Kodachadri Trekking : Epic Eight's journey up the mountains!

One day you wake up and you are on the top of the mountains breathing fresh air. How does it feel? Surreal right? 

Hey all, I hope you all are doing good and healthy. June's blog is early and this time it is a travel blog. Yes, I travelled, made friends, talked to strangers, climbed up the Kodachadri Peak, witnessed the Western Ghats, Enjoyed the scenic beauty of Malenadu, Visited Kavimane, and created core memories. It is an achievement for me. As you read through this blog, try to imagine you being there and experience that joy along with me. 

From the person who talked less, stayed in her shell, unexplored places, was too shy to talk to people, was scared to make new friends, had fear of getting attached, fear of heights, and doubting my abilities and strengths to going on a trip with a set of new friends, talking to strangers, climbing up the mountain and writing about it, I have come a long way. 9-year-old Shambhavi will be really proud of who I am today and what I have become.
It has always been mountains over beaches for me. I had climbed a small hill in Bannerghatta in 2022 with my best friend when we were volunteering for WCG(Wildlife Conservation Group) and technically that was my first trekking experience. I still remember the explicit feeling and the joy I felt being on the top of that hill. I wanted to do more of it and when my friend pitched in the idea of going to Kodachadri for trekking, I was excited! But everything has to come the hard way, isn't it? It took me a good amount of time to convince my mother and assure her of my safety. The plan had almost got cancelled, but I guess the universe wanted me to be there and finally, everything fell into place and we started our journey, the 8 of us, THE EPIC EIGHT!

My friends and a lot of other people who had booked tickets for the 15th and 16th of June for trekking were the first batch of people climbing the Kodachadri Hills this monsoon season in 2024. 

Me and my friends started our journey from the Majestic Bus stand where we started the bus journey with endless stories and unlimited laughter. Some of us slept while some of my friends could not sleep as the bus ride was adventurous and especially to the ones who sat in the last seat. 

Kodachadri Hills forms an integral part of the Western Ghat Mountain ranges and being at an altitude of 1343m above sea level, it is said to be reached by a five-hour trek. It took us a lot more time, that is different! The journey to reach the top has 6 pitstops as per I remember. By the top, I mean to reach the Sarvajna Peetha where Sri Shankaracharyaru meditated. A flat land that can be reached in first few hours and then crossing the forest office checkpost to walk through the muddy and slippery path to reach Hidlumane Waterfalls before which we get 2 small waterfalls. Next is the shooting spot where the famous Kannada Movie 'Gaalipata' was shot and after that comes the place on the top of the mountain which is said to be the place where Goddess Mookambika killed the asura, Mookasura. To reach the Mookambika Temple, we again have to walk a bit or go on a jeep ride. From there it is about 1 hour journey up and down to witness Sarvajna Peetha. 

After reaching our homestay- Hallimane Homestay, we were given time to get trek-ready with proper clothing, raincoats, shoes, and high spirits to start our journey up the hill. We ate a good breakfast and started off our journey say about by 10:30 a.m. after a jeep left us at the starting point. We could see the mountain up there and it was so sunny when we started that some of us who wore raincoats were made fun of by others who thought it was too early to be in that attire. Who cares? It rained eventually, Ha Ha!

It started raining heavily after we reached the first pitstop and that is when I first slipped and fell as I looked back to see if my friends were behind. The ground had become so slippery! With trekking shoes, it felt slippery and I was thinking of wearing the regular shoes and now I feel how naive I was to think like that ever since I realised the need for trekking shoes being an utmost necessity because those slippery paths scared me.

I was all ready with a backpack full of first aid kit and items to ward off/prevent/post care from the leech bite. Unfortunately, I could not experience that one thing...I badly wanted to get bitten by a leech just to see how it felt. But sad, that didn't happen. We had to climb steep paths with the help of ropes and it was a fun feeling. Before we could reach Hidlumane Falls, two other small falls greeted us with pleasantness. Soaked in water, boots full of water we had to still go up to reach the peak. Four of us among eight went up to the shooting spot before the other four could join us and there we got our first break from our long hours of climbing. It took us a few more hours from there to reach the first peak. On the way, it was sunny, started to rain heavily, it again was sunny, but on the top of the hill, it was windy and cold. I was astonished to see all the weather simultaneously in a day and that too which changed so fast. It is unpredictable weather there!

From sunny to rainy to windy, the game of nature was on point:)

I can't even explain the feeling of reaching the peak. With much exhaustion and wobbly legs and thirsty throats, we all reached there to just feel this adrenaline rush of being on the top. The fatigue magically went away and I just felt happy and grateful. We could not feel our legs, that is a different story. I hugged the mountains, breathed the fresh air, closed my eyes, and felt the cool breeze on my face, experienced the clouds and fog moving towards me, and felt as though it was embracing me with its tenderness. We are a small entity in this big world and a tiny creature in front of the magnanimous nature. Hills, Waterfalls, Terrains, Rocks, Grass, Trees, Shrubs, and Herbs, all were there before we could go there. Trekking is such a humble game. Nature knows us and grounds us...we are nothing in front of it. It is all, the ultimate, beautiful creation of god.

Since we reached the peak a bit late, we had our lunch there by around 4 p.m. and took a jeep ride up to the Mookambika Temple. Trust me, that jeep ride was my 'The Best' moment of this trekking. Woah! they ride the jeep like it is the last day on earth and it is a matter of 'do or die' situation. They are 'Ruthless' drivers and those path requires that attitude. You be ruthless or don't even try...that is the scenario there. Enjoying the scenic beauty of Malenadu, we had stubborn trekkers in the group who wanted to see the Sarvajna Peetha but unfortunately, due to time constraints, we could not do that. We only went till the first point and came back. It had only been 5 p.m. and already there was fog everywhere. We could not see each other's faces at times and the path where we came from. The jeep ride back to our homestay was the scariest and the most adventurous as we couldn't see the road with that heavy rainfall and fog. I reiterate this, Jeep ride was the best! Can't even write how much I loved it and enjoyed it. Two cliffhangers of this trekking was to not able to reach the Sarvajna Peetha and not experiencing the leech bite! Maybe to experience this I may go there again in the future.

This is a kind of experience that makes me feel that I 'Want to do more of such kind of adventure'. It has been an amazing experience trekking to Kodachadri Mountain Ranges to only have swollen feet the next day, LOL!But it is really worth the adventure and efforts. The beauty of nature is more satisfying than staying at a place thinking that your leg hurts.

The second day was more sightseeing. We went to Devagange Ponds, Nagara Fort, Kavale Durga Fort, and Kuppalli. They all are beautiful places worth visiting once. Devagange ponds were yet to be filled and with the onset of monsoon, it will be filled in the next few days for sure. 

Nagara Fort is a beautiful fort with good selfie points and photograph-friendly backdrops. After eating corn and fresh jackfruit, we left for Kavaledurga Fort, and on the way we had our lunch. Kavaledurga Fort again felt like trekking and as soon as we started it started to rain and on the top, there was a beautiful Kalyani and a small dilapidated temple where there were idols of Lord Narasimha Swamy. A good place to click amazing photographs and see the bird's eye view of the town from the top.

From there going to Kavimane, the place of Rasarushi Kuvempu was the best thing! The museum is well maintained with historical photographs and information in much detail. I thoroughly enjoyed the sneak-peak into the Kavi's Life and going up the Kavishaila was the ultimate happiness for me. The calmness I found there was equivalent to meditation. We all slept there on the rock, watched the sky with moving clouds and wherever the sight went, there were mountains all over. It was so good and can only be experienced if you are there by yourself.

It was a beautiful journey with my friends in Malenadu and two days away from the internet and being in no network area rejuvenated my brain. It felt like the much-needed Digital Detox!

After a sleepless night in a dancing bus, we came back to Namma Bengaluru since the driver took us all to Wonderla with his bus ride! IYKYK:)

It was a fantastic 2 days with my friends, the EPIC EIGHT!

If you enjoyed reading this, share it with your friends and family, plan a trip as soon as possible, and go take that break that you deserve!

Comment down below how you felt after reading this blog. This is my effort to document our experience of trekking up the Kodachadri Hills.

In some places, I might be technically wrong with some details, but I have written it as per my understanding and whatever I could remember. Ignore them and just read or correct me (if there is anything as such) by commenting under this blog.

Thank you @Incredible Karnataka and @Dev (Our trek Co-ordinator and Guide). This indeed has been an incredible trekking experience for me and my friends. You guys are doing a great job in showing 'How Incredible is our Karnataka' to everyone.

THANK YOU!

I will come up with another blog next month. Until then, subscribe to my blog page and stay tuned for more!

Until next time,
Bye!