Rain trek in the backwaters of Sharavathi

Something that all of us rejoice and love to do: Spend some time amidst the Mother Nature and discover some great creations by her. But, only some of them eventually plan it up and visit some real beautiful places.

I am lucky to be a one among them. We have a small team comprising of 15 to 20 who love to trek and visit and discover beautiful places (www.mountainroarers.net)

This time, we all were inspired by the Kannada Movie “Mungaru Male” (Meaning: Rain before the Monsoon) and decided to discover the beauty of the places surrounding the Sharavathi river (near Shimoga). We were immediately reminded of the wonderful forest trek of 30 kms. To walk across from Kargal, Via the Kanoor Kote and come out of the forest near a village Gerusoppa across the Sharavathi River.

I must say, it was a plan that we kept postponing again and again atleast 3 times because we wanted to trek in a drizzle, and not end up there when it’s a huge downpour or when there is not a spec of rain. We eventually hooked up on a date and confirmed it with our guide Mahesh who is from a team by name “Nature Adventures” who assist people in making their trek memorable and ofcourse safe.

We 14 of us Gilli, Loki, Poorna, Diwi, Vikram, Achala, Pratibha, Sneha, Shilpi, Priya, Kavitha, Pavithra, Kusuma and I (Sriki) started from Bangalore on a Friday Night and reached Sagara early morning. On our way had fun in the bus pulling each other’s leg and sharing stories about each other. By this time, we were already greeted by the mosquitoes and Vikram was shouting from behind “Do not open the windows, there are mosquitoes”.

We then met Mahesh who helped us get fresh by taking us to a lodge and then had our Breakfast which rejuvenated us. The nature too was waiting for our visit I suppose. There were no rains in the past week. However, by the time we finished our breakfast by morning 8 and about to venture the trek, it started drizzling. As usual, some of us ran to the shelter as we still had not reached the starting point of our trek. But less we knew that we would have to walk the whole of next 2 days in the rains.

Mahesh briefed us about the trek and bid bye as he was hurt. So, Nayan was given the responsibility of making sure we cross to the other side of the forest (cannot say without any problems, because we were all well aware that we will have a tough time).

We boarded the bus back and headed towards the forest. Hills, greenery and deadly curves are the trademark of the Western Ghats. So nice, so calm, so cool we all greeted the Mother Nature. There she showed her anger on us. A branch of a tree on the road was broken and the bus had to stop 4 kms before the actual starting point. We all got off the bus, shared the grocery; Cameras lights flashed by and we all started to walk.

Amazing is not the word!! Bess me!! I was feeling on the top of the world to have been made it to the trek.


Walking through the forest, across the streams in the rain was just too good. Atleast my intention was get drenched in the rain to the core. I did not carry a rain coat and so, I was all only on some cotton wear. I had not seen a leach in my life till then. When I saw it first, I took a stick and thought I could kill it and started to poke it till blood actually oozed out of it. I did it for the 1st leach I found. But there were 100s of them ahead of me. So, took the same stick and used it from now on to remove it if it actually manages to cling on to my shoes or legs.

We managed to reach our first point, a house where we parked our luggage, took some rest and started to the Dabbe Falls. You will not believe it. We had to get down a hill holding the roots of the trees as we were descending down at an angle nothing less than 85 degrees. How easily we all draw a right angle. Imagine getting down the hill knowing that if you loose any grip you would end up atleast having scars on your body if not anything more.



It was worth descending down the hill, the scenery of water falling from a height of 450ft. We all screamed to outwit the sound of the waterfall, but all in vain. 4 of us tried to shout simultaneously to sound louder in front of the fall to exhibit our excitement and happiness, but it was all in vain.


We were advised by Nayan not to get down to the waterfall as it was very slippery and the way back up from the bank too was very scary. We all posed in front of the mighty waterfall for some pics and started our ascent back. I must say, ascent was more easy and fun that the descent. While descending, some of us were shit scared, but while ascending, we enjoyed the very way of clinging on to the roots and get to the top.

It was close to 12 noon when we all made it to the top again. We picked up our luggages and meanwhile, Nayan said, we will walk till 2 PM and then park for lunch. Meanwhile, Nayan made some lotion out of coconut oil and Nashe (I dunno what you would call it in English) and gave it to us so that the leeches do not climb up easily. More meaningful as the oily coating on the skin does not allow the leeches to crawl so easily.

We started to climb one more hill amidst the streams and the green grass.

Whatte sight I tell you! No camera on this earth can capture that image in the way that is equal to reality. We were cursing the grocery that was there in our bags and meanwhile started to eat away the biscuit and the chocolates that people had brought.

Finally at 3 PM, we reached a house where we were supposed to have lunch. Nayan asked us to offload some grocery like rice, Puliyogare Powder and some spices. He prepared some yummy yummy Puliyogore and we ate it to our heart’s content as we knew that the next meal will be nothing before 10 PM. Meanwhile, some of them were apprehensive that the leaches might have crawled up the legs. They got to a room with a torch and to their horror, it was right there. All of them took turns and checked themselves and their clothes and freed it of leeches.

After having our lunch, we continued our journey. This time it was amidst the paddy fields. Climbing up and down the fields and again into the coffee plantations. All this while, we are walking in a rain that is not too heavy or too light. It was the right kind of rain to do a trek, keeping us all moist, and making sure we do not prank for breath. Walked through the villages and it started to get dark by 6 PM. We still had atleast 2 hrs of walk. It was scary as it will be difficult for us to spot the leeches. We all switched on our torches and to our horror, it’s the thick forest that we are walking by to reach our destination for the night. Some of us even tripped and one or two twist their ankle too. It was a horrendous journey just for the mere fact that we are amongst the leeches and all afraid if it would get anywhere up.

I must mention that Diwi and Loki who had a sick with them, walking with people and making sure that the leeches are removed as soon as they cling. Finally at around 8:15 PM or so, we reached a house where we are supposed to stay overnight. It was more than a horror to all of us to see leeches all over our shoes and clothes. We cleaned ourselves and started medicating the people who were bitten by leeches. Leech lady Achala was the most hit girl. She had wounds all over her feet. Loki and Pratibha too joined with Achala. Finally, got some turmeric and sprinkled it on the wounds to make sure they do not bleed more. We all sat in the hall and cursing each other in our minds if this trek was really needed at this hour.


Nayan prepared Rice with Sambar and all of us had it to content and waited to sleep. There was pin drop silence in the hall when all of us slept. Only to realize after some time that people started snoring.

Sunday Morning, we get up and have tea. Meanwhile, Nayan briefs us that we are trying to complete a 3 day trek in 2 days, so we will have to walk faster as we have a hill to cross to reach to our bus.

We started on Sunday morning walking across a stream of water that we mistook to be a small tributary. The force in the water was so much that we had to hold hands to cross it. We again had to ascent a mountain to reach the Kanoor Fort (or well known locally as Kote). The leeches started to get less. There were very little leeches today till now. We reached the Fort, took some pics and it is already 12 in the noon by now.


We started the descent to get to the bus. This journey was more of walking down the hill normally and trying to find out which way in the forest actually will take us to our destination. Meanwhile, we all manage to get out of the forest. And by now, Achala and Sneha are terrified to the limit, lamenting and want to get to the bus at the earliest. We reach a house, where in the garden we take some rest and continue. At this point, we need to cross a tributary which is overflowing and what made it more eventful is, we need to cross it over a wodden hanging bridge. I am Acrophobic (feared of heights) and it was a nightmare for me to cross it. But the fact is I have no other way. Poorna helped me cross the bridge and I will remember it all my life the very sight of an overflowing river below my feet and I just having enough place to put my foot vertically and cross it over a hanging bridge.

We now, walked across the village to cross the Sharavathi River in a boat. Would you believe it, he took us in the boat across the river for just 1 rupee per person!!

Finally made it out of the forest and an end to a trek that will remain fresh and eventful all my life. We got to the bus on the other side of the river and returned to Bangalore on Monday early morning.

Thanks to everyone who made the plans for the trek and to everyone who made it so memorable.

3 cheers to MR!!

Pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/srikanth.bhaskar/SagaraTrek