing views of the mountains around us, Mammoth Brahmagiri in front of us and it is bliss!!

A little further ahead into the descent, we reach Munekal Caves, very similar to the boulder arrangement in Antharagange, this place has many boulders stacked up one above the other, creating many inlets and exits. Crawling into the boulders and coming out in a totally different direction is a nice experience. After this, it is time to head down to the base. It doesn't take much time to reach the base of the trek. Hardly a hour and a half or maybe two hours is the average time taken to get down and bringing to end a small yet beautiful and a satisfying trek.

Travel:

Own transport would be nice considering the bus service till Thirunelli from Wayanad or Mananthavaady is a little less. You can travel till Mananthavaady or Wayanad in state run buses and hitch jeeps from there to reach Thirunelli. No nearby railway stations in the vicinity.

Road-Route:

Bangalore > Mysore > Nagarahole National Park > Thirunelli > 262 kms Bangalore > Mysore > Kushalnagara > Gonikoppal > Srimangala > Thirunelli > 275 kms

Nearby Places of Visit:

Iruppu Falls, Virajpet, Brahmagiri peak, Tadiyandamol peak, Chelavara Falls, Nagarahole National Park, Kuruva Island, Soochipaara waterfalls, Sultan Bathery, Edakal Caves, Chembra Peak

Ranipuram is a quaint hill station in the Kasargod district of Kerala bordering the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka and in close vicinity of Coorg as well. Unknown to many, at 745 mts, it is amongst the receding western ghats towards the western ghats and there is no established trail to the peak but can be an easy fair considering one knows the end point and there aren't many misleading routes to the peak either. The trek is about 8 kms to the peak from the base. To its left is the Talacauvery forests where the holy river Kaveri starts its long journey.

The peak has a big rock protruding like the neck of a dinosaur as seen in movies. Standing atop the rock is a relaxing feeling with mist wetting each part of our body, the cool wins seeping into our noses and giving the feel of eating a mint. The endless chain of mountains, vast green spaces, forest trails and occasional spotting of wild animals like bison, deer and elephants make this trek a memorable one. Also this place is known for variety of species of birds and insects. If anybody in the group is into bird-watching, it is going to be a little difficult to pull them from the forest onto the trek. With so many small birds, chirping, this trek gets very colourful.

However nothing good is achieved without passing a difficult phase. The initial part of the trek wading through the forest, boasts of highest density of leeches and moist, marsy areas just aide their existence. There have been many groups which have returned without trekking owing to the abnormally high count of leeches. The initial route through forests is about 3 kms and at some points we have to cross over slippery rocks and these are few places where we may have to sit and arch down and jump etc - a perfect landing point for the leeches to feast on our blood. After the forest is crossed, it is a breeze and you tend to forget each of those difficulty and revel in the surrounding beauty.

The entry point to the trek is from Ranipuram village located at 37 kms from Sullia in Karnataka and 43 km from Kanhangad, a port town in Kerala along the Kasargod coastline. To reach the Ranipuram, one has to reach a big village called, Panathur. From Panathur, one has to head towards a village called Panathady, 8 kms far and take a left turn and on a muddy road travel for 9 kms to reach the base of the trek. There are no means of transportation to the base. One has to rely on the jeeps plying around and hire them to drop you at the base too. Also there are no shops or food facilities that are available in the route. So do pack your food and carry enough water for the trek as there are no streams on the way either except for the mountain streams that gets created everywhere during monsoons. There is a Kochettan or Joseph's house at the base where upon prior information, stay can be arranged. However he doesn't usually let anybody he doesn't know to stay there.

The trek from the grassland region is on the medium grade with constant ascent gain and slippery rocks nearing the peak. Also the length of the grass blades are on the higher side too and they hold water and wading through this region gets all the clothes wet and make us susceptible to leech attacks as well. Care must be taken at the peak to make sure while climbing on the rock also called, "Mani" as they are very slippery. The return path is same as the ascent path and doesn't pose any difficulty and you should reach the base in 2 hours on an average.

Travel:

The nearest railway station is Kanhangad or Kasargod and bus services are good till Panathur. From Panathur, one has to hire jeeps to reach the base of the trek. Or bus service can be availed too. From bangalore, it is good to reach Sullia and then to Panathur as it reduces the distance by close to 80kms than reaching Kasargod and coming down again.

Road-Route:

Bangalore > Yediyur > Hassan > Sakleshpur > Gundya > Kukke Subrahmanya > Sullia > Panathur > Panathady > 360 kms Bangalore > Mysore > Hunsur > Kushalanagara > Madikeri > Sullia > Panathur > Panathady > 327 kms

Nearby places of visit:

Bekal Fort, Kukke Subrahmanya, Talacauvery, Madikeri