This was really a long awaited trek. We were trying to make it since March 2012. And finally after lots of postponements, drop outs, cross functional opinions like too hot, lack of water and against all different sorts of odds, we decided to move on. We 4 brave hearts named Swaroop, Rishab, Prosenjit and myself left Bangalore on 18th May 2012 at night.
19th May 2012: We reached Agumbe by 7 AM sharp. The first thing I did was to connect with our Guide THimmappa (Thimp). I have been in touch with him since Feb. So I was dam cool about it that he will appear soon. Our plan was to finish off morning bio-activities @ Doddamane, have breakfast, pack lunch and head on for the trek. Other than BSNL no network works there. So at Doddamane I had ask Ravianna, Kasturiakka's son-in-law to connect Thimp. Got to know that he will come to Doddamane by 8AM. Sooner we finished our stuff as per plan and started waiting for Thimp.
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| @ Doddamane - during rainy season it rains so much that they cover the entire house with plastic sheet... |
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| Waiting for Thimp |
By now it was 8:15, Kasturiakka's daughter on the way out showed me Thimp approaching towards Doddamane. But it happened in such a way that I could not make it out. Two old people passed by and I thought none of them Thimp. Neither Thimp approached us nor we and I never saw Thimp. I thought he would go home, return and take us for the trek. We kept waiting for another half an hour. Thimp did not return. We started calling him from the local telephone booth. But in vain, its was coming switched off. We continued trying to reach him till 9 o clock.
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| Long waiting for Thimmappa made us really wild |
Soon someone from the Doddamane suggested us to check with that nearby shop if they had seen Thimmp or not. We went to that shop but they could not give any idea. We started thinking to go to his house and catch him. All of us started loosing our patience badly. One of the villagers at the shop told us that he will take us to Thimmp's house. But before that he wanted to go the nearby hospital. Now we started waiting for both. Fortunately the villager appeared shortly and all if us headed towards Malandur in search of Thimmappa. Malandur is 6 Kms from Doddamane. Our plan was to start the trek from Malandur. The villager wanted to take us to Barkana falls and he made the driver to take diversion and finally we reached Thimp's house. What we got know left us wild, irritated and shocked. An hour back Thimp left for the trek with the other team. After a long discussion with his cousin we got to know that there is one more person named Venkatesh, who rarely goes as guide for this trek but none of them know where this person was. And soon we got onto hunt for Venkatesh with the help of a boy @ Thimmp's house. Suddenly I spoted a bike inside the jungle from the main road. After spotting him we felt we got the entire World in our hand. No one can imagine how desperate we were to go for this trek somehow. When we approach Venkatesh at the first instance he refused saying he has lots of work etc. etc. After a short discussion (thanks to Swaroop for that masala punch) finally he got ready to go. And we started the trek @ 11 AM from Malandur.
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| On the way to Barkana falls |
From Malandur to Barkana falls it is 7-8 Kms trek on semi-flat to mild inclined terrain densely covered by green thick forest. This path is really amazing and I have been waiting for this. Lots of leeches were clearly visible through out. Most of the places were wet and covered with mosses, scattered boulders. We were almost running. We felt like we were on a race. By 1:30 PM we were at Barkana falls. After reaching there we were completely exhilarated and excited to see Thimmp with the other team. None of us uttered a single word to him. Only Venkatesh spoke to him. We were really not interested to open a fire with Thimmp.
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| @ Barkana falls |
The other team members were bathing, boozing and taking lunch there. There was no much water left at the falls due to peak summer but it was really sufficient for refreshment. None of us took bath there. We spent half an hour at the falls. Finished lunch, filled all the water bottles (because of summer no water source available until you reach Kigga, the exit point) and proceeded towards Narasimha Parvatha. The other team already left long back.
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| ...and the steep climb starts from Barkana falls |
After a heavy lunch we started climbing the steep terrain towards Narasimha Parvatha. Venkatesh told us its 6 kms. Again the race started at slow pace. I can just say it was one of the really great jungles of Karnatak. Amazing jungles of Agumbe. We started taking frequent break, sweating a lot due high level of humidity. We continued climbing up, up and up.
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| steep inclination with thick green vegetation with pure oxygen rejuvenates your lungs, and thirsty leeches sucks your impure blood out.... |
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| we were here by 4:30 nearing NP |
Again we spotted Thimmp with the other team with drunk trekkers at this place (above pic). This zoomed our excitement and satisfaction. We left them and proceeded. This forest is so thick that some of the places we felt the guide is lost, but some how he made it through...and
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| We continued ascending... |
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| it started clouding and mistic..lovely weather |
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| The guide got little diverted here and we waited and finally he put us on the right track....... |
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| .....and the right track took us up through the final steep climb.... |
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| we had to climb that open patch to reach to NP guest house.. |
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| lovely landscape... |
And finally we reached the NP guest house long before the drunk trekkers reached there.
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| Joy unlimited..... |
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| and the time to celebrate |
By 8 we finished our dinner with home made chapatti (thanks to Swaroop), MTR rice and other stuff. Prosenjit added some desert items with it. Spent few moments at the camp fire. The other team was into full time boozing by them. We decided to retire for the day and slept soon.
20th May: It was a lovely mistic morning. I cant describe in words but can just say all of us were desperately waiting to experience this. Check out few shades of our clicks here.
We continued witnessing the unlimited beauty of nature for almost one hour. And rejuvenated our souls. One must experience this.
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| By 8 o clock we left NP guest house |
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| Headed towards Kigga |
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| On the way to Kigga |
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| Our guide Venkatesh |
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| By 10 o clock we were at Kigga.... |
All the photographs are available at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/
Inportant Info and nos.: If planning this trek during April-May (as per the guide best time to visit), must carry 3-4 ltrs of water from Barkana as there would be no clean water source at the top. A guide is a must in this track, our guide Venkatesh many times seemed to be clueless about the path after Barkana falls. Initially we thought of camping @ Barkana falls starting the trek from Kigga side. But it does not worth. Not because Kigga side climb is steep, but because of less scenic terrain.
Breakfast and pack lunch from Doddamane is a never to miss item. They do not run any hotel or mess. They cook for themselves and provide to others on request. And in return you should pay, they never ask for it. One must taste the food of Doddamne its simply awesome authentic Karnatak food. And they are very friendly, cool and lovely people.
ONE VERY CRUCIAL INFO I GOT FROM VENKATESH-OUR GUIDE THAT FOREST DEPTT. NEVER CHARGE ANYTHING FOR PERMISSION ETC. WHEN I ASKED HIM ABOUT IT HE TOLD ME "ella sulloo sir"
Kasturiakka is the main contact. She needs to be informed in advance.
Kasturiakka can be reached at 08181233075. You can reach out to her son-in -law Ravianna @ 09448814187
Guide Thimmappa is little greedy. Although I spoke to him couple of times and confirmed he chose to abandon us just because we were 4 and the other team was with 9 ppl. His cell no is 09483496142. If u try to arrange him negotiate to the core before finalizing and also check if he is taking any other group on the same day. If required u can refer our incident, I think he will never forget this incident.
And the great Venkatesh guide can be reached at 09480329458 or 08277411618. He is a very cool and friendly guy no need for bargaining, I believe. While paying him he didnt even ask anything. Its just we decided and paid. Venkatesh was the only hope for us that day. Had he refused to come with us, we could not have made NP trek so successfully that day.
