Ballarayana Durga - Rani Jhari

'The clearest way into the Universe is through forest wilderness' - John Muir

My earnest desire to explore the Ballarayana durga along with Ranijari view point took form on a rainy Wednesday. 

Ballarayana durga fort is situated at the top of a hill near Durgadahalli. It also has a viewpoint by name  Ranijhari and a waterfalls - Bandaaje Arbi in its vicinity. It is in Mudigere taluk, Chikmagalur District  and the route we planned to take was Karkala- Kudremukha Road (also known as SK Border) - Kalasa - Samse - Durgadahalli - Ballarayana Durga.

We were three adventurous souls and we chose to ride, despite it raining cats and dogs. We left Karkala about 6 am and were well equipped with our jackets, rain wear and protective covers for our backpacks. The vast expanses of greenery, the cool breeze, the misty weather, flying water droplets coupled with our adrenaline rush made it all the more thrilling and memorable.

After our breakfast at Bajagoli, we entered the Kudremukha National Park. Since we were given the time of one hour to cross the Park, we couldn't capture the scenic beauty of the ranges so much, nevertheless, I would strongly recommend everybody to ride through this stretch atleast once in their lives. There are plenty of tourist attractions here - Lakya dam, Gangamoola, a trek to the Kudremukha peak being a few of them, however to visit these places, prior permission is a must. We had our brunch at Kalasa and we reached the basecamp by 10:30. One must take a right turn (if coming from Kalasa) near Sunkasaley village (there is a Karnataka Tourism Board marking the places to visit). The basecamp is another 4-5km from the deviation and it was a bumpy ride. But the view around compensated our discomfort and one can see the remains of the Ballarayana Durga fort from the road.

However, there are no signboards and one must depend on the villagers for directions. We missed our way twice, so a small advice: If you aren't sure about the roads, please ask for directions and the locals are really happy to help. The trick is to stick with the tar road and when the road ends, start your trek. In the dead end, one comes across two trails - the one that goes straight and the one that ascends. When you follow the ascending path, it takes you to a beautiful view point called Ranijhari and if you are lucky enough, the mist clears to show you the most astounding view of the Western ghats. When one takes the straight trail, you end up getting another bifurcation after a kilometer. Again, take the trail that ascends. Even though it looks like the bikes and cars might reach till the bifurcation point, it is advisable not to risk it in the monsoons. We had a difficult time when one of our bikes got stuck in the marsh. And when we tried to get it out, all the muck from the ground flew on us and we literally had to bathe in the stream flowing, nearby. 

It is a small trek of 3-4 km to the peak and the trail is a happy place for the leech families. Make sure one takes either salt, neem oil or any kind of leech repellants. The water flows in the trails and it is a bit slippery and one needs to be very cautious while treading on the rocks and grass. There is another trail that joins the main one in the grassland and it leads to another view point. Unfortunately, after we reached this point, it poured down heavily and all our cameras,phones and go pros had to seek hiding in our backpacks. We reached the Fort around 2 pm but we could neither see the view nor enjoy the walk. The water drops lashing our faces, the misty air that we were breathing, the water flowing beneath our feet is a memory I will cherish for a long time. But we were also drenched, wet, cold and hungry. It is advisable to carry some light food and sufficient amount of water as there are no stores or food joints nearby.

We had to return home the same day and we could not go to the falls (Bandaaje Arbi falls)  One can pitch tents on the Fort or there is a homestay at Durgadahalli with good accommodation for a reasonable price. All in all, it was a great experience except for the lack of visibility at the peak. returned with our bikes dirty, a few leech bites, a little tired but completely refreshed, elated and excited. We followed the same route home and the coffee and tea plantations bid us adieu. The clearest way into the Universe is through forest wilderness and after paying a visit to this mighty place, the truth of the above statement can't be denied. The glorious fort, still stands proud, on the top of the hill and all the trouble we took to summit was worth it.

The presence of guide is not so necessary but I have shared the contact details of the owner of Durgadahalli Homestay below, in the case you need any services.

Sanjay, Owner of Homestay - 9449701866

A few pictures are attached and I have added the link of our YouTube video in one of the comments below. 

Let me know if you have any queries or suggestions in the comments below :)