My first trek to kodachadri

I was very anxious about this trek because it was raining heavily from the past 2-3 days not only in Bangalore but also all over Karnataka .At the same time I was also excited because it was my first trek with my hubby and cousins. We started off to kodachadri on October 1st at around 8:30 pm in one of the KSRTC buses and reached Nittur early morning next day .The locals there warned us about the heavy rains and mist at Kodachadri.Having breakfast in one of the hotels we were off to kodachadri. From when we started trekking it was drizzling. We protected ourselves from rains and leeches and started walking holding umbrellas .As we walked through the muddy path we could hear the sonorous sounds of the birds floating through the mercurial mist and morning fresh air .The rain washed trees with bright leaves covered our path .We could see orange colored mushrooms, hoping small frogs, rare insects and butterflies .The earthy smell calmed the mind and the heart was filled with some kind of joy which cannot be explained. After a few km walk we reached “kakana angadi “where we had a refreshing cup of tea and buns. Gautham a veteran trekker who had already trekked this place about 7 times told us that the real trek begins from here as we had to walk through hill paths where vehicles cannot pass through .It was a moderately difficult trek for us beginners as we had to pass through the dark evergreen forest pushing ourselves through the towering forest canopy. After all the adventurous walk we saw grasslands and changing hillscape which was a treat for the eyes .I felt like breathing in as much fresh air as I could. After repetitive forest ranges and grasslands we reached our destination ‘battara Mane’ which is situated almost on the top of the hill .By then we were very tried and hungry .The lady of the house showed us a small dark room to keep our belongings. After a refreshing bath at ‘Agasthya theertha ‘ we were served hot sambar rice and playa which seemed like a five star lunch for us .As it was raining heavily we could not trek till the top of the mountain so we decided to stay back at the same place and planned to trek the next day .We had a great time with our cousins playing, talking, singing and laughing all evening.




As it was raining all night the next day was really misty .The local guides were very hesitant to take us to ‘Hedlumane falls ‘. But finally we decided to trek to the falls and downhill taking two local guides with us. The hillscape along the way was the most unique and exciting moments of the trek. What enthralls me is the stunning beauty of the Western Ghats, which is very seductive. As we reached the falls we could see the stream flowing with great force .the stream was fed by the monsoon rains and thick forest canopy .The boulders covered the area and rocks near the stream were very slippery but nothing could dull our enthusiasm to reach the waters. Nothing was more pleasurable than to take a dip in this cool clean water. We were dripping wet as we walked downhill to Nittur .We had to change our cloths and we requested in one of the houses there .The lady of the house happily agreed to give us place to change She not only made hot tea for us but also gave us flowers .The hospitality and kindness of these strangers touched our hearts .We bid good bye to them and were back to Nittur and then boarded a bus to kollur.We took the blessing of Goddess mookambika and left t Bangalore the same night. Our trip to kodachadri had come to an end.

As I sat in the bus in a pensive mood I realized that no matter what time of the year you are at kodachadri nature is performing some miracle here, which make us visit this unforgettable place over and over again.