The Complete Guide Aane Gudda Trek

Unknown and unfamiliar to many people, Aane Gudda trek is somewhat lost amongst the giants of Western Ghats. A perfect Western Ghats trek for a beginner, it remains largely unexplored and is nestled within the laid-back, peaceful village of Haluvalli. Aane Gudda stands for Elephant Hill and the shape of the ranges here resembles the shape of an elephant.

The Aane Gudda trek has all the flavors of a western ghats trek. You have the combination of the lovely Shola forests, streams gushing towards a waterfall, beautiful grasslands which open up to the view of the entire region of Kalasa.

The Badra river cutting through the region is also quite interesting to see from the top of Aane Gudda hill.

This trek falls under the same region to the more popular western ghat treks of Kudremukh and Ballalarayana Durga trek.

Highlights

1. Views of Meruthi hill, Kudremukh, and Ballalarayana Durga

2. Aerial view of Haluvalli, Kalasa and surrounding region

3. An Experience of trekking through a small section of the Shola Forest

Unlike other western ghats treks like Kopatty, Ballalarayana Durga trek, where you spend hours of trekking through the forest section, on this trek, the forest section is fairly small and good for beginners to get a feel of what it’s like to trek through the Shola forest. 

Best Time to do the Aane Gudda Trek

The best season or time to do the Aane Gudda Trek would be between the end of September to February. This would be the season of post-monsoon to pre summertime. So anytime between these months of Sept to Feb would be the best months to trek here.

You cannot cross the waterfall section during the monsoon season. The summer season would be really hot to trek after the clearing of the forest section.

To know how to reach the Aane Gudda Trek, you can go through this section.

To know more about the permissions, water sources, information to camping, and other frequently asked questions, you can head over to the FAQ section.

➤ Trail Information

The Aane Gudda trek itself can be divided into 4 sections

Section I: Junction of Halluvalli to Starting point of the trek

Trek Distance: 5 km
Trek Duration: 1.5 hours
GPS Coordinates of Halluvali Junction:  13°15’0.67″N,  75°23’5.77″E
GPS Coordinates of the starting point of trek: 13.262280, 75.371407

Your trek starts from the village of Haluvalli. Once you are at the junction of Kalasa and Horanadu, you need to take the road going towards Horanadu. There is a signboard from Karnataka Tourism visible. This is the last place for any essentials. There is a small shop where you find biscuits, chocolates, and small essentials for daily home purposes.

It is a trek along the tar road for about 1.5 km, until you see a road with gravel and the one leading up towards the mountain slope. There is also a very small board on the left saying Chowdeshwara temple. It is very easy to miss this board. The turn is a sharp turn from the main road which goes up the mountainside. So keep an eye out for this.

The trek will continue for another 3.5 km on this road. You need to take the mud trail and leave the tar road after 3.5 km where you find the last house/starting point of your trek. The tar road takes you to the Chowdeshwara temple. Locally this area is called Mujekana where people gather to pray at this temple.

Section II: Starting Point (Last house) to Coffee Plantation

Trek Distance: 680 meters
Trek Duration: 40 minutes
GPS Coordinates of Starting Section: 13.262280, 75.371407
GPS Coordinates of Waterfall: 13.26305, 75.37356
GPS Coordinates of Coffee Plantation: 13°15’56.7″N 75°22’17.7″E

Once you start from the mud road, you need to head over to the last house on the trail. If you are driving down, you can take permission from the owners or keep the car towards the side of the road.

The trek starts from the side of the farmland. A small trail starts ascending towards the forest section very quickly.

You hear the gentle stream flowing towards the right of you as you trek and in about 15 mins, you see a waterfall that you need to cross.

Be careful when you are crossing this section. If there is water, the rocks are extremely slippery because of the moss cover on these rocks.

The trail takes a left curve and you have a nice gradual ascend. The jungle is filled with a wide range of trees. Right from Sandalwoods, Acacia, Bay leaf tree, and a lot more. You will hear the streams again in the forest section. 

Birds are plenty as well. The Greater Racket Tailed Drongo with its beautiful tail keeps gliding in the forests and the green bee-eaters’ peck at the bees, insects in the jungle. Parakeets, drongos, hornbills, sunbirds are just a few to name.

From local sources, there have been rare sightings of wild bison and wild pigs around the region and forests. Apart from these, no wild animals to be scared of. 

The trail is pretty easy to follow from here and there are no crossroads. Follow the prominent trail for another 20 mins and you will come towards a barbed fence which is another coffee plantation/farm.

Section III: Coffee Plantation to Aane Gudda Peak

Trek Distance: 620 metres
Trek Duration: 50 minutes
GPS Coordinates of Coffee Plantation: 13°15’56.7″N 75°22’17.7″E
GPS Coordinates of Summit: 13.267849, 75.37426

From the coffee plantation, the ascent gets a bit steep for about 10 more mins and you can see the end of the tree lines approaching close now. 

You come out of the forest section to enter the grasslands and immediately you get to see the beautiful view of Haluvalli, Kalasa town and Kuderamukha standing tall.  

Half an hour of ascending left to reach the saddle point of the grasslands. The ascend here is pretty steep with an angle of about 60 degrees. So try taking the zig-zag path towards the top.

Once you hit the saddle, take in the view. It’s a nice climb towards the topmost point of Aane Gudda next. Behind you is the aerial view of the towns and the Badra River cutting across these towns. Watch out for the beautiful pattern of blue and green. Also of the towering peaks of  Kudremukh, Ballalarayanadurga where the clouds float and hit these peaks. 

The peak of Meruthi is in front of you. This is the 7th highest peak of Karnataka standing right in front. There is another unnamed peak to the left. Spend some time soaking into the views before you start your journey of going back to where you started your trek from. You can also just lie down and watch the dramatic play of clouds and shadows on the mountains in front of you. 

The Descent would be the same route as you came up and will take slightly less time compared to the ascend. It would take roughly about 1 hour 15 mins to get back to the starting point from the summit. 

➤ Route Map

GPX File of the Aane Gudda Trek: 

In case you want to read more on how to use this GPX file, go through our detailed guide here.

➤ How to reach Anne Gudda Trek

Anne Gudda Trek lies near a small village called Haluvalli, in the beautiful Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. In Chikmagalur district, the trek is close to the famous temple town of Kalasa. Kalasa is a southwest town blessed with the tropical forests of the Western Ghats and coffee plantations.

The travel to Kalasa itself is a nice experience you will enjoy when traveling from Bangalore.

Reaching Aane Gudda By Your Vehicle from Bangalore

If you are planning on reaching Aane Gudda using your own vehicle, you can use this link to help set up navigation in Google Maps. For a more detailed explanation, read through the information below. 

You need to reach Haluvalli which is the base of your trek. Halluvalli village lies near the junction of Kalasa and Horanadu. 

To get to Haluvalli, you need to first take the highway from Bangalore leading towards Hassan.

From Hassan, you need to go to Mudigere via Belur. If you have some time, do not miss visiting the historical Belur temple. The temple was built during the 12th century and was proposed to be listed in the UNESCO World Heritage sites.

From Mudigere, take the route which go towards Kottigehara. Fill your fuel tank over here. You won’t find a reliable petrol/gas station for the next majority section of your journey.

Take the right turn towards Kalasa at Kottigehara.

From here, there are two routes to reach Haluvalli.

1. If you take the road via Magundi, you will get to Haluvalli directly.
2. The other option is the route via Hirebyle. The boards from the Karnataka Tourism on the roads give you a direction. This will take you to the town of Kalasa. You need to then retrace a bit towards Haluvalli. Look out for the three mountains standing tall from the Kalasa-Horanadu junction bridge. You are very close to the junction where you take a left towards Horanadu, heading towards the starting point of the trek.

Reaching Aane Gudda By Public Transport System

You get buses from Bangalore that go to the main town of Kalasa (Both during night and day time)

Best Option – Take a night bus from Bangalore to Kalasa. There are a good number of buses to Kalasa. Any night bus reaches Kalasa between around 5.00 am to 6.30 am. You will have a few hotels/eateries at Kalasa.
PROTIP: Until 2019, there was one particular bus leaving at 10.30 pm from Bangalore which goes through Haluvalli. This particular bus reaches Havluvalli at 5.30 am and then heads towards Kalasa.

From Kalasa, there are two options for you to reach Haluvalli

1. Hourly buses to Haluvalli from Kalasa – Every hour a private bus (KKB Express) ply here. Most of the buses going to Horanadu, Honnavar or Shimoga pass through Haluvalli. The ticket cost for the bus would be about Rs 10 to 15
2. Auto – You can take an auto from Kalasa to Haluvalli which will cost you about Rs 60. The maximum you can pay would be Rs 80.

Return Travel – There are two options that you can keep in mind. You can either choose to take a bus from Kalasa or Horanadu.
The best option is to take an overnight bus from Kalasa to Bangalore. There are more options. 

For Stay Options – There are no hotels to stay at Haluvalli. Kalasa has few guest houses/homestays that you can look into. Kalasa is also the place where you can freshen up.

Tip:During summer season, if you plan to stay overnight, book the place in advance. Many visit the temples surrounding Kalasa. Sringeri, Horanadu and Kalasa are known for their Yatra season and can be booked out if you don’t book in advance.

Nearest International and Domestic Airports for Anne Gudda Trek

1. Mangalore International Airport – 120 km to Kalasa
2. Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru – 330 km to Kalasa

➤ Difficult Sections on the Aane Gudda Trek

There are no sections on the Aane Gudda Trek that can be classified as difficult. However, a trekker must always be aware and should prepare for any eventuality. 

Here is one thing you should keep an eye out for –

Slippery Rocks while crossing the waterfall section (Monsoon and Post Monsoon):

The small section where you are crossing the waterfall section can be tricky. In case there is water flowing through, it can be very slippery, especially during post-monsoon or rains before the start of your trek. The rocks are pretty sharp and can injure if you miss your step or if you are not careful while trekking. 

Emergency Contacts for Anne Gudda Trek

Hospital: The closest hospital is Sri Manjunatha Memorial Hospital in Kalasa which is 6 km away. You can reach them on 082632 74628 for assistance.

Police station: Again, the closest police station to Aane Gudda trek is the Kalasa Police Station (Contact: 094808 05159)

ERSS: For any kind of emergency help, you can contact the Pan-India Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) number- 112

➤ What to pack for Aane Gudda trek

• Basic First Aid kit*
• Identity Card
• Cap/ Scarf/ Bandana & Sunglasses
• Water (Minimum two litres)
• Lemon and salt OR Electrolyte Powder/Drink (Electral/Gatorade/Glucon D, etc.)
• High-calorie snacks (Nuts & dry fruits, home-baked cake, etc.)
• Safety Pins, Rubber bands & Whistle (Useful in emergencies.)
• Quick Dry T-shirts are preferable over cotton tees.
• Poncho, only during monsoons
• Plastic sheet to wrap electronic devices, only during monsoons
• Sunscreen (SPF 50+)
• Optional: Trekking poles

*First aid kit:

• Scissor
• Band aids (Regular & Waterproof)
• Analgesic spray (Relispray, Volini, etc.)
• Antiseptic Liquid (Savlon, Dettol etc.)
• Antiseptic powder (Povidone-Iodine based powders like Cipladine, Savlon, etc.)
• Cotton roll & Bandage
• Crepe Bandage
• 1 inch wide medical tape (paper or cloth.)
• Micropore tape
• Tablet for motion sickness (Avomine), Acidity (Gelusil, Digene, etc.).
• Mild pain relief tablet (Crocin)

Note: Always consult a doctor before taking any medicine.

➤ How to Get Fit for Aane Gudda trek

The Aane Gudda trek is classified as an Easy grade trek. Though the altitude gain is not much, the continuous ascent can be quite demanding for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Training yourself for a low-altitude Easy grade trek

Here’s a guide to help you get fit for the trek in 4 weeks.

Cardiovascular endurance

In case you’re just starting with a fitness routine, start slow and increase your pace everyday in the following manner –

• Target completing a brisk walk of 5 km in 50 minutes when you begin.
• Gradually increase your pace by walking 5 km, 4 times a week.
• As you become more comfortable, introduce jogging in your routine. 
• Progressively increase the distance you jog in a workout until you can complete 5 km in 45 mins.

If you prefer cycling over running, target covering 15 km in 60 minutes when you begin.

• Progressively increase your pace to cover 18 km in one hour.

Strength training

This is an important area you need to work on. 

Strength training is equally important to trek comfortably. Work on your glutes, calves and knees. Additionally, work on strengthening your core.

You must strengthen your core muscles. For strengthening your core muscles, holding a plank and it’s variations (elbow, side planks) are the best exercises to go about doing it.

Also try these exercises for strength-

Target 4 sets of squats with 20 in each set

– Squats (Mix it up with sumo squats)

– Lunges (Forward, backward and lateral lunges)

– Planks

Flexibility

Flexibility determines the amount of movement your bones can make in any direction around joints such as shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. 

It is an aspect that will help you trek comfortably. Carrying a backpack, however light, can become a strain. Stretching your hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, and lower back muscles regularly, promotes relaxation in the tissues reducing the strain on your back.

If you can’t go out and jog because of time and space constraints, here’s a video you can use to work out indoors.

➤ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Aane Gudda Trek

Here are the few FAQs on the trek.

1. Do we need forest permission to go on Aane Gudda trek?

No, you don’t need to take any prior permission to go on this trek.

2. Can you camp anywhere on the Aane Gudda Trek?

The Aane Gudda trek is more suited to complete in one single day. However, if you plan to camp, there are a few options.  The primary drawback of camping on this trek is the lack of water sources close to the probable camping locations mentioned. Before taking the right turn at the mud trail towards the last house or towards the starting point, go in the tar road for another 1 km and you will see a big clearing next to the main road. You can set up tents here. Easily more than 10 to 15 tents can be pitched at this clearing. However, there is no source of water close by.

b. You can set your campsite near the starting location close to the last house with permission from the house owners.

c. After the forest line, just as you hit the grasslands, you have good flat land for about 5 tents. Again, there isn’t any source of water close by to this campsite

3. What are the water sources on the Aane Gudda trek?

The water at Haluvalli where you can fill from shops or the houses around, at the base of the trek where the last house is another option and the last source will be the waterfall section/natural stream flowing.
Note – Do not depend on this water if you are trekking during summer season.

4. Can I get food at the base of the Aane Gudda trek?

There are no places to get food after you cross Haluvalli. Haluvalli is the last place where you can get some packaged food like biscuits and chocolates. There isn’t even a proper hotel as well at Haluvalli.

5. How difficult is the Aane Gudda trek?

Aane Gudda is an easy trek. It is good for beginners to go on a western ghats trek.

6. What is the best season to go for Aane Gudda trek?

I would suggest you go during post-monsoon to pre summertime. So anytime between the end of September to February would be the best months to trek.

7. Can I expect leeches on Aane Gudda trek?

Just after the monsoon season, you can expect a few leeches in the forest section. When the trek was documented in November, there weren’t any leeches on the Aane Gudda trek.

8. Are there any wild animals on the Aane Gudda trek?

From local sources, there have been rare sightings of wild bisons and wild pigs around the region and forests. Apart from these, no wild animals to be scared of.

9. Does it make sense to combine Aane Gudda trek with another one?

Yes, absolutely! You can think of combining this trek along with Ballalarayana Durga, Meruthi hill or even Kudremukh along with this trek. For all these treks, Kalasa would be the best option to stay and your key location to access or travel to the base of other treks.

ATMs and Network on the Trek

ATMs: The reliable and nearest ATMs will be at Kalasa. There are about 3 or 4 ATMs in this town.
There is no ATM at Haluvalli.

Network on the trek: There is a good network on the trail of the Aane Gudda trek. Most of the network providers can catch signals. You will get Airtel, Vodafone and BSNL for sure.  .  

➤ Nearby Places to Visit on the Aane Gudda Trek

• Kalasa Temple: Sitting on the banks of the River Bhadra, the main attraction of Kalasa town is the Kalaseshwara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The intricately carved main tower of the temple is one of the defining features of the town as pilgrims from all over the region come to offer their prayers throughout the day.
• Horanadu Temple: Another famous temple in the Chikmagalur district and located amidst the Western Ghat forests. This temple as well is situated on the banks of the Bhadra river.
• Other Famous Treks of Karnataka : Kudremukh, Ballarayana Durga, Meruthi Hill
• Ambatheertha: This is a water spot on river Bhadra, where the river narrows down to a few meters. The river has a short rocky bed, the continuous rush of water has left interesting carvings on the rocks. 

Note: This place has strong undercurrents and whirlpools. You need to be very careful at this location. Do not enter the water. You can just enjoy the serenity and the greenery around this place. Many careless people have died around this region and locals are very afraid of crowds going here.

There isn’t any public transport for this place. One would need a 4 wheel drive (available at Kalasa town) to reach here. This place is about 5 km from Kalasa town.

Mobile users: Click on ‘Complete trek guide’ at the bottom of the page to access the rest of the Aane Gudda Trek Guide.

➤ Trek Contribution

Trek documented by Suhas Saya
Banner Image and Author: Suhas Saya