Trek to Savanadurga

For a 35 year old with a desk-job , no exercise and physically out of shape , this was trek that might have taken some thinking before accepting . However , I did want to trek for some time now & one that kicks off "my mission" to get back into shape , especially on the auspicious "Vijaya dashami" was something i really couldn't let go.

Saj kicked this off - there were numerous options for the trek destination , but we finally zeroed-in on Savanadurga. The rendezvous point was KSRTC Bus-stand . Sreejith,Saj,Sajeev came there in the hired Tavera . Shrini & I joined them there. we set off at ~9 am from here. Our plan - to reach Savanadurga via Magadi Road .

It was actually a risk , considering it was raining this time of the year . If it had rained that day, the trek wouldn't have been possible at all. Luckily , it was good weather - not too much sun , cloudy but no rain. Ideally , this trek must be done in Jan/Feb when there is no rain and no heat.

My attire - a cotten T-shirt , a khaki baggy and woodland hiking shoes with good tread .
My backpack contents - A raincoat , sunscreen lotion SPF 30 , a compass , Enough drinking water , Food - 3 Nutri bars , an apple and lunch pack : 3 sandwiches , some plastic covers , newspapers .

Magadi Road was quite crowded - The Road gets better only after you reach the NICE road junction . we start having the view of the monolith savanadurga ~10-15 km before Magadi itself .

It took us close to an hour and we reached a petrol pump just before the Magadi town : ~45 km from bangalore . we don't have to enter Magadi town . we have to take a left after this place . This is the Magadi-Ramanagram Road.






Another 6 km and we get a lake . Immediately after this lake you see a big board to take a left to Savanadurga. Another 5 km inside this route and after passing by the Forest Dhama , you will arrive at a hamlet having 2 temples. This is where you have to park the car and start the trek.

Savanadurag is a massive Monolithic rock structure - It's actually 2 hills BiliBetta - "White Hill" and KariBetta " Black Hill" , separated by a ravine. The Bilibetta is the trekkable one . Some local boys tried to convince us to use them as guides - we refused flatly.we started the climb at 10:30 am - a generous application of sunscreen to the neck is advised , especially considering our time of the day.



The climb began in the most innappropriate direction- misled by some locals doing it and seeing sreejith being able to do it easily. Halfway some of us felt really miserable - we couldn't climb up , neither we could get down ! An old man standing at another end gave us a loud call : showing us another way which had a white mark . Somehow , we managed to come down using all 4 "hands" .



This time re-started towards the right direction , now accepting this old chap as the guide. Savanadurga gave an immediate taste of what we were to experience time & again - "It's all in the mind!" . Shrini with our guide is seen here .



we made sure we never stepped on any water flowing on the rock - greatly advisable to take a deviation around it , otherwise the slip can cost bad !



Sreejith and I are giving a good pose , with the backdrop of the monolith :



En-route , the soothing view of the manchinabele reservoir gets better and better.



After sometime , we approach the steepest point of the trek - it's almost a 60-degree incline climb . They have made small dents in the rock , which one can use both hands/legs on and climb up . Immediately after this you see the remnants of the fort . Here's shrini taking a snap of us resting after this steep climb.




After this , one can see the pathway built on the fort bricks . we didn't go on that , but on the path right of that , closer to electric poles . The next important landmark is the Kalyani and the derelict mantap .





Just after this , the Nandi - the final destination to the top can be seen to the left. There are actually two options : Nandi to the left and the Anjaneya to the right - Most opt to go to the Nandi . There is a lot of vegetation after this and is actually the more enjoyable part of the climb. we even get a small windowy entrance enroute :



After some 4 legged climbs and almost 2 hours later - at 12:30 pm , we reached the top .



From the top , the parked cars and the temple really look miniscule .



The "Karibetta" , the one with lots of vegetation can be seen from the top - No wonder why the normal level-one trekkers can't think of going there !




Victorious , eh ?



While climbing up , we had jitters regarding whether or not we would be able to go down easily . All such fears were laid to rest , since the climb down was far easier "in the mind" . However , the knee and the ankles really hurt during the down phase.





we had our lunch just before the base-point , on a small divergent path behind rocks . we really deserved our lunch that day. The climb down just took us under 45 minutes .

Came back to the cab and decided to have a view of the Manchinabele reservoir . For this , we have to join back the Magadi-Ramanagram Road , the direction towards Ramanagram. After some 7 kms again , we have to take a left - don't miss the signboard . Another 8 kms later , we reach the reservoir. There are no good pointers or direct roads , so keep asking the locals for the muddy strech . This was brimming with water and we saw a huge crowd - cars very close to the bank, people swimming etc . The backgrop of the rocky hills makes it a good picture .



After this , we continued on the same Road . This road hits the famous "Dodda-Alada-Mara" - Big-Banyan-tree . Since most of us had seen this place before , we didn't stop-by. After this, we reach the Mysore Road - we get a lot of good nurseries on the way - good to buy some flowers/plant varieties . Back to the city & homes after another hour or so .

All in all , a good trek . Not a very physically exhausting one , but certainly tests "your mind" . We concluded that it definitely makes a good case for a management training - How to tame your fears , how to be cautious yet bold , how to take balanced rests and how a good company(team) is helpful to reach tough places ! The body is indeed stretched and you feel like a well-oiled machine in the end.

More interesting trek places lie ahead surely ....

A trip to Coorg

It was a trip that i really looked forward to , especially considering it was really some time i travelled to any place like this in over 2 years . I had already booked a cottage in orange county a month in advance . The plan - explore Coorg with Orange county as the base camp.

We started late from Bangalore 8 am from our JP Nagar abode . Given my rustiness from not having undertaken a highway drive for quite some time , i found myself driving the car on the Bangalore-Mysore highway as though i would drive in the slow city traffic . The NICE intersection arrives at ~8 km from the kanakapura-ringroad junction , then you take a right and get on to the really NICE highway. You have to shell out 16 Rs/- for the toll if you want to take the mysore road. The 9 Km on the NICE road is a breeze and then you join the Mysore Road.

After Ramanagaram , we stopped over for a good breakfast at Kamat Lokaruchi. They make really nice Idlis wrapped in leaf , but i prefer "healthy" Pooris anyday :-) . The other obvious breakfast stop-over choices are - Shivalli restaurant OR Maddur Tiffanys. There are other hep eating places now - McDees/Coffee day etc .

To go to coorg , you have to take the right at the junction which heralds the arrival of Mysore - just after the big canal bridge over your head . Then you travel through the industrial estate of Mysore - the road twists and turns . Advise you to be careful here : there are some places where you may just head the wrong way - when in doubt ask someone . Some boards show ooty and some exist in obscure places . After a good 6-7 km down and up and down the hilly industrial estate you then arrive at a "major" junction , where you see huge boards indicating Coorg/Hunsur . You need to take a right at this junction to get onto the SH-88 which will take you to Coorg.

Now : This road is a Pleaaasuuuure ! It's one of the most wonderful roads i have driven on. Did i hear someone say it's like Hemamalini's cheeks ? You bet !



















Just before Hunsur , you see the road taking a V - The road on your left takes you inside Hunsur and the right one is the bypass road . Continue on the bypass road headed towards PiriyaPattana . After just under an hour from Mysore , we reached PiriyaPattana . Soon after Piriyapattana ends , the SH-88 takes a right curve . At this place you see an old big board saying continue straight for Orange county.

Orange county is situated just before the town of Siddapur. Siddapur is reached by taking the above mentioned diversion off the SH-88 after Piriyapattana. Here's where the city feeling really ends and the countryside really begins - you feel it instantly when you are stopped by a hoarde of goats and the shepherd who doesn't care a thing for your horn !

The drive on this road is slow - you get these small speed-breakers at small villages in between just before the forest begins. The drive is really good - don't forget to horn at important times . Many local jeeps and trucks suddenly appear out of nowhere and you really need to slow-down to give them the "side" ! Also , this road can get really bumpy , so if you want no puncture situation , drive easy.

After the other end of forest checkpost ends , you begin to see the Coffee estates with the silver oak trees - A refreshing sight indeed.

























Many Coffee-estates later , we came across a board "orange county" to the right . Take a right inside this estate . The road again twists and turns amid thick coffee bushes and a good 3 km later you enter the reception of the Orange county , welcomed by Big Moustached, dhoti wearing folks beating drums , a tilak to your forehead , an Anthurium flower and a sugarcane juice. we were ferried to our cottage in an electric buggy.

Orange County is a "high-end" place - The extremely courteous staff and the well kept place justifies the cost partly , while i still think it's more expensive than it should be . The cottages are clean and have just enough of everything . I wish they had carpeted it or had a wooden flooring , since the floor gets really cold .

Orange county is a resort with different kind of cottage types - ranging from the minimalistic ones to the ones with swimming pool inside them. They have well maintained pathways , a small pond and a bigger lake , 3 types of restuarants , a superb coffee lounge and a very active activity centre . They also have an ayurvedic centre and arrange for plantation walks and so on .

The Coffee lounge is probably the best kept secret and i can't visualize a better coffee sipping place than that. The lounge is on a high platform of wooden flooring , with a thatched roof , overlooking an amazing paddy field . The chairs are very reclining , the coffee is top-class and they also have some good books - I never thought lounging could be so heavenly !

The staff everywhere are full of smiles in general the service is of high standard. The food - i felt that the North Indian stuff was good , but the south indian dishes weren't upto mark. I would recommend anyone to just stick to the Granary restuarant only .

The activity centre folks have always something up the sleeve - we enjoyed a kodava dance , a kolata show on the next day and some good games around a bonfire . The Anthurium garden and the fish-catching was an interesting experience also.

Outside Orange county , Our first planned visit was to Dubare Elephant camp. Here you have the pleasure of getting to wash the elephants , watch them gulp huge ragi balls and then have a 15 minute ride on their backs .

[ PS : It's with reason that i am choosing not to post any images of Orange county. ]

To get to Dubare , you must cross siddapur town , cross the big bridge on cauvery , then reach a small bridge where the road forks - take the road on the right . This road twists and turns and after a good 45 minutes you will see a small board saying Dubare - Don't miss this ! A km inside this and you reach the cauvery rapids. A private ferry will take you across the river and you can reach the Gaja-Rajas' territory. The youngsters prefer to white-water-raft at this place.

The elephant wash begins by 8:30 am and ends by around 9:30/10 am - it's advisable to be her e at least before 9:30 am .

The elephants have really thick skin - you really feel it once you scrub the elephant :-) . They even seemed to wink at us while enjoying all the attention and a good bath .



















After the wash , the elephants are fed with huge , hot ragi balls and then some of them are ready for a ride . The ride costs 100/- per head and Approx 4 adults and 2 kids can sit on one elephant. They start issuing ride tickets from 10-15 am onwards , so make sure you get it early , otherwise the queue/wait can get longer . You board and alight the elephant from a tall stand . I had the privilege of boarding "Indra" , who is as old as i am ! What a difference in lifestyle , Sigh !




We crossed back the river and the next planned stop was Byalakuppe Tibetian camp . The same road continues and joins the Bangalore-Madikeri road . En-route , the lush green paddy fields and lotus ponds provided more scenic variety .






Once we hit the B-M road , the right takes us to Kushalnagar , while the left takes us to Madikeri. This road till kushalnagar is all bumpy . You pass kushalnagar , see a sign bylakuppe and you see a big arch for the entrance . From here , the road again twists and turns up & down the hill . The destination - the famed golden temple .




What's inside the temple is probably the most colorful spectacle you can ever expect. It's Buddha and his two re-incarnations - Guru Padmasambhava(Rimpochet) and Amitayus. The entire hall also depicts paintings of of 25 disciples in the line.




we returned back to Orange county just in-time before the luncheon closes . Just after that it rained cats & dogs , giving a real feel of how rains lash this part of the country. The rest of the evening was spent in the confines of the resort.

The next day morning we decided to head to Madikeri , the capital of Coorg. Madikeri is around 1 hour drive from Siddapur . The directions are nearly same as described before - except that on the small bridge fork , you take a left instead of right .

First you again pass through excellent coffee estates - the fresh oxygen coupled with a great drive make this a very memorable experience. The reason it takes longer to reach Madikeri than usual is because it is a climb up the hill . we encountered numerous small water streams/falls beside the road .



Madikeri is a hilly town - the whole town resides on a strech of hill and the main road curves up and down a hill . Our first destination was to Abbey Falls . Abbey Falls is situated a good 7-8 km from Madikeri . The directions to Abbey falls is : Count 3 major circles and at the 3'rd take the diagonal right ( which is a one-way) - keep going and you will start seeing signs for Abbey falls . This falls is situated in a private estate and gets a lot of visitors. The water gushes from a good height and there is a good hanging bridge . My kiddo gave a good attention pose in front of the Abbey .



From Abbey we returned back to Madikeri town and went back to the 1'st circle , from where Raja's seat is a stone's throw away. From here , you get a very good view of the real western ghats and gives you an idea of the numerous trek possibilities - Something for the future surely.
we relaxed on the benches and played a good game "i-can-spot-it-can-you?" - For instance : I can see a smoke somewhere , can you show me where ? i can spot a small lake - can you too ? Raja's seat is a real 180-degree viewpoint !




The most-attractive thing for me and my kid was the toy train at Raja's seat . The driver waits until he has at least 20 people and then starts the train . we both took two rides in the train. I wish i could drive it .



The last stop was to the Omkareshwara temple . This is a temple of Lord shiva , but with minarets on the top ! Quite interesting actually. They close by 12:30 pm , so hurry please . They have a good Pushkarni Pond in the front . The most interesting part there is the "Shasana" - an inscription in kannada - i must say i was quite impressed by the language used there.



we headed right back to Orange county and again made it right in time for a heavy meal at the Granary. The evening was spent in lazy walks round the campus lake and an eminently forgettable ayurvedic head massage session .

The next day morning we headed back from one amazing pristine jungle to the other familiar one - the color changing slowly but steadily from green to white .

The words "I will be back" ( courtesy Schwarzy ) just kept echoing in my head .