[procrj]

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.
- Edward Abbey

I went in search of crooked, winding and lonesome roads and I found peace and quiet.
I went looking for water in violent motion and I found a strange stillness.
I went somewhere to get away from myself and ended spending more time with myself.

https://youtu.be/RL10E_IKpno

A few old friends and their better halves decided to head to the hills to spend a night in the middle of nowhere. As usual the forum threw up a lot of options and I narrowed down on Mallalli falls as it had been a while since I visited a waterfall of any kind. After some search and quick check with a friend, we decided to spend the night at Chiguru homestay which was right on the falls road. Also found out that the road to the waterfall was recently made a concrete road and hence you can drive up almost to the top of the falls view point. All plans were in place and we waited for 23rd July to hit the road.



Route: Yeshwantpur - Channarayapatna - SH121 - Holenarasipura- Arkalgud - Shanivarasanthe - Somwarpete - Mallalli Falls road
Gmaps: https://goo.gl/maps/zWBrHozs3mm
Pit stops: Swati Delicacy & IndianOil petrol pump - Shanivarasanthe
Drive time: 4 Hours 40 Minutes

• Road Condition:
• Yeshwantpur - Channarayapatna - 4 Lane toll road
• Channarayapatna - SH121 - Holenarasipura - Beautiful 2 lane state highway
• Arkalgud - Shanivarasanthe - Somwarpete - Winding state highways with very good roads (except for the first 5km stretch from Arkalgud where the roads are broken - nothing alarming but need to drive slow)
• Somwarpete - Mallalli Falls road - Single lane road through beautiful countryside and steep curves. Last 4 Km stretch to the Falls road has broken tarmac with a few potholes.

Note: Majority of road signs & distance markers after you cross Shanivarasanthe are in kannada. Do try and watch the videos in HD.

[procrj]

Old sights with old friends

We hit the road at 6.30 am and after a quick stop at Swati delicacy for some crisp dose and piping hot coffee, we quickly get onto SH121 and I couldn't stop thinking about the view from the top of mavinkere temple. Quick check with my friends and we start winding our way through the windmills to the top of the hill. After a quick photoshoot and temple visit we are on our way to the Katte.





More details here

NPV had confirmed that katte was over flowing and hence with a flutter in my stomach I parked the tank, switch off the engine and try to tune into the stead rhythm of water falling over rocks. I was not disappointed and I quickly walked towards the katte and see water rapidly flow over the platform and crash into the stones below. Music!

https://youtu.be/ZQxisGqF5n0

https://youtu.be/VAnkB9fXhhg

Parking lot at Katte -A Super photoshoot point



Where is Katte? Details here

Small detour and some bad roads

Holenarsipura - Arkalgud - Shanivarasanthe could be called uneventful but the green around you increases as you put more distance between you and that 4 lane highway. We get to Shanivarasanthe and Google Mata decides that its easier to get to Chiguru via Uchangi - Kudrasthe that it is via Somwarpete. I was on navigation mode and did not realize that I was on my way to Bisle till we hit a crossroad which is around 7 km from Shannivarsanthe towards Uchangi. The locals there tell us that we are on the wrong road and need to go back and the way we came and then get to Somwarpete.

The route to take


Google Mata's route

Note - This route is not wrong and is a viable option but then the road is supposed to be in shambles and even locals dissuade you from driving down that road.

We drive back and then google decides to "optimize" the route once again! Instead of taking the butter smooth SH112 to Somwarpete, it directs us onto SH8, which is a narrow broken piece of road till it connects SH112. The time is 1.30 PM and we are all hungry and the broken roads dont help much. We join SH112 and quickly get to Somwarpete.

How many rains have you seen?


After driving all this while through some really green stretches and winding roads, one would think that you have seen it all.

Now I know why they call it green shoots - it really does stand out!


Green & Grey - The recuring themes on this route

• Evergreen forest - check
• Green shoots - Check
• Wet winding roads - Check
• Plantations - Check

And then you drive from Somwarpete to Mallalli falls and its like you have been blind all this while. You are transported into different world - one which is lost in the hills of Pushpagiri range.

[procrj]

A different world
Some background - Mallalli falls is located very close to Pushpagiri hill or Kumara Parvatha, which is the 2nd highest peak in Karnataka. Kumaradhara is the river that crashes down those granite steps and winds it way to Kukke Subramanya. My guess is that most of the forest cover around the falls is part of the Bisle forests and on clear days, you could probably see the slopes of bisle from the falls viewpoint (again - this is my guess as I haven't found any evidence for the same).

All it takes is 10 minutes for you to be completely cut off from civilization. Once you take that road to Mallalli falls from Somwarpete, you are driving on freshly laid single lane road that slowly winds its way through the hills and valleys of the mountain range. This road was not created to take you quickly from point A to B. This was created to entice and lure you into a different world.

A world where both net worth and network are no longer important.


A world where moss and erosion measure the passage of time


Where cloud cover is never an issue. Every instance that the sun threatened to break though, all the trees would create wisps of clouds which would quietly join the ranks of grey rain clouds.



Where trees and clouds are the only constant and everything else is just a transient instance. Its strange to think about years when it looks like these hills & trees have been standing here for centuries. They saw warriors brandishing swords ride around these hills fighting the cunning of Hyder Ali & Tippu Sultan. They saw the gora sahibs walk their horses through plantations and hunt wildlife for sport and now they see people without roots come back into their fold, searching for lost culture and fighting their own strange battles.



Its a beautiful winding drive to Shanthalli after which the road narrows down to a single lane from 1.5 lanes and the climbs and drops are a little steep and sudden. This is not the place for swift cornering, most times you end up going up or down in 2nd gear wondering what is around the corner

Shanthalli


Sharp right and a steep climb


We wind our way through ~18 km of these winding roads and finally reach Mallalli falls road. The concrete road is freshly laid and is being cured and hence the entry gate is locked (was informed by home-stay owner about this and hence had to walk ~1 km in the rain to get the home-stay caretaker to unlock the gates)
Gmaps: https://goo.gl/maps/fJqvvNaE4ZE2

No shoulder to ride on


The road has no shoulder and if you had the misfortune on driving off the road, then you better call a tow truck. Oh wait - there is not network & hence you will need to walk 4 kms to get to spot with coverage. Its strange that people here have Dish TV but are content without mobile network & WiFi!

We reach the home-stay without a fuss and gorge on some sumptuous home cooked food. After we eat and settle down in our rooms, we realize that there is not TV, no mobile network, no electricity at the moment - we are marooned! Thankfully we have planned for such an event and few packs of uno cards and some music kept us all sane.

During the ride you do not really consider the incessant drizzle that sometime turns to rain. Once in the room, you can hear & feel it reaching out to you. The cold creeps into the room and whispers in your ear to step out. And when you do, you are enveloped in this cloud migration which can easily put you in a trance like state. Don't believe me? watch this

https://youtu.be/U1xQ1_2d6V4

Chiguru home-stay is a dorm style home stay on Mallalli falls road. The rooms are clean and the food is simple but tasty South Indian fare (they do serve chapatis). They have 3 rooms which can accommodate 4,6 & 13 people. Please note - this is located in the middle of nowhere and hence you will find a lot of spiders & insects of all kind trying to join you in your room and the only sound at night is the gentle murmur of the stream proving the beat to the incessant crick crick & ribbit ribbit of frogs. In the middle of the night, I saw fireflies circling the high ceiling of my room

home-stay & parking lot



Small stream running next to the property


lots of green all around


Light to heavy rain along with shifting cloud cover led us to believe that we might be better off trying our luck with the falls next day morning. Hence we spend the night chit chatting and tasting some local brew.

[procrj]

One step at a time

Sunday morning - 7 am and we start off towards the falls. Half of us decide to hire a M&M hardtop to get to the falls as we dont want to walk through the muck in the rain and the other half decides to walk to the falls. I take my seat in the hardtop and we cruise on the cement track till it suddenly stops. The last 600 odd meters to the falls is still mud, stone & boulders and the hardtop eats up the muck without a hiccup. We get down stretch our legs and the only sound is the roar of water hitting rocks. But the sound is a little muted as all you can see is cottony white clouds drifting away into nowhere.

Unfinished symphony


First glimpse - We walk to the steps and we can see the falls. To say that its breath taking will be an understatement



Walk down the stairs and the view just gets better. Its a honey trap as the further you go, the better it gets. What you dont realize is that walking up is going to be a killer!

Stairway to heaven

https://youtu.be/GJTB1yWG6xk

Different strokes




Pause


Apparently there are 600 steps to the bottom after which there is a mud path which takes you very near the 3rd outcrop over which the river leaps. I was unable to trek down because of my wife & kid but my friends did go down and here are few pics that shows what one might expect.





Needless to say that clouds were playing hide and seek all the time and this was probably the clearest shot of the falls that my better half was able to manage.




The complete trek from the gate at the start of the concrete road till the foot of the falls and back up to the gate should easily take 3-3.5 hours if you are moderately fit. Also if you plan to visit during the rain, do ensure that you wear a jacket or carry an umbrella and wear shoes as the concrete road is layered with hay, which retains water and becomes a pain to walk on with slippers/floaters. On the way to the falls, there is this small shop near the stream that serves hot coffee, omelettes and some local brew as well. If you have time, walk down to the shallow stream and sit on the boulder. I did that for 20 minutes and that was probably the best 20 minutes that I have spent in a long long time. Did spot the usual list of common birds around the stream and hence should be a good spot to get that 70-300 out for some up & close action.

https://youtu.be/GuubUDK5xIc

After a heavy breakfast we drive back towards civilization and mobile connectivity. On the way back, we stop at every available chance to click a few pics and soak in the lethargy of the place. Believe you me, this place is like the perfect destination for all those who want to do nothing but immerse themselves in the arduous task of wasting time. You will not have any of the modern means to while away time and hence you end up walking down that muddy road or finding a way into the freezing stream to keep yourself engaged.

Every bridge will have a waterfall


The long road home




Hemavathy backwaters - Where is the church?


The smiling road-king




SH121 - What a road!


This was the perfect getaway to celebrate 6 months with the TUV 300. This monsoon has been all about the hills and the next few months promise to be wet, winding & cloudy!

[SDP]

Moved to travelogues section. Thanks Procrj for sharing

[Kandisa]

Misty weather, clouds and rains and an amazing waterfall...what a wonderful travelogue. The colour of the TUV is also a good contrast with the surrounding green.

[bsdbsd]

Just fantastic. Appreciate you sharing the naturally flowing photographs and the accompanying text. Surprising that Karnataka has so much to offer, along with the enablers.

[NPV]

Thanks for a nice travelogue and excellent pictures, obvious that you'll definitely had a great time

Originally Posted by procrj

we quickly get onto SH121 and I couldn't stop thinking about the view from the top of mavinkere temple.

Again ? Well, I'm not surprised! The temple and the Katte are amazing places and you'll want to keep going back.
When going from CR Patna side on the SH121, where does one turn right at the point it intersects with SH102, any landmarks for this place ? My GPS maps did not have any information for the cross roads on SH121, so I was looking for an easy way to locate the turn off.

I was not disappointed and I quickly walked towards the katte and see water rapidly flow over the platform and crash into the stones below. Music!

Did you notice a small gate and steps that lead to the other side of the river bank amidst the small rocks that are spread out in the water ? We saw a small group of people sitting on the rocks there, but we couldn't go there as we were short on time, definitely on the cards soon!

[ashbhat2]

The Western Ghats are always in their pristine glory during the monsoon. Awesome travelogue. Looks like you had a perfect weekend getaway.

I remember visiting sriramdevarakatte almost 25 years back. Those days we had to take a bus from Hassan to Holenarsipur and get down half way and walk a little to get to the katte. Thanks for re-kindling those memories, had even forgotten that this place existed.

Speaking about western ghats in the monsoons, I'm surprised you haven't mentioned anything about leeches. Almost all monosoon western ghat stories have leeches involved. Did you not encounter any during your trek ?

[Red Liner]

My god! This is a beautiful place! How much does a bed in the dorm cost?

[procrj]

Originally Posted by Kandisa

Misty weather, clouds and rains and an amazing waterfall...what a wonderful travelogue. The colour of the TUV is also a good contrast with the surrounding green.

Thanks Kandisa. Yes the red tank does stand out against the green.

Originally Posted by bsdbsd

Just fantastic. Appreciate you sharing the naturally flowing photographs and the accompanying text. Surprising that Karnataka has so much to offer, along with the enablers.

The hills and valleys of KA have a lot to offer and I think most people dont realise that as it hasnt been commercialised. I think Coorg District is probably one of the best places to spend the monsoon in KA after Malnad and if that wretched railway line gets built, then we could probably kiss goodbye to a lot of pristine forests and solitude.

Originally Posted by NPV

When going from CR Patna side on the SH121, where does one turn right at the point it intersects with SH102, any landmarks for this place ? My GPS maps did not have any information for the cross roads on SH121, so I was looking for an easy way to locate the turn off.

Its a hard to miss intersection as that is only place you might find people waiting for a bus or a couple of two wheelers waiting to take a left or right.

Lat Long: 12.830816, 76.242195

Did you notice a small gate and steps that lead to the other side of the river bank amidst the small rocks that are spread out in the water ?

I did and in fact I saw a goatherd walk towards it the last time. Do let me know what you find on the other side.

Originally Posted by ashbhat2

I'm surprised you haven't mentioned anything about leeches.

Thanks Ashbhat. We were well prepared. Shoes, long socks, full length clothing saved us from leeches during the trek. Having said that my wife did find one on her feet after a shower at the homestay

Originally Posted by Red Liner

My god! This is a beautiful place! How much does a bed in the dorm cost?

Cost is Rs 1700 per head per night inclusive of 3 meals + coffee & hot onion pakodas

[NPV]

Originally Posted by procrj

Its a hard to miss intersection as that is only place you might find people waiting for a bus or a couple of two wheelers waiting to take a left or right.
...
Lat Long: 12.830816, 76.242195

Thanks! I think I remember that junction, it was probably the biggest one on the SH121.

I did and in fact I saw a goatherd walk towards it the last time. Do let me know what you find on the other side.

From what I saw standing on the bridge (near the steps leading to the Katte), it just seemed like rocks in the river, probably like the ones near the Sangama in Srirangapatna or Mekedatu or even Balamuri, if you're familiar with those places. But yes, will try to go over to that side on the next visit.
I'm not sure if the place gets crowded on weekends ?

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by procrj

This was the perfect getaway to celebrate 6 months with the TUV 300. This monsoon has been all about the hills and the next few months promise to be wet, winding & cloudy!

As usual wonderful travelogue, beautiful pictures, lovely narration and some nicely edited videos, what else would one want from a travelogue. I really like the style of your writing, very brief and crisp and you let the pictures do all the talking. Your TUV wouldn't have asked for a better half year gift.

Your travelogue has inspired me to take my tank out in the western ghats. Most probably after the 10K service scheduled for next Saturday, I will venture out on such lovely monsoon drives. Till then happy feasting on your travelogues.

[haria]

Very impressive travelogue! and man, you are quite poetic! very nice and apt descriptions/comments!
Have included this place also in my "some-day" list!

[Mafia]

Really beautiful!!!

you have captured the journey well!

And now I am home sick! miss the rains so much!