Expansive desserts, dense forests, deep blue seas and breathtaking views – Markha Valley’s once-in-a-lifetime trek introduces you to the region’s natural beauty, adventures, and a hell load of majestic emotions experienced never before. The trek’s trail religiously takes you through the Hemis National Park, where you’ll spot snow leopards and many other lesser-seen animals, to tiny Himalayan hamlets made with huge parachute tents, witnessing unique Buddhist culture and finally crossing the high-mountain passes which offer a view that’s simply soothing, enchanting, and worth experiencing.
So, if you’re someone who loves trekking, let Markha Valley be your next destination of excursion
Unlike other Indian treks that cruise you through dense forests or arid lands, the Markha Valley trek takes you through majestic landscapes that dot along foamy rivers, green pasture lands, picturesque valleys, flourishing national parks, and expansive dry deserts. While on the trek, you’ll spot some of the rarest species dwelling in the Indian subcontinent including the snow leopards; go through the hardship of crossing dangerous stretches of the waist-deep Markha River; find peace along the confluence of Indus and Zinchen Rivers; and thrill as you make your way up to the a height of 17,000 feet at Kongmaru La Pass.
Traversing through the majestic natural beauty of Markha Valley, you’ll also stop by some tiny mountain hamlets, which evidently have their own charm and feel. The trek further takes you through the valley’s scenic landscapes; makes you pass by river banks; meet localities; delve into some local delicacies; visit the region’s religious shrines at Lhatos; and confront the Mani walls.
Mani walls are gorgeous stone structures built by complaining intricately carved stone tablets which carry the inscriptions of ‘Om Mani Padme Hum,’ which typically means ‘Hail to the jewel in the lotus.’ Move further and high through the villages of Hangskar and Umlung, which seem like an eagle’s nest resting on one of the tallest trees of the jungle. While these villages give away a homely feeling and their monasteries are nearly 1000 years old and they still seem to keep pace with the contemporary world. When here, don’t miss on trying their special butter tea. It’s a reward in its own self. Other villages you’ll pass by include Spituk, Siku, and Shingo among others.
While the trek is a charm in itself, a visit to the Hemis National Park makes it worth the efforts. Most known for housing the highest number of snow leopards in any protected area across the globe, the Hemis National Park with its expansive population of some of the rarest wildlife species is indeed the best parts of the trek. Eurasian brown bears, Tibetan wolves, mountain weasel, the Himalayan mice, red foxes, and Asiatic ibexes – they all dwell here. The park is also a paradise for the bird watchers. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll spot the Lammergeier vulture, Fire-fronted serin, Tibetan snowfinch and the fork-tailed swift in their natural habitat.
And, last but not the least, living in parachute tents all through the trek. Indeed the region’s villages have ample number of homestays to get comfy in, the adventure lies in camping offside and living in tents. These parachute tents are massive in size and can accommodate nearly 6-8 people at a time. Fun much? Oh, you ought to experience it to know how much!
Death Valley is a very tough destination of the world with a heated atmosphere and troubled land surface. But nonetheless, it invites the off the track travellers to its turbulent and testing lap and the true dare devil takes up the challenge and gives it a go!
Nestled amongst the gushing waterfalls of Eastern Ghats, Araku Valley has been a major attraction. The journey to Araku Valley snakes through 84 bridges and 58 tunnels in the Anantagiri range. The hazy evenings, the chill in air and the placid aroma of coffee scattered around the valley, will leave you awestruck. Even when the civilization has gone deep within the valley, the place is still soaked by the heritage of the age-old tribal groups. Situated at a distance of 29 kilometers from Araku Valley are the historic Borra caves. Araku Valley has so much to offer for anyone hoping to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city life. You can go to Galikondalu viewpoint for a breathtaking view of the entire valley or trek to the beautiful limestone caves, Borra. Along with the beautiful stalactites and stalagmites inside the cave, it is also known to have mythological significance. The locals believe that Lord Ram, Lakshman and Sita dwelled in the caves during their exile period. Borra caves are not only the longest but also the deepest caves in India. The travelers get an illusion of some alien land with halogen lamps, creating mesmerizing effects on the damp pathways. No amount of pictures can capture the captivating beauty of these caves.
People who thought that there was no decent trekking place around Bangalore can be in for a pleasant surprise as Savandurga can offer the perfect trekking destination near to the city. It is the largest monolith hill in Asia and is situated at Magadi that is only at a distance of 60 kilometers from the city. It has a height of 4,000 feet and has been formed by two hills. The hill offers a perfect setting for a calm beginning to a trek and additionally, it has many types of herbs and medicinal plants. Route: Bangalore - Magadi - SavandurgaTime to complete the trek: 7-8 hours Difficulty level - Easy to Moderate Making the start - When I first visited the hill, I could see rocky landscape with minimal green cover all around and as I started my ascent up the hill, I could see pristine nature at its best from a height. The trek started becoming more interesting as I progressed further. An hour later, I reached a bunch of granite towers those raise to the top of the monolith. The sight of those towers is majestic and one can just stop here and enjoy the serene surrounding all around. The two routes - Beyond the granite pedestal, there are two distinct routes out of which one terminates with a rock-carved Hanuman. As it is, I decided to follow this route and discover further because I sensed that there might be some forward way from here on. However, when the rock carving was found out, I was sure that it was a dead end and so I came back to the twin junction and decided to find out the other way. The best route - The second route was far helpful as I immediately understood that it will lead me all the way up to the top. This route passes by fort walls and rocky caves which point to the fact that it was inhabited during ancient times and some kingdoms must have used it for their purpose. This second trail is very scenic and hypnotic as it passes through mesmeric route and the view all around it was superb. I came to know that the hill fort was constructed in 1543 by Samantha Raya and during the Hoysala Rule, it was one of the major places but later it maybe went to some other king. The final climb - After the rocky caves and fort walls, the final ascent begins that can test a person's stamina and I was no exception. It took the breath out of me as it leads all the way to the top, that is Savandurga. Once I was at the zenith, all my hard work was rewarded as the view from the top was simply astonishing. The panoramic view from the top was phenomenal and quite gripping. The cool wind over there blew away all the fatigue that I experienced on the way. I relaxed there for some time and even had my lunch over there.The final decent - As I started preparing for the final way down, I found out after the first few steps that it was not as hard as the climb. In fact, the downward journey took a lot less time and I even felt a lot better during the decent. As I started coming down, I was thinking of some other trek like this that can now be targeted. I was fully rejuvenated and felt extremely happy after visiting Savandurga and was already looking forward to visit the place all over again pretty soon. Conclusion - Although the trek is easy and interesting, I made it a point to ensure that I have the best pair of gripping shoes that can help me on a hilly terrain. I swear, that helped me a lot. I would like to share this secret with anyone who is looking forward for this trek. All in all, the ascent can be a steep one after a point but all the hard work will pay off once you reach the peak of Savandurga. The cool breeze and all round view from the place is simply magnetic due to which people like visiting the place for a trek.
If you are stressed out and desperately need a break from the monotony and grind, try the Kudremukha Peak Trek. It can be an experience of a lifetime. The trek passes through lush Greenland coupled with rainforests that can be a sight to enjoy. It also has some crystal clear water bodies on the way that can make it all the more alluring for any trekker. The view from the Kudremukha Peak can be alluring and fantastic as one can see the clouds hovering below one's height! We will discuss all the nitty-gritty of the trek and help you to plan for it accordingly. Route: Bangalore - Chikmagalur - Kudremukha National Park - Mullodi Mode of Transport: KSRTC Bus from Bangalore City to Chikmagalur. Time to complete the trek: 22 hours Difficulty level - Easy to Moderate Making it to the base camp - It can be an overnight journey from Bangalore to reach Chikmagalur as the distance is about 330 kilometers. Trekkers shall be briefed before the journey so that the adventurous trek can be enjoyed optimally. After reaching Chikmagalur, one can go to the Kudremukha National Park that is a six-kilometer-long journey and can be covered on a jeep. There are picturesque coffee plantations and a waterfall on the way. After sharp left from the Forest Permission Hut, you can reach the base camp at Mullodi. You can have some freshly brewed coffee with some light breakfast at the camp and prepare yourself for the long trek by packing some lunch for the sojourn. The free-flowing Somavati River can rev up your mood while you prepare yourself over here. Starting the trek - Once you start the trek, you can see the Gomukh Peak and get many small, seasonal water streams on the way. After crossing the first area of dense woods, you will reach the Peace tree from where you can get a fantastic view of the green highlands overlooking the surrounding peaks. Till the Lobo House, the trek is more or less not so steep. Once you reach Lobo House, you can gather your breath or even have some light lunch. The ascent - After the House, the gradient can be tantalizingly steeper and the horse-shaped Kudremukha Peak can be visible through the zigzag path. Gradually, you will reach the alluring Kudremukha falls after crossing the dense forest. It is a 30 feet high waterfall. About 20 yards beyond the falls, there is a charming green rainforest valley from where the cloud covered mountain can be seen on the right side. There is a last zigzag path that leads to the top of the Kudremukha Peak from here on. The descent - Once you reach the peak, you can enjoy the mesmeric view from atop it as on the left of it, there is a steep drop covered in a blanket of haze while on the right, you can see the magnificent forests. However, it is essential to make the descent in time as the place is classified as a wildlife area and camping is not allowed on the peak. You can come down easily at the base camp and enjoy the night and have a campfire. Must-carry items - Apart from the customary loose clothing that you plan to wear on the trek, carrying a decent sized rucksack can be the best way to carry your essentials. Do not forget to pack a torch, some toiletries, and a personal medication kit, in case they may be needed. Wear a shoe that has enough grip and is waterproof and comfortable so that you can walk at least six hours wearing it. If you are lucky, you may even catch a view of some deer or wildlife while scaling the peak. Overall, the trekking can be an enthralling experience that can stay etched on to your memory.
The Bandajje - Ballalarayanadurga trek is a challenging three-day sojourn that can be undertaken for getting a lifetime experience. The trek is dotted with waterfalls, rainforests and endless grasslands for a wholesome experience. You can even see a fort at a height of 1,509 meters at Ballalarayanadurga. The best part in all of it is that the trek is only eight hours away from Bangalore. Here, in this write up we have written an exclusive itinerary for this trek.Route: Bangalore - Hassan - Sakleshpura - Dharmasthala - Bandajje falls - Ballalarayana Durga Mode of transport – Different modes of transport can be used but I preferred taking the KSRTC bus which is pretty convenient.
