One of my favorite trek places is Sharavathi Valley Rain forest. It is the part of Western Ghats known as the Sahyadri Mountains, is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan Plateau. About sixty percent of the Western Ghats are located in the state Karnataka.
Sharavathi Valley is still untouched by corrupt humans...It’s about 350 Km from Bangalore. This valley inhabitant is very nice people too.
After the serial cancelation of trekking events, I arranged one more trekking event on 25th and 26th of September. It was an activity arranged for a trekking group in our office after I got so many requests from colleagues around me. Even though I announced 10 days before, was managed to get 8 peoples which was decent numbers to conduct a trek.
It was not good start on the first day of our activities as we were running late. The leaches troubled us initially when we started trek to Bhameshra water falls. We had a nice time in Water falls. By the time we came back we skipped our lunch time and it was difficult for every one to trek back from water falls. After all struggle we are managed to reach the place where the lunch was ready. Soon after having our lunch we started our journey by Jeep to Meguru.
It was around 5 PM we started our trek to peak point where we can see sunset and the Arabian Sea. Our group reached the point and the experience was awesome. The nature dance was started with running clouds, sun hiding under the clouds. Oh! It was one of the best moments in my life under the nature. We clicked some good snaps over there.
Day 2
Kashaya, akki rotti chatni and water as break fast made the beginning of Day.
We started early morning by 8.00 to reach the water falls. It was nightmare experience in thick forest for us to have leeches. There was a long zig zag , treacherous, slippery route with hardly any holds to descend down. Each one took extreme caution descending down. Thankfully none had any major fall except me which happened first day at night trek! I was struggling bit with my knee pain. Some how I managed to do it on par with my trek mates. Guide Sridhar helped me a lot. I used interact with lot about Malenaadu lifestyle.
We could hear stream sound but we took our own time to locate the stream location. This water fall is quite special in its ways. A person who sees it from the top can’t make out the width, glory and the mild roar. It flows like a jhulu jhulu stream but then opens up to a big waterfall. It also hosts a pond at the foot of the waterfall. Only a few made it to the bottom of the waterfall. We could hardly come out of the ecstasy, but by the time we realized we should come out of water, food was ready and the sight of food made us even hungrier. We hogged like anything & had nice rice sambar with pickle & papad. We slept for some time on the rocks.
Usually people enjoy the trek in many of their own way, like some people enjoy climbing to the peaks, some people enjoy trekking on snow clad mountains etc., but I enjoy walking along with the streams and watching water falls and heavy rain in evergreen forests a lot. My dream became true on second day when we were coming back from the stream. We started our trek back towards 90’ steep uphill. By the time we reached point where the water is flowing towards down the hill, it was raining heavily. Oh my god!! What best you can ask for it. We all enjoyed our trek around 2 KM trek in Small River.
On the way back it was difficult trek with slippery mountains leeches inside our shoes. We took off our shoes (some people Cloths!) to free from the leeches.
I have committed my group it will be moderate trek, but the trek was combination of easy moderate, tough & night trek with horrible leeches attack.
In all it was a great trek of series of big and small water falls and Sweat Trek - for me it was a jinx breaking trek.- Chandru
It was a dream comes true for me. On this trip, I saw Mother Nature in all her glory. Her amazing beauty - that amazing sunset on the first day, that trek in the rain, the simple meal we had at the falls the second day that was the tastiest ever, and even all those leeches we still have nightmares about, has me enchanted and will remember them for ever.
I want experience all those things again. When are we going back?
- Ashimjyoti Das
“It was an awesome experience with the life in jungle for two days.
One has to experience such kind of trekking in life time.
Finally we did it “
-Pradeep.
There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like a piece of music and a jungle full of leaches…..!
Trekking in Sharavathy valley was a great experience ….!
-Umashankar Sinha
Eyes will always remember those views; Brain will always remember that silence, Heart will always remember that happiness, Mouth will always remember the Kashaaya, Limbs will always remember the pain and Feet will always remember those leeches!
-Ritesh Kumar
It was a thrilling experience, awesome jungle, chilling falls, walk on the river with rain at same time and horror leaches (only for day1 though). The jeep ride in the climax was really great. Altogether it was two day’s of non stop action/ adventure
-Manjunath Mani
he trekking trip was indescribable! More incredible than I ever imagined!
The crossing of river in rain was amazing. This fun could not be bought by money, it comes at effort.
-Jagat Singh Rathore
You haven’t been to Sharavathi Valley? Well then, you aint seen anything yet....!'
It’s not everyday we get to climb a slippery mountain 90 degree up without a harness…nor we get to walk in a river with thunderstorms. And after all the bloodshed (read 'Leech Attack' :) ) , "It was totally worth it". Nature is at its pristine beauty.
- Shankarmurthy Bhat
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For more Pictures please visit http://picasaweb.google.com/chandseu/MemorableTrekking#
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