Ramnath Kamat

Somehow I missed blogging this trek. This trek was my first with Gallivanters in 2013 apart from a rock climbing session at Turhalli. Well, yeah but I had written a small blog in Kannada about the beautiful sunrise of Narasimha Parvatha.

http://www.offroadtrooper.com/2013/12/blog-post.html


This trip was filled with random people as friends of friends had joined in a tempo traveller. We had contacted a guide and he had taken care of forest department permission and all as this area is infested with Naxalites. A prior police confirmation is required for the trek.


Narasimha Parvatha comes under Kudremukha National Park in Agumbe region of Karnataka. This is the highest peak in Agumbe with a peak at 1150 meters above sea level. The peak can be approached in two ways. First one is rather longer router which starts from Malandur(Agumbe side). The second route is from Kigga(Sringeri side). We had chosen to climb from Agumbe side and get down at the Kigga.

 We left on Friday night from Bangalore, to be reached to Agumbe by early morning  on Saturday. Our guide Krishnappa met us at the Agumbe bus stand. We hired a room to freshen up and quickly assembled for breakfast. The trek from Agumbe side is 14kms and little difficult as there is no established trail. Without a guide it is difficult to approach via this route. After breakfast we left to Malandur, the base village for the trek.

Misty morning in Agumbe

Start of the trek

Soon after starting the trek we realised that it would have been nearly impossible to get to the peak without Krishnappa. There was absolutely no trail and Krishnappa sometimes cut branches to clear the path. He also told us about him featuring in BBC documentary about King Cobras. As you might know, Agumbe is notoriously infamous for King Cobras. He even invited us to the forest department to watch the documentary.

Trek path

Sunrays

Our trek group

 Our lunch stop was Barkana falls which is about 8 kms from Malandur. You will be trekking above the waterfall, hence you don't get to see the front view of the waterfall. The only view you get is the top view which is also after little bit of circus on the top of the rocks.  The difficulty level till the Barkana waterfall is moderate-difficult as the trail is not clear in the forest.

Barkana waterfall

Wood spider

Top side of Barkana waterfall. This water forms the waterfall

We had our lunches here and spent some time relaxing. Everyone was tired. The sun was hot and water bottles were refilled with fresh water.

From here the trail goes through thick forest which is also a steep climb. You will gain as well as loose altitude which becomes a frustration as you crave to come out of the forest.  This trek path is the most difficult of the lot. Sadly I have no pictures of this trail, guess I was frustrated here.


Once you come out of the forest which is about 3 kms, you have to walk in sholas which is rather a pleasant experience as you know you are nearing the summit. The walk in the sholas is about 2kms before you have Old  house on the peak in your sight.

Last mile

There is old house on the top of the summit which must have been a forest guest house long time ago.
We pitched our tents right outside of it and started with usual procedure of collecting firewoods. Cooked meal for the night and played antakshari I think.

Meals

Sunrise at NP

After the sunrise we packed up and started trekking down towards Kigga which is about 5 kms.

Abhilash Trekking down

Kigga trek starting point, from right side of the temple

Sringeri math

Majali beach

The rocky path on the left side is your trail to the beach

Tilmati beach

Sand of Tilamti

Tilmati beach from the other end

Tilmati beach - other view

From here goto Cafe Xtasi for delicious pizzas. Details are given later in the article.

After lunch you can visit to Paradise beach.

Paradise beach:

Paradise beach is an island beach about 20kms from White town. You need to take a ride in the boat to reach the beach. The beach is well maintained and very scenic. DOn't expect here anything much except a small cafe for refreshments. During low tides you can walk a long way along the beach.

Pondi Museum

Botanical garden:

The Botanical Garden is located south of the New Bus Stand. The gate leading to the garden is reminiscent of French architecture and it stands out from its immediate surroundings because it is in the middle of the old Tamil town. The Botanical Gardens were laid out in 1826 in the ornate French style, with pruned trees, flower beds and gravel lined paths and fountains. The garden also hosts a toy train.

Church:

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, situated on the south boulevard, is an oriental specimen of Gothic architecture. It contains rare stained glass panels depicting events from the life of Christ. This church was supposed to have been erected in the 18th century by French Missionaries. Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Catholic church and is a white-and-brown structure

Places to eat:

Cafe Xtasi:

One of the best rated places for pizzas in Pondi. Pizzas here are yummmm.

Zuka:

Savandurga is one of Asia's largest monolith hills situated about 60kms from Bangalore towards Magadi. It is very popular among climbers. 

Savandurga is formed by two hills known locally as Karigudda (black hill) and Biligudda (white hill). There is a Temple of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, where there is an Idol of Lord Narasimha has been worshipped.At the base you can park your vehicle, looks pretty safe for parking during day time. I had left home in the afternoon, so reached the base right when the sun was at its peak. 

Savandurga

There are steps carved onto the hill all the way till top. So climbing it is not a problem but make sure that you carry enough water for the climb. Being Sunday, there were lot of tourists to this spot. 

Manchinbele reservoir as seen from the top

 

Garden lizard

Story telling

Thats me

Temple at the top

View from the top

I spent an hour at the top exploring but the sun was hard to take. So, I climbed down quickly to the base and rode to the Manchinbele reservoir for the sunset. Going near this reservoir is now banned because of many drowning incidents.

 

Falcon at the reservoir

As the sun set I left to home..



Trekking details:Base camp: SavandurgaConnectivity from Bangalore: Better trust own transportJourney hours:  1 hour from Manjestic Trekking distance : 1 and half kms one wayTrekking season:All seasonsDifficulty level:Moderate for amateur trekkers.Easy for frequent trekkers.Must carry:
Good trekking shoes.
Water(1lts).
Food and water are sold here.
   Total trekking time:
If you are a frequent trekker, you can reach the summit  in 45 min-1 hour.

Tips for photographers:
View from the mountain gives a perfect landscape.
Visit early during the day to capture the beautiful sunrise.
Trekking rules:
Do not carry alcohol.
Do not throw anything during the trek.  Keep the trekking place clean for the following trekkers.

Ramnath Kamat's Happiness Index for the trek: 6/10