Walk the Ghat/1-Hulikal, for Trident team: E/1

     We a team of five Myself, Ganesh, Murali, Sanjay & Siva left majestic on Friday (5th Feb 2010) night in Kuppalli rajahamsa bus to Thirthahalli. For every one of us this Ghat was new. So not-much information was available about Ghat, route, lunch point, camping point, etc.

     By 7AM we reached Thirthahalli, which a typical Malnad town. It was a beautiful clear sunny morning. Behind bus-stand, there is neatly maintained public toilet, where we finished our morning activities and opposite to Bus stand there is a hotel, where we had Coffee & Buns (local delicacies, it’s really good). And we walked to Mayura hotel to have breakfast. This on Agumbe Road, 10 mints walk from Bus stand.Breakfast was really good. (Road opposite of Hotel will lead to Thunga river. But it is not a good place for bathing).
Our next destination was Mastikatte. Not many busses are there in that route. 7:15am, 7:45am, 9:10am, 10:10am, 11:30am & 1:00pm. So please plan accordingly. To Mastikatte its around 35km, 75mins journey. We caught 10:10am bus, and reached Mastikatte by 11:30am journey was too good, as road was between jungle and we could see many big lakes/dam backwater. From Mastikatte it is only 1.5km walk to Hulikal, but it was difficult under sun as there was no tree cover. In Hulikal, we went to Ganesh Bhat hotel, it is like a village home restaurant. We ordered (gave our Menu) lunch and went for bath at Varahi river, which is just 10-mint walk from Hotel. It is backwater of Varahi Project. Actually around that area there are 18 dams built for Varahi Hydroelectric Project. Advised not go deep in water, because of silt. We finished lunch by 2pm. It was home meal on banana leaf. We started our trek to Hulikal Ghat @ 2:15pm.  Hulikal Ghat starts from Hulikal and ends in Hosangadi. Total Ghat distance is 15km. Just 2km walk from hotel, we got Forest check post. Road left to check post will go to Dam (8km one way).  Forest Officer Manjunath gave some info about the Ghat, and wished us for safe journey. Two more km walk leads to Chandikamba Temple. This place called Balebare, so the Balebare Ghat. It is a beautiful temple which surrounds thick forest. Avalakki Prasada is available for 10\- which is really superb. Also free Lunch is available here. From here it is just 10km to Hosangadi (Ghat end point). We went down by 5:30pm. In Hosangadi entrance left road will go to Varahi Project , but now-a-days due to terrorist threat, entry is blocked for public. Hosangadi is a small town, and entrance to South Kendra. From here we caught a bus back to Hulikal, and ordered dinner (chapattis) in Bhattre Mane. We went to River side to set up campfire. We had chapattis in front for camp fire and enjoyed the night in open nature.Morning, we got up late. We had bath in Varahi river. By 10am we finished breakfast in Battara Mane. We had Avalakki, Khali Dosa and Neer Dosa for breakfast. Always we have to try local delicacies, which will be really good.We walked 1.5km to Mastikatte. From Mastikatte we got bus to ‘Nagara’. And in one more bus to ‘Sigandoor’ (via Nittur and Marakut aka, which is starting point of Kodachadri Trek). Sigandoor is a famous place because of Chamundi Temple. Sigandoor is just 60km from Nagara, but takes 2hours to reach. There is a Hotel here to have Lunch.  From here we caught one more bus to ‘Sagara’. This route is very special as bus will be loaded on a barge to cross Sharavathi river. Just 2km from Sigandoor, we get Sharavathi river. Due to very big Linganamakki Dam, Sharavathi river back water has submerged thousands of acres of forest. And this Sagara road is also cut by Sharavathi backwater. River here is more than 2km wide, which we will cross on a Barge (busses, cars etc will be loaded on barge), which takes 15-20mints. A really superb view, which cant be explained in words. Wherever we see, its full blue water, like a sea. One can spend time in Sharavathi backwater, but we should not go further into river, as it is extremely dangerous (it is 124feet deep in the middle). We boarded same bus to Sagara, from here it is 2hours journey.
By 4pm we were in Sagara., which is a big town. We reserved our return  journey tickets to Bangalore, in night bus from Shimoga. We had Lunch here. As we had time we visited Keladi, there is a famous Shiva Temple and a very big pond. We reached Shimoga, got our night bus to Bangalore. Totally this was a very different trek covering many new things. Many thanks for all, making this a memorable event.
Best plan is to go to Hulikal directly in Night Bus, put all your luggage @ Bhattre Mane (house), order Breakfast, go to River for Bath. After bath one can visit famous Lakshminarasimha Temple (opposite to Hotel). After breakfast you can start Hulikal Ghat trek only with water bottle. Do down to Hosangadi. Then again walk back to Balebare Temple, have Lunch at Bale Bare Temple ( or catch a bus to Temple). Spend time in Varahi Back water, have dinner at Battra Mane. Put a camp fire near river and enjoy nature. Next day morning leave early, proceed to Sigandoor (Sharavathi Backwaters), via Mastikatte, Nagara, and Nittur. Spend time in Sharavathi River, and by evening go to Sagara. From here back to Bangalore on night bus via Shimoga. Direct Busses are also available to Bangalore from Sagara. Both onward and backward journey tickets can be booked accordingly.
     Keladi is a special place in the history of Karnataka. Keladi dynasty, starting from 1499, they ruled for 263 years, under example set by Vijayanagar rulers. Famous ruler Dodda Sankanna Nayaka took pilgrimage to North India, where he took possession of Kashi Viswanatha Temple from Muslim Officers, got rebuild the Kashi Viswanatha Temple in 1585. He built many Mutts in Delhi, Kapiladhara, Gaya, Nepal. (In many mutts even today Kannada epigraphs can be seen). One more famous ruler Shivappa Nayaka, known for his efficiency and diplomacy. He introduced tax system, was known for “Shivappa’s Shistu”. Famous Queen Chennamma was a ruler of Keladi, known for intelligence, foresight, courage and bravery. In 1763 Hyder Ali of Mysore attacked and accessed Keladi. There were many Capitals, first was Keladi, then Ikkeri, Nagara, Bidanur, and Bhuvanagiridurga or Kavaludurga.)

Next Ghat walk to explore Bisile Ghat……coming soon…

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Written by: Ambareesh Karanth 
Event organized by: Ambareesh Karanth
Image Gallery: Ambareesh

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Social Trek/1

Give me some sunshine,give me some rain
Give me another chance,
I wanna grow-up once again…

In our hectic lives, many of us rarely get a chance to live as carefree as we might have spent our childhood. So, when the opportunity comes to relive those days of tenderness, we should never let it pass by. That was the thought that came to my mind when I saw the mail about the Social Trek from Satish. Subsequently, I registered for the social trek event. The social trek event was for the kids from the Lakshmama Orphanage, Kodigehalli, Bangalore and was scheduled for 31st January, 2010.The place chosen was Pearl valley also known as Muthyala Maduvu.

On the D-day, I landed up at Corporation circle by 7.45 A.M IST. The bus was supposed to come at 8.10 A.M IST at that place. Little did I realize, that we were running on the Sunday version of IST(Indian Stretchable Time). So, the bus was a little over one hour and twenty minutes behind schedule and soon we were zooming past the Sunday morning traffic of Bangalore towards Pearl valley, our first stop.We had our first pit-stop just after crossing the Gottigere village. We stopped by the road-side to have our breakfast around 11 A.M. IST. Since the junta was really hungry by now, the plate-sized idlis and vadas were attacked with gusto. The kids finished their prayer before starting on the breakfast, while the remaining participants of the trek had no such heavenly inhibitions and royally attacked the food. Breakfast was quick, over and done in 20 minutes, garbage was packed and taken along in the bus.

Meanwhile I got introduced to my seat-mates for this trip. One of them was Likhit Raj and the other Murthy. Since my Kannada is never improving, I remain silent after the initial introductions. As the bus was on its way, those two were sleeping till they were awakened by a few failed attempts to start a chorus before breakfast. After breakfast, Likhit was particularly energized and the fields and the cows on the way provided him a vent for the energy. He explained something about the cows and the fields to me. I kept nodding my head. As the bus reached the Bannerghatta junction, the big hill which houses the Devasthana on the top, led to collective gasps from the young brigade!(maybe they thought we need to climb that?)Soon, the chorus started hitting on the right notes and we had a pretty decent thing going, mixed with Kannada and Hindi songs. We reached Anekal around 11.30 A.M. IST and Pearl Valley (about 8 kms from Anekal town) around 11.50 AM IST.

The Muthyala maduvu falls or the Pearl Valley falls is a gushing stream cascading down from a height of 92 m. The drops of water strewn across the rock surface on impact lend the appearance of scattered pearls. Hence the name. The fall, its serene ambience and the lush green valley is a huge draw for visitors.It is a multi stage waterfall.
Source : Karnataka tourism website.

Once we reached there, we carried the lunch items and water to the place where we setup base. This place was just in front of the multistage falls. There are two falls  as we go down the stairs from the car stand. the first one, opposite to the temple, is a small one. The second falls is a ten-minute walk from the first, whereby water falls from a very decent level. Unfortunately at this time of the year, there was not much water to be found in the falls.We started with a round of introduction from the children as well as the participants. It was a fun-filled session whereby the kids took us through their background and education, while the participants took the little ones through their work and place of stay.After the session, since it was already 1.30 PM, we decided to have our lunch. After serving the kids, we had our lunch amidst the watchful eyes of the monkeys who wanted to grab a piece of attention. The sumptuous lunch consisted of pulao and curd rice. After a heavy lunch, we lazed around for sometime and decided to move to T.K. falls, a small falls, about 12 kms from the Bannerghatta junction towards Kanakpura road. The falls was supposed to have relatively more water than the Pearl valley falls.

We reached T.K. falls in an hour from Anekal. After a slight discussion on the route, we decided to take the kids through the easier route. About 20 minutes of walking, led us to T.K. falls. The falls had more water than Pearl Valley falls. We spent some quality time near the falls, helping the kids see the drop of the falls. Since we wanted to move to a flatter ground for the sports activities, we made our way in the opposite direction of the falls and came to a field near the temple. The place was well suited for team games as well as the nearby trees provided shade for those intending to laze around.Soon, Satish coordinated and managed to kick start a game of Lagori, wherein the striker of one team knocks down the stones, and the other team tries to hit a person from the opposing team with the ball, while the first team tries to reconstruct the pile of stones. It was a close contest and Satish's team won by a margin of 7-6.Meanwhile, all this time, rest of the kids were busy with the other participants in games such as Badminton, Volleyball and Cricket. As for myself, I was busy with the shutter :-D

At around 5 PM, we ended the games session and moved towards the nearby temple where we had a variety of snacks, perk chocolates etc. We stayed there for around an hour, during which we had a entertainment session from Geetha (on the guitar) and Michael(on the mouth organ). Shyam also lent his vocals to a couple of numbers. Junior Khan wanted a piece of the action and tried tuning the chords a bit :-) At 6 PM, we were on our way back from T.K. falls. The timing turned out to be perfect for shutterbugs as the sunset was majestic. Maybe it happens many days a year, but watching these sunsets from top of a peak with miles of jungles down you or viewing them from acres of fields such as in this sunset, are very rare moments to cherish.Once we made sure, everybody was on board, the bus started off from T.K. falls. We were on Kanakpura and reached Bangalore in an hour. The jam near Ragi- Guda temple confirmed that.

Highlights of the Outing:
1. Satish, Shyam, Geetha, others and the chorus.
2. Rafique who wanted the intros of the girls :-)
3. Thilak Raj, my seat mate, the silencer, who talked very little.
4. Sharan, the youngest among the kids. He was so cute, quite a few girls will have  weak knees.
5. Kids with diverse background as in from states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Orissa but very fluent in Kannada.
6. Energetic bunch of participants, who were always willing to take on extra responsibilities of carrying the items, managing the logistics, interacting with the kids etc.
7. Inquisitive and disciplined bunch of kids, always willing to help out and lend a ear to the volunteers/participants.
8. Michael and his mouth organ.
9. Little Khan and his antiques, right from climbing up a tree to romancing with the guitar to flirting with the mouth organ. 

Special note of thanks for Satish for taking up this initiative on the social front from Bangalore ASCENDers and driving it to a successful completion. Teaching kids at a early age to learn a sustainable way of living in co-habitation with nature and raising the level of eco-consciousness is an important task for our future generations to enjoy these forests and this social trek from Bangalore ASCENDers(BASC) was a little step in that direction.

Note of thanks to all the participants, who doubled up as volunteers and spent a day with kids reliving the old days and also helping out in the smooth execution of the day of events.

This Orphanage is run by Nagaraj and his family,they do not have any corporate or government sponsorship.They are funded by people like you and us.Those who wish to donate or volunteer can contact to the below address.

V.Nagaraj
Smt.Laksmamma Orphanage(R)
#27/1 , Amco Layout , Kodigehalli, Near Impact college
Godwin School Road, Sahakaranagara Post
Bangalore – 560092
Mobile:9845304581,9342198459.

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Written by: Pranjal (Courtesy: SINDBAD – THE SAILOR )
Event organized by: Satish
Image Gallery:
Pranjal,Satish,Sudheer

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The spirit of OG - Ombattu Gudda_OG/3

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Ombattu gudda is fondly known as OG. As SRK is Badshah to Bollywood OG is to Trekking. It is a hot favorite amongst southern India trekking circuit. Since I first came to Bangalore and started browsing for local trekking clubs, I came across this name and little information about it. I didn’t take it too seriously then. With my very first introduction with Bangalore Ascenders to Ankola beach trek, OG was always in discussion for its mystery and serene wild forest. When people used to talk about it they generated vibes full of energy and enthusiasm. I wondered, `what the hell! Stop it’ OG - Oh God!!

After long discussions Bangalore ASCENDers BASC in short finalized 25-26 December for OG trek. Since the day registration  was open along with the itinerary, the game started. Inputs regarding Planning, suggestions, reviews and discussion over the ultimate savior Mr. GPS (Global positioning system) and his working capabilities in dense forest etc started pouring in. They were waves of group mail and one could feel the energy level tide up as the D-day was nearing. Not joking, you could virtually feel the mails hitting you hard off the screen.

The journey started on 24^th Night from majestic bus stand. We were in all 29 of us (a huge count!) Trying to get to know each other and with aspiration of enjoying the upcoming tasks of the trek, we moved on. Who knew then what the mighty lord has in store for all of us.

At Gundya check post near Kukke, we halted at a house for a while. From there we headed towards the jungle.Didn’t strike then that we were leaving civilisation far behind. As we started the nature around looked so beautiful... river making its way through handsome looking rocks, as if a lady trying to seduce these manly creatures by her curves and moves. A ll these visibly beautiful concepts of nature started to fade away as we were moving deeper inside. Reached a point where feeling of being lost in this vast forest started gathering up in the mind. With no one around but just tiny wild creatures, forest, river and sky high above.

That time the only strength you have with you is your will power and your team mates whom you trust, believe and depend upon, more than yourself. Bunch of strangers whom you had met few hours before suddenly mean more than your own family. That’s the spirit of OG, it brings out all possible strengths, weaknesses and anxieties in you. Let you know yourself better than you ever had. It gives you a feeling of togetherness to fight against all odds.

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Whenever we had to cross the river, which we did `N’ number of times, those handsome looking rocks suddenly turned out to be bald monsters who just had an oil massage, slippery enough to give us shock treatments at all possible parts of our body. With one like me having basic balance problem, enjoyed it thoroughly with no extra charges for the repeats. Aaahh, so hard and warm!! So much so that I wished this rock and water series end and let us have a feel of the uphill terrain which I did wrongly imagined would be more comforting. At last with permission from GPS and superb brains of our core team members we said goodbye to this couple in love and took off towards the hill.

All through the trek I  was  wondering  about the group of core member’s and few other enthusiastic souls. When we had just enough stamina and spirit to follow the leaders, this people had all the energy to track the route, track us if not left behind, review and plan the schedule and of all to maintain the team spirit high. Hats off all of them!!!

Now starts the most awaited in my mind, the ‘UP HILL’ journey. I was happy as we started with a gradual slope which continued for about fifteen minutes. Suddenly the path in front of us vanished with no option left but to climb that 70 degree – 80 degree steep slope. I started with a short silent prayer in mind thinking about loved ones and GOD! We all started ascending in a train formation with a wrong thinking that the closer we walk the safer we would be. The  only thing we totally believed and trusted that time were our hands, legs and those heavenly trees, their branches, roots or whichever part of theirs we could grab and push ourselves up and a bit up.. Of course for me it was also Goutham, who in spite of obvious structural difference between both of us had all the spirit to manage me drag up and out of there. To my surprise he was also high enough to take snaps in-between, when I didn’t even dared to look down that steep valley. It looked all so beautiful to him... OG!! Thanks buddy, that stretch was impossible to achieve without you.

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With all combined circus ending, we reached the grassland. Being introduced to trees, pathway, river, rocks, dense forest and now this grassland, no form of nature was left un-walked by us. Grassland seemed prettier than sloping forest. For the first time  we felt that we might conquer OG and all ours day and a half sweat shall not go waste. These small pretty hillocks had their own charming wickedness hidden behind. As we reached at top of each hill there waited series of them smiling and mocking at us. No one would know which one was OG till we actually reached at the top of the one. Patience was low and body was giving up. I got my lesson, `keep walking and do not look forward for the destination. It shall arrive when it is destined to. So comes OG- after crossing eight hills, at the top of ninth one, OG stands all so strong and high! We all celebrated our joy of victory followed by an entertaining video shoot by Sathish ‘The Professional’, to relax our mind and body. Who else than him knew it better than that there is lot more in store and this guys need a dose to pull it through.

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We had to cross two hills, a patch of forest and a jeep track to reach back to a civilised place called Laxmi estate. A mini bus was to pick us up from there. By now two hills and that forest was not a big deal as we were so used to them. But this unending man made jeep track made us crawl. OG- one more lesson to go: don’t rejoice on your victory, that is not the end. Keep walking with the same pace and spirit because this is how life is meant to be.

Late evening we reached Laxmi estate and travelled back to Bangalore by early next morning to our routine life. The OG journey compiles within us, so much of strength, motivation and aspirations, to achieve the toughest and fight for the impossible. Thus `WE’ shall all move on.....Visit our Group @ CLICK HERE
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Written by: Deepti
Event organized by: Ambareesh Karanth /Satish
Image Gallery: Harishchandra,Satish,Vinesh,Gautham,Ameet,Shivshankar

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Trek to Bandaje Arbi falls and Ballalarayana Durga Fort: BAB/4

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Tadiyandamol Trek/1

Objective: Tadiyandamol Peak (Highest peak in Kodagu)
Other places of interest: Nalknad Aramane. Date: November 7th 2009
Grade:Moderate                                                                                                            
Participants: 10 members (Ambareesh Karanth, Arun, Ganesh Ture, Girish V, Harish, Kiran, Murali KG, Prasanna Ganapathy, Sandeep, and Vinayaka)

About Tadiyandamol :-
     Tadiyandamol, the tallest peak in Kodagu, is another trekker's paradise. From the peak you can view the distant Arabian sea and the spell-binding beauty of Kodagu all around.The best time to visit Tadiyandamol  is early winter. "Highest Point" as called in Kodava language, this peak is the highest one in the Madikeri district. It is situated near Vira Raja Pete (Virajpet), about a 30kms away, on the way to Napoklu, Bhagamandala. This peak is just adjacent to the Makutta forest. On the way, you also get an old palace called 'Nalknad Aramane'. Tadiyandamol is 260km from Bangalore.
Nalknad Palace :-
Built by Dodda Veera Rajendra in 1792 A.D. safe in the depths of a dense jungle at the ba se of Tadiyandamol, this elegant two-storied palace served as the last refuge for Chikka Veera Rajendra before he surrendered to the British in A.D. 1834. Ornamental pillars and verandahs with carved windows and door frames are its notable features. The roof here was originally thatched. The Cobra looked upon as a Scourge & Savior is common in these parts of the region. It inspires fear, but also plays an important role in controlling rodents which are its normal prey. The Cobra symbol carved in various places in the building was probably meant to warn enemies in times often plagued by intrigue.
An irregular trekking route from the summit goes straight to Bramhagiri hills. These hills (1340 mts) can be seen far off towards from the south of Tadiyandamol.
Route 1: Bangalore - Mysore - Hunsur - Periyapatana - Siddapura - Napoklu - Kakkabe - Tadiyandamol.
Route 2: Bangalore - Mysore - Hunsur - Tithimathi - Gonikoppal - Virajpet - Kadanga - Kakiambi - Tadiyandamol.

Route 2 is longer than Route 1. But one can easily reach Virajpet in KSRTC bus from Bangalore. From Virajpet there is enough number of private buses to Kakkabe. Only one Rajahamsa is available to Napoklu from Bangalore. There is no need of any Forest pass or guide for trekking. Be prepared to encounter leeches.

     Tadiyandamol, I was going for the first time and as I organized this event, lots of data was collected (readings blogs, calling people). Finally we a team of 10 from BASC, started our journey from Bangalore in a Rajahamsa Bus to Napoklu on Friday night. Safely reached Napoklu by 5:30am via Virajpet. After enquiring at a milk booth, got the information that there is a bus at 6am to Kaikamba. All could sleep during night journey , as road was good. We spent 30mints in bus stop, it was still dark. Bus came on-time, it’s only 15km ride. We got down in Aramane stop (Kaikamba). To go to Tadiyandamol peak, you have to get down at the Aramane stop which is before a place called Kakkabe (if you are coming from Virajpet). We need to walk 3km to Aramane in a tar road. On both sides we can see Coffee estate, and mountain range all over. It was a pleasant journey, and was very steep. We reached Nalknad Aramane/School by 7:30am. Aramane (Palace) and School are opposite to each other. Both were closed as we were too early. ( or may be, as in one blog was mentioned that Aramane was closed for renovation). Its old two-storied building built in 1792. We did all our morning chores at a nearby small stream. Had breakfast and started climbing towards peak by 8:30am.
Very steep narrow tar-road with dense forest on both sides, which leads to a forest check-post. Its around 4-5km steep climb. We walked very slowly enjoying nature. The only  color we could see was green, the only sounds we could hear were that of the leaves, winds and birds. We met Forest Guard en-route, he warned us not to stay on the peak because of elephant activity. Later we heard the same from workers also. Few days before on a early morning two elephants had attached these workers.
     After we crossed forest check-post, the mud road was narrow and had average ascent. From here it’s only 2km trek to the big rock, this was our planned night camping place. From here 5-minutes descend on left path, will lead you to a stream, which happens to be the last source of water. Continue straight  besides these rocks to the peak. The trail is very narrow, one at a time can go. On both sides we can see the vast expanse till the reach of your eye there are green clad mountains. This stretch of the trek was particularly scenic. Clouds drifted past us speedily and the hills that were flushed with sunlight a moment ago were shadowed by dense patches of clouds. Due to mist we did not get good view. By 11:30am we were on the peak. Once on the peak, we felt we were on the clouds. The winds zipped past us, opening us up, alternately, to shadows and lights. Nothing was visible because of thick mist/cloud. We took snaps,had snacks and spent good one hour on the peak, enjoying nature. We introduced ourselves as, many were new to me, since this was my first organized event for BASC.
We came back near  the big rocks by 1:30pm, descent was slippery, but the nature was fantastic. Our luck changed, as mist cleared;we stopped at many places to take photos and were deliberately slow. We had lunch and discussed our next plans. Due to mist and elephants, no body was willing to stay a night here. Many options were discussed, finally we decided to walk down to Kaikamba. By 4pm we came down to Kaikamba. Myself and Murali wanted to spend Sunday here in Kodugu, after all we have traveled all the way from Bangalore to here.So  five people headed to Bangalore via Virajpet and five of us went to Bhagamandala via Napoklu.
Tadiyandamol is a perfect one-day trek. And it is a moderate grade trek.
Many thanks for all, who showed interest and participated, all were supportive and sportive throughout the trek.

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Written by: Ambareesh Karanth
Event organized by: Ambareesh Karanth
Contributors: Girish V
Image Gallery: Arun,Prasanna Ganapathy,Girish,Kiran,

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TK falls and Bannerghatta National Park

Googling has become a favorite hobby of mine and while doing so chanced upon two words Suvarnamukhi and Thottikallu falls.Tried to search more about these places, but could not find any information and ended up laying my hands on a single photo of Thottikallu falls also called as TK falls from Google Earth. This photo did not show any signs of water and to add more confusion it was marked at more than two different places on Google Earth. So just thought why not to explore these places on our own, also clubbed the plan to explore a huge valley along the Harohalli-Jigani route just on the outskirts of Bannerghatta national park (BNP).Despite the fact that BNP has many valleys only a couple of basic routes are open for trekking.

In the pursuit of finding clear water pools in the valley and to explore lesser known TK falls, we foursome from Bangalore ASCENDers started off on the dawn of 10th October. After some traffic chaos we all met directly at Bannerghatta junction, here we had breakfast at a small darshini. Over hot idli-vadas and steaming cup of coffee, we chatted and got to know one another as we were meeting for the first time. Later on took some lunch parcels and moved on. When enquired with locals for directions to the waterfall they seemed to be clueless. So without any further adduce we took right deviation and started to the falls. From the junction one can continue straight to reach BNP; left deviation goes to Jigani and Anekal and the right deviation will take you to the TK falls.

Roads are in such a bad shape that even commuting in SUV’s can leave the commuters in agony. In-between will find some decent patches of road. After 5kms one crosses a small pond and here’s the deviation to Suvarnamukhi on the left side of the road. one can park vehicles here and take a small trek to the Suvarnamukhi temple built on the top of a small hill over-looking BNP; here’s a small kalyani, nothing much to explore though a small trial from here will take one to the temples situated on the Bannerghatta hill.We came back and started off again to the falls; continuing further for 2 kms one can find a sign board with an arrow indicating to deviate right on the muddy road;after 50mtrs or so forms a T-junction continue straight further down from this junction to meet a larger road and then take a right deviation this will take one to a small temple; here one can park vehicles;a small trial from here will take you to the base of the falls.Right-turn from the junction will take one to the depilated buildings on a hill now been used as the parking lots by the visitors.Be care-full as some of the village-brats steal petrol here; also sometimes local women harass visitors by demanding parking charges, especially when female folks are in the group.

From here a rugged path leads to the valley; further going left on this path will take one to the bottom of the falls. And to our surprise we saw a huge waterfall which we did not expect at all. The deep, wide pools at the bottom and the back-stream of the falls with its wide and expansive surroundings make them exciting swimming pools, besides being an ideal picnic spot. We had a refreshing bath; the water gurgling through the rocks onto the bodies, drowns away mobile beeps and the din of the city.It’s right from a picture postcard and is a must-see, being so close to BNP for its awe-inspiring natural beauty. It also can be a wholesome family experience; at the falls bonding with the family takes place at a deeper level. Waterfall is no less alluring as it tumbles and plunges right into the pools and is an image to behold especially during monsoons.

Visit TK falls revive your jaded spirits and feel rejuvenated.

Clock was ticking 12 and we had many things on the platter; soon we came back to the deviation and headed towards Harohalli on the Kanakpura road after passing through Kaggalipura.After around 25kms we reached the valley but were truly disappointed when we could not see any water in the valley.Hunger pangs were ripping our stomachs apart and thus we stepped into a small village bus-stop and gorged the parceled vegetable Palov.

We had few more hours of day-light left hence decided to visit Bannerghatta national park. After sometime we could see ourselves lined  up in a queue for the Grand Jungle safari and later on were ushered in a small van to tour the park. This park is spread over a 100 square kilometer, has thick thorny undergrowth and dry deciduous forest teeming with many animals. But the Tiger/Lion safari is most sought-after where the big cats roam free and peer at you quite close by. This date with untamed companions merely lasted for about an hour and then we wandered around the zoo, spent some time speculating on family dynamics of these animals and talking about the interaction between the species.

At last we returned with breadth-taking frames of the journey that just can’t be described in words.

Travel tips:
TK falls is around 7 kms from the Bannerghatta Junction.And around 32 kms from Majestic.
It’s an ephemeral water fall and needs to be visited just after monsoon and before December.
Avoid Sunday’s as the local crowd will be more.                                                       Public transport is not available to the falls.                                                                    At BNP the Grand safari is the best one at 120/-,and zoo is a must visit for kids.
Volvo bus services by BMTC are available from Majestic to Bannerghatta national parkand back.                                                                                                                         
Good restaurants/resorts are available on the periphery of the park.
Check out the Route-Map.

Visit our Group @ CLICK HERE
Join Bangalore ASCENDers @ CLICK HERE

Written by: Mudassar
Event organized by: Mudassar
Image Gallery:
Chandan,Mudassar,Shivshankar,Tulbir

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TK falls and Bannerghatta National Park

Googling has become a favorite hobby of mine and while doing so chanced upon two words Suvarnamukhi and Thottikallu falls.Tried to search more about these places, but could not find any information and ended up laying my hands on a single photo of Thottikallu falls also called as TK falls from Google Earth. This photo did not show any signs of water and to add more confusion it was marked at more than two different places on Google Earth. So just thought why not to explore these places on our own, also clubbed the plan to explore a huge valley along the Harohalli-Jigani route just on the outskirts of Bannerghatta national park (BNP).Despite the fact that BNP has many valleys only a couple of basic routes are open for trekking.

In the pursuit of finding clear water pools in the valley and to explore lesser known TK falls, we foursome from Bangalore ASCENDers started off on the dawn of 10th October. After some traffic chaos we all met directly at Bannerghatta junction, here we had breakfast at a small darshini. Over hot idli-vadas and steaming cup of coffee, we chatted and got to know one another as we were meeting for the first time. Later on took some lunch parcels and moved on. When enquired with locals for directions to the waterfall they seemed to be clueless. So without any further adduce we took right deviation and started to the falls. From the junction one can continue straight to reach BNP; left deviation goes to Jigani and Anekal and the right deviation will take you to the TK falls.

Roads are in such a bad shape that even commuting in SUV’s can leave the commuters in agony. In-between will find some decent patches of road. After 5kms one crosses a small pond and here’s the deviation to Suvarnamukhi on the left side of the road. one can park vehicles here and take a small trek to the Suvarnamukhi temple built on the top of a small hill over-looking BNP; here’s a small kalyani, nothing much to explore though a small trial from here will take one to the temples situated on the Bannerghatta hill.We came back and started off again to the falls; continuing further for 2 kms one can find a sign board with an arrow indicating to deviate right on the muddy road;after 50mtrs or so forms a T-junction continue straight further down from this junction to meet a larger road and then take a right deviation this will take one to a small temple; here one can park vehicles;a small trial from here will take you to the base of the falls.Right-turn from the junction will take one to the depilated buildings on a hill now been used as the parking lots by the visitors.Be care-full as some of the village-brats steal petrol here; also sometimes local women harass visitors by demanding parking charges, especially when female folks are in the group.

From here a rugged path leads to the valley; further going left on this path will take one to the bottom of the falls. And to our surprise we saw a huge waterfall which we did not expect at all. The deep, wide pools at the bottom and the back-stream of the falls with its wide and expansive surroundings make them exciting swimming pools, besides being an ideal picnic spot. We had a refreshing bath; the water gurgling through the rocks onto the bodies, drowns away mobile beeps and the din of the city.It’s right from a picture postcard and is a must-see, being so close to BNP for its awe-inspiring natural beauty. It also can be a wholesome family experience; at the falls bonding with the family takes place at a deeper level. Waterfall is no less alluring as it tumbles and plunges right into the pools and is an image to behold especially during monsoons.

Visit TK falls revive your jaded spirits and feel rejuvenated.

Clock was ticking 12 and we had many things on the platter; soon we came back to the deviation and headed towards Harohalli on the Kanakpura road after passing through Kaggalipura.After around 25kms we reached the valley but were truly disappointed when we could not see any water in the valley.Hunger pangs were ripping our stomachs apart and thus we stepped into a small village bus-stop and gorged the parceled vegetable Palov.

We had few more hours of day-light left hence decided to visit Bannerghatta national park. After sometime we could see ourselves lined  up in a queue for the Grand Jungle safari and later on were ushered in a small van to tour the park. This park is spread over a 100 square kilometer, has thick thorny undergrowth and dry deciduous forest teeming with many animals. But the Tiger/Lion safari is most sought-after where the big cats roam free and peer at you quite close by. This date with untamed companions merely lasted for about an hour and then we wandered around the zoo, spent some time speculating on family dynamics of these animals and talking about the interaction between the species.

At last we returned with breadth-taking frames of the journey that just can’t be described in words.

Travel tips:
TK falls is around 7 kms from the Bannerghatta Junction.And around 32 kms from Majestic.
It’s an ephemeral water fall and needs to be visited just after monsoon and before December.
Avoid Sunday’s as the local crowd will be more.                                                       Public transport is not available to the falls.                                                                    At BNP the Grand safari is the best one at 120/-,and zoo is a must visit for kids.
Volvo bus services by BMTC are available from Majestic to Bannerghatta national parkand back.                                                                                                                         
Good restaurants/resorts are available on the periphery of the park.
Check out the Route-Map.

Visit our Group @ CLICK HERE
Join Bangalore ASCENDers @ CLICK HERE

Written by: Mudassar
Event organized by: Mudassar
Image Gallery:
Chandan,Mudassar,Shivshankar,Tulbir

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Muthyalamaduvu waterfall-Pearl Valley exploration

Muthyalamaduvu also known as Pearl Valley, is a popular picnic spot situated about 45 km south of Bangalore near Anekal. The gushing stream cascading down from a height of 92 meters offer a stunning sight. The drops of water strewn from the rock surfaces on impact give the appearance of scattering pearls. Hence this name Pearl Valley.

On an early morning of September 26; Saturday four of us from Bangalore ASCENDers team headed towards Pearl Valley. The objective of this mini trek was to exp lore entire valley and ensure if there are any clear water pools, as we were on the look out for a place closer to Bangalore to organize mini/relaxing treks.

We reached Majestic KSRTC bus stand by 7AM to catch a bus to Anekal but were told that the direct buses to Anekal were stopped due to Namma Metro work. So we rushed to KR market to board a private bus from Kalasipalya bus-stand; other option is to catch a BMTC bus from Majestic but this will cost you 2 plus hours; best option is to take your own vehicles. Anekal can be reached via Bannerghatta or Hosur road.

We had a good breakfast at not-so-decent Ashoka hotel at Anekal and took parcel for lunch. Muthyalamaduvu is around 6 km from Anekal and auto is the only mode of transport; charges will be anywhere around 60 to 100 rupees each way. Good and the shady roads awaits you as you move out towards Muthyalamaduvu, after few kilometers one need to take a right deviation and this road ends at KSTDC hotel. This lone hotel here opens after 11AM catering to the needs of tourists and is usually full with boozers. There is a public toilet and and an ice-cream parlor too. We reached here by 10AM and there was no-one  around; stone pathway beside the ice-cream parlor takes you into the valley. As we started descending the first dekko was of the breathtaking sun-kissed valley. Pathway leads you to a small Shiva temple; to its opposite side is a small stream like waterfall which is actually the extension of Muthyalamaduvu falls many mistake this to the original falls. A small trial at the front of the temple will take you to the falls it’s hardly 10-15 minutes walk.

Muthyalamaduvu is a multi stage water-fall a small trial starts from the left side of the falls and goes all the way to the top; many deviations to right from this main trial goes to the different stages of the waterfall. Every stage has its own beauty the water gurgling through the rocks soothes the body and the soul. Nilgiri plantation is closer to the top of the falls and is a perfect place to while away hot afternoons on a sunny day. Base of the waterfall has enough tree cover and also have a small pond with muddy water were you can build your swimming skills.

It was already 12.30PM and we started trekking along the valley to explore, enthusiastic trekkers can trek the entire valley; this valley extends up-to Devarabetta near Harohalli You get to see many muddy water pools along the way. Few shepherd folks who met on the way told us that sometimes they get to see elephants roaming in the valley which has a close proximity to Bannerghatta national park. Valley also has good number of birds and flowers. We could see lots of construction work going on either sides of the valley and also on the top of the falls. Hope this place too is not sacrificed in the name of development.

After exploring for a good distance, as we did not find any clear water pools we headed back to the waterfall. With the mountain air whetting our appetite, we gorged on not so delicious vegetable pulav. After lunch we spent some time sharing our previous trekking experiences with each other. By 3.30PM we were back at the hotel bid goodbye to the valley and boarded an Auto to reach Anekal.Caught a BMTC bus and arrived at Majestic and later I reached Vijayanagar around 7PM.

This ended a picturesque day spent amongst verdant surroundings and a beautiful waterfall away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Travel Tips:                                                                                                                   Taking own vehicles is a prudent option.                                                                            Beware of the monkeys around the hotel.                                                                           This place is also known for birding and trekking.                                                         This is a seasonal waterfall best time to visit is just after monsoon till the end of November.                                                                                                                          Good place to spend a day out with family especially kids.  

Travel expenses:

Bangalore to Anekal and back by Bus	30/-
Anekal to Pearl Valley by Auto	25/-
Pearl Valley to Anekal by Auto	15/-
Breakfast and Lunch	35/-
City transport	20/-
Miscellaneous	25/-
Total cost per head	150/-

Visit our Group @ CLICK HERE
Join Bangalore ASCENDers @ CLICK HERE

Written by: Mudassar
Event organized by: Mudassar
Image Gallery:

Ram,Pranjal,Mudassar

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