Never Grow Too Old to Try Out New Things, For as Soon as You do, You Let go of Your Dreams ~ Wes Fessler
It was time to conquer the mighty Kumara Parvatha.
After travelling through the curving, winding roads, the chanting music of the temple welcomed us to Kukke Subramanya. Kukke Subramanya is a beautiful small temple town in Coorg. The town was bustling with activity as it was the last day in the month of Karthik. A huge chariot procession was also being conducted that day. Most of the hotels in the town did not have available rooms, but after a little search, we checked into a decent lodge.
In the morning, we visited Kukke temple and roamed around the town till noon. We filled our bellies with delicious food offered at the temple. We started our trek at around 2’o clock and the plan was to reach Battremane before dark.
We collected our camping gears, and with zeal, we marched towards the starting point of the trek.
There are different levels of trekking at Kumara Parvatha.
Level 1 @ Kukke start point to Battremane @ 5.5 Kms
We had lots of weight to carry, and with humid weather, the trek seemed rather long! Considering the humidity, we ensured that each one was carrying sufficient amount of water.
We traversed through the forest for the first three kms, and after trekking for some time, the weight of the rucksack started showing signs of heaviness. Nonetheless, our spirits were too high to get bogged down by gravity. So we kept trudging along, making jokes, and laughing. After some time, we came across a stream. The melodious sound of the stream and the cool breeze thumped up the energy in us. We refilled our bottles, refreshed ourselves, and resumed the trek. Once the forest trek ended, we were greeted with the bewitching scenery comprising the huge green mountains, aha!! What a mesmerizing view
We reached Battremane camping site at around 5:30 P.M. Other trekkers had already pitched their tents.
Level 2 @ Pitch tent at Battremane campsite
The weather God seemed upset with us for some reason, and it started to pour before we could pitch our tents. It was our first camping experience, and it was raining cats, dogs, kittens, and puppies.
The lightweight tents that we brought were not strong enough to endure such weather. So we decided to sleep over at Battremane.
We spent the evening singing and sharing stories among ourselves while the dinner was getting cooked. Finally, the food was served and tired that we were, we gorged on Rice, Sambar, and Pickle under a sky full of stars. There were around 200+ trekkers on the mighty Kumara Parvatha. Woah!! That’s a lot. No wonder the mountains attract so many trekkers around the world.
Level 3 @ Kallumantapa @ 2.5 kms
Next morning, we intended to start our trek at around 6:30 a.m. but ended up moving only at 8 a.m. From the Battremane to Kallumantapa, the trek was gentle. As we moved forward, we could behold the beauty of the mountains and inhale fresh air, which has become a novelty for us Bangaloreans. There is a stream at Kallumantapa where one can refill the water bottles before proceeding to some strenuous trek.
Level 4 @ Sesha Parvatha @ 3 kms
Sun started playing hide and seek. By the time we started hiking towards Sesha Parvatha. Scorching sun rays started to suck up our energy and our pace slowed down. But the view was just getting better and better. The beautiful mountain vista reminded me of the mountains in a fantasy movie, à la “Lord of the Rings.”
Level 5 @ Kumara Parvatha @ 2 kms
From SeshaParvatha to Kumaraparatha, it’s a moderate hike through the forest. Furthermore, cooling temperatures and pleasing greenery gave us enough motivation to scale the mighty Kumara Parvatha. The feeling of reaching to the top was indescribable. Was it worth to climb so many kilometers? Every step was worth, period!
Level 6 @ Descend from Kumara Parvatha to Kukke Subramanya
We stayed on top of the mountain for quite some time—all the while feasting our eyes with the wonderful views around us. We had to descend 12.5 kms to reach the town of Kukke Subramanya. It seemed like the sun was trying its best to slow us down with its scorching rays. It made descending slightly difficult. So we took our own sweet time to reach the base. Once we reached Battremane, we ate our food, took our rucksacks, and then started descending further.
It was scary walking through the forest in pitch darkness, and that too, with dead sore feet. But I was happy; happy because every moment of the trip made me feel alive. To sum it up, the experience was wholesome. They say that each experience teaches us something. Hope that I don’t forget the lessons of this experience!
Kumara Parvatha trek itinerary:
Trek length: 12.5 Kms(one side)
Location: Kukkue Subramanya
Distance from Bangalore: 280kms
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Trek Duration: 2 days
Expense: 2500 per person
Things to carry:
Water 3 litres per person
Good amount of snacks
Caps, shades
Wear comfortable clothing and good trekking shoes
Glucose, cucumber, orange
Head Torch lights /torch light per person
Camping gears if camping else sleeping bag to sleep at battremane
Best time to trek Oct to Feb
Permission Required, should be taken forest office
Trekking fees Trekking Fee-Rs 75 Camera fee - Rs100
Battaramane* - 9448647947 (For food and Accommodation)
Alternate numbers to battramane : 9480230191, 9945618495, 9480527765.
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