As usual its my/our itch to plan something for weekend. Since our gangmates being busy in work and were preparing for the big one -Himalayan trek, the weekend plans were not thought of. But its my promise in the first quarter of the year to my Joida friends and my own goal of the year to complete rafting, finally drove me to plan Dandeli trip. As I was chatting with Sudarshan, he mentioned about my Dandeli visit and with no other thought just confirmed him that i and 4 other friends will be in Dandeli that weekend. And he being a resort owner, started planning things where in I was still in search of those 4 other guys. Aakash was there for the trip by default and it was tough time to find other 3 guys with 2 days left in hand.
Atlast train was booked for 5 people myself, Aakash, Naveen, Jimmy and srinidhi for friday night to Hubli and Sudarshan finalised the plan from Hubli onwards.
Got down in Hubli at 5 45am and it was an Omni which was booked to take us to Dandeli. When we reached and finished breakfast in Dandeli it was 8am. And we had an hour of waiting time to start our next journey in Jeep along with Sharath.
The time when we got into the Jeep, it was start of our Dandeli trip and Sharath was guide indeed. It was planned and conveyed to us from Sudarshan to finish the Rafting once we come to dandeli and accordingly the Jeep headed to wards Rafting point. Since the rafting on that day was delayed by an hour Sharath took us to a view point, where we can see Supa dam and also a small bridge on Kali river.
After some photo clicks, its our time to get excited when we started entering details to begin our Rafting. The Rafting here is done when water is left from Supa dam for power generation. And hence its agreement or MOU between Forest department and Supa Hydel Power Project people, such that in a day the water will be left once in morning (10 or 11 am ) and again in evening around 3pm. A proper worked out plan, double earning for government.
And we were all set to start our rafting and formed in to groups at around 11 30am. Around 8 rafts started their voyage and around 50 people on board. We got our helmets and life jackets tightened, raft pedals being collected and our Raft lead Navshed allocated our Raft positions, then it was pushed in to the Raft path. Our lead had an nice English accent and was quite experienced. We had a nice practice session with some instruction practice "Forward, Backward, Down, Up, Stop" , each with different pedalling manners. And then it was session to get used to Life jacket by getting in to the 80feet water. The chill of water was good enough to spend more time. Its the time when the non swimmers (me, aakash and srinidhi) tried our best with Life Jackets. Sri swam away from raft with jimmy and suddenly got scared to scare us. When Sri started to jump on other guys (me and naveen), it was me who was much more scared.
And finally our Lead called us to board raft and to start our ride. All the 7-8 rafts will start moving together, just to be helpfull in emergency. Ours was the 2nd in line and with in some power strokes we came near the first and big rapid, its at the same time when our lead mentioned that a photographer will take pics near that Rapid. Being the first rapid it was excitement and its the photographers presence which made us to give nice poses. Our raft was stuck for a while after crossing the First rapid and our lead managed to bring it back on track. After this there was a calm stream for long time and I thought of taking pics in my camera. But its the time I realised that when I got in to water my camera was also swimming with me and it was so wet that for next three days it was still bleeding with water.
The Rafting was for 9kms and it was combination of calm stream, followed by a nice rapid. We used to scream and shout when we are in Rapid and other time we used to chat with our lead Navashed. He gave the history of how the Rafting entered India, the guy who is behind this and how the politics could spoil this adventure sport also. Finally when we reached the time to get down, Sharath and our Jeep was waiting to pick us up.
Once in jeep, it was the trip towards our Homestay. We had a big purchase of snacks and drinks, as the home stay has no access for these things. With a journey for morethan a 45 mins, with humpy dumpy ride we reached a farm where our jeep stopped. Its a walk of 200mts in that farm to finally reach our Home Stay - Green Valley.
The walk through the Farm itself took us to excitement and the first sight of the Home stay was impressive, it was of our taste. A nice dining place in the middle of Farm, a house/kitchen close to it, a Man made waterfall at yards distance and the cottages at a viewable distance. And we were astonished when they told the water from a neat by hill had been bought in pipes although 2kms and the same pipe was erected to some 20 feet to make it fall like falls. When its required, water falls will be stopped and the same water is used to run a dynamo to generate the required power. Ideas at its best and it was amidst the wild nature. Then we had an tummy overflowing lunch with those local special items.
After this lunch we started to get into our cottages, it is at this time another major exciting and astonishment was to see the way in which Bamboo was used. It was the Homestay of Bamboo, where the requirement was made to use Bamboo and all possible ways. From the soap box in an bathroom, a holder for focus lamp, an tea table, to an whole cottage even with a bamboo basement, we were last in the real woods for those days. Please find the link to see how bamboo was used to its extreme.
After relaxing for an hour or so in our cottages, Sharath told us that we will go out for sight seeing. First to see an dead Tusker near to our Homestay and other one is Cinthery Rocks.
It was an bumpy ride for 20mins, we were near a farm where a big Tusker was dead. It was electric shock/short which killed this living mamoths. The neglegence of KPTCL guys lead to a fallen pole carrying Hightension cables. This pole fell on to the solar fencing on the farm and making this low volt Solar fence and High tension cable. And the unfateful Tusker tried crossing this Fence and reached its end. Being Wildlife enthusiasists Sharath and me were watchful at the sight and tried to get the details of the cause.
With a disturbed mind, we headed towards Cinthery Rocks. Its an huge Monolithic rock, with Kaneri river forming nice carving infront of it. Its a downward walk on around 100steps to reach the spot and beside these steps samples of different Rock/Stones have been placed. With the tourism responsiblity being given to locals, the place has been kept at its best.
The serenity at the place with gustling sound of water stream, made it a perfect place to relax and it was the rocky bed on which you can lay your back.
After spending almost an hour at the place we were back on our track to reach the homestay, with darkness getting wild in that wilderness. On our way back, we again stopped at the Tuskers death spot to spot the Mindless peoples hopeless ideas/ways to get that massive Dead creature out of that farm land.
By around 7pm, when the light was almost invisible we got down near homestay and started straying through that farm to reach the centre of homestay. And Sudarshan was already at the place to meet us and it was the same time when Sharath started home. With a chuck of Moon looking bright in the sky, the farm land around that Bamboo paradise provided a nice place to start our chatting. We five, Sudarshan and owner Ajith, were soon in our bamboo chairs around the firecamp to start a warm chit chatting session. With pakodas and Tea helped us in recharing a bit, but looked meagre when our chatting session went for around 4 hours starting from elephants death, forests around to the state, national politics and finally on the current lifestyle. Its during this time, I tried to showoff my little knowledge about star gazing. After that a heavy dinner, followed by an long sleeping session in those bamboo cottages, with cold breeze trying its best to wake us up.
It was assured/planned by Sudarshan to give us an exciting trek on Sunday morning, so he waked us up at around 8am and hurried us to get ready to vacate the homestay and to start our trek. Me and Naveen were keen to know our surroundings and it was Sudarshan who showed us the plants of Elachi, Cocoa and the tree which Elephants fond of. And then I started showing off again with my Binocs by starting Bird watching around the cottage. The Manmade natural waterfalls in that homestay was an excitement not to be miss and so me and Naveen decided to dare the chill to take bath in that falls. Finally everyone except Aakash, had nice bath along with massage under that falls.
After a stumpous breakfast, we finally vacated the homestay to board Bolero camper to reach the base of Teralli Gudda. This is now the highest point in Dakshina kannada district and its with in protected area. With permission being arranged by Sudarshan, we travelled kms through forest before we could reach the base. The way of ride was full of humps and bumps, between Sudarshan was explaining the things of my interests - conservation, forests, wildlife etc. On the way he showed us a deviating which leads to the Birth place of Kali river -Kushavali and then we reached a tribal settlement to pick our Guide "" and also to get the lunch arranged in his house by the time we come back.
Once that Tribal dude Yogesh and our guide got into that camper, the ride has become interesting, He was explaining each and every tree that comes accross and the all possible sensations that were visible on our way. He showed us Dhupam tree, Rosewood, Kadu jenu, some insects and finally with my Sharp sight we could see snake Wiper. And it was almost 11 45 when we actually started out trek. Initially the trek looked boring because of sun and the semi arid trek path. But once we got into the forest, its became a fascinating one.
It was already 11 30 by when we started our trek and by its vertue our mood was slightly drowning. And initial trek seemed to be boring Hillock but when we proceeded further, it was getting a kinda tough with steeps and slopes with thick vegetation surrounding us. There were few grassy patches on the way and Yogesh was asking us to be silent as he was keen to show us some wild life. At some point Yogesh showed us the footprints and the path which seemed like a Bison and its child just passed the way. We could see those fresh footprints on our way for some time and after that they took a path into Shola.
After a hour or so we go out of shola on to a grassy vegetation and Yogesh/Sudarshan pointed us to a bushy kind of vegetation, which Bisons fond off. Then walking further, about 100mts we started seeing our Destined peak at far. But we decided to have break and indeed decided to prepare Noodles as Yogesh said that place is close to Water stream.
Into the woods again to get close to stream, we started to put fire but ended up creating smoke. Finally Yogesh made it a proper flame and got water from stream to start our Noodles preparation. Later on my insist, me and yogesh went out to get Large leaves to have our noodles and the twigs being our Chop sticks. And what, in minutes we had Yummy noodles ready with a pleasant smoke cleansing our nostrils. Few of us went to stream to drink water and proceeded further.
After that self cooked noodles, it took us some 30mins to reach the peak of Terali Gudda but althrough the path Yogesh insisted us to keep silent. Once on the peak, Yogesh could find a herd of Wild Boars on the Grass land below the peak. When all of us assembled at the edge to get glimpse of them, they got distracted and started running into forest. But it was then, we could realise that it was huge gang of Boars with more than 40-50 of them and initially we thought those as rocks.
After spending considerable time on the peak, we decided to descend the peak and it took us an 90mins walk to reach back to the starting point where tribal settlements were there. Our lunch was arranged in Yogesh's house and it was an amazing lunch indeed. By the time we finished our lunch, it was around 4 45PM and our return bus was at 8PM. But Sudarshan still had some plans for us and it was to have a Motor boat ride in Supa Backwaters. Also he mentioned that it would be a spot to sight a nice Sunset and also if lucky we can see Hornbills as well.
So our lunch followed a another bumpy ride to reach the backwaters. It was an 45mins ride to reach the spot and by then things were ready. There was a boat, Life jackets, one guy to ride and a Can of diesel for backup.
It was nice ride on the boat, an amazing sunset, a nice walk on the island and the view of the immense backwaters. By the time we returned back into our vehicle it was 6 30Pm and another 90mins left to start our departure. Still the plans were not over and Sudarshan thought of taking us to a shop where we could get some "Natural Farming" comodities. Since shop was closed, we finally decided to return back to Dandeli to catch our bus. One last ride, with a visit to Kadumane to freshen up, a visit to Sudarshans upcoming resort and then we were back to Dandeli exactly at 7 50pm.
