[procrj]

Decided to spend a few days in Malenadu exploring familiar roads and places in order to experience the monsoon. The idea was to soak in the effervescent green that sprouts everywhere during the monsoon and enjoy the change that can only be called the monsoon effect.The plan was to head to Chikkamagalur and then figure out the where/what/when based on conditions. Ended up exploring and enjoying the journey to the following places:

Jog Falls – the gates of Linganamakki dam were wide open and 50k cusecs of water was flowing through Jog every day. It was a majestic sight to watch the raging brown waters plunge down the precipice and transform into swirling mists of white. Ended up spending more than 2 hours at the falls, which felt like a few minutes. It’s just mesmerizing watching the mists dance around the water, interspersed with heavy, light and fine rain, that just boosted the entire experience. Joga in all its might during the monsoon is like a raw surge of energy flowing through you. Words can’t describe it, definitely needs to be experienced.

Like moths to a flame


The plunge


Soaking it in

https://youtu.be/wcZg13Gikms

Route: CKM – Lingadahalli – Tarikere – Shivamogga – Sagara – Jog Falls
Status: Beautiful roads all the way through accompanied by lots of rain.
-Bhadra – Shivamogga is nothing great and as you get close to Shivamogga, you need to be patient.
-Shivamogga – Sagara - Jog is just butter smooth roads with fields of phosphorescent green that beckon you
Distance: ~200 kms
Time taken: ~3 hours 15 min with a 6 am start. Really pushed the car on the way to Jog but was a relaxed drive on the way back


ओ आज मौसम बड़ा बेईमान है बड़ा बेईमान है, आज मौसम


Mullayanagiri – on a boring Monday afternoon, decided to drive up to Mullayanagiri as the sun was out and I was hoping for a relatively clear view from the top. There was absolutely no traffic to the top and the most of the road has been fixed with a few small sections still WIP. I pity the folks who drive up these beautiful curves during the weekend madness. By the time I reached Sitalayanagiri, a dense cloud bank rolled in and even after 20 min, there didn’t seem much hope of getting a glimpse of the rolling green hills. Decided to drive back home after a quick coffee stop at Estate Cafe (halfway up to Muthodi wildlife sanctuary)

A few seconds of clarity


Catching our breath


Route: CKM – Kaimara – Sitalayanagiri – CKM – Estate Cafe
Status: Beautiful narrow roads all the way up with hints of rain.
-I Prefer driving CKM – Mallandur – Muthodi as the traffic is much lesser, the roads have a lot more character (beautiful twists, lotus ponds, plantations, dense vegetation and the occasional hillock), never any hurry to get somewhere.
Distance: ~40 kms
Time taken: ~1 hour of very relaxed driving on a weekday afternoon

Bovine intervention


Belur & Yagachi – it was a lazy Saturday morning and we weren’t really in the mood to drive up the hills. Hence decided to check out the water levels at Yagachi. After a lazy one-hour drive via Kalasapura – Belavadi – Halebeedu to Belur, we finally reached the gates of Yagachi. The dam gates were open and some amount of water was being let out.

Open them gates sire!


Route: CKM - Kalasapura – Belavadi – Halebeedu – Belur – Yagachi - CKM
Status: Most stretches have good to very good tarmac but need to watch out for the occasional pothole that jumps at you.
Distance: ~85 kms
Time taken: ~1hour 45 min of very relaxed driving


Around Kalasapura


Sringeri – Been a while since I had darshana of Sri Sharadambe and hence decided to drive up and back yesterday. This place has been my abode of peace, quiet and tranquillity and there has never been a time when I haven’t felt calm inside the temple premises. The early morning drive up to Sringeri was just beautiful. Windows down halfway, no music, just the throaty hum of the 3 pot diesel, the quiet pitter patter of rain and the occasional bird call. Stopped before Balehonnur to watch a couple of Grey Malabar Hornbills flit around the trees. Reached Sringeri, spent some time in the temple, watched tunga rush past the steps, paid my respects to Sringeri mahaswamigal and drove back to CKM. Stopped many times in-between just to listen to the sounds of the trees, wind, rain, streams, river and everything else. Silence decided to surprise me with its quiet companionship as I sip on a glass of piping hot coffee in the middle of nowhere.

Peace. Quiet. Tranquility


Route: CKM - Aldur – Balehonnur – Jayapura - Sringeri
Status: Beautiful roads, especially Aldur – Balehonnur stretch.
- Jaypura - Sringeri section seems to have been widened and it’s a pleasure to drive now.
- Apart from some very deep craters on the way to Aldur, roads are great and have withstood the deluge well.
Distance: ~90 kms
Time taken: ~1-hour 25 min with a 6 am start

Go Green


Bisle Viewpoint & Mallalli Falls – Bisle has been on my list for a while now. The itch to visit Hettur grasslands has been growing and hence decided to drive to Bisle as well. Added Mallalli to the list as well since it was just a hop, skip and jump away. Early morning start from CKM and the blissful route from Belur – Sakleshpur was just perfect. Even better was the amazing landscape and beauty around Bykaravalli. As I headed towards Bisle from Vangoor, I could see that there was no hope of catching a glimpse of anything as there was a lot of mist rolling in. Decided to head towards Mallalli and was rewarded with the roar of water cascading down the boulders. Majestic as ever, Mallalli was another shot of heady monsoon magic. Decided to drive back home via Somwarpete – Shanivarasanthe – Arkalgud – CR Patna. Got suckered into visiting Gorur dam after gazing at the expanse of its backwaters. As luck would have it, gates weren’t really open and hence drove back home via Hassan – CR patna.

Majestic Mallalli

https://youtu.be/xNkDx1Cpjxc

Route: CKM – Belur – Moovala – Arehalli - Sakleshpur
Status: Beautiful roads, especially the 7 km stretch before Arehalli that is sandwiched between plantations
Distance: ~65 kms
Time taken: ~1 hour 15 min of relaxed driving

Just another Belur sunrise


Lost in wonderland


Route: Sakleshpur – Anemahal – Bykaravalli – Vanagoor – Bisle Road – Mallalli turnoff
Status:
- Till Bykaravalli its butter smooth roads but the irony is that the vistas that you drive through will ensure that you are just about crawling forward. Beautiful green fields interspersed with grasslands.
- In and around Hettur the road is a little narrow and makes you wonder if you are headed in the right direction.
- Post that till the Mallalli turoff, roads are good and rain kept me company all the way
Distance: ~70 kms
Time taken: ~1 hours 45 min with lots of stops for photos and sightseeing

Magic carpet – Hettur Grasslands


The fields of Bykaravalli




Route: Mallalli turnoff – Mageri – Kundalli – Mallalli Falls
Status:
- Mallalli turnoff – Mageri is good roads that twist, turn and climb their way up
- Mageri – Kundalli is the tricky part where there is a steep descent and a climb up to Kundalli. Roads are very narrow and will be hard for 2 vehicles to pass by. Most of the shoulders have been washed off and you need to be careful when you are driving up a steep curve – cant see the road shoulders hence important to stay on road.
- Road is doable in any vehicle but dense vegetation, steep gradients and lack of habitation makes this stretch before Kundalli a little challenging
- Kundalli – Mallalli falls is a mixed bag as you have some very good roads and then the last 4 kms before the turnoff to the falls is in bad shape with lots of craters
Distance: ~17 kms
Time taken: ~ 45 min with lots of stops for photos and sightseeing

Where time stands still




Route: Mallalli Falls – Somwarpete – Shanivarasanthe – Arkalgud - Hassan
Status:
- Mallalli Falls – Somwarpete has decent roads with rolling hills giving you company all the way to Somwarpete.
- Somwarpete – Shanivarasanthe – Arkalgud is again good to very good roads with the occasional pothole at the curve of under that old old tree
- Arkalgud – Hassan surprised me. SH21 is as good as good can be and was a welcome break after all the twists and turns
Distance: ~105 kms
Time taken: ~2 hours with some stops for photos and discussions

Has been a few years since I drove during the monsoon and I didn’t want to miss out this year. Even though the routes and places were mostly known, the experience was very different. The best part of driving in the monsoon is the dance with rain.
Starts with a drizzle, quickly increases the tempo and turns into steady rain and without missing a beat, it just pours down. If I have to pick the best experience from the above, it has got to be Jog falls + rain. Without the rain, I don’t think the experience would have been the same and I am happy that I made the decision to drive to Jog on a Sunday.

Framed


The tank is motoring along and there is not much to update. F.E is back to the 14-14.5 kmpl range and no new leaks/creaks have turned up. Odo now stands at 67.2k kms and I will be happy if I touch the 70K mark by the end of the year.

Where did the falls disappear?

[deehunk]

The roads have held up nicely even after heavy rains, your photos are provoking me to drive this weekend.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by deehunk

The roads have held up nicely even after heavy rains, your photos are provoking me to drive this weekend.

All the roads are in very good shape even after all the rains. Should definitely go soon if you want to experience Jog at its peak.

[GTO]

Thanks for sharing, procrj! Moving your post to a new thread in the Travelogues forum.

[Thermodynamics]

Super travelogue Procrj. Beautiful pictures, I guess you must have done it before the floods.

I had plans to drive this monsoon, covering the Jog and waterfalls of yellapur. That didnt matrtialize. Reading your log feels satisfying.

[Abhinav V]

It has been 10 years since my last road-trip around western ghats. I am missing all the greenery, empty roads, hot coffee and freshly fried roadside bajji-bonda. I was reminiscing my good-old days while reading your travelogue. Driving around Western Ghats in Monsoon is the best time but worry-some as well. But there is no need to worry when you have a car as tough as a TUV.
The best part of Western Ghats in Karnataka is the temples.
Whereas in cities, because we have to endure monotonous traffic-jammed roads to visit any temple and we simply dread to go. But there, every temple is at least an hour's drive from each other and the drive to every temple is something to look forward to. Not to mention food. When driving round western ghats, there is no need for brain-storming find a lunch place. Each and every temple serves tasty, delicious and hearty piping-hot lunch.

[ARAY]

Super thread . Loved the pictures. Western ghat has so much to explore. Reminds me of the Allapey to South Mumbai trip. Thanks for taking the time to pen down and share this experience with all of us.

[coolrats]

The western ghats are mesmerizing as always. The place can always surprise you with its beauty and even if you keep going it still has all the elements to captivate you. The rains added and lush greenery adds to the natural wonder of this beautiful region. Lovely pics and thanks for sharing

[Romins]

Western Ghats in its full glory during the Monsoon. My most favorite part of the world.

[JohnnyBoss]

Nice details and pictures. How is the road to Bisle Ghat?

[procrj]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBoss

Nice details and pictures. How is the road to Bisle Ghat?

I didnt drive all the way to Bisle viewpoint but recent updates from someone who drove couple of weeks ago was that Bisle road is not in great shape. He drove a creta and was not very happy with the drive to the view point from Vanagoor.

[prashkul]

Wonderful vistas captured brilliantly and narrated equally well. The details you have shared makes me feel like I was on the drive. Thanks for sharing.
We did a temple run to Sringeri in June 1st week and even then it was very nice. We too got to see a yellow hornbill in the wild - that bird is huge!


What circuit would you suggest for a quick day trip?