Amongst all the adventures in the world, trekking is the most favored activity. Ranging from 2 days to 20 days. Entusiasts are always looking for more mountains to summit and more fears to conquer.
With the fast moving life and so little time to ourselves, people want quick getaways for a long weekend or holidays. There are multiple places from Bangalore which are reachable overnight, one such district that is mesmerisingly adventurous is Coorg.
Kodagu or popularly known as Coorg, is a hill station in the state of Karnataka 250 kms from Bangalore. Nestled between hills and valleys, Coorg has magnificent yet easily reachable mountains. It offers all kinds of terrain to explore from easy to moderately difficult to extremely challenging.
Read on to know about the top 6 trekking spots, how to reach them, difficulty level and more.
1. Thadiyandamol Trek: At an elevation of 5,735 feet Thadiyandamol is the highest mountain in Coorg and third highest in Karnataka. The trek starts from Nalknad Palace in Kakkabe, about 45km from Madikeri. You can go up the road in vehicle till the last homestay from where a concrete road begins which gradually narrows into the wild. Be ready for multiple stream crossing, leach bites and a mesmerizing view.
Best Season: November to May
Distance: 5 kms, 8 hours to and fro
Difficulty Level: Easy to Moderate
Guide: Not Required
Food: Carry packed lunch
Permission: Not required
Camping: Allowed
2. Nishani Betta Trek: This lesser known trekking spot is part of the Brahmagiri Range and Tala Cauvery wildlife sanctuary at a height of 1270 mtr above sea level. As it is not commercialized, it is the best place for some quite time. The trek starts from Bhagamandala; 50kms from Madikeri. You can spend a day in this spiritual town where river Kaveri originates and take a dip at the triveni sangam (meeting point of 3 rivers). Get ready to spot some wild life, walk through pristine forest and green meadows.
Best Season: October to February
Trek Distance: 8 kms
Difficulty Level: Easy
Guide: Recommended.
Food: Carry packed lunch
Permission: Trekking permission should be obtained from the forest check post
Camping: Allowed
3. Kopatty Trek: At an altitude of 4300 ft (1375 mt) above sea level Kopatty is unexplored. The trek starts from Cherambane, 3kms from Tala Cauvery and 50 kms from Madikeri and goes through, dense forests, small streams, jeep trails, paddy fields and fresh grasslands. The trek starts with a tarred road moving towards slushy jeep tracks before you reach the climbing point. The trail takes you through the Mandalpatti range from where Kopatty is visible.
Best Season: October to February
Trek Distance – 14 kms
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Guide: Recommended.
Food: Carry packed lunch
Permission: Trekking permission should be obtained from the forest check post
Camping: Not allowed
4. Brahmagiri Trek: The Brahmagiri range lays in the border of Kodagu and Waynad. At an elevation of 5,276 feet, this trek is popular and the second highest mountain in Coorg. Brahmagiri Trek can be done from multiple places, the nearest one is from Irupu Falls which is at a distance of 10kms from Shrimangala and 80 kms from Madikeri. This trek is challenging and will test your patience and energy level.
Best Season: December to February
Trek Distance: 10 kms
Difficulty Level: Medium to Difficult
Guide: Recommended
Food: Food and water needs to be carried from Srimangala.
Permission: Trekkers need to seek the permission of Range Forest Officer at Srimangala
Camping: Capming is allowed only at Narimala Forest Camp 5 kms below the peak
5. Galibeedu Trek: This is a lesser known weekend trek from Madikeri which is the headquarters of Kodagu district. Galibeedu village is 10 kms from here. The ancient temple, Chandramukhi river and a hanging bridge are somethings to look forward to en-route the trek. Galibeedu to Subramanya is the another trail. Nishani Motte also falls under the same mountain range.
Best Season: January to April
Trek Distance: 14 kms
Difficulty Level: Easy to Moderate
Guide: Recommend. Take a local guide
Food: Carry packed lunch
Permission: Not required
Camping: Allowed
6. Kotebetta Trek: Also known as the "Fort Hill", this is the third highest mountain in Coorg. The trek starting point is Madapur, which is a small town aaproximately 15 kms from Madikeri. The climb starts through village paths and plantation trails leading on through forest and open grasslands. The trek passes through villages, coffee and spice plantations.
Best Season: October to March
Trekking Distance: 20 kms
Difficulty Level: Medium
Guide: Recommended
Food: Carry packed lunch
Permission: Not required
Camping: Allowed
Tips:
Carry required clothing, medical kit, enough food, poncho, torch and good trek shoes. Be ready to witness a unique culture, cuisine and language. Every turn will lead you to paddy fields, coffee plantations, pepper trees, wild mushrooms and age old trees. Keep your camera ready to click.
Bon Voyage!
PS: The forest department of Karnataka have rules for overnight treks. Find out before your journey.
