Kumara Parvatha or Pushpagiri Hills, located along the Western Ghats in the northern part of Kodagu district, Karnataka, is known as one of the most challenging treks in the state. In this blog, I’ll share my personal journey from Bengaluru to the base camp of Kumara Parvatha , along with everything you need to know before taking on this trek.
Routes to the Summit
There are multiple routes to reach the summit:
- Kukke to Kukke: 24 km (traditional route, both ways)
- Beedahalli to Beedahalli (Somvarpet route): 14 km (both ways)
- Beedahalli to Kukke: 18 km (cross-route)
- Summit Height: 5,626 ft (1,715 m)
Trek Permits
Before leaving home, one must book trek permits.
You can book your permits here: https://aranyavihaara.karnataka.gov.in/ (Select district “Kodagu” and carefully choose your date and route.)
- Bookings must be made at least one day in advance, and you can book up to 15 days ahead.
- The trek is seasonal, open only from September to February.
- Daily quotas vary from 30–300 trekkers, depending on the route.
Pro Tip : Book for weekdays. You’ll face less crowd and have a better chance of getting permits. But remember, weekdays can also mean fewer trekkers on the route to guide you through tricky patches.
How to Reach Kumara Parvatha
If you’re attempting through the Kukke to Kukke route:
Kumara Parvatha lies near the Sri Kukke Subramanya Temple, a popular pilgrimage spot well connected by road and rail.
1) You can either take an overnight bus or train to Kukke Subramanya.
- If you come by bus, you’ll be dropped at the Kukke KSRTC bus stand, which is about 1.5 km from the base camp. You can either walk or take an auto (₹70–₹80) from there to reach base camp.
- If you come by train, get down at Subramanya Road (SBHR) station.
- From there, take a bus (₹35) or shared taxi (₹50–₹60) to Kukke, which is about 12 km away from railway station.
- After reaching Kukke Bus stand , the Subramanya Base camp is just 1.5 kms away.(you can either walk or take an auto ride which cost 70-80rs)
2) If you’re attempting through Beedahalli (Somvarpet side):
- Book an overnight bus from Bangalore to Somvarpet bus stand.
- From Somvarpet, Beedahalli is about 25 km away. You’ll need to hire an auto, which costs ₹800–₹1,100, to reach the Beedahalli check post.
Our Journey to Base Camp
Me along with my friend Ajay took an overnight train from Bengaluru to Subramanya Road, boarding around 8 PM and reaching station by 5 AM. From the station, we took a bus to Kukke Subramanya, enjoying the early morning ride through misty forests.
Once at Kukke, there are plenty of lodging facilities near the temple. For budget travelers, there are also pay-and-use washrooms and free luggage rooms where you can freshen up and safely store your belongings.
We went to our prebooked hotel got freshened up ,got out trekking bags ready and headed to base camp.On the way we had our Breakfast from a restaurent near temple.
The base camp is about 1.5 km from the temple.We took an auto and reached base camp. At the base camp, we showed our permit and ID proof used for booking (both were softcopy) .Then Forest officials checked our bags and counted the plastic items we were carrying and collected a refundable deposit (₹500 for 10 items in our case). We had to show the same count while returning at the end to claim our refund.
Base camp to top and back
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| through initial forest section |
Earlier, this trek used to be a two-day route where trekkers camped near Bhattara Mane or Girigadde forest office. But since camping is now banned inside the sanctuary, you must complete the entire trek in a single day which adds to the challenge .Also we had to reach back to the base camp by 6pm as instructed by forest officer as Spending the night inside can be dangerous the Pushpagiri Sanctuary is home to tigers, elephants, and reptiles.
We started around 8:30 AM, already late by two hours, and had to ascend quickly to make up time. The humidity was draining, and the forest patch was relentless. After a steep climb, we finally reached open grasslands our first view of Shesha Parvatha and the surrounding ranges.
At the Forest Office checkpoint, the officer verified our permits and advised us to keep our heavy bags inside the office and go light toward the summit. There’s a cut-off time (10:30 AM) beyond which trekkers aren’t allowed to proceed further from this point . Luckily, we made it just in time.
From there, the terrain opens up completely fully exposed to the merciless sun , and dehydration hit fast. After a few minutes of rest at a sitting bench, my trekking partner, fully exhausted, decided to head back and wait for me.
From here, the real challenge began as I pushed solo for the summit. I was already unwell, and the dehydration was worsening. My mind was slowing down, and every step felt longer than it was. In the mountains, distance and time work differently each meter takes effort, and every minute counts.
After around a kilometer, I reached a Knife ridge that opened up to Shesha Parvatha, with Kumara Parvatha standing tall beyond. The view was surreal but the heat brutal. My water was almost over, and holding both the bottle and stick was getting tough. My body was starting to give up, but I pushed forward slowly, step by step.
Then, I stumbled upon a small forest stream pure luck. Without a second thought, I filled my bottle and drank. It gave me life. Soon after, I reached Kallu Mantapa, a small rock structure. I rested there for a while and looked back all I could see were endless forests and mountains. No humans, no voices. Just me and silence.
For a moment, solitude hit me differently it wasn’t peace; it was survival. My fever had peaked, my vision was blurring, and my skin was burning under the harsh sun. I continued a bit further but around 300 meters below Shesha Parvatha,by then it was 12:30 pm I knew it would be foolish to continue. I sat there quietly, took one long look at the Kumara Parvatha and whispered a goodbye before heading down.
Descending felt harder than the climb. The trail splits into multiple paths, and any clear marking and no signal to call out for help . It could be dangerous if you're trekking alone here without anyone around and thats what I got into .It’s easy to get lost which I did. But I didn’t panic. I searched for familiar markings but could't find any. Walked around various trails and finally saw Kallu Mantapa and the actual trail from a distance.There wasn't a way to reach the trail so I walked across the dense grass filled with reptiles to reach the orginal trail.By God's grace I reached the orginal trail without getting bitten by a snake .
After around 1.5 hour of descent, I met my friend and trekking partner Ajay back at the forest office. I was in a bad shape feverish, weak, but relieved. I washed my face, ate some halwa (which helped restore my energy), and after resting for half an hour, we began our descent back to base camp.
This time, with company and better energy, the return felt safer yet we lost way by a small margin .This mistake took us to a very beautiful viewpoint from where we took mutiple photos and enjoyed the scenary ,found the actual way and headed back .
We took breaks on the way back down, and finally reached base camp around 6 PM. After verifying our plastic count, we collected our deposit refund and went straight for food.
That night, after a hot bath and painkillers, I slept like a baby .
Things to keep in mind before starting to attempt this trek :
- Be physically fit it’s a 12–13 hour trek with continuous ascents.
- Carry light every extra kilo will drain your energy.
- Optional: carry trekking pole or atleast a stick from base camp .
- Carry 4–5L of water and high-calorie food (dates, bananas, halwa). Avoid biscuits or chips.
- Start early (5:45–6:15 AM) to reach the summit and return before dark as you are always short on time in this trek.
- Carry breakfast from home and don't waste precious time in hotels in morning .
- Carry Dettol, lemon, or anti-leech socks the initial forest patch is full of leeches.
- Go in a group of atleast 3-4 people as it could be dangerous to go solo .
- Remember and observe the route while going up as it could be helpful while coming down.
Checklist
- Raincoat / poncho
- High-ankle shoes & socks
- Govt ID (used while booking)
- Sun cap & sunglasses
- Arm sleeves
- Sunscreen (non-optional)
- Light backpack
- 4–5L water
- High-calorie food (bananas, dates, halwa)
- Dettol / lemon / anti-leech socks
Budget Breakdown
- Train (Bengaluru–Subramanya Road ) (Sleeper class, two-way) - 800
- Hotel (1 day, optional for rest) - 1,000
- Auto -70
- Bus (two-way) -70
- Food - 400
- Permits - 350
- Snacks -300–400
Total Estimated Budget for this trek - ₹1,900 – ₹2,900
