This place has another name that is Samseparvath. The kudremukh National Park is the second largest wildlife protected area in the Western Ghats.Akter the Mullayanagiri and Baba Budangiri this is the 3rd highest peak of Karnataka. It is a home for grasslands,small streams,forests,flora and fauna etc. While trekking you can also spot some deers,peacocks on the way.
Some Important Information:
Location: Karnataka,Chikmagalur.
Start point: Bangalore.
Total distance of the trek: 5 kilometres.
Total height: 6,207 feet.
Trek duration: 2 hours.
Best Time:
June to February is the best time for doing this kudremukh trek. In monsoon season one can witness the dense shola forest,bamboo trees,and many small streams.There are some sections where you need to trek under the beautiful wide open blue sky.
Shola forest is home to many wildlife like macaque,deer,malabar giant squirrel, langur, leopard etc. In monsoon you will find many leeches here.Apply some dettol or savlon this will help you from leeches.
How To Reach:
By Public Transport:
Kalasa village is easily accessible by public transport.You can find many buses from Bangalore to Horanadu via Kalasa village. You need to book online tickets from KSRTC website.The total distance from Bangalore to Kalasa bus stop is 310 kilometres.If you take a bus at 10:30 pm then you will reach Kalasa by 6 am in the morning. The bus journey totalled around 750 rupees. On the kudremukh entrance you will find many jeeps. These jeeps will take you to the forest office. If you haven’t booked in advance then you need to pay 200 per person. One can also walk to the forest office which is a 5 kilometres walk. Closest railway station is Mangalore railway station which is 120 kilometres from here. Mangalore International airport is 115 kilometres from here.
By Your Own Vehicle:
This beautiful trek starts from the Mullodi village.This village is 15 kilometres from Kalasa. You can not reach Mullodi directly. First you need to reach the Kudremukh entrance that is about 10 kilometres. From here you need to hire jeeps which will take you to the first office.Here in this office you need to take permission.From Bangalore there are multiple routes available to reach Kalasa. You can take the route which goes via Hasan.Probably this is the best route if you are planning to visit by your own vehicle.
Take the Chikkamagaluru road until you reach Kottigehara. Here you need to take the right. This road will take you to the Kalasa police station. From the police station, turn left to reach the kudremukh entrance point. Park your vehicle and take the jeeps.
Trek Route:
Part 1
Forest Office to Ontimara:
If you reach the forest office early then this will be great.This trek starts from here. Before you get on to the beautiful forest trail the sound of Somawathi waterfalls will stay with you. At the shola forest you will discover some vegetation. If you are lucky enough then you can see some wildlife here. Here on the trail you will cross many streams and waterfalls. A proper trekking shoe and a pole will help you. Remember only 50 people will get the permission in a day.So you need to reach the forest office as early as possible.First you need to reach Ontimara I. From here the route is flat with the beautiful Kudremukh valley on the right and a mountain on the left. After trekking for an hour you will reach the second Ontimara. From the forest office it will take 2 hours to reach Ontimara II.
Part 2
Ontimara II To Final Stretch:
This route is a mixup of gentle slope and steep ascent. Here you will get a view of the beautiful green land. After trekking for some time the route starts to get steeper. From here the valley and the peak become more visible.
Part 3
Kudremukh Peak:
After arriving in the valley you will get an awesome view of the greenery. From hee a 35 minutes climb will take you to the top. Sit here for some time.Enjoy the total view from the top. Take some amazing pictures here. Start descending at 2 pm because it needs a total of 3 hours to descend down. During the rain, trekking in the forest section will be difficult and slippery.
