.Take the trek to one of Karnataka’s highest mountains, and be ready to enjoy the natural beauty of the town. This 4400-foot high peak belongs to the Western Ghats and is a fine chance to find the wild jewels of the mountains. The peak is related to a little history, folklore, and much more enticing for visitors. It is said that Adi Shankaracharya had killed a demon on top of the hill in the 11th century. The goddess appeared to the wise and satisfied her desire; hence the path to Kodachadri Trek had also a divine presence.
Located deeper in the Western Ghats and in the Shimoga district. Kodachadri is home to luxurious green jungle roads through thick tropical forests, picturesque waterfalls, and hypocritical landscapes. It is the 10th highest peak in the world. It also forms the ideal backdrop to Mookambique’s Moola Temple. Which is believed to be the place of origin to Goddess Mookambika. Located at the Mookambika Wildlife Shrine. A glimpse into the Arabian Sea from their highest point of view. They provides the impression of the evening sun, which is a mixture of the mountain and the sea with very few peaks in the region.
THE TREK
On the second day of the three days that are distributed over the tour, Kodachadri trekking will be arranged. Throughout the ride, your eyes will be flooded with lush greenery, including several trees, which are native to the region. The journey would be magnificent with numerous rivers and cascades. You can see a hypocritical sunset from the top of the hill. If the day is sunny, you may get an insight into the Arabian Sea too.
Your housing is in tents or shacks, next to the mountain. Since the Kodachadri trek is short in Karnataka, you can easily climb the cliff and return the same day. This trip also involves a tour of Sharavathi Backwaters for a nice swim on both day 02 and day 03. The choice of camping near the backwaters raises the expedition’s adventure to a new degree. On day 3 morning, go to Bengaluru and visit the fort on the way to Nagara.
In addition to a few fewer exploring routes, three are mostly at the top. The most famous and most difficult is that from Sampekatte or Marakuttaka through the Hidlumane Falls. This route is very steep and robust and demands that you cross dense woodland, gentle streams, and ascend a waterfall quite literally and that during peak monsoons it becomes quite another ballgame. Despite your efforts. You will recall your path towards the summit and be proud of your journey to another planet with magical views, pristine trees, and tough climbs on all sides.
The second trail is comparatively simpler from Karakatte via the Hotel Santhosh, Valur The small settlement of the hotel can easily enter private vehicles and from this position, you can launch a trek of around 4-5 hours.
The third road is a jeep route and it is the longest of the three, which you can take if you wish to go down from Kodachadri Trek.
These three trails culminate in the Moola Mukambika temple, where there is also a PWD guest house and a few homestays which will be a significant landmark along the way to the top. The height is about 2 kilometers from here.
The trail through Hidlumane falls was that of the team from Plan the Unplanned. I followed in May 2018 on our way to Kodachadri and, as such, I will concentrate on it.
As our walk lead, Jatin, who is also one of the founders of PTU, has explained, mainly there are five milestones to be found on our route.
The first is an open meadow area that pops in the middle of dense forest roads out of nowhere. Later on, a lot of paddy fields can carry the path to a house where the weary trekkers can expect a little surprise. The challenges of the trek start from here, warning Spoiler. In reality.
The second is the long-awaited Hidlumane Falls. Every one of them is a unique experience and incorporates seven Waterfalls. Your efforts are still well appreciated with the stunning views from about 60 ft. of the waterfall. A treatment, to say the least, was the impression that pristine water flowed over your sore bodies. Refill your water bottles here as you will need them for your next trek.
The almost vertical climb on the front of the trail from the Kodachadri Falls over the roots of trees and steep rocks leads to steeper wetlands that end up on the first peak in the course of this route. This is the third milestone and a nice spot for downtime and a well-deserved dinner.
The path then only diverges to converge again to reach the jeep path leading to the temple of Kodachadri. This is your fourth move and is also the location from which you can rent a jeep.
A rugged path around the surface of a cliff takes you to the fifth and last kilometer of the trek which is the top of Kodachadri. There is Sarvajna Peetha. A small temple-like stone building where the Indian philosopher and theologian Adi Sankaracharya, the eighth century, is said to have mediated. In addition, great vistas all over the Arabian Sea and the view of the sunset stretched over the enormous evening sky are worth all your efforts, filling you with a feeling of success. Which no business goals and performance awards are able to bring.