INTRODUCTION:-
Tadiandamol is the third highest peak in Karnataka and is a popular destination for trekking lovers in South India.Tadiandamol is 1780 meters high amidst the famous Shola.
HOW TO REACH TADIANDAMOL:-
There are many buses plying to Coorg from major cities of Karnataka (Bangalore, Mangalore,Mysore,and others). The bus stand is in the main town of Madikeri from where the base point of Tadiandamol trek is 35 km.
Please note that there is no public vehicle to the base point so you will have to hire either a private cab or an auto rickshaw. Coorg does not have a railway station and an airport. The nearest railway stations are Mysore and Mangalore,117 km and 135 km respectively. The nearest airports are also in the same cities, which are 144 KM and 132 KM respectively. You will again have to take a cab or bus from the above cities to reach Coorg.
WHERE TO STAY in IN TADIANDAMOL:-
Nalknad
Palace is the base point of Tadiandamol trek and it is 35 km away from Madikeri Bus Stand. If you’re only going for the trek,I’d recommend staying in Madikeri, as there is no public transport to Nalknad Palace,and you need to go by cab or auto rickshaw. It would be easier to find it in the main city than anywhere else. But if you have planned to go to other places as well then you can consider other places to stay as well.
APT TIME TO VISIT TADIANDAMOL:-
The best time to scale Tadiandamol is from October to February. Monsoon season ends after September, which means that you will see greenery all around. Please avoid visiting during Monsoons, as trekking becomes very difficult due to the area being very high
TADIANDAMOL TREK: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW:-
Firstly,the question in the mind of many people is whether a guide is needed for this trek. No, this trek can easily be done on your own. The paths are well marked,and you will be able to climb the peak without straying. The only thing to note is that this trek has steep terrain from the beginning which makes it a bit challenging. The total distance of the trek to and from the base point of Nalknad Palace is 12 kms. You can cover the entire distance in 6-7 hours depending on your speed. After entering the forest area,you have to come back by 3 pm. As the trek goes inside the Shola forest, there are chances of getting attacked by wild animals.
So, start early for the trek so that you can leave on time. This will also mean that you will get less crowd at the peak which gives you a chance to click better pictures. Don’t burden yourself with unnecessary things. Carry a small bag with all the essentials. There is no shop in the middle except one at the forest post. Carry your water bottles and energy bar to keep yourself energized throughout the trek. The trek is a bit challenging,the lighter you pack,the better A raincoat and sunglasses are a must,as the weather changes rapidly.You will definitely need both
NALKNAD PALACE:THE BASE POINT FOR TADIANDAMOL TREK:-
Nalknad Palace was 46 km away from Zostel (where we stayed),which was a good 1.5 hour drive. So, we planned to leave Zostel at 7 am and have breakfast at Nalkanad Palace. Please note that there is no shop at the base point and generally in South India,you will not find good places for breakfast in the morning. So,what we did,we bought some fruit and bread and butter the night before and ate it before the morning trek.
After a good breakfast, we were ready to start the trek. As soon as we started the trek, we knew within a few kilometers of walking that it was not going to be easy. For the first 2 KM,there is a reasonably solid route to walk,but after that,it’s all muddy. Also,even though the route is solid,it is quite steep as if you are running on a treadmill at a high incline. And it’s your perfect leg day!!!The area further passed through some parts of the forest,we found some water streams. They were small,with no water. I think they are more vibrant during monsoon.
ABOUT TADIANDAMOL TREK:-
There is a forest area outpost which is 3 KM away from the base point. From time to time we used to doubt whether we were going in the right direction or not. We eventually found out that there were no turns that we could possibly have missed, plus the path is well marked which reassured us of the direction.
FOREST CHECKPOINT:-
Finally,we reached the forest post,the entry fee per person is Rs.50. The policemen at the outpost will ask you to provide the contact number. They will call you later to make sure you have left the forest safely. As we progressed,the terrain was removed from inside the forest and we had to jump over the roots of the trees which are protruding out of the soil. These roots had steps all the way to help the trekkers walk without any difficulty.