<p>Thanks to copious rainfall that these hills receive, they are draped with lush forests of evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous types. The numerous waterfalls and rivulets have just made this region a suitable sanctuary for wildlife.<br /><br />One of the important nature reserves in this area is the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary which houses a wide variety of fauna, some endemic, some endangered like the lion-tailed macaque. In the middle of this wild forest rises the high peak of Kodachadri. Standing tall at 4406 ft, its summit offers an excellent panoramic view. Kodachadri has for long been the favoured destination for trekkers and mountaineers. <br /><br />Nittur, where there is a buzz...<br />The route we took via the Hidlumane falls was a tough choice. We arrived in the village of Nittur early in the morning. Once a sleepy town, Nittur is now abuzz with umpteen trek operators. Walking further down the road to a dilapidated bridge, we followed the muddy road to the left to reach the falls five kms away. The falls is actually a series of about seven tiny falls each reached after a steady climb. The last one, undoubtedly is also the best. <br /><br />The path from here transforms at once from steep to near vertical. Holding on to stumps and branches of trees for support, we trudged up slowly. When we emerged out of the shola into an open slope, we were greeted with sweeping views of the fields and villages far below indicating the height we were at. The thin trail led us further over the humps and through the glens to a wide plateau with a road suitable for jeep drives. This jeep track was laid a few years ago in order to enable the not-too-abled also to make it to the top to enjoy the beautiful view. <br /><br />Sarvajna Mantapa<br />The Sarvajna Mantapa, a stone structure at the top, serves as a shelter for those camping here. The sides of the mountain drop almost vertically to the impenetrable jungles of Ambavana. In the next one hour before the sun went down, we were lost in the heavenly surroundings that kept transforming steadily against the changing hues of the sky. The highlight of this trek is, in fact, the amazing sunset and sunrise. From this point, one can also get a faint glimpse of the Arabian sea, beyond the layers of fading hazy hills. <br />The sunrise view from Kodachadri is equally mesmerising. So we took a brisk walk up the hill in the morning to catch a sight of the golden moment of dawn. As the sun peeped above the horizon the whole valley with the blue waters of Linganamakki in the foreground came alive. <br /><br />Cave of Chitramoola<br />Scale down a thousand feet and you will reach the cave of Chitramoola. This is considered sacred because it is said that the great saint Adi Shankaracharya performed penance here before consecrating goddess Mookambika. <br />Before retreating, we also took a peek at the Ganesh Gufa cave and the thin cascades of Agasthyatheertha falls. <br />On the way down, we chose the easier route to Kareghati. But at the Malayalee Tea stall midway we deviated to visit the Arishinagundi Falls tucked away deep inside the jungle. Reaching it after a gruelling trek for hours we were astounded by the beauty of this tall and magnificent falls tumbling from about 250 ft in a single cascade. Enjoying this gorgeous view at the end of the trek was a fitting finale before we hit the road back. <br /><br />Getting there<br />Kodachadri is about 400 kms from Bangalore and can be reached via Shimoga and Nagodi or via Mangalore and Kollur. From Nagodi, the trek via Malayalee Tea Stall (four km) is eight kms. The distance from Nittur via Hidlumane Falls is 13 kms. The jeep services have been suspended for the time-being.<br />B V Prakash</p>
<p>Thanks to copious rainfall that these hills receive, they are draped with lush forests of evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous types. The numerous waterfalls and rivulets have just made this region a suitable sanctuary for wildlife.<br /><br />One of the important nature reserves in this area is the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary which houses a wide variety of fauna, some endemic, some endangered like the lion-tailed macaque. In the middle of this wild forest rises the high peak of Kodachadri. Standing tall at 4406 ft, its summit offers an excellent panoramic view. Kodachadri has for long been the favoured destination for trekkers and mountaineers. <br /><br />Nittur, where there is a buzz...<br />The route we took via the Hidlumane falls was a tough choice. We arrived in the village of Nittur early in the morning. Once a sleepy town, Nittur is now abuzz with umpteen trek operators. Walking further down the road to a dilapidated bridge, we followed the muddy road to the left to reach the falls five kms away. The falls is actually a series of about seven tiny falls each reached after a steady climb. The last one, undoubtedly is also the best. <br /><br />The path from here transforms at once from steep to near vertical. Holding on to stumps and branches of trees for support, we trudged up slowly. When we emerged out of the shola into an open slope, we were greeted with sweeping views of the fields and villages far below indicating the height we were at. The thin trail led us further over the humps and through the glens to a wide plateau with a road suitable for jeep drives. This jeep track was laid a few years ago in order to enable the not-too-abled also to make it to the top to enjoy the beautiful view. <br /><br />Sarvajna Mantapa<br />The Sarvajna Mantapa, a stone structure at the top, serves as a shelter for those camping here. The sides of the mountain drop almost vertically to the impenetrable jungles of Ambavana. In the next one hour before the sun went down, we were lost in the heavenly surroundings that kept transforming steadily against the changing hues of the sky. The highlight of this trek is, in fact, the amazing sunset and sunrise. From this point, one can also get a faint glimpse of the Arabian sea, beyond the layers of fading hazy hills. <br />The sunrise view from Kodachadri is equally mesmerising. So we took a brisk walk up the hill in the morning to catch a sight of the golden moment of dawn. As the sun peeped above the horizon the whole valley with the blue waters of Linganamakki in the foreground came alive. <br /><br />Cave of Chitramoola<br />Scale down a thousand feet and you will reach the cave of Chitramoola. This is considered sacred because it is said that the great saint Adi Shankaracharya performed penance here before consecrating goddess Mookambika. <br />Before retreating, we also took a peek at the Ganesh Gufa cave and the thin cascades of Agasthyatheertha falls. <br />On the way down, we chose the easier route to Kareghati. But at the Malayalee Tea stall midway we deviated to visit the Arishinagundi Falls tucked away deep inside the jungle. Reaching it after a gruelling trek for hours we were astounded by the beauty of this tall and magnificent falls tumbling from about 250 ft in a single cascade. Enjoying this gorgeous view at the end of the trek was a fitting finale before we hit the road back. <br /><br />Getting there<br />Kodachadri is about 400 kms from Bangalore and can be reached via Shimoga and Nagodi or via Mangalore and Kollur. From Nagodi, the trek via Malayalee Tea Stall (four km) is eight kms. The distance from Nittur via Hidlumane Falls is 13 kms. The jeep services have been suspended for the time-being.<br />B V Prakash</p>
