Peaks of Shiradi

     The Western Ghats are the ancient mountains which run along the western coast of Indian Peninsula from Maharashtra to Kerala. Nearly 60% of these lie in Karnataka and is home to myriad species of flora and fauna. They are subdivided into Agumbe Ghats, Charmadi Ghats, Shiradi Ghats, Bisle Ghats, Brahmagiri range and Biligirirangana betta . The beauty of the Western Gats lies in its tropical Shola forests and grasslands which together form a beautiful pattern. The forests in the base are generally evergreen or deciduous and are hot and humid.

     My 2009-10 trekking season was entirely devoted to the relatively unknown Shiradi Ghats. Bharata, my good old friend and hiker, planned all these treks. This season, we climbed five peaks in the Shiradi range – Mugilagiri, Aramane Gudda, Venkatagiri, Are Betta, False Ombattu Gudda.

View Larger Map

Trails
     The trails are generally made by wild animals and then adopted by people. There is no defined trail anywhere in these Ghats. Here the experience of the guide becomes very important. During our descent of Mugilagiri, our guide decided to take a shortcut. It meant descending 1000m within a span of 2-3 hrs! With the 5-foot long grass everywhere, I and Bharata were almost went tumbling down. When we entered the forest there was absolutely no signs of trail. We had to make our own trail. The forest floor was covered with nearly a foot of black humus. We had to grab the trees/shrubs/creepers for support to negotiate steep slopes. That put such a load on the ankles and knees that it took nearly a week to recover.
     During our ascent of Are Betta, the trail which we took was frequented by elephants! You can never imagine how elephants climb such a steep slope and squeeze through thick vegetation. We named this trail Elephant shit trail as the entire path was covered by elephant dung! It was really terrifying to hike in that trail after discovering fresh dung! As we crossed the forests, we entered the grasslands full of elephant grass! I was wearing shorts that day, and had nice cuts on the legs not to mention the chigger attack.
     But the best trail was the Ombattu Gudda trail on 1st day where the altitude gain was just 200m even after a hike of 16km. Moreover you get to cross couple of streams which will cool the aching feet!

Campsite
     The best campsite was that of Aramane Gudda. Nestled in the patch of Shola forest it was a flat land of 20ftx20ft next to a beautiful stream. And little ahead on the cliff one can see the magnificent forests below and an ideal place for watching sunset.
     The campsite of Ombattu Gudda trek was also good, especially as the stream was bigger and we can take bath in it. But it was in the forest at a lower altitude, due to which it was lot humid.

Food
     As usual the staple diet in all these treks was MTR Ready-to-eat food items. Though Bisibelebhath is eternal favorite, we discovered that Pineapple Kesaribhath makes an ideal breakfast menu with Kharabath! Added to these this time we took energy bars (which have now entered Indian market) which saved us more than once. Similarly, the oranges saved us like none other in the Ombattu Gudda trek. Everyone had a 1kg of them!
     Last but not the least, the Neerdose breakfast and post-trek lunch (which usually had rice, sambar, yogurt and happala) at IB, Gundya was the best!!

Gear
     The best gear was the Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat! This neat hat was an instant hit as it kept our heads cool and prevented sunburn. Another was the bota bag for carrying water. The headband was really helpful while hiking in the humid forests. We experimented with different shoes and finally settled with good old Woodland. 

Team
     Bharata and I have trekked together for nearly a decade. When only we both go out, we tend to push our limit which is not always cool. Mugilagiri trek showed that. However in the later treks, Austin, Naren and Sai accompanied us. I had hiked with Naren and Sai long time back in the Western Ghats and Himalayas. With Austin these are the first treks. This was a well balanced and a pretty funny team.

     It’s just 5 peaks now. Shiradi Ghats has so much to explore.
One lifetime is not sufficient.

* * *

• The photos of Aramene Gudda, Venkatagiri & Are Betta and Ombattu Gudda are in Picassa.

Glossary

• Betta – Mountain.
• Bisibelebhath – a rice dish containing lentils, vegetables and spices. A speciality of Karnataka.
• Bota bag – Traditional Spanish wine skin; I use it to carry water.
• Happala – also called as Papad; this is a thin Indian crispy flatbread.
• Humus – degraded organic material in soil.
• Ghat – A term for mountain ranges; used frequently in South India.
• Kesaribhath – a sweet dish made from semolina, cardamom, saffron, milk and fruits.
• Kharabath – also called as Uppittu or Upma, a dish made from semolina (cream of wheat), vegetables and spices.
• Neerdose – Rice pancakes, a breakfast dish in coastal Karnataka.
• Sambar – Indian vegetable stew with spices.
• Shola – a type of high-altitude stunted evergreen forest found in southern India.