Touch of the Blue!!: 1 & 2 March, 2014

Go-Gokarna..... Finally the team of Bangalore Hikers had decided to jump off to Gokarna after months of poking, especially Santosh. So, yes preparation began week ago with Deepika and Santosh making all necessary arrangements from logistic to planning trek/hike and on the other side I was visualizing all sort of views at the event. Being event organizer, you need not bother so much. Yeah that’s our Oceans 11 journey.

All of us gathered at KBS, of course one by one, staring with myself (1st) then Deepak, Sandeep, Ankit, Shweta, Anurag, Harish, Narendar and Surya; although the time had been strictly mentioned as 9pm our vehicle started at 10pm; just for one reason – typical Indian guest entrance issue wherein our chief guests i.e. our founders, Santosh & Deepika arriving late due to some personal time malpractices. So, anyways after having dinner and chocolates and an informal interview session, we all started from KBS for UK. Yes!! Gokarna is a part of UK, Uttar Kannada and not Britain. The night journey was great enough to topple our heads back and forth with our footwear’s to be found out at the back seat by morning. By 7am we reached Kamat restaurant in Kumta village, (35km from Gokarna). Refreshing ourselves and breaking our night long fast with Cho-cho bath, 2 mini idli-vada, we packed enough parcel for our start point i.e. Kumta beach (4.5Km from Kamat restaurant). On the way we could see the entire village been all geared up for the Shivaratri festival with people along the beaches doing snan-puja.

The starting point gave a panoramic view of the beach with guys getting introduced to each other.  It was fun and frolic to jump over these huge monolithic structures, with sea water just forming a vortex adjacent to its steep side.  One can see the sea-shells being adhered to the rocks which had got corroded due to constant secretion of carbonates on the rocks. However, to someone it will provide a good grip in case of a fall down. From here we straight way started marching for Vanalli beach. All were completely engrossed ta the picturesque image of the shoreline as well as the horizon.  For someone, it would seems that camera just went on clicking pic by itself as no one wanted to miss these swirling waves and color difference at a distance. Some took the hill road and some took the shore rocky path. Of course Surya & Narendar along with me enjoyed most of the path through the rocks where at one pint if your jump failed you could land-up in pile of crushed stones beneath.  Once on Vanalli beach, all ran like kids towards the boat, with their nicest expressions to get clicked. Ice-cram bar was eager tow welcome us with all its flavors while others preferred to have a quite walk along this calm side of the beach with waters silently coming and pouring their waters over the flat beach.

Then started our real trek for Nirvana beach as everyone had to make his own path through the rocks and waves gushing through the rocks to push us hard behind. No wonder we were all drenched after the up & down trail through the rocks that were a bit tired by the time we reached Kaddle beach. Strong winds really made us fresh again, and prevented from those who weren’t fresh since morning. Here we had fun along 8Km long stretch of beach walk, football, pakda-pakdi and model photography.  A short lunch break in Gudeangadi was enjoyed thoroughly with parceled 9 plates of cho-cho bath, 15 plates of poori sabji, 7 plates of Bun-sabji, 2 dozen sweet bananas, 8 raw mangoes, chikki, til-laddus and some 12 Ragi water; however the bill just went to 450/- ONLY !! I agree with our FM, there’s no price hike.

With such a pompous food in our stomach we continued with our journey along Kaddle beach to Nirvana Beach wherein we took our tents and tarps for the night stay. The final journey for the day towards the Nirvana cliff will definitely be worth remembering many of us. With Ankit, his samvaddata Deepak and Anurag it was worth a journey through thorns; for girls team it was through some trail which lead them somewhere else and for myself and Surya through steep rocky patch that at one time we thought that we will be down if we lose grip by mistake and thus had to take the thorny trail through shrubs with red ants over us with no away ahead. Finally we all met at the top of the mountain with wild cashew fruits and Bhakarwadi. With again engaging Santosh with his dabba (DSLR) all got a chance to click with vast sea as back ground at a top. It was touch of the Blue!! All ready again we finally came to our night stay place by-cliff of Nirvana Beach with days travel of 19.5Km.

Tents erected and team arranging fire wood and water; here was a sudden feeling that the place where we had halted might give us a surprise at night with water level rising up to us. However, we were ready for the game. By 8pm, our food was ready (Maggie, Khakra, Sattu+Glucon-D and chivda,) our tummies were growling for more and so our legs for a good night’s sleep. So anyways we had started with camp fire with all attempts to lighten up our kabila, but hardly wind allowed it. By 9pm, the water level rose and was hardly 2 feet away from our tents where we immediately started disembarking our urban village on the other side of the beach. A relief was there when next day in the morning when two members went and found out that the water level had rose a feet above the late tent base along the slant beach.

All were up by 6am in the morning and were in the water within a minute looking at the calm waters. As said, more calm is more dangerous. With a ll enjoying in it, Narendar and myself went ahead in water for about some 100mt from shore where were floating and enjoying the tides. However the moment we turned back, we were no more at the original position but some 50mt away from the previous floating point and our trek members shouting for us. Like a raging horse we both managed to get hold of nearby roc with all corn shells attached to it and with pleasure it gave all sharp cuts over our body. No wonder our sea and teaches you and consoled you over your mistake. With scratches all over body we went and joined the group who had already enjoyed the fun.

By 10am, were all were fresh and ready for next day trek till Gokarna, but with initial boat journey towards Tadadi where we had our breakfast with some nearly a 1.5kg Maggi and Sattu. This was easier trail where in only the enjoyable part is to pass through Half-moon, Paradise beach, Om Beach with all our foreign guests enjoying the sun bath in their finest suits and rocky path to hike with wherein we get to see the nicest views of the Laccadive Sea. The beach view and lunch time at Kuddle Beach was fantastic with difficult menu from, especially for vegetarians.

Ultimately with a long trek of nearly 38.5km we reached Gokarna beach at around 4pm in the evening and had a great time energized ourselves with a nice long walk along the long stretch with water cleaning your feet after every wave. Those who would like to have a day away from all city boredom should go to Gokaran, at least once recommended with friends/family etc. or alone to have a think-tank for you. Definitely it’s an option for GOA with less crowd and ample of lonely places. The view and silence makes it breathtaking for a person to hike all the way from Kumta village to Gokarna or vice-versa.

Go Gokrana Gone!!

How to reach

Easiest way to reach Kumta/Gokarna is by Bus/train or you can also travel by personal vehicle or mini-buses.

Written by: Ashay Shah
Event date: 1 & 2 March, 2014
Place: Kumta-Gokarna, Karnataka
No. of hikers: 11 (09 M, 02 F)
Event Organizer: Deepika Muthusamy
Photos of the event: Check here