Bicycle Tour: Hosanagara - Kodachadri to Jog Falls – Sharavathi Valley

Sometimes plain trail also makes tired, rolling terrain make you to exhaust your stamina, lonely interior roads make you happier to ride. Visiting two water reservoirs Chakra and Savehaklu, camping at Kodachadribase point, crossing the Sharavathi river backwater in ferry, taking a longer route to reach Jog falls, having homemade yummy food & snacks, all these golden moments are around Sharavathi valley cycling on 2 – 3^rd September 2017.

Nagara Fort Beautiful View

This time team is with four members Shanthi Prasad, Manjunath, Santosh & myself. The trail and stay is finalized by my beloved friend Shanthi Prasad. We decided to first day camp at base point of Kodachadri.

Route:

Bengaluru – Hosanagara by Volvo overnight journey [01.09.2017]

Hosanagara – Nagara – Saavehaklu Dam – Chakra Dam – Sampekatte – Kattinahole [Night Halt 02.09.2017]

Kattinahole – Hasirumakki – Ikkeri – Sridhar Ashrama – Talaguppa – Jog Falls – Sagara [03.09.2017]

01.09.2017
We reached the Majestic bus stand on time, bus scheduled at 9.15 pm. The bus was not turned up till 10.00 pm, it was coming from Mysuru depot. The conductor & driver were very co-operative, boarded our bikes and settled in the seat. Somewhere in the midnight bus stopped, there was some issue in the battery panel. Driver did some mechanism, luckily bus started and continued our journey.

Selfy Before Journey Start - Majestic Bengaluru

02.09.2017

The morning was chill, the bus was delayed almost an hour. We unloaded our bikes around 6.30 am at Hosanagara bus stand. Decided to get refresh at bus stand rest room. Manjunath was left his mobile in the bus, called the conductor, mobile was at his seat. We told him to collect it on Tuesday.

On the Way

Quickly finished the refreshment, decided to have breakfast at bus stand Udupi hotel. Filled our stomach with yummy breakfast and started the journey.

Ganesh Temple - On the way to Nagara

Foggy morning it was, initial trail was down one, enjoying the nature continued the journey towards Nagara. Everywhere the streams were flowing in swing, the nature was completely green carpet. Reached the Nagara Fort.

Nagara Fort Entrance

Ruined fort was looking so beautiful with wearing the green carpet. Of course, nothing is there except ruined boundaries, however still it looks so beautiful in the monsoon. We had good time photography and spent more time.

Inside the Nagara Fort Beautiful View

Journey is continued towards Saavehaklu Dam. Lonely forest trail will make you more happy to ride on it. Taking small break reached the Dam. Security is deployed to monitor the dam, took the permission and headed towards the Dam.

Savehaklu Dam View

Spent good time, had some snacks. We all thankful to Manjunath for bringing yummy snacks. After good time spend, decided to move towards to Chakra Dam. It is almost 12 KMs from this place.

The upward journey will make you more tiered, reached Chakranagara and continued towards Dam. People are not much aware this place, lonely roads welcomed us.

Beautiful Trail

Reached the Chakradam, security restricted us to enter into the premises. We decided to have the lunch, thanks to Santosh & Manju for bringing homemade food. About to start the lunch, rain started. Thanks to security personnel, sparing his room for lunch. Rain was on its job, though not to spend more time to leave in the rain.

It was light drizzling, continued our journey towards Sampekatte. From Chakram Dam to Chakranagar, 4 KMs trail is tough. Crossing many small villages again we rejoined to Shivamogga – Kollur highway.

Evening Snacks @ Sampekatte

Soon we reached Sampekatte. Team wanted evening snacks with coffee, found descent hotel. Hot delicious Bajji – Bonda with coffee filled our stomach. We met an interesting young personality Srinath Puranik. He is pursuing his final year engineering in Bengaluru. He is in preparation of documentary about Rivers in Karnataka. The interesting part is, he was solo, doing the entire documentary alone. Just we wished him for good luck and continued our journey.

Kodachadri Hill View

Our day one ride left just 11 KMs, we had enough of time to retire the day. Spent some good time viewing Kodachadri range and photography.

Reached the Kattinahole village home for day one camp. Dumped our luggage in the room, got refreshed by hot water bath. It gave more relax to our mind and body. Hot delicious dinner is served, and relaxed for the day.

The day one is went well, we covered around 71 KMs.

03.09.2017

The day is started so early, we finished our morning core job at village home and adieu to Kodachadri range. On the way, had tea & biscuits near by hotel. The journey is continued towards Hasirumakki – Sagara. We changed our route, after internal discussion decided to cover Jog falls, which was not in our initial plan.

Morning ride was thrilling, continued our journey towards Hasirumakki. We have to cross the Sharavathi backwater in Ferry at Hasirumakki. On the way decided to give a break for breakfast. Santosh brought self- prepared Parotha for breakfast. Found some descent place and finished the yummy food.

We reached Ferry point of Sharavathi backwater. Couple of vehicles and people were waiting to cross the river. It was quite less traffic compare to Sigandoor Ferry point. We spent some good time in photography. Boarded the Ferry, enjoyed the ride.

Crossing the Sharavathi Backwater - Hasirumakki

The ferry ride was short, soon we alighted other end. Journey was continued towards Sagara. The heat was more compare to yesterday. Enjoying the curving trail reached the Ikkeri junction. Again we discussed about the trail. Taking the Sagara route, riding on highway, Jog falls distance is very less. Keeping the calm ride, decided to take longer route of Ikkeri, Sridhara Ashrama, Talaguppa and Jog falls.

Ikkeri ancient temple is really beautiful, spent some good time and continued towards Sridhara Ashrama. The Ashrama is around 6 KMs away from Ikkeri temple. Now the roads were lonely, village interior roads gave lot of beautiful landscape.

Now the lunch time, we reached the Ashram around 1.15pm. We took the prasada in Dasoha, devotees were more. After spending little time continued our journey towards Talaguppe.

The trail is rolling but challenging one, heat was itching and making more tiered to us. Lonely trail makes you to forget the tiredness. Reached the Talaguppe at 4 pm. Now the Jog falls is just 15 KMs away.

Highway traffic was more, the road was worst where water flow during monsoon. The team spirit was high, continued our journey and reached the Jog Falls at 5.15 pm.

World Famous Jog Falls

Water was not much, however falls has not disappointed us. I think this is 6^th visit to this beautiful place, however this is the first time where I have seen more water.

We had long discussion about next ride towards Sagara. The time was less, the initial 4KMs trail is tough. Keeping the time constrain, decided to hire vehicle to Sagara. Before that team wanted to have the evening snacks, filled our stomach with Bhelpuri + coffee.

Team at Jog Falls

Reference with local person, we got a Diesel Goods Auto on hire. Loaded our bikes and headed towards the Sagara. We reached the Sagara at 8.30 pm and our bus scheduled at 10 pm. Got refreshed at Bus stand, finished the dinner nearby hotel, boarded the bus towards Bengaluru.

Second journey was quite tough. We peddled around 90+ KMs difficult trail. The good part is, we took a call to board on Auto at Jog falls, else it was really tough one to cover Sagara.

The memorable Sharavathy valley ride ended at Jog falls with excellent friends.