Kemmannu Gundi (ಕೆಮ್ಮಣ್ಣು ಗುಂಡಿ) bicycle trekking.

I have bought new two wheeler, want to use it as part of my trekking. Thinking of going to trekking with my two wheeler, also want to create awareness among people. Nearest place to which I can carry my bicycle is to Kemmannu Gundi. I opted this because frequent train service is available, and very close to my native village in kadur taluk. Kemmannu Gundi is famous hill station  in karnataka. I had enquired in railway station to carry our bicycle to Birur. He advised me to carry it by passenger train which starts at 10PM everyday. I decided to go by same train.

Plan:

• Reach Birur Junction by train.
• Start trekking in early morning to Kemmannu Gundi.
• If possible, go to Hebbe falls and stay in kemmannu Gundi guest house.
• Start back to Birur and catch train to Bangalore.

As per plan we started to majestic by our bicycle. Trekking group included Naveen, Bharath and me. We all started to majestic by 9:30PM on 31 July 2009. We asked in railway station for carrying our bicycle till birur. His response was negative. We requested many times, he told us to send it from goods section. Unhappily we left railway station and turned to bus stand.

We were looking for KSRTC which goes towards Birur, which should have luggage keeping top. We found one and we requested him to allow us to carry our bicycle. He agreed, and told us to wait at the end of bus stand. After some time bus came to end of bus stand, since the bus was empty conductor asked us to keep our bicycle inside bus.

We all kept our bicycle inside the bus at last seats. We reached Birur by 5:00AM. Birur was calm. We saw Nandini milk dabba, We planned to buy curd for our breakfast cum lunch chapathi. No one came to that place to sell it.

Kemmannu Gundi is 37 km from birur. 37 km is easy task to achieve by bicycle; I knew that it is uphill and would be difficult to peddle. We started our journey to Kemmannu Gundi by 5:30AM. It was dark, each of us had torch, so started our journey with torch light. Even though it was rainy season, it was not raining.

Bharath(Left), Naveen(Right) and Hari(Centre) starting Kemmannugundi trek

Guest appeared during our journey.

 It was apparently 6:15AM, slowly dark was disappearing. We heard some sound from a farm nearby. Barath and myself could not recognize what was it. Immediately Naveen told it is Giduga (ಗಿಡುಗ) . We thought he may be aware of it. When moved closer to it, it was donkey, from that day he became famous as giduga.

Till Lingadahali it was up and down and easily reachable. We reached lingada halli ಬಿ approximately 11AM. We visited a bicycle shop for pumping air to our bicycle. I got my bicycle break tightened. We paid less than 10rs. It would have cost 10 times more in Bangalore. We had breakfast in a hotel in lingadahalli and started towards Kemmannu Gundi. People in villages were looking us like aliens. In a field beside us something was grown, bharath and myself were thinking  what was that, Immediately Naveena interfered and said, it is Jasmine (ಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆ) hoo. It was actually potato. Then we realized naveen’s capability to become Bangalore Farmer.

After we left Lingadahalli, bharath’s bicycle tube started coming out. We thought it might explode if any stone touches it. It was getting very steep. We reached Kalhatti falls by 12:30PM. Visited kalhatti falls, took some snaps. Kalhatti falls is very nice and safe falls to enjoy. We can take bath in many places as we move ahead we encounter new falls. 

By now bharaths bicycle was almost unusable state. Since tube was coming out, he released some air from it. We enquired for bicycle shop to repair bharaths bicycle in Kalhatti village. They told, no bicycle shop is available here, You have to go to lingadahalli and get repaired. We were unhappy. It is still 10 km to Kemmannu Gundi. Then we decided to get a room in government  guest house in kalhatti. It was available but I had already booked a room in kemmannu Gundi. At one point of time we were ready to cancel next programme and start back to Bangalore. Bharath was suggesting to stay in his relatives house in Kadur and start to Bangalore later.

Then one of naveen and bharath’s friend Deepak joined us in Kalhatti cross. Then we planned to reach Kemmannu Gundi by bus and start back to Bangalore by morning. There are only 2 bus which goes to Kemmannu Gundi.  One reaches Kemmammnu Gundi by 10:30AM, another reaches by 3:30 PM. The bus which reaches Kemmannu Gundi by 3:30 PM came.

We all loaded our bicycle on top. Bharath and myself sitting on top of bus with our bicycles. There were few hen’s put on top of bus. They were tied in their legs. Since the road is ghat section, bus was moving randomly, without support hens were also moving in all directions. Once, hens started waving her wings, most of dirt (dung) sticking to it fell on Bharath, because Bharath was closer to it and bit on me, We reached Kemmannu Gundi. Got our bicycle from top of bus and started to our booked room.

Travelling from kalhatti to kemmannugundi.



Kalhatti(ಕಲ್ಹತ್ತಿ ) falls

Kalhatti (ಕಲ್ಹತ್ತಿ) falls another fall..

We unloaded our luggage and started to Z-Point. Deepak was suggesting us not to go to Z-Point because it was already 4PM, and more over it was rainy season and was fully cloudy. We still took chance and started. Z-Point is 3 km from Kemmannu Gundi. It was lush green everywhere. There were not much leaches. We were moving in clouds. We reached Z-point. Wind was blowing at very high speed. It is called Z-point because it is end of hilly region. On the way to Z-point a small falls called as Shanthi falls can be seen. This can be seen only during rainy season. It is very safe and enjoyable.

Shaanti (ಶಾಂತಿ) falls.

It is completely flat after Z-point. We started back to Guest house. Had dinner in night and slept. Guest house cost 350 rs per room. 



Inside dark cloud.

I got up early in the morning. Started wandering in Kemmannu Gundi, It was chilling cold. I always had seen cloud on my head. Here we werw inside dark cloud.. We all started to Hebbe waterfalls by jeep. Even though we go by jeep, it does not take us till foot of Hebbe falls. We have to walk for approximately 1km, in which 3 times hebbe falls has to be crossed. Hebbe is very nice falls. It is dangerous(slippery) during monsoon. Should take extra care to avoid slip(s). 

Earth worm

Roaring Hebbe falls

 We immediately started back to Kemmannu Gundi to catch 10:30am bus. Jeep driver dropped us at exact time of  bus start. Naveen and I decided to reach Birur by bicycle, so loaded only bharath’s bicycle to bus.

What a beautiful..



Starting back to Birur.

We started towards Birur. It was completely downhill. We never peddled for approximately 15km. Now we realized bicycling also gives such a maja(happiness). It was very nice journey. Naveen was never coming behind me. My bicycle tire is big, it was sprinkling the rain water  on road to him. So he was moving ahead of me.

We reached Lingadahalli by 1:00 pm. One bus was about to start to Birur, we loaded our bicycle inside bus. All people were asking why we brought bicycle. We reached Birur, had our lunch in a north Karnataka mess. In this mess while having lunch we had a conversation, Here goes conversation. 

ನವೀನ: ರಸಂ ಕೊಡ್ರಿ
ಭರತ್: ಹೇಯ್ ನವೀನ ರಸಂ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಭಾಷೆ, ತಿಳಿ ಸಾರು ಅನ್ನು ಅವ್ರಿಗೆ ಅರ್ಥ ಆಗುತ್ತೆ.
ಸೆರ್ವೆರ್: ಅವ್ರಿಗೆ ರಸಂ ಅಂತೆ ಕೊಡಪ್ಪ.
ಭರತ್ shocked , ನವೀನ happy ..

started to railway station. We took 3 tickets to Bangalore. TT told us to keep our bicycle in luggage room. We paid money to TT. He told us to get down in malleshwaram. We got down and started to our home.

Contact Numbers:
Kemmannu Gundi Guest house: 08261237126 Mobile:9481583444(Divya)
Kalhatti Guest House: 9480672803 (murthy).
Greenary of Kemmannu Gundi would be impressive during Mid June and November.  Rest of the year also it is good.