Kumara Parvatha Trek. Day II

Continued from here

Stepping on a rock on an inclined climb I lost my balance and fell backwards. The jerk I caused scared the person sleeping next to me in the tent. I thanked my stars it was just a dream, which also reminded me to pray to the sky for the day ahead of me. It was 5 in the a.m and it was time to hit the terrain again. Three quarters of an hour later we dropped our luggage at the Forest Office and headed to the mountains. The initial 2km is relatively flat grass lands compared to the remaining 5, which is if anything, steep. As soon as we started the ascent I realized why Srikanth and Sandeep were here for the third time. It’s not the ego of not scaling the peak that brought them back nor is it an attempt to prove their physical prowess. It was just the beauty of nature in its full glory that pulls them back to this place again and again.


Focusing all my energy and attention on the climb I had forgotten to admire the surroundings. The clear blue skies, the golden sun waiting to make an appearance, the heavenly white cloud beds, the carpet of greenery and the dark shades of the mountain ranges in the distance all painted their pictures on the canvas of nature. Kukke Subramanya may have a temple some 7kms “downtown”. But he surely resides somewhere right here – among his creation. I could feel His presence in everything around me. With the Sun still not out, we made full use of the pleasant weather by walking as much as we could without taking a break. About a couple of hours later we reached tiny water stream with cold freshwater. The forest officers (possibly) have cleared some area here for the campers to pitch their tent and spend the night. Another option to camp here is the Kallu Mantapa just a few meters from here.

After drinking water and refilling our bottles here we continued our ascent. Another couple of hours of slow ascent mixed with photography sessions we reach the peak of Sesha Parvatha. A quick calculation revealed we do not have enough time to summit Kumara Parvatha which stands at 1712mts. Though its about 1.5 kms from the peak of Sesha Parvatha, we did not venture to forward, since we wanted to avoid travelling in the dark from Bhattare Mane. Our ego was taking another beating that we were unable to reach the peak. But in the war between ego and KP, KP wins. We decided to take the fight to another day. We nevertheless went a little further from Sesha Parvatha to bottle some water in the stream there.

The descent is always comparatively easier and quicker. We reached Bhattare Mane by 3 in the afternoon, and I had my biggest meal in quite some time. Just as we were ready to leave by 4, the skies opened up and let through a deluge of rain. In a fix as to whether it is safe to leave now in the slippery and dark forests, we consulted Bhatta. His advice was clear, if it stops raining now, you can leave as long as you have a torch and walk back slowly and carefully. Since 3 out of 5 wanted to go back to Bangalore, the other two thankfully obliged and we were on our way back.

Never did anyone of us imagine that this return journey from Bhattare Mane to Kukke would be the biggest adventure in our lives. We had travelled half way through before the sun set and we brought out our torches. After it was a slow and painful walk back. Add to that the fatigue, the slippery rocks, heavy backpack, leaches and pitch black forests – a truly memorable experience that one of us will ever forget. By the time we touched ground, I was so tired that I was delusional. I promised myself I will never come back to KP but I knew I was lying to myself. I’m ready to go through all this pain and more to relive the moments we spent in the ranges up there. But most of all I cherish the company who made this trek less arduous by keeping me in high spirits and sharing my load when I was struggling. So, will I make another attempt to summit KP. Heck yeah!

Must-Do: Travel light – just water bottles, food and camera.

Must-Don’t: Littering. Start late from Bhattare Mane to Kukke, unless you want in on an adventure.


My Rating: 9/10

Route1: Kukke -> Bhattare Mane -> Sesha Parvatha -> Kumara Parvatha.
Route2: Somwarpet -> Kumaraparvatha -> Sesha Parvata -> Bhattara Mane -> Kukke