Alemaarigalu on cloud bed!!!

What to do and what not to do..!

My energy point trek to KP aka kumara parvatha pushed to last week of January 2019, so somehow i wanted to flex my legs which was put to rest from Nov 2017 my last trek to KP.  Even though 2018 March saw alemaarigalu team trekked Shivagange, after that i cooled my heals for more than 9 months, and yes it is time to deliver :-)

My trusted Lieutenant Sandeep was occupied, Latesh was out of town, then came Giri, he too was not free..but wanted some outing..so I zeroed on Skandagiri...

Its like it was in my list from quite a long time, and it was crying for my attention..Giri also tried many times, but was on the other side of success.. 

Finally it was destined to be decided on Jan 11th.  Few messages, few tele calls  and one telepathy...pulled a team of eleven soldiers ready to peak skandagiri. 

It was Giri, Chinmay, Kishor and Sri...hold hold hold...followed by all gals gang...Rashmi 1, Rashmi 2, Lakshmi, Damini, Manjula, Jamuna, and Sheethal.. !!!

It was a fabulous journey from Bangalore to Skandagiri. We started from Electronics city at 12.45 in the midnight.. It was song and dance till we reached Skanda Giri Base. 

It was wee hours on Sunday chilled morning.. Our bones were crying for attention.  Already there were 100's of enthusiastic trekkers piled up near the ticket counter.  Unfortunately tickets were sold out...what am not talking about KGF or Petta Movie...yes tickets were off for the day.. but asked us to book online referring to a website.  In next few minutes chinmay screamed...got it...and we were on the path to the peak!!!

It is nice to walk in the pitch dark, with torches on.. and if we talk someone either from  front or behind will answer your questions...it will be fun :-) :-) :-)

only 100-200 mtrs everyone with mufler, caps, jackets were looking like Eskimos..then they started putting caps, jackets, mufler in to the bag..and enjoying the chilled weather. 

As usual I was treading the path in my usual pace, Chinmay marshaling Kishor and Rashmi. There were enthusiastic and energetic legs in Giri, Rashmi Hegde, Lakshmi,  Jamuna, Sheethal, Manjula, Damini they rushed to the peak in no time!

Ravi/Sun/Dinakar/Bhaskar in whatever name you call, he staged a perfect play over there!

First he announced to the world that, he is coming on time, by painting the sky with his favorite mixture of red/orange... !

He switched on his torch showing us the white patch of blanket on the landscape...every one on their heels by seeing the first scene of the play!

Then the scene started.. he put one blanket on another..so it was extreme thick white blanket all around!

We started screaming as we do in the entry scene of our demigods on the silver screen!  It was awesome landscape.. Sun showing is face up..brightening the whole landscape, thick cloud bed..waaah amazing!

We burned enough space in the memory card via selfies, DSLR, SLR and of course our beautiful eyes.  You can not say ok, enough, let me go!!!   We turned like kids, one ice cream...and we used to scream for another!!!

It was a fantastic day, amazing team who supported each other.  Few talks, few jokes we all became a feathers of same bird.

For information : 

• Skandagiri trek open up at 4.00 hrs in the morning.
• Better to book online 
• Night trekking is banned, so dont try to do that
• Nothing is available at the top nor on the way, carry enough water, eatables, fruits
• Trek is about 4-5kms, it is easy in the beginning, moderate in the middle, and you will be gasping for breath in the last leg, but dont get disheartened once you reach the peak you will get an amazing view
• The trek is open 365 days, I would recommend to trek only between October to January, as you can see ocean of clouds under your feet.  
• Make it to the peak before sunrise, and enjoy, and trek back to reach the base by 9.00, so you will be at your dining table for lunch!
• There are plenty of places of interest near by Sir M Vishweshawaraiah birth place turned in to museum, Bhoga Nandeeshwara temple, Devanahalli Fort, and if you have enough wheels on your legs Nandi Hills also at stone throw away distance. 
• The entry fee is Rs. 250.00 Per head, even  though it appears pricey, but keeping the trek place intact some restrictions are required otherwise it becomes garbage yard!  

We spent amazing sunday on one of the best landscapes around Bangalore for a one day outing.  Yes, stamina is required to do the trek, but it is not mandatory...Always will power over rules the stamina..!

Keep the will to visit Ocean of clouds underneath!

Have a great time and keep the environment clean!

Sheshaparvatha - 26th-27th March 2011

Wow...what a scene...clouds slowly hovering on the Sheshaparvatha....this will be my scene of my life...slowly winds started blowing, clouds started covering..little tiny drop lets started falling on our hot pan body, and slowly the tiny droplets increased their size, and we started getting drenching.

Clouds covering the peak & the valley,
slowly, but surely

Now it is a catch 22 situation, our heart said, descent is better than ascent, brain said, get past Sheshaparvatha, and get in to canopy for the night.  But we followed our heart, and we like a mad dog chasing a bus, we started getting down to mantapa.  The rain god, and wind god, didnt show any mercy, they started pouring cats and gods.



Mesmarising view from all the corners!



We were started getting drenched from all the corners in the mantapa, after seeing some of the best and scary lightening, and hearing thundering noise more than Amrishpuri Barritone in Mr. India (Mugambo Kush Huva), we started shivering with cold, and getting scared what lies ahead for us.  Rain and wind took a small commercial break, then we decided to venture in to Bhattara Mane, a safe place in the marauding rain and wind.

In the pitch dark with a torch, and mobile light, we started getting down to Bhattara Mane, what a descent it was.  Saint was leading from the front, then Smarty, then Sandeep, I was covering our veteran treker Swamiji, and was last in the line.

Slowly and surely we reached Bhattara mane in a wet, damp cloth.  Immediately we refreshed ourselves, Bhattara mane provided a hot coffee, and also we cooked our ready to eat in their kitchen, and with little spray of pain killers on our body, went to the hibernate mode till the dawn of the next day.

Early morning view as seen from Bhattara Mane!

Morning we woke up at 6.15, we dashed towards the view point near Bhattara mane, what a site it was, a little scattered cloud bed, and innocently looking sheshaparvatha, as if he didnt took bath in yesterday rain.  What an amazing site. Brilliant photo session followed, with a group snap with Harsha, a fellow trekker who is also managing Rotti Kallu resort in Sakaleshapura Belt.

Group snap with Harsha - The Rotti Kallu Man

We returned back to bhattara mane, to fill our stomach, again hot coffee, and refreshing lemon rice, and along with our left out ready to eat packets. After getting energised we started the descent to Kukke.  

Group with Sheshaparvatha in the backdrop!

On the way down, monkey in our heart sprung up, and we did all kinds of circus on the branches of the tree, and when we reached the base it was a nice 15.00 Hrs on sunday. We took bath near the hostel complex near the temple, and had nice food in Mysore Neo cafe.

Rain gods covering the peak again..thank god we made it to the basement

Cloud seeding...

After a nice evening snacks/chats session, the rain started pouring again, now the seshaparvatha was invisible in the back drop of rain gods.  We just rushed to the temple to have darshan of lord subramanya, it was delight for our soul and body.  

The recharge point - The Cafe Neo Mysore!

When we hopped our battered body in the seats of KSRTC bus, our memory went back to two days before our journey from Bangalore.

We started our journey from Bangalore at 9.16 on our customary Red Bus (Suvarna Sarige), and reached the base of the Kukke at 4.00 in the morning.  Realigned our baggage, and refreshed ourselves in Cafe Neo Mysore. The hot idlis, and hot coffee provided necessary energy to venture in to the highs.

The well trodden path welcomed with both of their hands spread across, slowly but surely we started trekking on the path of high.  This time we were quicker than in our last attempt.  We reached Bheemana Kallu the first water source with effortless ease, and we had a very good time over there.

Reached grass lands on the way to Bhattara mane, it was inspiring to watch, Bhattara Mane people, and forest officer and his personnel carrying heavy loads on their head, and covering forest area of 5kms ascent.  

The bhattara mane food, enriched our body and the energy level was altime high, we crossed forest office by paying Rs. 200/- head (from 1st Feb 2011, trekking and camping fee alround karantaka had been increased, and in KP it was Rs. 200/- per head).  Soon we reached Mantapa, refreshed ourselves with the energiser fruits, vegitables, chapathis with spicy chutney from Swamiji's house.  

When we are close to Sheshaparvatha, the story of our soujounrn to Bhattara Mane started.

Finale.

1.The food at Cafe Neo Mysore was a revelation than the last time

2. The journey in Suvarna Sarige was not at all a disappointing one

3. Wanted to see, how KP will look in Rain, the ambition was fulfilled.

4. We expected brown, barren KP, but surprised to see green cover en route to the top

5. The expenses including bangalore to bangalore with food was    Rs.900/- per head, considering Rs, 200/- as the permit fee to cross the forest office.

6. It was a memorable trek, and promised KP again, will make it  hat-trick this year by making third attempt.


7. More snaps @ 
https://picasaweb.google.com/srmanjun/Sheshaparvatha2ndAttempt26th27thMarch2011#