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Tag: Adventurous Journey in forest

Happiness is hiking with friends to The Ettina Bhuja Peak
Ettina Bujha – Ox’s shoulder / Hump.
An easy trek which any age group can do (except the final climb). Trek distance 2.5 kms / 2300 steps one side. Trek time – 45mins (personal experience). No prior permission required as of now, just parking charges for the vehicle to be paid.
We reached the base at around 9.30am. Google maps are accurate. Just search for Nanya Byraveshwara temple as said at homestay and drive. The homestay provides guide but we wanted to go ourselves to explore our own. The final 2 kms, the roads are bit bad as it’s a wildlife area, so drive / ride carefully. We parked our two cars, spoke to shop vendor nearby and took some information on the forest area and the peak and started our trek.
I’ll divide this trek into 3 phase.
Phase 1 – The wide trail with birds chirping
The trail which starts from the left side of the parking lot which is wide enough to know it. You can hear a lot of birds chirping if started early morning. After a distance of about 1 km, you come to an open land where the peak can be seen even clearer as shown in the picture.
Ettina Bhuja view on trekking
Phase 2 – Darker or serene
This trail is narrow and the trees have grown huge enough to make the path go dark but not completely. You can hear water gushing through the forest too. The good thing about this trek is that there isn’t any other paths which might be confusing to find the correct route. It’s just one single way.
After walking through little ascend and descend about 1 km you reach a point where you need to turn about 75° to right and that’s where the final stretch starts.
You have almost completed the trek if you aren’t hiking the last bit of it. This stretch is far more beautiful than the summit. The small flowers with grass all over the place and that huge rock standing tall, energizes everything.
Phase 3 – Rock climbing
Good hiking shoes are recommended for final climb. Few boulders are big enough and need proper grip to climb. When you climb the summit, you can see water falling through the mountains at several places, only if the valley is clear from fog.
Spent about good 45 mins on the peak, emersed into the clouds and the sound of the water and mild sunlight hitting the face whenever the Fog cleared. Thankfully there wasn’t anyone around on the peak.
Started our descend, took 30 mins to reach the base. That was easy-peasy to get down.
Now, we had already decided that we can go to Bettada Bhairaveshwara Temple if it doesn’t rain. We were lucky that there wasn’t any indication of rain and we started to our next destination which is 2 kms away from Mekanagadde Homestay and 8.5 kms from Ettina Bujha our current destination.
Bettada Bhairaveshwara Temple
The drive was amazing as the roads were quite narrow and through the forest. And since it’s a village and forest area, the roads leading to Bettada Bhairaveshwara Temple has concrete road from the base and final some 500 meter there isn’t any tar, it’s just gravel so we decided to park our vehicles next to temple. So the path leading to Pandavar Betta is kinda off-roading experience if taking the bike or the jeep.
Reached the place, a small trek leads to the step 1 of Pandavar Betta and went around strolling a bit and left the place with peace at mind. One can go to next step if there is no dense fog around
We could see a wild boar while we were heading back to homestay. Wasn’t quick enough to capture a picture of it.
Overall, our trip from Saturday to Monday was good. Thankful to the hospitality provided at Mekanagadde Chikmagalur homestay. This place is amazing for its location in the midest of village and surrounding forests. This is the best homestay to experience trekking to Ettina Bhuja and looking for a comfortable and relaxed stay.
Hoping to spend as many days I can on the mountains.
Stay safe travel safe.
Uday Shankar
Guest Blogger
April 22, 2022
Connecting People To Nature
From your backyard to your favorite national park, nature is closer than you think. It’s time to get out and enjoy it.
‘Connecting People to Nature’, the theme for World Environment Day 2017, implores us to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and its importance, and to take forward the call to protect the Earth that we share.

The value of nature
In recent decades, scientific advances as well as growing environmental problems such as global warming are helping us to understand the countless ways in which natural systems support our own prosperity and well-being.
For example, the world’s oceans, forests and soils act as vast stores for greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane; farmers and fisher-folk harness nature on land and under water to provide us with food; scientists develop medicines using genetic material drawn from the millions of species that make up Earth’s astounding biological diversity.
Billions of rural people around the world spend every working day ‘connected to nature’ and appreciate full well their dependence on natural water supplies and how nature provides their livelihoods in the form of fertile soil. They are among the first to suffer when ecosystems are threatened, whether by pollution, climate change or over-exploitation.
Nature’s gifts are often hard to value in monetary terms. Like clean air, they are often taken for granted, at least until they become scarce. However, economists are developing ways to measure the multi-trillion-dollar worth of many so-called ‘ecosystem services’, from insects pollinating fruit trees in the orchards of California to the leisure, health and spiritual benefits of a hike up a Himalayan valley.
Hit the park
This year’s World Environment Day is an ideal occasion to go out and enjoy your country’s national parks and other wilderness areas. Park authorities in some countries may follow Canada’s example and waive or reduce park entry fees on June 5 or for a longer period.
Once you are there, why not set yourself a challenge (seek out a rare mammal, identify five butterflies, reach the remotest corner of the park). Record what you see, and send us a photo of yourself and/or your discoveries so we can post it on our digital channels and encourage others to go exploring too.
You could join the growing number of citizen scientists. More and more smartphone apps help you log your sightings and connect with others who can identify the species. The records feed into conservation strategies and map the effects of climate change on biodiversity.
Nature up close
Connecting to nature can involve all the physical senses: why not take off your shoes and get your feet (and hands) dirty; don’t just look at the beautiful lake, jump in! Take a hike at night and rely on your ears and nose to experience nature.
You can also connect with nature in the city, where major parks can be a green lung and a hub of biodiversity. Why not do your bit to green the urban environment, by greening your street or a derelict site, or planting a window box? You could put a spade in the soil or lift a paving slab and see what creatures live beneath.
Wherever you are, you could vow to pick up 10 (or 100) pieces of trash, or take inspiration from the citizens of Mumbai, India, and organize a mass beach clean-up.
Your activity doesn’t have to take place on 5 June itself. UN Environment, for instance, will soon begin testing your knowledge and raising your appreciation of a healthy environment with competitions and online quizzes and provide a whole menu of ideas to help you celebrate the day.
In the age of asphalt and smartphones and among the distractions of modern life, connections with nature can be fleeting. But with your help, World Environment Day can make clearer than ever that we need harmony between humanity and nature so that both are able to thrive.
Source: worldenvironmentday.global
June 5, 2017
Ettina Bhuja Trekking
In the southern belts of Karnataka, you can find the twin trekking sites of Ettina Bhuja and Amedikal. Although the latter is more sought after by seasoned trekkers, it is Ettina Bhuja that has recently been frequented by a host of amateurs and first-timers. The main reasons behind its prominence are mainly because of its relatively easy access and involvement of low costs.
The Ettina Bhuja Trek – Adventurous Journey in forest
Start to the Adventure
Interestingly, the classical name owes its origin to a keen resemblance with the ox’s shoulder. A comparatively short trek albeit with steep plains and hilltop, it still manages to provide enthusiasts with the rigor and stretch, which gives these groups a high of sorts.
The most convenient route to Ettina Bhuja trekking is via a village called Shishila located near Dharmastala. Shishila is just OK to make a stopover in this strenuous journey as the village hardly has any other attraction. After crossing a few small streams (in knee-deep waters) and a couple of shuttled jeep rides, the border area of Chikmagalur is finally reached from where the trails of Ettina Bhuja begin.

Unleashed Nature
The next engrossing crossover is the Byrapura stream that flows along a timber route forest. The wonderful experience of traveling through forests and water in between adds to the trekker’s adventures. Now once the actual dense and stray forest area began, the way to climbing had to be cleared of bamboo shoots and damp adjoining areas.
Staying clear from local leeches, the real ascent just begins. Steep grasslands and patches of forest area all continues right till the foot of the hills. A rich collection of trees that dot the climb also end here. The grassy but damp hills continue their way to the top with in-between vertical spots that come across as too steep. The trekking guide comes of help as he advises to go in short circles.
Along with growing altitude the only other visibility is the Ombattu peak or the still waters of another stream towards the south. The strong sun rays make trekking uneasy as does the gradually slowing ascent. The confusing paths, lack of energy, and a sense of danger bring together a new feeling. It is advisable to halt at this point for taking refreshments and then restart with fresh limbs and renewed vigor.
Worthwhile But Strenuous Experience
The escorting guides are careful enough to inform the altitude levels and the pending distances from time to time. Their prior experience in trekking comes in the warnings they give regarding local flora and fauna and danger from reptiles, which are common at the top.
The final frontier appears to be the greatest challenge while trekking. However, most of the trekkers manage to overcome the cliff and sigh in relief. The next important thing to do is take a handful of snaps and videos of all possible scenes and angles. Another option is to relax overnight in makeshift tents and get some tea made then and there to alleviate the already enriching experience.
One important point to bear in mind is to carry a list of essential utility, including medicines and other emergency needful that the guides are well-versed with. The total expenses of such trips can be arranged from a minimum of thousand rupees onwards.
September 21, 2015