Trek to Brahmagiri, Coorg (23rd, 24th Oct 2010)

This was my first trekking experience with BMC. Knowing how tough it is to get a group of friends together for a trek, I decided to go ahead and take a shot at going with a new and unknown group of people through BMC. It turned out to be a very good idea and I had an amazing experience.

Our group of 16 started from Bangalore at 10:30 PM on Friday night. We reached Madikeri at 4:30 AM on Saturday and settled into a home-stay about 8 km from Madikeri. We got fresh and had breakfast there and drove towards the base of Brahmagiri (about 80km from the homestay) around 7AM enjoying the amazing weather. At the forest office in Brahmagiri, we were delayed for a couple of hours in getting a guide and we decided to use that time in Irupu falls.

We finally started the trek around 12 noon. Thanks to the leeches which were all along the path, we made quick progress through the forest, with nobody stopping for a break because of the fear of leeches getting into the shoes. We crossed the forest stretch in good time and reached the grasslands and were greeted by some breathtaking views of the hills covered with mist. Since we did not have permission to camp in the hills, we had to start back by 3PM due to which we had to be satisfied with reaching Narimale peak and not Brahmagiri peak.

We trekked back to falls and "washed away" our leeches in the water there. I had about 20 bites on each leg :( . In spite of that, the trek was most enjoyable.

Out host at the home-stay was kind enough to setup a warm campfire for us. We spent a couple of hours a the campfire and then settled into tents that we had pitched in the estate.

Sunday morning, we spent some time walking in the estate through the coffee plantations and then headed back to Bangalore. We visited the Tibetan monastery (Golden Temple) in Kushalnagar on the way to Bangalore.

Nandi hills on the way to office

It was a Thursday night and and we had decided to be at Yahoo open hack day the whole weekend, which meant that we would have to wait for one full week before we could escape the city. This was when an idea struck me - "why not make a trip to Nandi hills on the way to office on Friday" :-) . The idea was quickly seconded by Sridhar and the decision was taken.

Friday morning, I started at 5.15 AM, picked up Sridhar on the way and we were quickly on airport road. We got to see some nice views of the sunrise during the drive. As we approached Nandi hills, a bright sun welcomed us. Disappointing, given that we were expecting a cloudy day, which would have given us a chance to experience the fog filled hills. As we drove, the last clouds to be moving away very fast, as though trying to escape before we reach. A mixed feeling, because the sight of clouds moving in front of the hills was magical.



We continued to the base of the hill and started driving uphill. Just a few curves later, the place was transformed - green trees crowding both sides of the curving road seemed to have captured the fog.



We stopped there and started taking some pictures. That's when we caught a glimpse of the sun which was shining bright just a while ago. I don't think words can make justice to the sight. Just see the picture below.



At one point, could see sharp sun rays through the trees.




We were lost.



We reached the gate at the peak, paid the entry fee for 4 wheelers (Rs 70) and drove on for till the center of the hill station and parked the car there. We then walked to a point from where we could get a good view from the peak.

There's a temple there and it looked amazing covered in the fog.


Walking back from there, we spotted another mist filled place which looked better than all views we had seen till then. We stayed till 9AM there and then started towards office. As we drove back, another set of dark clouds approached the hills, as though inviting us to come back.

Bangalore to Shivagange peak and back in 6 hours - 8th May 2010

We started of with ambitious plans for the weekend thinking of a 2 day trip to Bandipur and Himavadgopalaswami betta. With the summer heat at its best, the group enthusiasm quickly dropped.

However, I desperately wanted go to somewhere away from the city during the weekend and I started thinking about Shivagange, a small hillock on Tumkur road. I had trekked to this place many times already and so wanted to do something different. I proposed that we try and do this trek in 5-6 hours including the travel. To beat the heat, we decided to start early.

Saturday morning, I picked up Chetan and Sridhar and we hit NICE road (the segment connecting Magadi road to Tumkur road) by 6:30 AM on my Maruti 800. It was a pleasant drive on NICE and later on Tumkur road.


To reach Shivagange, you have to travel on Tumkur road till Dabaspet. At Dabaspet, you have to go under the flyover and turn left. Shivagange is 6 KM from this point. There are some shops here that serve breakfast. We had idlis here and continued.

We reached the base of the hill at 7:45 and parked our car in the temple parking area.

We started the trek enthusiastically, with Chetan literally sprinting in front. All through the trek, there are crude steps carved out on the rocks. Along the way, there are lots of small shops selling cool drinks and sugarcane juice. We were almost the first ones to get there that day and none of the shops were open.

There are some dilapidated temple structures along the way.

Having started early, we didn't have to fight a harsh sun.


As we get closer to the top, the climb gets steeper. You also have to deal with some friends near the top. I had read in some blogs that the monkeys here have developed the uncanny habit of actually checking your pockets and bags. I hadn't seen that on my earlier visits and thought it was some exaggeration. But, this time I was selected for a thorough check. This guy checked my pockets first and then moved on to my bag. He actually opened it and had a look. Luckily, the only thing that interested him was my water bottle.

We reached the peak by 9AM and spent some time taking photos and resting there.

There is a Nandi statue nicely placed on a rock near the peak. You can get a nice panoramic view and feel a pleasant breeze from this point.


There are a few places that are worth a stop along the trek. We hadn't stopped at these places on our way to the top. So, we stopped at a couple of places on our way back.

The first stop was at a place where they have newly constructed a big statue of Shiva and Parvati.


Next we stopped at Olakal Teertha. This place has a temple and there is a small underground spring. It is said that one who is pious and good can touch water here.

We then stopped at a sugar cane juice shop and prepared and had sugarcane juice. We literally prepared it ourselves.


At the base of the hill, there is a Gangadhareshwara temple. A strange phenomenon here is that the Abhisheka in ghee turns into butter.

We were back at the base by 10:30 and headed back to Bangalore. Again, thanks to Tumkur road and NICE road, we reached the city by 12, thus fulfilling our plan of doing the whole trip inside 6 hours.

Places around Shivagange that could be covered on the same day

1. Devarayanadurga
2. Namada chilume

Shimsha & Somnathpur - Nov 2009

It was Friday evening and I started talking to Chetan and Sridhar about where we could escape for the weekend. The result was a plan for a day trip spending most of the day at Shivanasamudram water falls and stop at Somnathpur temple on the way back. We hired a cab and hit Mysore road around 7AM. We had Mangalore style Idli (Moode - Idli cooked wrapped in a leaf) for breakfast at MTR Shivalli after Ramanagaram.

As we neared Maddur, our driver told us about a temple there and about a bull in that temple that people worship and its divine powers. This aroused our curiosity and we decided to take a detour and visit.


The bull was resting at the caretaker family's house when we went. Our first look at it left us awestruck. It was huge compared to any bull that I had seen till then. But, what really surprised us was the currency notes that were tied to its horns and the silver coins that jingled around its neck. It is supposed to be a custom that devotees follow here.

We had tender coconut to beat the heat and continued towards Shimsha.


We finally reached Shimsha around noon after multiple stops. There are two main water falls here. At one of them, Gaganachukki, you can see the falls from a distance standing on a view point. We took some photos there and quickly drove towards the other waterfall, Bharachukki, where you can climb down some crude steps and get to the base of the waterfall.

Since it was past the rainy season, the water was not at its powerful best, but it was ideal to get into the water. We took a coracle ride which took us so close to the waterfall that we were drenched by the water splashing from the waterfall. Again, since it was past the rainy season, there were some points where you could actually stand right below the fall and feel the pressure of the water. We stayed in water for a couple of hours here.


The walk back up the steps left us dead tired and really hungry. There were no real restaurants around. So, we had to make do with the Bel puri, watermelon and tender coconut that were available.

As we drove from Shimsha towards Somnathpur, we saw inviting green farmlands all along the way on both sides. We couldn't resist the invitation and stopped at one point and took some pictures.


The Somnathpur temple is something that I have visited several times. But, it never fails to amaze me. Its a typical exhibition of Hoysala craftsmanship.


After spending some time there, we headed home amid scenes of the setting sun...

Parasailing - 18th April 2010

Socrates said - "Man must rise above the Earth, to the top of the atmosphere and beyond, for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives."

To fly like a bird has been mankind's dream for centuries. I was browsing through upcoming weekend activities of Bangalore Mountaineering club and I stumbled upon this para sailing event. I felt this was probably the closest I could get to realizing the dream.

I couldn't get any friends to sign up for this, not sure for what reason ??? So, I decided to do this alone and registered for it.

On the day of the event, I drove to Hoskote lake, going past maddening traffic of M.G.Road and K.R.Puram. Hoskote lake is one huge piece of empty land and there was nothing for as far as my eyes could see. Its basically a dried up lake and it is so huge that I actually got lost in the lake.


The day wasn't really great for para sailing with the winds not at their best. But, the flight itself was a very enjoyable, although very short (2-3 minutes). It definitely felt it was worth every paisa of the Rs 300 that it cost me.



On my way back, I saw a herd of sheep grazing in the lake. Among the herd was a mother and child pair that was literally inseparable.



Some tips

1. The event happens almost every weekend during the dry seasons.
2. There are multiple organizations that conduct para sailing here. BMC is one and you can register online for the event with them.
3. Don't forget to take lots of water to drink since you might have to wait for a while for your turn to fly and there's not much that you can buy nearby.
   

Bannerghatta - 24th April 2010

It was a lazy Saturday morning, Chetan calls up and says "Lets head to Kemmangundi". I was just recovering from a bad cold and had heard a friend's bad experience at Kemmangundi a couple of weeks back - scorching sun, no water in water falls etc. and didn't find myself up for a all weekend outing that point.

I suggested we do something closer to the city. We thought of catching a play at Rangashankara, but didn't find any interesting ones showing that day. We then thought of revisiting Bannerghatta national park. Word spread quickly and soon enough (around 12:00 noon), Chetan, Sridhar, Ashwin and I were off in my Maruti 800 driving on Bannerghatta road. We stopped at Atithi restaurant for a quick byte and Chetan and Sridhar stuffed themselves with a full fledged Andhra meal while Ashwin treated himself to milkshake and ice cream. I decided to respect my "not fully fit yet" tag and starved.



We reached the park around 2:30PM and quickly got tickets for the Safari (Rs 160 per head inclusive of park entrance). We got onto one of the Safari queues. We left Sridhar to secure our place in the queue while we sneaked out to get pictures of a white peacock that was tirelessly posing for photo shoots. Returning to the queue, we spent the next 15 mins people watching :-)


Sridhar was at his entertaining best all through the Safari. After endless spotting of deer, wild cows, and bears, we finally reached the much awaited sections of the Safari - lion and tiger. The lions were resting and in no mood to move. The tigers were impressive, two white tigers and one yellow were actively patrolling the place.



After the Safari, we spent a couple of hours walking around the park and headed back. The journey was extremely pleasant, thanks to a steady drizzle. We stopped for hot Masala puri at our road side adda near National college fly-over in Basavangudi.


Some tips

1. Don't pick a Tuesday. The park is closed on Tuesdays.
2. Try to do the Safari before you walk around in the park, or you might be dead tired when you get to the Safari.