India Trekking Trails

2011-12-28T10:54:00.004+05:30

Sahyadris /\ Maharashtra
Western Ghats /\ Karnataka
Spice Hills /\ Kerala
Eastern Ghats /\ Andhra Pradesh
Nallamalla Hills /\ Andhra Pradesh
Tirupathi Hills /\ Andhra Pradesh

View India Trekking Trails in a larger map

Barezolla Peak Trek

2011-12-21T18:03:00.000+05:30

Rating : 5/5
Base Village : Sunkermetta , AP , India.
Altitude: 5300 ft Max

Trek Grade: Easy , Medium [ When it rains]

Forest Permission : no

Camping: you can do in Barezolla village , other places at your risk
Food : Not available , You need to carry

Trek Routes to Barezolla Peak :

1)Sunkermetta Water Stream way:

Vishakapatnam -> Ananthagiri -> GalikondaView point -> Trekstart(2km before sunkermetta) -> sunkermetta -> Araku

Trail distance: 7.5km
Elevation min: 3,763 feet, max: 5,435 feet
Accum. height uphill: 1,883 feet, downhill: 459 feet
Difficulty level: Moderate

2)Trail which starts before Galikonda view point to Barezolla village:
2km to Barezolla village from the main road(ananthagiri to araku before galikonda view point)

Bus Routes : Vishakapatnam to Araku

Sunkermetta Stream GPS path:

Other Route to Barezolla Village

Mullayanagiri Peak

2011-12-21T11:13:00.000+05:30

Rating : 5/5

Base Village : Chikmaglur , Karnataka , India.
Altitude: 6250 ft Max

Trek Grade: Easy , Medium [ When it rains]

Forest Permission : no

Camping you can do in the temple premises.
There is a cave below the temple , but it is not advised to stay there
Food : Not available , You need to carry

Leech bytes : In monsoon season , read here for more info <<

Trek Routes to Mullayanagiri Temple :

1)Normal Roadway: Very easy

2)Sarpadari Trek:

Banglore -> Chikmaglur -> Mullaynagiri/attigundi cross -> turn right towards attigundi(opposite road of mullayanagiri) and the entrance will be 300mts from the cross.

Take Left to Mullodi just before Kudremukha Forest check post
Trek Distance : 1.25km
Altitude Climb: 1400ft

3)Trail from Checkpost in Attigundi road:
Banglore -> Chikmaglur -> Mullaynagiri/attigundi cross -> turn right towards attigundi(opposite road of mullayanagiri) and the entrance will be 1km from the cross. This will start at the checkpost gate.
Trek Distance : 2.6km
Altitude Climb: 1000ft

Bus Routes : Bangalore to chikmaglur.

Sarpadari GPS Path:

Trail to Check post GPS Path:

Rajgad 2 Torna Trek

2011-12-20T17:56:00.000+05:30

Rating : 5/5

Base Village : Gunjavne

Altitude: 4300 ft Max

Camping : Rajgad , Torna

Trek Grade: Medium

Rope: Not needed , but will be of help in Monsoon

Trek Distance : 22 km

Trek Route : Swargate (Pune) -> Chaladi Fata -> Gunjavne -> Rajgad Fort ( Chordarwaja ) -> Padmavathi machi -> [Suveli machi/Balle killa]->Camping -> Sanjeevani Machi -> ( 5hrs trekking to Torna) -> Budla machi ( Torna ) -> Trek to Mengai madir( Torna ) -> Zunjar Machi ->Velhe -> Swargate (pune)

Intro :

http://iblog-sree.blogspot.com/2009/11/rajgad-to-torna-trekking-in-sahayadris.html

Blog Link :

http://iblog-sree.blogspot.com/2009/12/rajgad2torna-fort-trek-blog.html

Forest Permission : not needed

Food : Not available , You can ask village people to cook for you.

Water : You can fill in the villages.

Route : Pune -> Velha -> Torna Fort -> Bhatti - > Ghergaani -> Harpud -> Mohri -> Lingana -> Boratyachinal -> Paane -> varangi -> RAigadwaadi -> Chitt Darwaaja -> Raigad Fort -> Mahad -> Pune

Bus Routes : Pune 2 gunjavne , Velha 2 Pune

GPS Track:

Torna 2 Raigad Trek

2011-12-20T11:26:00.001+05:30

Rating : 5/5

Base Village : Velha

Altitude: 4300 ft Max

Camping : Torna , Harpud , Paane

Trek Grade: Medium , Difficult [ when it rains ]

Rope: Not needed , but will be of help in Monsoon

Trek Distance : 44 km

GPS stats :

Trek Km [ Elevation gain/loss ]
Day 1 -> 03.5km ( 2200ft / -0130ft ) (Velha2Torna)
Day 2 -> 13.5 km ( 2210ft / -3580ft ) (Torna2Harpud)
Day 3 -> 14.0 km ( 1640ft / -4580ft) (Harpud2Paane)
Day 4 -> 13.0 km ( 3556ft / -1870ft)(Paane2Raigad)

-------------------------------------------
Total -> 44km ( 9606ft / -10160ft )

Forest Permission : not needed

Food : Not available , You can ask village people to cook for you.

Water : You can fill in the villages

Route :

Pune -> Velha -> Torna Fort -> Bhatti - > Ghergaani -> Harpud -> Mohri -> Lingana -> Boratyachinal -> Paane -> varangi -> RAigadwaadi -> Chitt Darwaaja -> Raigad Fort -> Mahad -> Pune

Bus Routes : Pune 2 Velha , Mahad 2 Pune

GPS Track:

Trek to Kudremukha Peak

2011-12-02T11:19:00.001+05:30

Rating : 4/5

Base Village : Mullodi , Karnataka , India. [ Kalasa Road ]

Altitude: 6050 ft

Trek Grade: Medium [ When it rains] , Easy [ Summer]

Trek Distance : 8.75km

Kalasa Road(Ballegal) -> Mullodi [ 5.0km ] 950ft climb [ you can trek this or hire a jeep to go to mullodi ]
Mullodi -> Lobomane [ 1.75km] 300ft climb
Lobomane -> Tolai [ 1.5km ] 200ft climb
Tolai -> Peak [ 5.5km ] 2060ft climb [ watchout for wild animals]

Forest Permission : Required [ Village People will arrange for it ]

Camping is not allowed inside the National Peak, you have to camp at Mullodi village only.

Phone Numbers:
Rajegowda - 08263-249333 / 09481179008
Satish's contact info - 08263-249595 / 9481074530 / 8722847688

Food : Not available , You can village people to cook and pack for you. Even they arrange hot water.

Leech bytes : In monsoon season , read here for more info <<

Route to Mullodi :

1) Banglore ->Hassan -> Belur -> Mudigere -> kalasa -> (Balegal)kudremukha Checkpost

Take Left to Mullodi just before Kudremukha Forest check post

Bus Routes : Bangalore to Hassan , Hassan to Kalasa

Trek to Tadiandamol Peak

2011-12-01T15:29:00.003+05:30

Rating : 4/5

Base Village : Virajpet , Karnataka , India. [ Nalkanad Palace , Kaikambe ]

[ Kaikambe is on the way between Virajpet and kakkabinadu. Take left on the medikeri road]

Altitude: 5600 ft

Trek Grade: Medium [ When it rains] , Easy [ Summer]

Trek Distance : 9km

Kaikambe -> Nalakanad Palace [ 2.5km ] 350ft climb[ personal vehicles can reach till here ]
Palace -> Camp Ground [ 2.5km ] 800ft climb
Camp Ground -> Rock [ 2.0km ] 300ft climb
Rock -> Peak [ 1.6km ] 1100ft climb [ leech prone in some areas and watchout for wild elephants]

*** There are 2 more ways to reach the peak ***

Forest Permission : Required

[ There will be a Forest Guard near the base ]

Camping is allowed only at the Camp ground(forest sign board) not at the rock due to elephant activity.

Emergency Numbers:

Virajpet Police Station -> 08274-257333

Animals: There is a chance of sighting wild elephants.

Food : Not available , Carry ready to eat stuff which you can heat [ need to collect dry woods]

Leech bytes : In monsoon season , read here for more info <<

Route to Kaikambe :

1) Banglore ->chennapatna->maddur ->mandya->seringapatnam->hunsur -> gonikoppal->Virajpet->Kaikambe

--> Hunsur to Virajpet road is very bad , it will take long time ...

2) Bangalore -> chennapatna->maddur ->mandya->seringapatnam->hunsur ->kushalnagar-> madikeri-> kaikambe [ Long but road is ok ]

Bus Routes : Bangalore to Mysore , Mysore to virajpet , virajpet to kaikambe(private bus or jeeps )

Trek to Brahmagiri Peak

2011-11-30T14:22:00.007+05:30

Rating : 3/5 [ Trek Fee is very high ]

Base Village : Srimangala , Karnataka , India

Altitude: 5100 ft

Trek Grade: Medium [ When it rains] , Easy [ Summer]

Trek Distance : 10km

Iruppu temple -> Iruppu falls [ 1km ]
Iruppu Falls -> Narimane Forest Camp [ 4km ] 1700ft climb , leech prone
Narimane Forest Camp -> Peak [ 5km ] 600ft climb

*** There are 2 more ways to reach the peak [ not sure if forest people give permission for this]

1) Kutta side

2) Biranani -> Abylu camp side -> Munikal Caves -> Peak

Forest Permission : Required

Forest Range Office, Srimangala

Mr. Srinivas ( +91 9481989970 )

Mr. Pramod (+91 9448813835 )

08274 - 246331

Emergency Numbers:

Srimangala Police Station -> 08274-246246

Forest Charge: [ Not sure why it is so high , but they will give a receipt as well, crossing the original rates ..like entry crossed from 20/- to 200/- ]

Entry - 200/- per head ( indians )

Trekking fee -> 150/- per head

Guide - 500/- per group per day

Stay - 1000/- (for 2 people ) and there after 250 per head.

On average it will be minimum of 700 per head for a group of 10 if trekking to the peak and staying at the rest house.

Animals: Forest is very thick and there will be 90% chance of sighting wild elephants.

Food : Not available , Carry ready to eat stuff which you can heat at the forest rest house which has a cooking place [ need to collect dry woods]

Leech bytes : More in monsoon and post monsoon season , read here for more info <<

Route to Srimangala :

Banglore ->chennapatna->maddur ->mandya->seringapatnam->hunsur -> gonikoppal->ponnampet->srimangala

--> Hunsur to gonikoppal road is very bad , it will take long time ...

Bus Routes : Bangalore to Mysore , Mysore to Gonikoppal , Gonikoppal to Srimangala (lot of private buses)

Links to Blog/Web Pages/Videos/Images are below , you can select options for more results in display ..

Important First Aid Tricks while in Trek

2011-11-29T18:19:00.002+05:30

Hypothermia : [ Loss of heat ]
A condition when the body temperature falls below the temperature needed for normal metabolism.(<35C)

When : Continuous trek in rain forests or water bodies with no proper warm clothing, high altitude water bodies etc .

Avoid:

-->No Alcohol : Drinking Alcohol increases blood flow to the body's skin and extremities, making a person feel warm, while it infact increasing heat loss.
--> No Water Trek : Get out of the water bodies which will drain your body heat [ Dry your self quickly ]
Prevention:

Synthetic and woolen clothing compared to cotton ones.

First Aid Basics

2011-11-23T17:30:00.002+05:30

First Aid: Points to Note

---> "D.R ABC " - Golden Words

D - Danger [ Look for Danger in the accident area]

R - Response [ Finding response from the person ]

A - Airway [ Tongue blocks / Vomit ]

B - Breathing [ Look , listen and feel ]

C - Circulation [ Neck _pulse ]

---> Golden Time - 3 minutes to rescue any person.

Unconsicous [ Verbal shout for response and help and chin elevate airway blockage clear ]
Respiratory Arrest [ Look , Listen , Feel ]
Cardiac Arrest [ Neck Pulse , Blood to Brain important ]
Bleeding and Shock [ Internal / External ]

---> Electric Shock :

Aid:

Remove wire/person with Non conductor

Elevate the chin [ out of paralysis due to air block ]

Do's and dont;s

- no sprinkle water

- dont give water [Block lungs ]

- Tilt head [ 3-5 drops tp make lips wet ]

---> Major Emergencies:

1)Unconsiousness
Breathing -> postive

Heart Beating -> positive
Consiouness -> negative

Aid : Recovery postion to keep chin elevated to remove air blockage ]

DOST [ Deformity / Open wound / Swelling / Tenderness ]

2) Respiratory Arrest

Breathing -> Negative

Heart Beating -> postive

Consiouness -> -ve

Aid : Artificial Respiration

Our [ 15-20 breaths / minute ]

To give the person [ 10-11 breaths / minutes ]

-> food choking

-> Recovery postion

3) Cardiac arrest

Breathing -> - ve

Heart beat -> -ve

Consiuoness -> -ve

-> Artifical start of heart

30 compression s on the mid bone

2" deep for adult ( 2 hands )

11/2" children ( 1hand )

1" < 5 years (4 fingers )

1/2" < 1 year ( 2 fingers )

1/4" < 1 month ( thumb )

-> Artifical start of Lungs

2 breaths into lungs though the mouth

(30 compressions to 2 breathes ) 3 cycles / minute

CPR : 30:2 ( 18 -24 sec )

-->>> Do's and dont's of

Bleeding / Burning / dehydrations / Bytes

First Aid Kit - Basic

2011-11-18T15:50:00.000+05:30

Medicines

Paracetamol - for fever
Brufen - for body ache
Lomotil - for loose motions
Any cough syrup like Benadryl
Cetrizine - for nose congestion, sinus problems, skin allergies
Novaclox - antibiotic for most except food poisoning
Norflox TZ - for food poisoning/ drinking bad water, etc

Dressing items

Cotton Dressing pads
Cotton packs
Savlon Plastic bottle
Betadine ointment/powder
Sprain spray like Relispray or even Ointment
Bandaids
Medicinal Tapes
Scissors

Miscellaneous items like

Water purification tablets - if they are needed [ Chlorine etc ]
GluconD, Electral - if involves lot of walking
Energy Powders - like Tang etc

Leech Infected Areas

Turmeric Power
Salt
Castor Oil
Tobacco

Monsoon Trekking

AntiBacterial Powder for Feet

Kodachadri Peak

2011-10-06T20:09:00.000+05:30

Rating : 5/5

Base Village : Nittur , Karnataka , India.
Altitude: 4500 ft Max

Trek Grade: Easy , Medium [ When it rains]

Best Season : [ Oct - Feb ] .. you can experience the "Sea of Clouds" view from the peak during these months , but you will have to climb smaller peak below the tall peak
Forest Permission : no

Camping you can do @ the top of the peak and there are few more places as-well.
Food : It is available

Leech bytes : In monsoon season , read here for more info <<

Trek Routes to Kodachadri Peak :
There are multiple ways to reach the peak , will go through few and discuss about the difficulty.
All the routes start from the road which connects Nagari 2 Kollur. There is a jeep route which will take you straight to the base of the top .. for people who want backup

1)Sampagattu :
This route starts 2,5km after Nittur towards Kollur , just after a narrow bridge. This route will take through Hidlumane Water Falls and then connect to the peak.
Distance: 10km
Altitude Climb: 1800ft
Grade :

Winter [ Easy-Medium] -> Probably best month to hike.
Summer [ Easy-Medium]-> Avoid hiking in sun , altitude while climbing along this path after the falls will take toll
Rainy Season [ Medium - Hard ] -> Leech , Some part of the hikes needs you to walk though the stream , track may skid

2) Bhattaramane->Vallur Road
This Route Starts just before Nagod Village while travelling from Nittur to Kollur. There is a Hotel called Santosh hotel just before the climbing part.

Distance: 10km
Altitude Climb: 2100ft
Grade :

Summer [ Easy-Medium]-> Avoid hiking in sun
Winter [ Easy-Medium] -> Probably best month to hike.
Rainy Season [ Medium - Hard ] -> Leech

3)Nittur to Peak Jeep Route
This route starts just below Nittur and then take you to peak.
Distance : 17km

4)Kollur Road to Peak
This route Starts just before Kollur after Nagod which takes you to Arshinagundi Falls and then joins Vallur hotel spot to the peak.
Distance : 15km

Bus Routes : Shimoga 2 Kollur.

GPS Path:

Week2 : Nirmal [ Kuntala & Pochera Water Falls - Basar Temple - SriramSagar Dam - Nirmal Handicraft ]

2011-03-20T18:47:00.002+05:30

Control the map for more details on the route

View Larger Map
A - Hyderabad
B - Nizamabad
C - Basara
D - Nirmal
E - Pochera Falls
F - Kuntala Falls

Places :

Basar Sarswathi Temple

Nirmal Toys

Kuntala Water Falls

Pochera Water Falls

Sriram Sagar Dam

Genre :

Water Falls , Temples , Handicraft , Dam

Itenerary:

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Day1 : Start towards NH7 from Paradise Circle, Secunderabad at 6am

Take left towards Nizamabad and then reach Basara Temple around 12pm

Hyderabad -> Nizamabad -> Basara Temple [ 195 km ] Map here

Basara Temple : Godess Sarswathi Devi Temple : Have Darshan , Visit Vyas Cave [ will not forget the crawling in the cave ] , Echo Rock ..

Have Lunch

Drive from Basara through Bhainsa towards Nirmal [ 75km ] , there are small temples on the way if interested you can visit.

Nirmal , Book Accomodation & Buy Handicrafts and Paintings in the town highway.

Have Dinner and Rest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day2 :

Start early at 6am and travel to Kuntala Water Falls ..

Nirmal on the NH7 ; Enjoy the route on the way and small ghat section ..

After Neeredikonda , take right from NH7 and drive straight through villages to Kuntala Water Falls , reach by 8am .. [ 50km ]

Kuntala Water Falls is heighest water falls on Godavari River in AP.

It is well maintained by ap tourism .. you can do trekking near to the falls ..

To visit , you need to climb down 500 steps . Amazing views ..

Travel back to NH7 main road and take right and then take left ; Aptourism signboards will help you , Pochera water falls are very near to Kuntala Water falls. [ 25km]

Pochera water falls a bit smaller one compared to Kuntala , Aptourism has a nice park here.

Back to Nirmal by 1pm , Have lunch;

Sriramsagar Project/Dam on the way from Nirmal to Hyderabad, spend 1hr and ride back to Hyderabad on NH7. Reach Paradise by 10pm.

Best Season:

June to October

Where to Stay:

Nirmal Town - you can get good accomodation here

Sites to Visit for more info :

Nirmal City

Week1 : Adilabad [ Kawal + Pranahita + Shivram Wildlife ]

2011-03-20T18:28:00.004+05:30

You can control the map to know more details about the route ..

View Larger Map
A - Hyderabad , B -Mancherial , C- Kawal/Pranahita , D-Shivram

Places :

Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary - 893sqkm

Pranahita Wildlife Sanctuary - 136sqkm

Shivram Wildlife Sanctuary - 30sqkm

Kadam Lake near Kawal WLS

Genre :

Forest Trek , Wildlife , Birds.

Itenerary:

Day1 :

Start towards Mancherial from Hyderabad previous night [250km ] and reach in the morning.

Get permission from Kawal Forest department [ 50km from Mancherial] Forest Ride or Trek.

Also visit Pranahita WLS [ 70km from Mancherial ]

Visit Kadam Lake in the evening.

Day2 : Stay in Mancherial or any Forest guest house or even can stay in Nirmal

You can visit Shivram Wild life Sanctuary, 10km from Mantheni [ 50 km from Mancherial]

Forest Ride or Trek.

Return back to Hyderabad.

Best Season:

November - April

Where to Stay:

Forest rest house at Jannaram & Mancherial. - Kawal

Forest rest house at Jannaram & Chinnur. - Pranahita

Forest rest house at Mancherial and Eklaspur (Manthani) - Sivaram

Sites to Visit for more info :

Kawal

Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife Management), Jannaram, Adilabad District. Phone: - 08739-236224.
Forest Range Officer, Jannaram Phone 08739-236688

Pranahita :

Divisional Forest Officer, Jannaram. Phone:- 08739-236224 Divisional Forest Officer, Mancherial, Adilabad District. Phone:- 08736-252093, Forest Range Officer, Mancherial. 08736-254752.

Sivaram:

Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Management, Jannaram, Adilabad District. Phone: - 08739-236224.Forest Range Officer, Jannaram Phone 08739-236688, Divisional Forest Officer, Karimnagar East Division,Phone:- 0878-2243610

Visit here for complete list of animals and more details ..

Kawal Forest

Pranahita Forest

Shivram Forest

Week4 : Medak Church & Fort , Pocharam Forest Trek , Pocharam Lake , NizamSagar Dam , Manjeera Bird Sanctuary & Dam/Lake ,

2011-03-04T21:00:00.000+05:30

Places :

Medak Church

Medak Fort

Pocharam Forest Trek

Pocharam Lake

NizamSagar Dam

Manjeera Bird Sanctuary

Keesaram Dam

Genre :

Church , Forts , Fishing , Bouldering , Boating , Dams , Bird Watching, Trekking , Wild Life

Itenerary:

Day1 :

Start Early Morning at 5am and Reach Medak by 7am ; 90Km from Hyderabad

Have Breakfast and get DFO permission for Pocharam Forest Trek & Manjira Bird Sanctuary visit before 9am. [ Office lies on the mainroad ]

Pack some food for lunch.

Move to Pocharam Wildlife Sanctuary [ 15km from Medak] , Meet the DFO and do a 5km trek inside the forest.

You can see Peacocks , Birds , Wild Pigs , Sambars , Deers , Berry Plants all along the forest.

1pm: Move to Pocharam Lake and Explore the areas near it . Cranes & Birds , Fishing if interested ..

Pocharam lake is 5km from Wildlife sanctuary in the same road , need to take a right in a small raod to reach the old nizam bunglow.

4pm: Move back to Medak 20 km from the Pocharam Lake. Visit Medak Church ;

Big Gothic Style church famous for Painted glass reflcetion .. .

7pm: Have Dinner in Medak Town. , Stay in Medak town or move back to Pocharam Lake and Stay in Nizam Bunglow.

Day2 :

Start Early Morning at 5am and Explore Pocharam Lake , Awesome with Birds ..

7am , Move to NizamSagar Dam [ 70km from Medak, 50km from Pocharam Lake ]

Explore Dam, Bird watching , Fishing if interested , Boating , Picnic , Bouldering , Swimming ..

11pm Move back to Medak town : Have Lunch ;

After Lunch Trek Medak Fort present in the town.

2pm, Move to Manjira Bird Sanctuary near Sangareddy [ ~90km from Medak town]

4pm - 6pm , Visit Manjira Bird Sanctuary , try Keesaram Dam if interested very near to the place.

Get into NH9 and move back to Hyderabad from Sangareddy. [ 90km]

Reach by 9pm.

View Larger Map

Best Season:

All Seasons

Where to Stay:

Medak Town or Unused Nizam Bunglow near Pocharam Lake if you like adventure and if you are in Big number

Images:

[ Pocharam Forest ]

[ Pocharam Lake]

[ Medak Church]

[ NizamSagar Dam]

Forward

Indian Cheetah is no more in India

2011-01-27T18:39:00.003+05:30

The Cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world.

Indian Cheetah also called Asiatic Cheetah , once abundantly found in India is now extinct from the country.

There are only about 70-80 remained in Iran ..

Indian Cheetah also called 'Hunting Leopard' once served many kings in hunting. There was a saying that Akbar once had about 4000 cheetahs at one time and used them in hunting. People use to catch adult cheetah once hunting skills were taught by their mother. A trainer will be assigned for each cheetah to get the job done.

Indian government is trying to a get a cheetah pair from Iran for reproduction in India but invain. Lets hope some day we see Indian cheetah back in India

Latest on the news [April4,2011] ..http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Cheetah-may-now-come-to-Hadauti-region/articleshow/7858867.cms

[Pic from wikipedia showing cheetahs used by Akbar]

Leech Byte.. Things to Note ..

2011-01-26T10:36:00.003+05:30

Leech Byte are not dangerous .. you can still enjoy trekking in monsoon.. provided you take few precautions before you start trek.

Leech :

Though 90% of leeches don't byte and only feed on decomposed bodies and open wounds.. but rest 10% can byte and they are mostly found in rain forests. These 10% feed by sucking blood.

Heavily found in western ghats/sahyadris during monsoon season. If you are planning trek during this season , here are few precautions and treatment to be taken if incase you get leech infected ...

From past experiences ..

Prevention techniques :

Wearing army shoes .. which will cover till knees .. [ dont have much experience trekking with these .. i feel it may be difficult to trek wearing these]
Rub your shoe with tobacco [ this will work only if the area is not too moist and when it is not raining ]
Apply Almond oil to your feet before you wear sock ... [also prevents athlete feet bacteria infection] if you are trekking in moist places.
Wear double layer sock [not ankle ones].. it prevents leech byte
Fold your tracks into your sock [ it will eliminate 90% chance of leech byte ]
Make a spray with salt water ... [ you can spray when leech starts crawling on your shoe ] , deo and other sprays also work .. but dont use these on your body.
Flick leeches away when you see on your shoe with a stick or with your fingers..

How to remove a leech :

If you can observe clearly , you can easily differentiate the two ends of a leech .. the mouth/head part will be thin and the back/tail part where it releases gum to stick will be thick.

To remove a leech place you two thumbs on your body such that leech mouth is in between them , now start applying force with your thumbs by pressing hard into your body ... the blood pumps into leech more than required and it starts lifting its head part .. now just flick it away ..

Never use deos / lighter / salt / other sprays on sucking leech , these will make leech vomit blood and at times it may vomit into your body.
Never flick away leech while it is sucking blood .. if its teech get stuck into your body .. you will get infected...

Treatment:

If by chance teeth of the leech got stuck into your body .. the area will be infected ..... you can feel itching sensation after about 4-5hrs ..

Don't rub the area to avoid itching ... Best way to treat these is to put your feet into a hot water mixed with salt .. Repeat this every 5-6 hrs..

Within 1-2 days , you will get treated ..

Hope this information will be help full to you in your treks ..

Myth about Gir National Park

2011-01-20T23:34:00.003+05:30

Ghir National Park in Gujarat,India .. is the only park where Asiatic Lions exist in wild on the Earth

Asiatic Lions once ranging from Arabia to India have became extinct and now only numbered around 400.

Myth and Fact :

Asiatic Lions were numbered 12 in 1910 ..before they started protecting the lions .. Though some people feel that these numbers are recorded intentionally to protect the species ..

but the fact is the current number 411 [97 Males :162 Females : 152 Cubs ] have same DNA of those 12 lions ..

Due to Inbred population, these lions are prone to diseases due to lack of immunity.

It is so sad that the same lions which we read about in all Indian history books/stories/vedas are in such critical state .. [If you can remember ,Hindu Goddess Durga has Asiatic Lion as her Vahanam. ]

Gir National Park and Sanctuary does not have a designated area for tourists. However, to reduce the tourism hazard to the wildlife and to promote nature education, an Interpretation Zone has been created at Devalia within the sanctuary.

Lets pray our future generations see this special animal.

Tiger in Wild

2011-01-11T14:37:00.004+05:30

Very lucky to spot tiger[Sharekhan] in the pench tiger reserve. [ Where Kipling's The Jungle book is based ]

This is a 21/2 year male tiger , one of 30 tigers in the reserve.

There are only about 3000 tigers left in the world and only about 1200 in India. [ Endangered Species ]

What makes the whole thing special is that whole tiger reserve is being developed/maintained for the tiger , whole in the sense even the other animals which tiger hunt. Care is taken for the growth of other animals for the sake of tiger. Tigers like Wild Pigs , our Guide was telling us.

I advice you to visit a tiger park to get feel & importance associated with the animal. When the tiger roars you should listen to the sounds of other animals [ signalling and helping each other out ] in the Jungle.

We traveled in a open top gypsy and i was very feared when the tiger came too close ,but as per our Guide tigers never attacked human beings in the history of the park.

I wish future generations can still experience the aura of the great animal ..

Pench Tiger Reserve , MP , India

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Butterfly Paradise

2011-01-11T09:02:00.004+05:30

If you like Butterflies, control your vehicle speed when you drive through the Srisailam road during summer, you might kill few hundreds of them if you go very fast. Every year during the end of the summer months , we can see thousands of Butterflies in this area. .. Got a chance to trek in the forest close by and lucky to see some special things like a group of 500 Butterflies drinking water at one place and you can see 20 such groups around you . Its a special feeling when you see such a big gang at one place.. Dont miss it:). I might not have taken nice shots with my cam but upload one here. Walk straight through the group .. you can capture nice shots of you with butterflies around you. :)

These Migratory Butterflies are very poisionous for the birds to eat and have a life span less than a year.

Migratory Butterflies in Srisailam Forest During Dry season.

Absolute weightlessness

2011-01-09T14:42:00.004+05:30

What is a g Force ?

g Force is the force of gravity which pulls us towards the earth also it is the one which defines our weight.

There are few rides around the world , where g Forces are controlled in such a way that we feel absolute weightlessness.

Where ?

I got a chance to experience one in Las Vegas.

Big-Shot Ride on top of Stratosphere tower [127 floors] makes you feel absolute weightlessness for about 10 sec.

You will be asked to sit on a chair which is tied to the vertical tower shown below..

Then the chair will be forced in towards the sky, till it achieves 4g speed and will be made to free fall from there.

At this point of time the g forces on all axis will come zero for about 10 sec and you can experience the absolute weightlessness.[ Feel as if you are floating in the air like a leaf or spec ] ..

If you get a chance, i recommend you to experience this special feeling.

Other Rides where you can experience the same are Superman [ Six Flags] and Nasa's Vomit Comet(+20sec)

Stratosphere tower , Las Vegas , USA

Canon Shots

2011-01-07T12:22:00.006+05:30

Lakshman Jhula , Rishikesh , UK , India [ Canon SX100IS ]

Newport Beach , CA, USA [ SD1300IS Canon ]

Week3 : Nagarjunasagar Dam , Ethipothala Falls Trek , Nagarjuna Konda Buddist Relics & Boating.

2010-10-08T20:55:00.000+05:30

Places :

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam

Ethipothala Water Falls

Nagarjuna Konda Buddist Relics

Genre :

Dam, Water Falls , Trek , Boating , Buddist Circuit.

Itenerary:

Day1 :

Move to Sagar Rind road near LB nagar and then move to Nagarjuna Sagar from Hyderabad at 5am[ 150km ]

Spend time near Nagarjuna Sagar Dam , you can move along the rocks and also can go on ride on a coracle , if less gates are open.

You can enjoy the great view of Dam if all gates are open, dangerous to enter in to the water if all gates are open.

11:30am , move to Nagarjuna Konda Boating point [ 5km] ; Get tickets in the line/queue

Have lunch in ap tourism buffe or any restaurant.

2pm ->6pm ; Enjoy Boat ride to Nagarjuna konda and also Buddist Relics.

Try getting accomodation near Sagar vihar guest house or else move to Ethipothala [5km] and try getting accomodation in Guest house there.

Day2 : Early morning enjoy the view of Ethipothala Water Falls.

Have Breakfast and Trek to the bottom of the falls if you can. Enjoy view till 1pm

Have Lunch and Move to Nagarjuna Sagar Dam .. Enjoy the evening view ,,Trek along the rocks on the other side of the Bridge.

5pm , Move back to Hyderabad.

View Larger Map

Best Season:

June - January

Where to Stay:

A.P Tourism's Ethipothala guest house

A.P Tourism's Sagar Vihar guest house

Sites to Visit for more info :

Aptourism site

Images:

[ Nagarjuna Sagar Dam]

[ Ethipothala Falls ]

Dudhsagar Falls Railwaytrack Trekking

2010-05-24T13:59:00.010+05:30

DudhSagar Falls located on the Mandovi River in the state of Goa, on Goa's border with Karnataka. Dudhsagar Falls is listed as India's 5th tallest waterfall,and is 227th in the world at 310 m.
This is a four tiered waterfall with a total height of 310 meters (1017 feet) and an average width of 30 meters (100 feet).

Railway track [ in operation] runs close to the falls , which also has few tunnels on the way to the falls, we will get down at Castle Rock station and trek 14km to water falls. Camp near the falls .. and trek back to Castle Rock... next day and board back train to hyd at Londa Junction. we will be back by 10am monday. Whole place will be so pristine in monsoon and added to that different experience of trekking through tunnels[few are 500mts in lenght]. Camping in nature ..

Expect few leeches but you will get used to that :)

Friday 9pm : Kachiguda Train to Castle rock station
Sat 11am: Arrivall../ Refresh
Sat 12pm : Trek to falls 14km ..
Sat 5pm : Spend time near falls
Sat 7pm : Camp in our own tents...../ Dinner
Sun 5am : Wakeup call
Sun 6am : Enjoy Waterfall
Sun 9am : Train at dudhsagar to Londa [ Book ticket before hand , as you wont be able to buy at dudhsagar station, though train stops there] [ Or Trek till Kulem and then reach Londa by Bus]
Sun12pm: Lunch in Londa
Sun2pm : Trek near water stream [ close to Londa station
Sun5pm : Train back to Hyderabad from Londa

Hyderabad Travel Info :

Train Onward : Kachiguda to Castle rock station

7603 : KCG YPR Exp : 21:00pm -> 11:20am Castle Rock

Train Return : Londa Junction to Hyderabad

7416 : Haripriya Exp : 16:55pm -> 9:40am Begumpet

CastleRock to Dudhsagar Water Falls Trek [ Tunnels and Bridges]

& to Kulem Station

Km info

Castle Rock Station - 25/000

Tunnel 1,2,3,4 - Some are over 300m length

Goa State Border - 29/000

Caranzol Station - 31/000

Braganza Ghat - 35/000

DudhSagar Station - 38/000

Tunnel 11 - 38.5/000

DudhSagar WaterFalls Bridge - 39/000 [ Steps down to Water Falls ]

Tunnel 12/13 - 39.5/000

Tunnel 14/15 - 40/000

Sanaulem Station - 42/000

Tunnel 16 - 43/000

Kulem Station - 51/000

------------------------------

Kulem to Londa [ 60km by road ]

DudhSagar Water Falls Trekking Map

A - Kulem

B - Londa [ Return journey place ]

D - Castle Rock Station [ On ward drop place ]

1 - dudhsagar water falls

D ---> 1 [ 14km on track trekking ] } On ward

Return : Either take Goodstrain and reach Londa directly from Dudhsagar or any station ] OR

1 ----> A [ 12 km on track trekking ] }

A-----> B [ 60 km by road Mulem/NH4 ] }

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stay :

There is place near water falls , where you can camp.. but make sure you are in big groups.

Train Info :

8048

VSG HOWRAH EXP

QLM

08.45

10.30

01.45

Kulem to Londa [ if we can catch this in the mornign , but mostly it wont happen ]

Train Journey times : [ If we can catch any goods train in between ]

1	LD	Londa Jn	0:00hrs
2	CLR	Castle Rock	1:10 hrs
3	QLM	Kulem	2:40hrs

Villages near

Kuveshi , Gansuli Villages

Blog list

2010-05-10T10:00:00.018+05:30

Dec 20, 2004- Kondapalli Trek , Vijayawada , AP
Mar 10,2005- Araku Valley, Borra Caves,Vizag*,Annavaram Temples, Kakinada
Feb 24,2007 - Coorg*,Iruppu Falls,Nagarhole Forest Ride - KN
May 22,2007 - Tirupathi , Srikalahasti, Kanipakam - AP
Jul 14,2007 - Nagarjuna Sagar WaterFalls Trek - AP
Oct 2,2007 - Kodaikanal*,Mahabalipuram Beach, Madurai Temple - TN
Dec 22,2007 - Kolanpak Aler Temples,Bhuvangir Trek - AP
May 25,2008 - Amravathi Temples - AP
Jun 7,2008 - Chikmaglur Trek, Hebbe Falls & Bellur Temples - KN
Jun 14,2008 - Papikondalu Launch Ride - AP
Jun 21,2008 - Bhuvangiri Trek 2 - AP
Jun 28,2008 - Srisailam AP tourism, Filming Movie - AP
Jul 12,2008 - Pondy Beach,Queensland Chennai - TN
Jul 18,2008 - Basar,Nirmal Byke Ride ,Kuntala pochera Falls - AP
Oct 2,2008 - Waynad*,Bandipur Forest Ride - Kerela
Dec 14,2008 - Ajantha,Ellora caves, Daulatabad ,Aurangabad -Maharashtra
Dec 25,2008 - Kanyakumari, Vellore, Rameswaram, Trivendrum*,kovalam Beach
Feb 15,2009 - HamsalaDeevi Boating - AP
Mar 28,2009 - Undavalli Caves - AP
May 1,2009 - Kolleru Fresh Water Lake - AP
Jun 25, 2009 - Ooty* - TN
Jun 27, 2009 - Madumali Forest Night Drive.Shivanasamudra Water Falls,Talakadu -KN
Jul 12, 2009 - Tirumala Trek - AP
Jul 27, 2009 - Jog Falls Trek,Murudeswar Beach/Temples - KN
Sep 26,2009 - Pillamarri Temples Byke Ride , AP
Oct 24,2009 - Dodital Himalayan Trek - UK , India
Nov 20,2009 - Manginipudi Beach - AP
Nov 27,2009 - Rajgad2Torna Fort Trek, Pune City - Maharashtra
Dec 5,2009 - Medak, Pocharam Wildlife, Nizamsagar Dam - AP
Dec 23-27,2009 - Kudremukha,Belur,Udupi,Sringeri,Agumbe & Malpe Beach - KN
Jan 1,2010 - Hamsaladeevi Newyear Celebs - AP
Jan 15,2010- Shamirpet Kyte Flying - Hyderabad
Feb 12-14,2010- Rajgad2Torna Trekking 2 - Maharashtra
Feb 27,2010- Mangalagiri Trekking /Carnival - AP
Mar 6,2010 - Chityal Trekking , AP
Mar 28,2010 - DisneyLand Theme Park , Annahem , CA
Mar 29,2010 - Universal Studios , LA , CA
April 4,2010 - Seaworld , Sandiego - CA
April 11,2010 - Laguna Beach , Orange County - CA
April 17-18,2010 - Newyork City - NY
April 23,2010 - Saitemple , Montebello , LA - CA
May 1,2010 - Crystal Cove park , Orange County -CA
May 2,2010 - Greatpark , Orange County - CA
May 15-16,2010 - Dandeli Adventure Weekend - Karnataka
May 29-30,2010- Mallelatheertham Trekking - AP
June 12-13,2010 - Ahobilam Temple cave trekking - AP
June 26-27,2010 - Dudhsagar Falls Trekking - Goa
July 16, 2010 - Bidar Fort - Karnataka
July 30, 2010 - Gokarn Beach Trek,Jog Falls & Unchalli Falls - Karnataka
Aug 15,2010 - GHAC carnival , Taramati Baradari - Hyderabad
Aug 28,2010 - GHAC Organizers only , Shamirpet Lake - Hyderabad
Sept 2, 2010 - Chandoli National Park Trek , Maharashtra -
Sept 20, 2010 - Iruppu Falls & Abylu Trek , Karnataka -
Oct 9, 2010 - Sandiego Beach Hike , CA
Oct 15,2010 - Newport Beach Kayaking , CA
Oct 16, 2010 - Huntington Beach , CA
Oct 23, 2010 - Sandiego Wild Animal Park , CA
Oct 24, 2010 - Six Flags Magic Mountain , Valencia , CA
Oct 31, 2010 - Haloween Night, CA
Nov 7, 2010 - Las Vegas , NV
Dec 17, 2010 - Pench Tiger Reserve , Madhya Pradesh
Dec 22,2010 - Songs of Earth , Hyd -
Jan 27, 2011 - Rajgad2torna Part 3 , Maharashtra
Feb 10, 2011 - Leona Resort , Hyd -
Mar 11, 2011 - Dudhsagar hill Climb , Goa
Mar 25, 2011 - Barejolla Peak , Araku , AP
Apr 13, 2011 - Balboa Island , CA
Apr 16, 2011 - Las Vegas , NV
Apr 23 , 2011 - Crystal Cove SP Trekking , CA
May 30, 2011 - Yosemite Valley Park , Inyo National Forest Hike , CA
June 5, 2011 - Huntington Beach , CA
June 6, 2011 - Santamonica Beach , LA , CA
June 13, 2011- Sandiego , CA
June 19, 2011 - Mammoth Lakes , Mono Lake , Whitney Portal , CA
July 1, 2011 - Mullyanagiri Peak , Hebbe Falls , Karnataka
July 5, 2011 - Songs of Earth , Hyd -
July 29,2011 - Kalsubai Peak , Maharashtra
Nov 25,2011 - Brahmagiri Peak , Karnataka
Nov 27,2011 - Tadiyandamol Peak , Karnataka
Dec 9,2011 - Torna Fort , Velha , Maharashtra
Dec 11,2011 - Lingana Machi, Maharashtra
Dec 12,2011 - Raigad Fort , Maharashtra
Dec 17,2011 - NagalaPuram , Tirupathi , AP
Dec 23,2011 - Kondapalli Fort Trekking , Vijaywada , AP
Dec 25,2011 - Undavalli Caves, Vijaywada , AP
Dec 31,2011 - Paderu Mandal Exploration , Vizag , AP
Jan 4 , 2012 - Runway9 Go Karting & Outing , Hyderabad
Jan 7, 2012 - Kodachadri Peak , Hidlumane falls , Shimoga , KN