NISHANI MOTTE WILDLIFE CIRCUIT TREK

REVIEWS

ITINERARY

DAY 0	Pick up from Bangalore at 2215Hrs
DAY 1	Reach Bhagamandala – Homestay – Tala Cauvery – Begin the Nishani Motte Circuit Trek – Summit Nishani Motte – Reach Bhagamandala - Sunset – Campfire (if permitted by situations)
DAY 2	Early morning hike to River Cauvery – Explore Bhagamandala – Reach Bangalore by 2030 Hrs.

- SAFETY

DAY 0

A 303km drive from Bangalore to Coorg, nested in the small village of Bhagamandala, which is a Bangalore Weekend Getaway destination for trekking to Nishani Motte Peak. Once everyone boards the Get Beyond Limits Bus, a brief summary about the Nishani Motte Trek and introduction among trekkers will be done by the Outdoor Leaders. We advise trekkers to have light dinner before boarding. The overnight journey will be very exciting to make it to the perfect Bangalore Weekend Trip for trekking in Western Ghats.

DAY 1

The curvy roads after passing Mysore and a beautiful sunrise coming out from the nearest mountain range will not let anyone sleep further. There is beautiful Sri Bhagandeshwara Temple next to the Triveni Sangam as soon you enter the Bhagamandala village of Coorg district of Karnataka. This is one of the best places to spend weekend around Bangalore. There is a forest check post too from where the Nishani Motte Trekking Permission can be obtained prior to the trek. The village of Bhagamandala is adjacent by River Cauvery which makes it clearly a flood prone area in monsoons. Sri Bhagandeshwara Temple acts like a town hall at times of flood, with all boats being kept there for the conveyance of the people of Bhagamandala. The water level rises only in the low lying areas closer to the Sri Bhagandeshwara Temple only.

Tala Cauvery, the birth of River Cauvery, is 8kms from Bhagamandala which is also one of the starting points of the trek. A Tala Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary arch, 200 meters before the Tala Cauvery Temple is where the Nishani Motte trekking will start.

The initial stretch of the Nishani Motte Trek is on a Jeep track. On this track, only the official forest department vehicles can pass. The Jeep trail goes till the Tala Cauvery forest range in Kerala too but we will have to take a left diversion from where a trekking trail starts in the dense forest. It is very difficult for someone to come back in the midway of the trek as the next campsite is only the Animal Poaching Camp which is 12kms from the starting point. On the same trail there are chances to pass through a water stream surrounded by the dense tall trees. The amount of water in the stream depends upon the rainfall received in the Monsoon Season. So it is advised to carry at least 2 litres of water for any weekend treks around Bangalore. The trail will be dampy in monsoon which makes it a habitat for the leeches to dwell. There are chances that you may spot the animal footprints also. The Forest Guide with Get Beyond Limits will be having a detailed knowledge about the animal sounds and the animal tracks also which you can also remember with the help of the picture below. The animal footprint picture can be used to spot the animals that would have passed sometime before you stepped on the trail.

No matter what we always need to understand that this is the territory of wild animals and we need pay respect by peacefully passing through the trail and by following a leave no trace policy. On the same trail of Nishani Motte trek, a small diversion to the right will take you to the meadow surrounded by the long trees. This is just the beginning of the view this weekend destination from Bangalore has to offer in heart of Coorg. A broad ridge which gives an open view of Kerala on the right side and a dense forest on the left side is where the heart starts pumping more blood to reach the Nishani Motte Peak. There can be Elephant spotting in the Kerala region which can be clearly visible from this point as well as the Nishani Motte Peak. After passing through a downhill gully from the beginning of the ridge, a dense jungle starts again which leads to a viewpoint from where two hills can be seen ahead. Nishani Motte is the third hill.

In the whole trail of Nishani Motte, you will be passing through the dense forests of Tala Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary of Western Ghats, Karnataka. As soon as you continue the trek on the hills, the only way to go is to pass through the ridge which is surrounded by the dense forest on either sides. A small meadow which is an ideal spot to camp if wildlife isn’t present in the area will open before moving to the next hill. Climb on the right side of the hill to see the Sri Bhagandeshwara Temple in the Bhagamandala Village of Coorg. By reaching here you will come to know how much you have trekked in the dense jungles. Passing to the next hill you will find a bamboo wall on the trails of Nishani Motte. The significance of the bamboo wall is keep the Bisons away towards the Nishani Motte side. After crossing the wall, there is a water source if we hike to the left. The quantity of water depends upon the monsoon received. Further straight we are on the right trail to reach Nishani Motte Peak. There inclination from this point will increase further till the summit. On the way you will find Forest Milestones which signify that on the way to Nishani Motte Peak, the area on the right side belongs to the wildlife sanctuary and the area on the left belongs to the local forest. There are some huge tree barriers where one can jump and cross the barriers or to go under them. This will be very dark beautiful area even in the sunlight. This shows the density of Western Ghat forest and the need to protect them too.

The last stretch of Nishani Motte trekking is what takes it all. This is where most of trekkers give up but this is where the most beautiful view shall present itself in front of your eyes. The last stretch of Nishani Motte trek will be around 60 degrees. But once it is over, the whole trek becomes worth it. From the top of Nishani Motte, the beautiful village called Rajagiri, in Gods own country, Kerala is clearly visible. Celebrate the spirit to reach the top but they say that reaching top in optional coming down is mandatory. The Nishani Motte trek circuit is still 6kms more. The ridge becomes more thin and steeps down towards the APC which is further down towards the left. On the left side there would be dense jungle throughout the way. On the way to APC the mountains on the front and the meadows on the right side make one stay there forever, if not physically but definitely in the memories. It is advised to reach APC which is 2kms from the Nishani Motte Peak as soon as possible and further hit the 4km jeep road till Kurudi from where our Homestay in Coorg at Bhagamandala is not far away. Once we reach the homestay, a well planned dinner for the hungry trekkers and a wonderful campfire with everyone's participation is awaiting. Our idea is to connect with nature and leave the city behind. Once we go back we will take these mountains with us to make our cities a better place to live in.

DAY 2

The tired bodies need rest but the soul feels that we are not here to miss the sunrise from the Cauvery River which is few steps down from our Homestay. After having the traditional food in Coorg, we are here to explore the coffee fields and taste the local coffee made by our Homestay hosts. It is said that taking a dip in the Triveni removes all the sins. Further on paying tributes to the Sri Bhagandeshwara Temple will make you connect with the locals of Coorg at Bhagamandala.

Once we leave Bhagamandala after exploring, we should reach Bangalore by 2000 Hrs which again depends on the Bangalore traffic.

The trek is only successful when the trekkers can feel a difference in their lives to Get Beyond Limits and conquer all the barriers of life. Always remember, Nishani Motte ka tempo high hai, and so shall be yours!