Kudremukha- Eternal lush green in the Western Ghats

I recently went on a trek to the abode of the Gods in the Western Ghats. Hyping the peak you would call it, but Kudremukha was nothing less of this sort for me! Kudremukha, literally translating to “Horse’s Face” for a part of the mountain having this shape is situated in the Mullodi village and is about 100kms away from Mangalore; in the Western Ghats.

I decided to tag along with this trekking group called Nature Walkers. After the brief introduction to the team, the outdoor leaders, Prashant and Santosh, either of who had done this trek multiple times, detailed us on the itinerary and interesting trivia about the peak. We were a group of 20, super excited about the trek. Kudremukha is believed to be a must-do trek in the Western Ghats. And I cannot see why not, for the 22km trek has a lot of surprises to unveil. The journey to the place itself would take about 8 hours, inclusive of the stops and breaks that we’d take in between.

It was about 4 30 AM when we halted at a place in between to eat steaming hot “Neer Dose”, a Mangalore-style delicacy and tea. It was drizzling outside, hence making it a perfect setting for the dose and the tea. We slept for about 2 more hours before reaching the point where the jeep picked us up. The ride was bumpy and literally bone-breaking. The rain continued to pour and the signaled that this would continue throughout the day. We had some time to freshen up, have breakfast (idlis with coconut chutney) and load the packed lunches in our bags before setting out.

View of the hill from the homestay

The forest department office is the entry point to the trek. A local guide accompanies you to the peak mandatorily due to the forest restrictions. The trek began with a gradual ascent into the forest trail. This opened up into the flatlands later. The entire trail alternated between the shola forests and the sprawling meadow-like flatlands. The constant encounter of streams and rushing water was a pleasant surprise. However, the water levels had risen, owing to the incessant rain. I was sopped in water from head to toe already in spite of the rainwear. 

The trail at Kudremukha is well-marked. It's hard to get lost here, mostly because of the groups of trekkers in enormous numbers and the numerous local guides that you spot here. 3kms into the trek and you find a signboard depicting the same; with pictures of the various fauna that can be spotted here. The route from here is more through the forest with lots of streams in between. Please note that the water in the streams could be dirty and hence, not fit for drinking. So, carry 2 liters of water. The trail gets narrower and the ground gets precarious as you scale up.

The group; at the first signboard; 3kms into the trek

After about what seemed like over two hours, we hit a point from where the peak was just 3kms away. Everyone had now gotten remarkably accustomed to flicking the leeches off self. The last 3 km climb was a task, majorly because the zig-zag trail had become taxing in terms that the ascent was steep compared to rest of the climb and the unceasing rain had now proliferated to an extent that I no longer cared if my rainwear was on or not. This was also the traffic zone. Trekkers from the various groups could be found scaling the peak, all at the same time. The visibility was hazy. Everyone had a common mission; to reach the peak. After clambering further, we reached the lunch point. The peak was about 750 meters from here. We trod on a little further in the dingy weather and finally reached the peak. I was prepared to be amazed by the jaw-dropping carpet of lush green shola forests but unfortunately, I saw only clouds. We clicked a few pictures at the peak and headed back to satisfy the hunger pangs with delicious home-made Puliyogare.

At the peak.
From Left to Right: Me, Navaneet, Geetha and Vidith
Picture Credits: Geetha

The descent was treacherous as was the ascent because of the sloppy terrain. We were literally walking through streams at certain points of the trek. Leeches had become a concern of least importance now. All that was needed was to reach the homestay in one piece. There were instances when the clouds cleared up for a brief moment and it transpired the beautiful carpet of lush green forests that everyone spoke of. The magnificent sight of this cast a spell on all of us, images of which I have captured only in my mind.

The lush green forests on the trek

The descent was rather quick and we reached the homestay in short time. I removed my water-filled shoe right away and for the first time in 8 hours, this felt so satisfying. My legs felt numb and looked like the ones of a dead body kept in formaldehyde; the rain is to blame, of course. The hot water bath after this was really welcoming. The hot onion bajjis and tea were delightsome and just the things required after an amazing trek. 

The rest of the group came back quite sometime after. The trek leaders had a great responsibility of making sure that everyone made it back intact. The meticulous planning that Santosh and Prashant put into all the organizing is commendable. When you have a diverse group with varying levels of experience, managing becomes a Herculean task. A slow pace of even a single person in the group could single-handedly slow down the entire group. Also, descending in the dark and in the rain can get perilous. Uh huh, not recommended at all.

Bonfire

Later in the evening, a bonfire kept us warm through the night; light music playing in the background and the clutter from the talks about the trek. A game of Antakshari followed. The dinner was sumptuous! Can you believe that two dishes of chicken were served beside the veg dishes?! We lavishly gobbled up the delicious food. Santosh and Prashant told that we’d be visiting a waterfall on the next morning and saw us off. The rain was still pouring and the weather was chilly. It was a setting of pure solace. 

 

Waterfall area

I slept like a log and woke up only to the alarm on the next morning. The waterfall was about 10mins walk away from the homestay. The water levels had surged due to the ceaseless rain and the flow of the water was high. The perpetual greenery around me left me gawking for a long time. I was enjoying my me-time while I was here. We headed back to the homestay, ate the breakfast (yummy set dosas with coconut chutney) to our heart’s content and packed our bags to head back to Bengaluru. I was prepared for the bumpy jeep ride this time. On our way back, we halted for lunch first, then at Belur temple and another stop for tea before reaching Bengaluru.

The entire team; after successfully scaling Kudremukha.

The temple at Belur

Kudremukha has been an amazing trekking experience for me. Rain posed the major challenge. Otherwise, the overall trek is moderate. If you’re planning for a trek to Kudremukha, keep these things in your mind: Pre-Monsoon/ Post-Monsoon is the best time to do this trek. Avoid it when it rains. Must Carry things (Monsoon): Rainwear, backpack cover, camera cover (if you have a camera), a jacket to keep you warm, sturdy shoes with good grip (very important). Above all, carry the right spirit of trekking with you; Stay lively! I was disappointed that I missed most the views owing to bad weather. Nevertheless, the trek was glorious; the group was so much fun-loving (the game of mafia was kickass!) and the organizing was top-notch. 

In the end, it does not matter whether the trekker is a first-timer or someone with great experience. The mountains cast a spell on you irrespective of this. And, the sense of satisfaction that they leave you with after a challenging climb is something that will last forever. It is this very satisfaction that will make you want to come back to the mountains again. In addition, the different people that you meet leave their marks behind. I will definitely visit Kudremukha again for the amazing views besides the wonderful trek that this place has to offer. If you haven’t been here and trekking is something that you enjoy doing, Kudremukha should be on your list. 

A random picture.
Notice the spider's web ;)