Well, after taking some time out from my hectic schedule, finally decided to start my own blog. Till now, i have taken valuable information from other blogs (travelogues mainly), and now it's time to give something back...
Here i'll relate my memories of Hassan and The Great Green Trek...hope you enjoy.
We, a group of five (Agni, Som, Varun, Jassi, yours truly!), all 3rd yr students of M.I.T, Manipal, decided to go backpacking for the weekend. Beach was the first option, of course, but then, it became quite common. So we wanted to see some historical place this time. Hassan was close to Manipal (~ 6 hrs drive), and was unanimously decided by all. A few hours before we were leaving, i told the folks of my real plan, which i had nurtured for so long --- the Trek (or sheer madness?!). This is supposed to be one of the famous treks in South India, and people have been doing it since early nineties.

In a nutshell, this 'trek' is supposed to be a 52 km walk on the railway track from Sakleshpur station to Subramanya Rd station, on the M'lore - B'lore railway line. There are people who do the complete trek (takes 2.5 days), but most do a shortened version, from Donegal Station to Yedakumari Station (17 kms), which can be done in a day.
Whatever, after a bit of hesitation from a couple of the guys, we all decided to make it. So, one Friday evening.....CHALO LET'S GO!!

27th March, 2009

Left Manipal for M'lore at 5:30 pm. Reached M'lore at 7:30.Had an early dinner and took a bus to Hassan at 9. Reached Hassan at 2am. Got into some really crappy hotel at one corner of the town. Had no other options then.

28th March

Next morning, around 8, had breakfast, and set off for sightseeing. Our first stop was Belur, about 37kms.Took a bus from the main bus-stand (there are plenty of them). A seat of Hoysala architecture, Belur's Chennakesava Temple is a treat for the eye. Such magnificent architecture! A piece of novel for itself. (Tips: Always take the Karnataka Tourism guide. Otherwise you won't be able to understand much of the architectural significance)
Left Belur at 11:30am and headed to Halebid, by another Karnataka Govt bus. The distance is some 16kms, the road cutting through paddy fields. Spotted quite a few nurseries on our way. Reached at 12.The first thing which will strike you, is the beautiful Hoysaleswara temple amidst a well-maintained garden, and a clear lake in the background. Nice ambience in all. Cherished the architecture, which was kinda similar to Belur. Had lunch in a nearby place, and returned to Belur.(Tips: These places are not known to sell non-veg food, except Hassan, so in most of the times, be happy with the local veg cuisine)
Reached Belur around 2:30pm, and luckily a bus was leaving for Sakleshpur then, and we all scampered to it. The journey was exciting, in the sense, the terrain gradually became hilly, dotted with moderately dense forests. But, there was no sign of road at all at some places! Finally reached Sakleshpur, some 35kms.It was 4. Now, this was a disappointment. I somehow had an idea that this would be some quaint old place in the lap of the Western Ghats. Instead there was clatter everywhere, especially near the bus-stand. Later we came to know that Sakleshpur is an important trading centre for coffee and spices .Checked into a hotel, and refreshed ourselves with some strong local coffee. (You will find quite a few lodges and restaurants just opposite to the bus-stand).That evening, went out buying the necessary items for the trek. All of us were nearly first time trekkers and were a bit apprehensive. So, ended up buying a lot extra stuff. (I'll mention what things to carry, and what not in the end).Later part of the evening was spent at the banks of a small, half-dried river, as we saw the sun go down.
We would start trekking at 7am from Donegal railway station, so all of us retired early...

29^th March

Woke up at 5:30 next morning, only to see the whole town covered with thick mists. It was quite chilly too. After a bit of lazing around, we decided to leave at around 6:30. Came to the bus-stand, and took an auto to Yetnala (Donegal railway station), (~ 6 kms) and it was around 7:15, when we set foot on the solitary railway track which would be our dear companion for the next 17kms. The air still had the chill from last night’s precipitation, and was filled with fragrances of wild flowers and the chirping of birds. This made our trek quite easier, and everyone was in high spirits, occasionally pausing and posing for photos. However, when the sun started to become really warm and the air hotter, we realized there’s a lot of work to be done yet. It was about 5kms, that we faced the first bridge. About 150 mtrs or so. We knew that the bridges would be having a long continuous metal sheet between the tracks, and this was no exception, but i was feeling quite acrophobic, on realizing it would be a 100ft fall, if somewhere something would have gone wrong! On crossing the bridge, we decided to have breakfast. It was already 9, and only 5kms had been covered. We had been goin really slow.

After some photo-sessions, we kept on walking. After about half an hour, we encountered a small stream, and a couple fellow trekkers (had come all the way from B’lore) bathing there. The railway track was clearly traversing an upward slope (Yedakumari is much higher than Sakleshpur), and as we went along, the nature became increasingly wilder, with no signs of habitation whatsoever, and thick lush green forests covering the grand slopes of the Western Ghats. Sometimes, we could spot the highway at a distance (mostly 4-5 kms from the track), but there were no paths leading to it, as it was the forested mountainous terrain. (Note: There aren’t much escape routes in-between Donegal and Yedakumari, so if some mishaps do occur, it’s best to stop a goods train or surveying trolley) There was range after range of Ghats, with occasional gushing rivulets and waterfalls on our way. Around 1pm, we had reached a desolated station called Shiribagilu. A small piece of platform and a couple of tin and thatched houses here and there, and you have a station. Hardly three people in all. This was some 11kms from Donegal. If our calculations weren’t wrong, we had crossed some 10 tunnels and 15 bridges. One bridge, i remember especially (again, my acrophobia); nearly 600 mtrs and at a staggering 150 ft from the steep and densely forested gorge below. Occasionally, we had spotted quite a lot of elephant-dung along the tracks. In one place, ~2 kms from Shiribagilu, we had the courage to venture about 3kms into the forest, to catch hold of some. Now this wasn’t a very clever thing to do, especially when you are unarmed and never had an elephant encounter before. Had our lunch in the midst of the forest (suddenly, all of us had become so courageous!).

From Shiribagilu, it was the same old walk. We had to cover another 6kms. More tunnels and bridges now. It was here that we crossed the longest tunnel (583 mtrs) (be careful inside the tunnels, coz there are a good number of bats, and occasional potholes between the tracks. Also in case you face a train, be sure to find one of the clearings inside. If you have no option, promptly lie down in either of the drains that run beside the track).

The next 6kms was done in 1.5 hrs. Could have been done faster, but all of us were quite tired, not from walking though, but the heavy luggage we had to carry (most of the items we had bought were never touched. So again, carry only the essential items. Trek light). I quite remember, Jassi’s was the heaviest; more than 15 Kgs. This region was only tunnels n bridges and bridges n tunnels. Hardly any open plain track. One region, i especially remember, we had just crossed a bridge and there was a tunnel some 30 mtrs away. Agni was taking snaps and we were sitting on the track. A goods train had been coming through the tunnel, and there was hardly any sound of it at all. The only time we saw it, when it was coming out of the tunnel. Damn! What a time it was. Luckily, we had found some clearing at the side of the track, and here i’m today righting this blog! But after the train had disappeared, there reign the same old serenity, which had been reigning the region since centuries. Deafening cries of crickets, interrupted by some harsh screech or sweet cheep. A spirit of surrealism filled in the air, the leaves, the brook, the sky and everything we could behold.

Finally reached Yedakumari station around 4. Completed the trek at last! It was no different from Shiribagilu. There are no provisions for electricity in these stations. They use solar panels in the daytime, while at night there’s no way. I wonder if anybody stays here after evening. A small stretch of platform and a couple of tin houses were all it had to offer us. This was a gem of a place. We were awed by the beauty of the relentless ranges of the Ghats, covered with tropical forests. Varun and me decided to spend the night in the station, and take the forested path to the highway early next morning. Needless to say, the thrill of the night-out far outweighed the associated dangers, and we two were determined to make it. However, the rest three vehemently opposed to the plan (still don’t know why), and wanted to return that day itself. Som was especially adamant. @#$% him. What to do, we were forced to follow their decision. Varun was ready to spend the night, and so was i, but it’s not appreciated to part ways with your group, isn’t it? Som and Jassi went to talk to the station-master. We had a goods train coming to Yedakumari at 5, enroute Subramanya Rd.

Got into the guard’s van. I was still feeling miserable, having lost the precious chance to experience the night over there (I tell you, that will be one hell of a night!), but at the same time, determined to come back here once again, to materialize my plan (we’ve decided to go there in November). Reached Subramanya Rd after 1.5 hrs. It had started to rain heavily, and the dear mountain peaks slowly fading away into thick blankets of cloud. Took a jeep to Gundya (~30 kms). It was dark, cool and drizzling all the time. Waited for a bus to M’lore, but nothing would come. After a long wait, managed to stop a lorry. It was almost 10 now, and all were dead tired. Managed to reach M’lore at 12:30 am. The night was spent in the station. Dawn, we got a train to Udupi. Reached Manipal at 7am.

Home Sweet Home…oops..err…Hostel Sweet Hostel !!!

Afterthought: After writing this whole thing, i realized that u guys must have got terribly bored. In places i had put in quite a bit of literature and pictorisation, instead of giving the accounts directly. So exclude the unnecessary parts, and construct a picture of whatever u get with the remaining ones. Do contact me if u need to ask any thing about this trek, or if u feel some information is missin etc etc.

Things to carry (only necessary items mentioned) :-

(1) A strong backpack, cap n a pair of sturdy shoes.

(2) Water (at least 4 ltrs for each excluding night-out)

(3) Food (Bread, butter, biscuits, banana, instant magi, nuts what not!)

(4) Glucose

(5) Warm clothes, bed sheet

(6) Torches (otherwise forget trekking through the tunnels)

(7) Salt (for the leeches, though we didn't find one; but after monsoons, there are thousands), mosquito repellent

(8) Matches, lighter, cloth and a big strong knife

(9) Kerosene or diesel*

(10) A big strong rope (has thousands of uses)

(11) Newspapers n plastics

(12) First aid (band aid, detol , painkillers etc)

(13) Ur piece of mind (most important)!!

*In case you meet any wild animal, then at once, collect a long branch; tie the cloth at the front. Pour the diesel, and ignite. All animals dread fire. Also, if u are lucky enough to meet an elephant, always run in a zigzag direction.