Trekker’s paradise - Kudremukh

If your idea of a holiday includes trekking, camping out, barbeques and backpacks, Kudremukh is your destination. Far from being a commercial hill station, Kudremukh is a quiet, serene place, blessed with immense natural beauty. Most people feel that there’s not much to see at Kudremukh. This belief, besides being wrong, is thankfully one of the main reasons why tourists do not flock to this place. Kudremukh is a visual treat, especially after the monsoons. It lies 95kms south-west of Chikmagalur. The actual peak of Kudremukh rises to the height of 1,895mts above sea level, second only to the Mullyangiri peak in the Baba Budangiri range that stands 1930 mts tall.

It’s when you set your eyes on the hill-scape of this land, that you will fully understand what the term ‘rolling green hills’ means. As you climb through winding roads into the town of Kudremukh, thick vegetation broken by occasional patches of grassland greets you. The feeling, that you have left modern civilization far behind, begins to settle in as you near the town. The industrial town of Kudremukh was built for the employees of the Kudremukh iron ore factory, the mining operations of which were ordered to shut down in December 2005. Following this verdict, many lost their jobs at the Kudremukh factory. Now, the town resembles a ghost town from an old horror movie. All the shops are concentrated in one small market area. There are no modern conveniences, no restaurants and no places to stay in the town. The only place that offers accommodation is the government guest house eight kms from the town. To find this place, you need exceptional navigational skills and keen eyesight. It appears out of nowhere between the forest and has a very small sign that reluctantly announces the name of the place. While coming from the town, it appears on your left hand side, so pay close attention to any sign you may see.

Once take the turn, you will find yourself on an overgrown trail that looks like it hasn’t been used in years. The trail, after convincing you that you’re lost, opens out to an old building. This is the ‘reception’ of the guest house. The old cook, who has an uncanny resemblance to Ramu Kaka, will then lead you deeper into the forest to the actual guesthouse. The place is truly wild. Wild Bison freely walk around the guesthouse at night.

Kudremukh is also the birth place of river Kali. A part of it flows through the guesthouse premises. Besides the two roomed guesthouse, you can stay in the tents which are a short distance away. If you are a true adventure seeker, seek permission from the authorities to camp out in the forest! For the avid trekkers, there are several trekking paths. Some lead up to the peaks of the hills, while some into the forest. The biggest and most challenging of all treks is the one that leads you up to the Kudremukh peak. The trek starts from a point which is six kms from Kudremukh town. You will find a board there that says ‘Trek to Kudremukh starts here’. It is a four-five hour climb to the peak. The view is beautiful with streams, grass patches and valleys. Carry some salt with you to sprinkle on the leeches that will inevitably get you. While the path is easy at first, it gets narrower and steeper after an hour. It’s when you reach the first clearing, that you’re rewarded with a panoramic view of the valley below. Look around and you will see several lofty hill tops and from between them will emerge the tip of one particular hill that’s shaped like a horse’s head; the infamous Kudremukh, which in Kannada means ‘horse head’. The locals used to call this peak ‘Kudre Mukha’, which eventually became the name of the town.

While trekking towards it, often the peak looks close enough for a quick dash, but don’t fall for these illusions. You will reach it in good time and the view will be worth the hike. On clear days, the town of Mangalore can be seen from the peak. At other times, you will be engulfed by clouds and mist, which gives you the impression of being in a dream. Permission to trek up there is not easy to come by because of the possible presence of Naxals. But when you do get the permission, it’s all the more exciting!

If you want to get back to base by sun down, you need to start the trek early so that you reach the peak by 12 in the afternoon. Authorities don’t let people camp up there but there are a couple of other peaks where camping is possible, with due permission of course. For people who are not keen on long treks, there are a lot of smaller hills you can scale. The view from atop all of these hills is breathtaking.

The forest authorities organize safaris into the Kudremukh National Park. There are thirteen trekking routes inside the park. The total expanse measures almost 600 sq kms, extending from the Jamalabad Fort in the south (Belthangady district) to the Narasimha Parvatha in the North (Sringeri Taluk). The park adjoins Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary on the western side and Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary on the East. The park is renowned for sightings of Tigers, Leopards and Wild Dogs. Besides these, the Sambar, Gaur, Common Langur, Wild Pig and Long Tailed Macaque are common sights as well.

In the midst of all the beauty that surrounds you at Kudremukh, there are traces of obliteration that’s evidently man made. One example is the Kudremukh factory dam. In between the hills and the forest, the dam sticks out like a sore thumb. Not because it’s man made, but because it’s completely filled with a dull grey substance that has hardened and cracked. The entire scene looks surreal; different shades of green, broken by a large expanse of grey chemicals, hardened to stone.

At the end of the day, Kudremukh is still paradise. The quaint little town, simple people, breathtaking beauty and those rolling green hills!

How to get there

By Road (recommended) Distance in Kms from Bangalore – 350kms ( Route – Chikmangalur – Hassan- Sringeri)

By Air – Nearest Airport is in Mangalore, which is 130kms from Kudremukh

By Rail – Nearest railway station is Mangalore, 130kms from Kudremukh

Places of interest around Kudremukh

Jamalabad Fort – Built by Tipu Sultan in1794. The Jamalabad village is close to Belthangadi. Locals believe that this fort was connected to another fort in Sakleshpur Taluk via an underground tunnel. The distance between the two forts is 50kms as the crow flies.

Gangamoola – Three major rivers; Thunga, Badra and Nethravathi originate at the Gangamoola hill. This hill lies in the Samse Taluk of Chikmagalur district. The main attraction here is a cave in which there are two idols; one of the Goddess Bhagavathi and the other is a Varaha idol about 1.8m tall.

Bhadra Wild life sanctuary – Also known as Muthodi, it lies 38 kms north-west of Chikmagalur town. Bison,elephants, tigers, panthers, porcupine, sambar, boars, peacocks etc are some of the animals found here.

Baba Budan Giri and Mullyangiri Range – Mullyangiri is the highest peak in Karnataka. It stands 1930 mts tall. Baba Budingiri takes its name from the saint who came from Yemen and brought with him coffee seeds. That’s how the place became a popular coffee plantation area.

Places to Stay

The Forest department guesthouse is the only option if you want to stay within the forest.

To stay in any of the Government owned guest houses, contact the following authorities:

Deputy Conservator of Forests,

Kudremukh Wildlife Division,

Karkala 574 104, Udupi District