Memoirs of Monsoon 2022 from Charmadi Ghat

The Shiradi Ghat road does not seem to improve in near future. It has been mammoth 15+yrs and the stretch has not seen all weather motorable road. Thanks to all the administrations so far, the future also looks grim for this stretch. No improvements will be seen for sure. This makes to drive through the splendid Charmadi Ghat if we are opting for car transport. Even though the terrain is tough and dizzy, the beauty flushes all the traumas out of your mind. This year too we rejoiced amidst the monsoon rains and divine greenery. Despite the torrential rains, we captured clips and pictures to celebrate the glory of nature and monsoon! Here are limited captures of those numerous seasonal waterfalls located throughout the Kottigehara-Charmadi stretch. Watch the video at end for detailed presentation of monsoon charm at Charmadi Ghat!

My toddlers counted most of waterfalls which was around 50. They enjoyed leg dip in pristine water and drenched in tropical rains!

The fog was extremely dense that visibility was almost nil for few meters. The fog lamp was only savior. Fortunately, every traveler along the stretch switched either fog lamp, head lamp or parking lights. Failing to do would invite terrible accidents in this daunting stretch.

Into the mist towards the invisible future. Do you see anything coming?

These pictures were captured at Kottigehara while savoring tea amidst the beloved rainforest. The KSTDC maintained NISARGA Grand. The taste of the food served was palatable and beyond our expectation. Similarly was the taste of view of hills from restaurant. During our return, heavy rains did not allow us to sip tea here. Massive 150mm was recorded during that day in Kottigehara. Do you see the beauty of nature? No saturation tweaking needed! Monsoon fills the region with diverse colors during monsoon season. Except for White Balance & minor tonal contrast, no other tweaking needed. Monsoon has painted the beloved rainforest to perfection!

While we were chilling out amidst the cool monsoon weather, looks this guy badly wanted some warming up from chilly weather!

Heart of Rainforest! Quintessential of rainforest! Call it the way you like! This giant has been stealing my heart from long time. Finally, I broke the inertia and captured this massive tree which may be hundreds or thousands of years old. Look at its massive trunk! Every tropical rainforest enthusiast would truly be enamored by this sight! Here are pictures with varying tones.

The start of climb at Charmadi village exposes some of beautiful views of Western Ghats as well! Thanks to its onerous terrain, the heavy vehicles will never drive in this route. Only vegetable tempos and KSRTC red buses are the heavier ones in this route! Hence this freshly laid road is guaranteed to last long relatively despite the torrential monsoon season. The only disadvantage is the coiled roads which is difficult for few people to manage while travelling.

There is no 100% happiness anywhere in world, including in this peaceful pristine rainforest. The sadists create chaos by dancing in middle of roads, blocking traffic amidst low visibility. Police personnel nowadays have taken stricter action but they can't be vigil always in this heavy rains. The other part is rampant trash. People throw trash into the forest floor and the sight of huge pile of garbage is terrible. And the last trivial one, my mobile camera's metering (Oppo K10 5G). It blows up unnecessarily the pictures, not only at darker places like this but also at places of good lighting. This over exposure is hard to correct. Perhaps to balance higher shutter speed resulting from rapid torrent, the camera pushed aperture and ISO beyond the need.

Here is a short glimpse of waterfalls that were shot during our drive. My toddlers too enjoyed waterfalls amidst torrential rains.

Gudibande Fort Hike

11th June 2022

Our last plan to hike Gudibande Fort miserably failed thanks to weekend COVID lockdown. Our effort and money went in waters. More than that, we were deeply disappointed after driving for long. Eventually we consoled ourselves by spending quality time on the banks of Bhairasagara Lake situated nearby.

It was entirely different picture this time and we were confident of executing our hike plan. With COVID diminishing from globe, authorities have relaxed completely the restrictions. Consequentlty, there were no hurdles during our visit. Apart from awesome weather and mild sun, my toddlers too co-operated well throughout the hike. Here is our photo-walk from gudibande fort hike. Views of bhairasagara lake and bounded hills are magnificent. Lot of space in summit to saunter and explore. Shiva temple atop is believed to have mythological importance. Lets get started with pictures & story!

Monsoon had just onset and rains were at top gear in coastal Karnataka. We could feel the breeze and remnant clouds streaming from west to east. We reached the base of Gudibande fort around 10:30AM and it took 25 mins to reach summit. That was relatively easy hike with stunning views.

We began hike anxiously since many bloggers had written about strenuous 60 mins hike. Our skepticism was primarily due to presence of toddlers. But as we reached the summit within 25 mins all doubts vanished. The hike duration depends on individuals. Hence, don't be intimidated by such statements.

Initially the path is bit steep but everywhere steps are constructed. As you hike up, the path is relatively smooth but infested with shrubs. As the hike progresses, the views get exciting and fabulous

The path is strewed with shrub growth which may be allergic to few or some may feel lost while hiking. The active summer rains have helped shrub growth tremendously. You need to shove through shrubs to find the trail! There is no maintenance since government does not charge anything. Even the parking lot is free of fee. Few local people collect money pretending to guard vehicle.

Throughout the trail one will be mesmerized to feel the intricate boulder arrangement. The way boulders are aligned is truly stunning sight. It feels as if, they may fall at any time :-).

At every stage, the awesomeness of view amplifies. Do not hike in hustle. Enjoy every scene you come across. They are worth the time

Passing through many passages roofed by boulders, relishing the spellbinding landscapes, we reached summit.

The views from summit is awesome. The 360 degree view hosts mesmerizing feast of landscape adorned with hillocks and lakes. The massive bhairasagara lake is the attraction point from summit.

Rameshwara temple located which is believed to be installed by sage Vishwamithra. During our visit, the temple was closed for public visit. believed to be 400yrs old and has many escape parts. Full details from Wikipedia. The hill has mythological importance dating to age of Lord Rama. Never knew that this hill has mythological importance as well before converting it to fort.

Besides, there is also water spot located in summit. Not sure if water sustains during dry days!

You will be easily lost in time at the summit exploring and relaxing. Every corner is worth the photograph, be it surrounding hills, be it lake, be it the hill where you stand, be it streaming clouds, be it Gudibande town, or that rural road cutting through hills. We too stayed for prolonged time.

This fort has around 7 escape paths. We saw only one (extracted from video)

Unfortunately, beauty is bundled with apathy. Besides the omnipresent trash, the nuisances carved out by modern day scratch-mongers to express their uncouth feeling is black mark on the rich heritage of our country. Please do not resort in such stupid acts.

Once done, we started the descent towards base. That took meagre 20mins time. It was already midday and hence we planned drive back to city. On way back, once again the beauty of Bhairasagar lake filled our eyes.

Things to remember

First and foremost, do not litter place. The summit is heavily trashed by visitors. Government does not levy any charge for hike implies zero maintenance. The visitors should act on their own discretion

No eateries nearby the fort. Carry ample water.

Google maps bang on target

Not sure if authorities clear the shrubs along the trail since there are no fees levied and hence avoid hiking during sunrise/sundown

Conclusion

Overall a place for disentanglement from city chaos. An easy hike powered with mesmerizing summit views. Do visit the place and feel tranquility. Since there is no official maintenance from authorities, be responsible and stay away from littering!

Even though not strenuous, Gudibande was worth the hike. While the trail is inundated with shrubs, the summit views are mesmerizing. Do visit during monsoon season when the greenery is at peak. Here is short visual glimpse of our tiny hike.

Also enjoy the mesmerizing Bhairasagara lake which we explored during our last visit