Ramnath Kamat: June 2015

Escape: Kadugodi Forest trail.

Bike 7:26 AM

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Escape - Kotebetta Trek

coorg 2:02 AM

The trek list had been dry after the last trek to Kudremukha in November. Sometimes you plan something and end up being somewhere else. The actual plan was to trek to Top station. But last minutes dropouts left me alone. I decided to go to some place with any trekking club as I didn't want to go alone. BMC had a trek to Kotebetta but it was almost full. I booked the slot by 4pm and went home packed and left for the trek. This was my first trek with BMC.

Kotebetta is the third highest peak in Corrg after Tadiyandamol and Brahmagiri. The peak is at a height of 1500 meters. The trek is about 7-8 kms one way goes through vivid coffee estate for about 2 kms. BMC had booked a guesthouse near Madikeri. We reached guest house by morning 4:30. The trek lead told us to sleep till 7. After morning duties and breakfast we started in our mini bus towards the base village Madapur which is inbetween Somwarpete and Madikeri. You need to take a left at the Hatti hole bus stop.

The guest house near Madikeri

Red dragonfly

Drive through the coffee estates towards Hatti hole

Start trail of the trek

The first half of the trail goes through coffee estates and with asphalted road and mud road for 2-3 kms. The trek route is comfortably easier and you can hardly get lost even if you are without a guide. For half the distance you will find some houses on one side.

Serene path

Serene jungle view

I don't know what it is..

Tadiyandamol peak can be seen in between

The peak seen from half the distance

360 degree panaorma

View from the top

That's me

At the peak there is a Shiva temple which is visited by the priests everyday for the Pooja. There is also a pond which has drinkable water. You can see Kumarparvata ranges from the peak.

Temple at the top

Harangi dam in the background

Peak height

We spent an hour on the peak and had our packed lunch which was provided at the guesthouse.

Chitranna chitranna

The climb down is always easier yet difficultpart

Selfie at the peak

Tiny planet

We finished the climb down in about 2 hours. The climb down was walkathon rather than a walk. We were at the village by 4. We utilized the remaining time by visiting the nearby waterfall.

Waterfall near Maidkeri

Night the campfire was set. We played Mafia till owner came out and told us to go sleep as we were waking up neighbors(It was a lonely house) :P

Morning I captured some more snaps of the garden in the guesthosue

It didnt rain for 2 days in Coorg which was highly expected but as soon as we entered Bangalore our bus caught up in rain.

Trekking details:
Base camp: Hattihole cross
Connectivity from Bangalore: Well connected by Govt buses.
Journey hours: 7 hours in bus
Trekking distance : 8 kms one way

Trekking season:
October-March

Difficulty level:
Difficult for amateur trekkers.
Easy for frequent trekkers.

Must carry:

Tent, sleeping bag and mat.
Good trekking shoes.
Water(1lts). You can fill it up at the pond on the peak
Leech repellent if you are going before november( Iodex spray, salt). Leech socks are the best options.
Flashlight, First aid kit, Knife, rope, energy drinks and food items.

Important guidelines:

Reserve your tickets in advance.
Start trekking early in the morning, sooner the better. Try to reach the summit by eod.
Stay with the crowd always.
Keep your backpack as light as possible. Dont carry too much of food.

Total trekking time:

If you are a frequent trekker, you can reach the summit in 3 hours.

Tips for photographers:

Dont forget to capture the macro beauties of the jungle.
View from the mountain gives a perfect landscape.
Get up early to capture the beautiful sunrise.

Trekking rules:

Do not carry alcohol. Do not smoke in the jungle
Do not throw anything during the trek. Dustbins are seen at many places. Keep the trekking place clean for the following trekkers.

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

Happy Trekking :)

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Ramnath Kamat

Escape: Kadugodi Forest trail.

Escape - Kotebetta Trek

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