Kudremukha National Park

Kudremukha and Nethravati beckoned & We couldn’t resist!! 

On this long Diwali weekend, a group of friends embarked on a short adventure-get-away to Chikamagaluru, driving 330 kms from Bangalore, to explore the peaks of Kudremukha National Park!! 

After 8 hrs of fun, stories and laughter on wheels, we arrived at the homestay where the host’s warm welcome with hot coffee and snacks made us reminisce the vacation visits to our ancestral homes!! Soon it started pouring down! With an early homemade Malanaadu dinner and readying the backpack for the first trek, we retreated to the beds in the dormitory; chatting, laughing as in those old hostel days, until we dozed off.

Day1

All geared up early in the morning with a healthy & heavy breakfast and packed lunch; we were aboard the jeep for a 7kms offroad bumpy ride that landed us near the forest office. Our trek permit and ID cards were checked, and we were allotted a guide. (permit fee of 575/- is to be paid online for the permit and guide fee 1000/- at the forest office). 

All set to dive into the adventure!!

One of the most iconic treks in the Western Ghats, Kudremukha is every orophile's dream!! Getting its name from unique horse-face shape of its main peak, its trail is made of steep hills and valleys, providing mesmerizing, panoramic views and the babbling of streams barely leave your company all along the 22kms.

Apart from the rivers Tunga, the Bhadra and Nethravathi that originate in these peaks, the Kudremukh National Park has rich iron ore and hosts bewildering flora and fauna in the high-altitude forest landscape!

Making our way through the forest, we crossed multiple water streams, and halfway through the trek, we reached ‘Onti Mara’ (‘lone tree’ in the landscape), a resting point midway to the summit, with breathtaking views and metaphorical significance. Now the views started to unfold and I was utterly blown away by the majestic beauty of the meadows! We took a much-needed breather here and continued to more stretches of forests, streams and marshy land. 

During the last stretch we saw the peak, and it was a steep climb from there. The skies were relatively clear. There were ghats, valleys and clouds as far as the eyes could see. It was grand to stand there, catch a breath and soak it all in. 

But as we summited, there was mist everywhere, masking sights, although nature was kind enough to give us glimpses of the priceless views below! It was cold, windy and wet but exhilarating! As we sat there having lunch, there were no aching knees or ankles, just a sheer sense of peace!

After a quick nap, a few clicks and recharging ourselves, we prepared for the descent that was a bigger challenge amidst the rain and the water flowing down on the trails. It took a lot of grit to finish the trek in the muddy, slippery trail when the path seemed never-ending at times. After all, we had been at it for 7 hours, if not more! Back at the forest gate, and looking back at the mountains, I knew I had made memories that would last a lifetime.

Day2: Nethravathi

After a good dinner and sleep, we were on the next trail from the same base Samse!

The peak that gets its name from the Netravathi River is sandwiched between Samse village and Belathangady and is part of the same National Park.

With rolling Shola grasslands on all sides and a summit that gives a birds-eye view of the town down, Netravati trek is a beautiful and easy adventure of 12kms trail for a fit beginner.

A fee of 500/- was paid online for the permit and guide fee of 1000/- at the forest office before we started the trek. 

Initial walk was on a slippery, rocky sections, the ascent slowly flattened out as we reached the two-tier waterfalls. Post monsoon time, it’s better to wear trekking shoes and a use trek pole to maneuver the trail. I used a leech socks too as the tiny creatures are all around waiting to latch onto potential prey!

We were accompanied by a herd of grazing cattle from the nearby villages who were also wading the waters and stones. Walking 3kms through shrubs and high-altitude grasslands, we could hear small streams flowing nearby that seemed to be canalled to nearby villages. 

There were some gradual ascents and descents, until the stream that we crossed using the ropes tied across them. It was a bit tricky, and we needed to watch out for rocks covered with moss. A wrong step could result in ankle twists or sprains that will be difficult to endure, and we might have to evacuate the trek! We could refill our bottles with clear cold water to fuel the rest of our expedition.

Now the last part of the trek that’s around 2kms was the best, thru inclined grasslands where we got a 360° view of the rolling hills around us, we crossed multiple peaks to finally reach the summit. We saw some prominent peaks of the western ghats incl. Kurdremukha. There were cloud beds around that played hide and seek but gave us glimpses of small villages & towns around. We had our snacks and lunch sitting atop enjoying the picture-perfect views.

Sitting on the summit enjoying serenity led me to a deeper sense of purpose, building resilience and healing. As always, this adventure was a transformative experience, energizing my body, mind and soul! Every step that I took brought me closer to tranquility!! 

The descent was easy and quick. And in the blink of the eye, it was wrapping up time. 

Being a solo trekker mostly, this expedition with friends (of varied interests) and my spouse (with an unfriendly ligament :D), who were on their first major & long trekking expedition, has given me a wider perspective of exploring nature and heights, and made this an unforgettable sojourn! So, it was not just the fresh air, new terrain, breathtaking views this time, but the deeper bond that we created makes it even more special for me!

As always, the hardest part was leaving the trails. 

Gathering experiences and memories, holding seeds of new dreams and awaiting the new destinations, we drove back home!