Kudremukh Peak Trek : A Day Hike Through the Heart of the Western Ghats

The road to the Kudremukh National Park Forest check post from the main road is a true test of patience – an uphill stretch that’s half mud and water streams, half gravel, and wholly unpredictable. Yet, it’s also the first reminder that reaching beautiful places often means embracing a bit of discomfort. The jeep rattled and jolted so violently that it felt as if every bone in the body had been shaken loose. On both sides, the road is lined with lush coffee plantations, their branches heavy with ripe red coffee berries.

At 1,894 meters (6,214 feet) above sea level, Kudremukh – meaning horse face in Kannada, after the distinctive shape of its peak, is the second-highest peak in Karnataka, after Mullayanagiri peak. The mountain peak lies within the Kudremukh National Park, which spans over 600 square kilometres across the Chikkamagaluru, Udupi, and Dakshina Kannada districts. The park is part of the Western Ghats UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to a stunning diversity of flora and fauna – including tiger, gaurs, sambars, leopards, Malabar giant squirrels, and lion-tailed macaques, along with more than 200 species of birds.

The night before, I had left Bangalore on a bus organized by Bangalore Mountaineering Club (BMC) and reached Bella Homestay near Kalasa, a small village that serves as the base for the Kudremukh trek. After a hearty Karnataka-style breakfast of spiced rice, idli, chutney, and filter coffee, we packed our lunch boxes and hopped onto two jeeps that would take us to the forest check post, the official starting point of the trek.

The trek to the Kudremukh Peak is around 10 kilometres one way, making it a 20-kilometer round trip to be completed within a span of 9–10 hours. There’s a strict cutoff time of 1 PM at the summit; hikers must begin their descent soon after to ensure they reach the forest gate by 6 PM, before dusk. After sunset, the forest returns to its rightful owners – the nocturnal creatures of the Western Ghats.

We reached the forest check post around 8 AM, registered ourselves, and listened to a quick briefing from the trek leaders about safety and ecological guidelines. There is is a strict no single use plastic policy, the bags are thoroughly checked by the forest officials. Then began the real adventure. The hike is quintessentially Western Ghats in nature: knee-deep water crossings, slippery red soil paths, leech-filled forest patches, and stretches of green rolling meadows that open up to misty mountain vistas.

As the trail unfolded, conversations began to flow naturally – strangers becoming companions. On slippery ascents, we held each other’s hands; on steep descents, we steadied one another’s steps. The muddy slopes and uncertain footings blurred boundaries of familiarity and companionship was instinctive.

Halfway through the climb, a light drizzle began, just enough to make the hills shimmer. The scent of wet earth filled the air, raindrops glistened on fern leaves and the mountain flowers, and mist drifted gently across the valley. It was one of those rare moments where everything felt perfectly balanced – effort, beauty, silence, and the soft touch of mountain rain.

By noon, we reached the Kudremukh summit, just as clouds began wrapping around the ridges. The view was fleeting – waves of mist revealing and concealing the green world below. Sitting there, I unpacked my lunch of tamarind rice and boiled eggs which felt like a feast.

The descent tested our endurance far more than the climb itself. What had seemed manageable on the way up turned treacherous on the way down. The rain had left the soil slick, the rocks loose, and every step demanded balance and focus. The slopes, now muddier and more slippery, slowed our pace to a cautious crawl as we fought against gravity. What had taken a few hours to ascend now took even longer to descend. By the time I reached the forest gate, my legs were tingling and my feet sore after being soaked in water for hours. We hopped back into the jeeps, once again traversing the bumpy road to the base camp. After a hot bath, we gathered for dinner, tired and content – before resting for the night to return to Bangalore the next morning.

A heartfelt appreciation goes to the Bangalore Mountaineering Club (BMC) for organizing the trek with professionalism. The trek leaders, Prajwal and Rakshith, deserve special mention, they managed time efficiently and handled the participants with genuine care during the hike and the travel. They kept the group’s spirit high despite the treacherous path, rain and fatigue, they did it all with calm assurance and a friendly smile, turning what could have been a tough hike into a truly memorable and safe experience.