Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Monsoon Trek to Sharavathi Valley on 28-29th June 2008

We have a 2 day trek program on 28-06-2008 to 29-06-2008 Weekend in sharavathy Valley.

Route:- Bheemeswara--->dabbe---->Hosagadde.
Level of Trek:- Moderate
Departure:- 27-06-2008 friday night.
Transport:- KSRTC Rajahamsa Bus to Sagar in shimoga dist.

Itinerary:-
Date:- 27-06-2008
* Deaprture from Bangalore by around 9:30 PM.

Date:- 28-06-2008

* Reach Sagar in Shimoga District by 6:00 AM.
* Freshen Up, Have Break fast and Catch a local bus to the trek point by 8:00 AM
* Reach Trek point by 10:30 AM and Start the trek
* Start the trek towards Bheeneswara peak.
* Reach bheeswara and play in the water falls and have lunch at bheemeswara.
* Start the Trek towards dabbe and camp in a tribals house by 6:00 PM.
* Have a Camp fire and enjoy the evening. Also interact with Tribals.
* Have dinner and retire for the day

Date:- 29-06-2008

* Wake up by 6:00 AM and get freshen up quickly.
* Have Break fast and start the trek by 7:30AM to Dabbe.
* Reach dabbe and go down to dabbe and Enjoy in the Water falls
* Have luch and Trek to Hosagadde.
* Catch a local bus to Sagar.
* Reach Sagar and have dinner.
* Start the journey back to Bangalore by around 10:00 PM

Please click on the below link to have a glimpse of small part of the route
http://picasaweb.google.com/subsgnss/BhimeshwaraAndJogTripManjuBogarajCamera

Anybody interested to joining us, please confirm as soon as possible as we need to reserve the bus ticket.
Please MAIL me to prapancha@gmail.com if u need any more information .

Our Previous [ 14-15th June] Basavana baayi-->Goodana Gundi falls Trek Snaps
http://picasaweb.google.com/sukhoi29/BasavanaBaayiGoodanaGundiWaterFallsKaattinakaaru?authkey=R43IkfJbx8Q
&
http://picasaweb.google.com/vbalaji.ir/SharavathiTrek

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Protest to protect lakes in Bangalore on 22nd June 2008


Dear All,

Living in Bangalore is become real hell with so many problems. All of us agree that Bangalore biggest problem is traffic among many problems we face today.Because of this traffic problem there are so many problems like pollution, health and other problems affecting our daily life.

Pollution is increasing day after day to a alarming stage. Even though traffic is main cause of this , other cause includes shrinking lung spaces, disappearing water bodies like etc.,

Recently Karnataka Govt. with good intention set up a "Lake Devlopment Authority" to save and rejuvenate Lakes in around Bangalore. But this agency has been turned in to Real estate agency by corrupt Babus. They are privatizing the lakes for comercial purpose. Already Nagavara lake has been converted in to amusement park! next in line is Agara lake in outer ring road next to HSR layout.

Environment Support Group (ESG),an NGO, has been fighting against this , has filed writ petition in High court. Already LDA had a small slaps on it face from high court. But we also need to intensify the agitation to put more pressure on govt withdraw privatization.

In this regard ESG has organized a symbolic protest near AGARA lake by forming a "Human Chain" around Agara Lake.
Details of the rally:-

Date:- 22-06-2008 Sunday

Time:-11:00 AM

Place:- Agara Lake Bed. Near HSR Layout BDA complex, Outer Ring Road


Please come and join to protect n preserve it for posterity n stop privatization of lakes in Bangalore.

For any more info, please mail me. prapancha@gmail.com

Hi All ,
Thank u all who made it to the Protest against Lake privatization on sunday. It was great success. 100's of people gathered to register their protest. Retd High court Justice Sadashiva was also present. It was emotionally charged moment for all of us. Speech by ESG's Leo saldhana was very apt.

Thank u all again.
Sampath

Please click on the following link to read the news item in TIMES OF INDIA:

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQkcvMjAwOC8wNi8yMyNBcjAwMjAx&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

2 days weekend Trek to Basavana Baayi--> Goodana Gundi Water Falls on 14-15th June 2008,


After lots of addition, subtraction out of group, finally 8 trekkers of the group was ready to take off for a monsoon trek.

Trek Route:- Haduvalli---->Basavana Bayi-->Goodana Gundi falls

As usual all of us met at KSRTC bus stand with some thriller moments in the end ...one of the trekker Manoj's availability was mystery till the end. Finally he turnrd up in the last hour and all of us got in to bus and went in to coma :).

Bus reached sagara on time. All of got out of bus & got freshened up quiclkly. Had solid breakfast at bus stand resturent and got in to local bus to reach Trek starting point.

It was raining now and then and weather was too chill. When we reached Kogar, got a bad news that local bus in which we were traveling developpped some snag..:-(. We called a taxi immediately and reached trek starting point.

Had a quick look at Jain temple in Haduvalli, took some snaps and moved out.As it was already a lunch time, cook prepared the lunch and had solid lunch, menu was sambar and rice!!. Sambar was so tasty and weather too made us to hog, within no time vessel full of rice had vanished!.

We packed up and continued the trek towards Basavana bayi peak. Weather was so pleasant, and it was raining now and then. As all of were fresh after nice lunch we trekked up the hill at one streach without any pit-stops. On the way every one got taste of leech bites!! ,With sugras screaming for help when she spots a leech on her legs :)

After an hour and half trek we reahed Basavana bayi peak!. There is a temple here,after old structure destroyed by a tree fall, localites are building a new temple there. Behind temple there is massive water falls. Went to the falls and a quick look at the temple and started the trek as it was getting dark by then.

After about an half an hour trek we got out of thick vegitation and there was a open space with small trees. The scene of this place was awesome! it was looking like golf cource!. It was raining now and then..we were really enjoying the rain. Afterhalf an hour from here we reached Nakkalu village and we camped at takappa's house. Heand his wife were very courteous.

Within couple of minutes our cook prepared a nice tea! it was so refreshing to drink in that weather. Soon evrybody changed thier wet clothes and were fresh. As it was raining , we could not have a camp fire!. But we all sat around candle, and our guide invited everyone to play some fun games like lifting 10 Match sticks with one!!, making different shapes with minimal moves etc.,. by then dear cook, umapathi called us for dinner . Menu was poori-sagu, rice , rasam :)!. Everyone of us had a feast!. After nice dinner all of retired for the day as we were tired.

All of had decided to wake up early and start the trek, but we could only start by 6:00. by then umapathi had prepared a tea! We thanked land lord and started the trek towards padubeedu. After an hour and half trek we reached padubeedu. We went starit to a tribals house in which there was a Jaggary crusher. After freshen up in the stream we all had sugar cane juice and liquid jaggary. Liquid jaggary beats any sweets available in our cities. by then umapathi had prepared shavige(vermacilin) bath, had break past and started the trek towards Goodanana gundi water falls.

We could not take the regular route to goodana gundi water falls as the stream was full and furious! so we barged in to a thick thorn filled jungle to reach the falls. Trek was really amazing. It was really true rain forest, every where streams!!. it was amazing amazon strech!. after an hour trek we could reach the falls. Goodana gundi was furious to the core! It was fulllllllllllll!!. even though i had visited this falls many times, i had never had a opertunity to see this beauty.

We could only watch falls from a distance! the whole area was noicy with the falls sound..we had to shout to talk to each other!. It was wearth trekking through that thorney bushes and getting solid leach bite.

after spending about half an hour at the falls, we started the trek back. We reached very fast to the padu beedu. By then Umapathi had prepared a nice lunch!. Menu was rice-sambar, papad, payasam ...! etc., It was again a feast. Ater the lunch we started the trek back to kattinakaru. after 2 hours of trek we reached kattinakaru and had de-briefing session. It was an interesting session as the trekkers gave few great tips to improve the trek program.

Took a group photo and got in to a local bus to rach sagar. Reached sagar and had dinner. around 10:30 pm started the journey back to Bagalore, reached Bangalore by 5:00am.

It was amazing mansoon trek in total.

2 day trek program on June 14-15th Weekend



We have organized a 2 day trek program on June 14-15th Weekend in sharavathy Valley.

Route:- Basavana Baayi ---------->Goodana Gundi Water Falls ------>Kaattina Kaaru.

Level of Trek:- Moderate

Departure:- 13th June friday night.

Transport:- KSRTC Rajahamsa Bus to Sagar in shimoga dist.

Itinerary:-
Date:- 13-06-2008
* Deaprture from Bangalore by around 9:30 PM.

Date:- 14-06-2008
* Reach Sagar in Shimoga District by 6:00 AM.
* Freshen Up, Have Break fast and Catch a local bus to the trek point by 8:00 AM
* Reach Trek point by 10:30 AM and Start the trek
* Trek to Basavana baayi peak by 2:00 pm.
* Have lunch and start the trek again to Padubeedu.
* Reach Padubbedu and camp in tribal's house.
* Reach Padubeedu by 7:00 PM and have a Activity evening around Camp fire. Also interact with Padubeedu Tribals.
* Have dinner and retire for the day

Date:- 15-06-2008
* Wake up by 5:00 AM and go for a animal spotting
* Have Break fast and start the trek by 7:30AM to Goodana Gundi water falls.
* Enjoy in the Water falls
* Have luch and Trek to Kattinakaru.
* Catch a local bus to Sagar.
* Reach Sagar and have dinner.
* Start the journey back to Bangalore by around 10:00 PM

Please click on the below link to have a glimpse of small part of the route
http://picasaweb.google.com/shashiraj8/SharavathyValley

http://srikslib.blogspot.com/2007/02/meghane-trek-log-iv.html

Anybody interested to joining us, please confirm as soon as possible as we need to reserve the bus ticket.
Please MAIL me to prapancha@gmail.com if u need any more information .

Our Previous [ May 31st and June 1st] Trek Snaps
1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/26961155@N07/
2. http://picasaweb.google.com/akbaree/GoodanaGundiTrek
3. http://picasaweb.google.com/prapancha/BellliGundiGoodananaGundi3152008




Goodanana Gundi--->Belli Gundi Waterfalls Trek on 31 May 2008


As i had announced trek earlier, we had a great trek on May 31-1st weekend 2 day trek.

I must admit the trek was amazing and after long time i had an opportunity to trek with such a great team. Every one was so special, specially we were fortunate to have a great trekker like Mr.Jagadeesh Damania in the group.

We started off the trek from Kanchina gadde near Kattinakaru and trekked along with the Goodanagundi hole(stream). Initially the stream was dry and as we progressed with the stream, stream got lively and and it was a small river after while. We stopped and cooked the lunch on bank of river and every one enjoyed the Anna-saaru (Rice and sambaar).

We must thank Umapathi for preparing such a delicious lunch in just couple of minutes. After the lunch we got out of stream and trekked towards Padubeedu. After an hour trek we reached chota nayaka, a tribal's house for the night halt.


Our cook umapathi wasted no time and prepared tea. After we had tea we planned to visited a sugar cane crusher to have a look at the jaggery making process and also to have mouth watering sugar cane juice!!!. The hosts were so nice and treated us with hell lot of juice and finally the delicious neer bella (Water jaggery) .

We came back and Our trek leader narayan arraigned the camp fire in the court yard of tribal's house. quickly everyone surrounded the camp fire. We had many activities around camp fire and we had great fun. Food ready, heard umapathi calling us...But no one was ready for that as we had juice, jaggery etc in crusher place. But we had to relent and had nice pulav , payasa etc for the dinner.


As every one tired, quickly after the lunch we retired for the day.
At 4:30, tribal's house cock alerted us with its shout. We all woke up so the trek leader narayan too. We all went on animal hunting to near by hillock. We could spot Bison and vipers etc., After an hour and half trek we also could watch belligundi water falls. Trekked back to base camp. Every one finished their morning duties, had breakfast and tea.

We started off the main trek of the day to the goodana gundi water fall. Everyone had solid leach bite by the time we reached waterfalls. Had a great time in bath and some of them had a nice swim session in the pond just below the falls too. By then Umapathi had prepared a nice lunch, with rice and sambar. Every one enjoyed the food and trekked back to base camp and got ready to say good bye to trek. We thanked chota nayaks family and started the journey back.

In total it was a lots of activity filled, memorable trek. Each one of the trekkers were so special, we enjoyed to the core.
Please have a look at the snaps of the trek.
  1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/26961155@N07/
  2. http://picasaweb.google.com/akbaree/GoodanaGundiTrek
  3. http://picasaweb.google.com/prapancha/BellliGundiGoodananaGundi3152008
  4. http://picasaweb.google.com/peruperumal/GoodanaGundiTrekking