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-   -   Weekend River Raid !! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/62856-weekend-river-raid.html)

Our Friday night party was a banger as always. Wake up on Saturday, quickly finish a meeting and I have the rest of the day to kill. Not to mention Sunday. What can we make of the weekend? Oh...did I mention wife & kid were visiting the in-laws in Coorg :D. Called a couple of friends, decided we drive to Muthathi and see the river at spate. We had not done a single trip after the monsoons hit, and thought it was a good idea. We had already seen both the falls (Gagana Chukki & Bhara Chukki) a lot over the years and decided we'd just drive around the river as much as possible. So it was four of us, my scorpio and the river!

Started from Bangalore at around 3PM. The drive out of town was as hellish as always, especially the Banashankari-Kanakpura rd. stretch. After we crossed Metro on Kanakpura Rd., traffic was less and we headed straight to Kanakpura and took the left fork to Muthathi. This is the road to Sangama, and reached Muthathi from the opposite direction. We reached the river at Muthathi, relaxed for a while and made a couple of calls to some locals I know at Bluff. We stayed at Abbeys Wilderness Camp, close to Shimsha project, again, a friends place. This place has a few huts, very basic and in the middle of nowhere.

Next day we explored the area, relaxed by the river and god some good food. Our local contact Colin made sure we went to some nice places. We drove past all the fishing camps in the area - Galibore, Bheemeshwari and Doddamakali. We actually visited Doddamakali and since we did not have prior booking, our local contact got us past the forest barricade and we spent a couple of hours here before heading back. Though we did not stay here, this is on our must-do list for the near future. I've posted some pics of the facilities here. Beautiful place!

The whole experience was beautiful! I always make it a point to drive to this area when I hear of heavy rains in the catchment areas. Cauvery is in full spate now and I can understand why they call her the MAD RIVER! You can hear the river 'roar'! Hope you enjoy the pics (in chronoilogical order):

Trip: Bangalore-Kanakpura-Sangama(Mekedatu)-Galibore-Muthathi-Bheemeshwari-Shivanasamudra-Shimsha-Doddamakali-Malavalli-Kanakpura-Bangalore.
Total: Distance 300kms Approx
Time: 26Hrs.

Jam at Kanakpura Rd. & Ring Road Junction! This is exactly what we wanted to get away from!


Scenic, en route Sangama-Muthathi


Cauvery River at Muthathi


Cauvery River at Muthathi


Camp Fire


Camp Fire


Gazeebo where you can eat


Basic cottages/huts at Abbeys


Abbeys Wilderness Camp. Its basically this long stretch and cottages. And only forest all around.


Camp fire place


Gazeebo at Abbeys


The Ride


Wheres that Mud?


My Black Beauty


This is the canal rd. Not open to public usually.


Road and Canal look like a highway with a divider.


Figuring out the force of the water. It was FAST.


The Mountain Flattner.

pictures continued here..

Supposedlt one of the oldest Hydro Elec. station in asia and powered Bangalore, the first city to get electricity in India.


Channel leading to the power station


See the Croc! This is a Channel fed lake called 'Forbes Sagar' (?)


Lake with crocs and 5 to 80 kilo Masheer !!


Same Croc infested lake


Spotting the crocs


Lake


Beautiful Cauvery...filled with small islands.


Ruins of an old bridge


Many small islands


Cauvery in full flow


Spent some time on the rocks. Beautiful place


Spotted a peacock on the hill.


Bridge over Cauvery


Abbeys huts and my black beauty!


A little monkeying around.


The jungle trail to Doddamakali fishihg camp.


A beautiful view of the roaring cauvery on the way to Doddamakali fishing camp.


One amazing thing about this camp - White sand everywhere...no mud !


Full Flow!


Bird Watching?


Can you imagine 80Kg Masheer here? Biggest river fish in the world!!


View of the fishing camp from the river.


Soaking in the river view


Hammock. Perfect to get away from the rat race.


Gazeebo at the camp.


Trying to spot wildlife?


Another shot of the camp.


Trying to find our own 'cove'. I believe there are lots of small sandy coves along the river. Some are acessible by boat only. Can be
arranged from the camp, with supply of cold beverages and snacks!!


Roaring Cauvery!

man,
you have finished the travelogue in this single post.
place looks nice.
please post more pics and more information.
please tag the pics.

edit: aha, some more pics to see.

Hey NIP. This area looks GREAT with all that greenery. Looks like the monsoon is having it's impact.

This also reminds me that it's been a long time since we 4x4 folks went to this area.

You planning another trip anytime soon? Would love to join you folks for an outing here.

Khan, this place is great to see now with all the rains ! And if you want to group your 4x4 junkies for a weekend, I can organize a day-trip to this place, and the locals contacts I have there will hook us up with a lot of trails around. In fact, just around the camp where we stayed itself, there were some hardcore trails which I did not dare to get onto as they looked formidable. There was this place with a kannada name that says 'Valley of Hyenas' (cant recollect) and the trail to this place is pure 4x4. This leads out from the camp itself! I should have taken some pics, damn! Let me know...this place isnt far and it will be a fantastic weekend getaway.

@NIP,

Great place and wonderful photos!

Would have been even better if there were some tags. :)

Mods can you please let me edit these images again so I can add captions? By the time I uploaded the pics, it was too late to edit. Also, how do I insert captions for the images??

Terrific snaps.. Forest and rivers take a different look over night after the rains (have seen this happening in Kabini Wayanad). Did you try your hands at pulling few Mahasheers?

No this was not planned. Definitely plan to do it soon :) I have some expert angler friends.

NIP,
Thanks for such lovely photos.
I have never been to Muthathi and wish to go there with my friends in my Santro.
I will be greatful if you can share the contacts of the "Abbeys Wilderness Camp".
I tried finding it thru Google but in vain.
Planning to visit there on 10th sep.

Ragards

Awaiting pics from Shivanasamudra ...

NIP,
Very well captured pics. showing the Cauvery in her glory, what a refreshing sight! Many guys from Hyderabad head here for the Mahaseer.
The hammock against the dark tree trunks is a nice photograph.

NIP, great photos clap: and have always loved your Scorp even in the Scorpio owners thread. My dream to own one like that! Beautiful place..have been to muthati and bheemeshwari too but never looked so beautiful. Loved the pic with the scoprs nose against the river, mountains and the road.
seems to say: "I can go anywhere!!"

I was aroung muthathi last saturday. Had been to chunchi falls thats enroute to mekedatu. Will post my travelouge soon..