It was one of our casual conversations in the group about the Kaiwara Betta trek that inspired Preeti to organize this trek. Trekkers who had been on this trek shared that the trail and the view from the summit were beautiful and serene.

Wanting to do an easy trek with her child, she jumped on the opportunity to organize this trek. 

While it was challenging to get the slots, those who managed to get the slots pooled their cars to get everyone to the trek (I loved that the team came together to support each other with the transport).

The team set off early.  The trail was beautiful.  Early morning mist hung over the trail, the surroundings were full of greenery, peacock calls all around and the trekkers enjoying the trail and the company all along. 

At the summit, they were met with monkeys eagerly eyeing their snacks. 

“All in all, it was a lovely experience organizing and going on the trek”, says Preeti.  “The group dynamic was fantastic.  It was a beautiful start to the weekend.”, she adds.

Having done three Himalayan treks, Sharath has been looking for opportunities to explore and trek in and around Bangalore. So when there was an interest for the Kumaraparvatha trek, Sharath took the opportunity to organise the trek. 

They decided to do the trek from the other side - Beedahalli to Beedahalli. 

With a small team of 5, they set out to do the trek on Feb 1st, 2025.  This route was marked with a dense forest except for the last 1.5-2 km.  The team enjoyed the walk through the forest, challenging themselves by climbing in the rocky sections instead of taking the regular trail. 

The team was fit and they completed the trek with ease and comfort.  Having reached the summit early, they took time to relax and enjoy the view from the top. 

Sharath is looking forward to his next trek with the club, hopefully, post-summer.

Last Sunday, on Feb 2nd, 22 members went on a birding walk to Jakkur Lake.  We have always believed that nature walks including birdwatching walks are a great way to connect with nature. 

Led by our club member - a fantastic birder, photographer, and nature enthusiast, Basava Kumar, the participants spotted an amazing 36 birds in just 2 hours and 30 minutes!

Basava shared so many fascinating stories and insights about each bird, making the experience even more enriching for everyone!

Indiahikes Team Member and Co-facilitator Sanjay had the pleasure of introducing the Merlin Bird ID and eBird app to the group.  This got the participants to start identifying birds on their own and they were thrilled. 

The team came back inspired to go for more birding walks and even longer treks in the future.

We will be planning another bird walk soon.

18 trekkers including 9 children went on the Harihara Betta trek this weekend.

Abhijith who organized this trek is a regular trekker and climber in the Himalayas. He had been wanting to introduce his kids to trekking and nature for sometime now. The club became the ideal place to not just take his children on trek but also use this opportunity to invite fellow parents from the club to bring their children too.

"The kids really enjoyed themselves on the trek", Abhijith said. He mentioned that although he couldn't spend much time getting to know others, he observed that the children mingled well and enjoyed the time spent.

"For sure, I will hike more locally around Bangalore and in the western ghats too. And don't mind organizing these hikes in the future", Abhijith adds.

We at Indiahikes are delighted that families trekked together. Nothing brings families together more than spending time in the outdoors together. In fact, on our family groups, we have parents coming back sharing how they were able to see a different side to their children on treks. So we hope that more and more families use the club to trek in and around their home.