Kodachadri, Karnataka

Morning at 5:30 am, we reached Kollur. My friend Vivek and I were the characters in this story, so sit tight and prepare for a wild imagination. We freshened up and went to the Mookambika Devi temple. After a blissful darshana, we packed our gear and had a wonderful breakfast of Mangalore buns, which had become a mandatory treat whenever I visited Chikmagalur. We had two options for the trek: the jeep trek, which would take us almost 80% of the way to the top, leaving only a 1.5 km hike to reach the summit. This option was more suitable for amateurs. The other choice was the Base trek, which started from the forest base of Kodachadri. It was a 9 km one-way trek to the summit, and that's the one we chose.

We reached the base in an auto, and there we saw a green board showcasing the title and details of the trek. We captured some photos at the entry point and began the trail around 7:45 am. The trail was wide, with plain red soil covered in dried leaves, resembling chili flakes on a pizza. As we walked through them, the dried leaves murmured, echoing the silent forest. I wished I could decode their message in their language. After a few minutes, a drop of sweat rolled down from the edge of my eyebrow, and I felt good, shouting, "Yeah! Now it starts!"

At some point, a group of wild flies, the size of bees, started following us. They were strange, although seemingly harmless. They continuously loitered around us, hovering over our heads and hands. I paid little attention to them, but my friend felt aghast and tried to swat them away with a stick. Later, we discovered that these were blood-sucking wild flies, which made us feel a little scared. We started running to lose them, but they kept pursuing us. Eventually, we managed to ward off 5-6 flies, with only 2-3 persistently following us. After an hour, we came across an open area with a forest office. However, the problem was they only accepted cash. We requested digital payment, but they refused, telling us to go back as they couldn't help us. After some drama, we managed to convince them, and they allowed us to proceed. Before planning the trek, I had called a guy for information, but he failed to mention the cash requirement. However, towards the end of the call, he conveyed, "Don't stay late in the forest. Return before 4 pm." The message was unclear due to network issues, but we cared little about it and only grabbed the important information about the trek.

We were very happy after the officer allowed us to continue the trek. But one strange thing we noticed after two hours of trekking from the base was that we literally saw no one except for the two of us. It made us wonder what the officers were hiding. We resumed the trek from the forest office, encountering steep, thick roots and a wet trail ahead. I assured my friend that this was how it was supposed to be, as the real challenge began here. We could hear different bird sounds, including the hornbill. My friend mentioned a bird called the Mocking Jay, which could mimic the sounds of other species, such as amphibians and mammals. It had its own unique sound, which was quite surprising. Despite being the only two people in the dense forest, we weren't worried at that time. After traversing through a dense part, we reached grasslands and encountered more steep sections. To our right, there was a deep slope, and a slight misbalance could have meant a deadly fall. We took some rest, had energy-boosting chocolates, and rehydrated with ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution). ORS was like cocaine for hikers, in a good way. The climate was constantly changing, making it difficult to decide when to wear raincoats. Suddenly, the hot sun appeared above us. Surprisingly, there were no signboards indicating the route, and we were unsure if we were going the right way. There was not a single person around, as most people took the jeep route while we opted for the more adventurous path.

World Environment Day As we gained altitude, we finally got network reception and received a message notification: "Happy World Environment Day." It was an unaware coincidence and a good tribute to Mother Earth, spending time with her and appreciating God's creations. As the trail became a bit scary, we encountered some deadly spiders blocking our way. The red spiders were venomous, almost as if they were guarding the path or warning us not to proceed further. We wondered why the spider nests blocking the trail remained undisturbed if trekkers frequented the area. It seemed strange, but we held on to our hope.

We carefully maneuvered through the spider webs, avoiding any disturbances, and assumed that most trekkers must be considerate like us. Everything in this forest felt shrouded in lies and assumptions, but we still held onto hope. We continued the hike, and after an hour of trekking, we found ourselves deep inside the dense forest. At some point, the trail became wet as if heavy rain had just stopped pouring. Looking down, we could see the texture of wet soil mixed with leaves. Based on previous experiences, I warned my friend, "Caution! From this point onwards, leeches might start appearing. Be careful with your shoes and constantly check them." Just two minutes later, leeches were everywhere. We kicked our shoes against rocks while walking, simultaneously focusing on the trail and worrying about the grip of our shoes. Gradually, the number of leeches decreased as we left the wet areas, but the adrenaline rush remained. The forest grew denser, and we even spotted lizards crossing our path. Long ago, we had discussed getting lost in the forest and camping, just like in the movies. It was my dream to get lost in the forest, search for the way, use my survival skills, and gain that experience. In the present time, tall, thick, and wide monstrous trees surrounded us, fighting against the sunlight, which struggled to reach the soil. The whole scene appeared dimmed, almost like evening, although it was only 11:30 am. Suddenly, I saw something shocking ahead. The trail was blocked by two giant trees, making it impossible to see what lay behind them. We were genuinely surprised! They say, "Getting lost is fun until you really get lost."

I decided to take the right side, which was full of small creepers with spines and medium-sized trees. It was not the usual hiking trail, but I told my friend to cover his eyes, tuck down, and follow me. After two minutes, we found the trail connecting back. We shouted joyfully, realizing that we had found the trail again. To ensure we wouldn't lose it on the way back, I marked the tree with an arrow. This trail was very peculiar, as if no one had used it for a long time. I felt that no one had trekked here in ages. After a few minutes, the trail became blocked again, and we were freaked out. We heard a bird's sound, and my friend shouted, "This is the Mocking Jay, I'm damn sure!" We didn't know why the bird was singing. I recalled all the negative aspects of our journey, from the guy warning about negative energies to the dried leaves murmuring and the spider web guarding the trail. Moreover, we hadn't come across a single person during the trek. The unused trail looked evil and horrifying, as if leading to the door of hell. I said, "Hurry! We cannot stand in one place for too long."

Celebration At some point, I climbed the roots and saw a screen of creepers and small branches with sunlight rushing through the gaps. I rushed through, disregarding the spines, and found a red mud road used by jeeps. We were overjoyed, shouting and celebrating. We checked our pants and legs for leeches and removed them. I had two bites on my hand and one on my leg, while my friend had two or three bites. As we emerged from the forest, there were two roads ahead, one going up and the other descending to the left. It was common sense that any hiker would choose the road going up to reach the summit. We captured a photo of the exit point of the lost part as a reference for the return trek. However, after walking for 2 kilometers on the jeep route, something felt off. The road was descending, which meant it was the return route to the base, not the top of the hill. We had taken the wrong road again.

Thankfully, the jeep driver offered us a lift to the top, and we were grateful for his kindness. Time was running out, and it was already 1 pm. We had been informed to return before 4 pm. The jeep dropped us at the top, and we began the remaining 1.5-kilometer trek. We refilled our water bottles from a water resource, had ORS to rehydrate, and completed the trek to reach the summit. At the top, there was a temple where we sat peacefully before having lunch. We had brought a packed lunch from Kollur town, and the rice and buttermilk were the perfect fuel for the return trek. Cool breezes, clouds, and fog enveloped us on the summit. We had missed the deadline, and the jeep driver offered us a ride back to the base. Descending in the jeep was another unique experience. We saw wild buffalos and snakes on the way. The driver stopped the jeep, allowing us to have a close encounter with the wild buffalos. It felt like being in an episode of the Discovery Channel; we were literally inside the TV. He dropped us at the base, which was 40 kilometers away from Kollur town. We walked for another 3 kilometers, and some guys in a jeep helped us with their bikes to reach the town. This was not the trek I had expected. Usually, my treks were simple, and there were always other hikers around. However, this was a scary adventure, getting lost in the woods, hitchhiking, and encountering deadly animals. It was a mixed bag, just like Bear Grylls in "Man vs. Wild." I still wonder what would have happened if we had trekked back through the same way. It remains an unanswered question.