To Kudremukh we went.
The bus boarded at A2B Jayanagar reached Samse at 7 pm; a jeep ride on a rugged off-road path took us to Mullodi after 6 km. A motley group of around thirty. Ages ranging from 12 to 62 ! Chilly, windy, misty rainy, we started at 10 AM.
Varied terrain and vegetation. Areas of tall trees with rocks and rivulets alternated with areas of low shrubs on steep slopes and yet again with regions of tall, thick grassy areas over relatively flat terrain. Leeches leeches everywhere. The dettol on our shoes didn't seem to deter them. It was quite queasy to see them bore into your neighbor's shoes and socks, and gradually increase in size by ingesting blood. Over 10 km of trekking took us to base the final ascent. It was steep, rocky, windy, with the paths not being clearly marked. A light drizzle kept the energy level up and heightened the sense of adventure, as every step had to be firmly put, as the chances of slipping were very high.
The final 500 m after this ascent was on the flat head of a ridge that lead us to the second highest point in Karnataka - the Kudremukh peak. The view of the rolling hills all around, lush with greenery was enthralling. The grass carpeted slopes with narrow strips of dark green trees gently rising and falling topped with clouds made the trip worth the risk and the pain.
After a rest of half hour - where we are chitranna and curd rice, we started back a 2:30pm, with the hope that the descent will be much easier than the ascent. The first led of the descent was quite treacherous, as the rain and the slope made every step slippery. Even in the flat grasslands, I slipped quite a few times - and thrice while crossing the rivulets! The darkness setting in seemed to make the journey even lengthier.
Finally by 5:30 pm we reached Mullodi, welcomed by steaming hot cups of tea and Maggi! Yeah!
The bus boarded at A2B Jayanagar reached Samse at 7 pm; a jeep ride on a rugged off-road path took us to Mullodi after 6 km. A motley group of around thirty. Ages ranging from 12 to 62 ! Chilly, windy, misty rainy, we started at 10 AM.
Varied terrain and vegetation. Areas of tall trees with rocks and rivulets alternated with areas of low shrubs on steep slopes and yet again with regions of tall, thick grassy areas over relatively flat terrain. Leeches leeches everywhere. The dettol on our shoes didn't seem to deter them. It was quite queasy to see them bore into your neighbor's shoes and socks, and gradually increase in size by ingesting blood. Over 10 km of trekking took us to base the final ascent. It was steep, rocky, windy, with the paths not being clearly marked. A light drizzle kept the energy level up and heightened the sense of adventure, as every step had to be firmly put, as the chances of slipping were very high.
The final 500 m after this ascent was on the flat head of a ridge that lead us to the second highest point in Karnataka - the Kudremukh peak. The view of the rolling hills all around, lush with greenery was enthralling. The grass carpeted slopes with narrow strips of dark green trees gently rising and falling topped with clouds made the trip worth the risk and the pain.
After a rest of half hour - where we are chitranna and curd rice, we started back a 2:30pm, with the hope that the descent will be much easier than the ascent. The first led of the descent was quite treacherous, as the rain and the slope made every step slippery. Even in the flat grasslands, I slipped quite a few times - and thrice while crossing the rivulets! The darkness setting in seemed to make the journey even lengthier.
Finally by 5:30 pm we reached Mullodi, welcomed by steaming hot cups of tea and Maggi! Yeah!
