Bandaje Falls Trek: The Roaring Lion and the Wallpaper Falls

September 13, 2024: The Bumpy Start

The adventure began on the night of September 13, 2024, as I linked up with Plan the Unplanned for a winter trek to Bandaje Falls. At 10:30 PM, I boarded their mini-bus at the Yeshwantpur metro station. Our group was a modest 15 trekkers, led by two fantastic guides. The journey quickly turned social with a mandatory ice-breaker session: we paired up with strangers, got to know them, and then introduced them to the whole group. It was a great way to bond, even if the road proved to be a bumpy, winding challenge all the way to the Western Ghats.

September 14, 2024: Summit and Soak

Misty Arrival and The Canopy Climb

We finally pulled into Misty Hut Homestay in the village of Sunkashale at 4:30 AM. After grabbing a few hours of much-needed sleep, we woke up, freshened up, and fueled ourselves with Uppit (a perfect local breakfast). 

At 7:15 AM, the real fun began with a thrilling 20-minute jeep ride to the trek's starting point. By 7:45 AM, with our local guide leading the way, we started the ascent.

The initial 1 km was a welcome challenge: a steep ascent in spots, but wonderfully protected by a dense canopy of trees overhead, providing continuous shade. The path was extremely narrow—barely wide enough for one person—making it a single-file climb. I was thankful I'd rented a trek pole; it was indispensable right from the start.

The Grassy Ridge and The Roaring Lion

Forty minutes in, the world opened up. We burst out of the jungle onto the vast, sunny grasslands. The shade was gone, and the sun was already beating down hard, but the magnificent, rolling views kept us focused. The rest of the trek was a roughly 6 km walk along a narrow, well-defined path winding from one hill to the next. The overall ascent wasn't overly steep, but we knew a decent descent lay ahead before the falls.

I took plenty of breaks to recharge with energy bars and water as we climbed towards the highest point at about 5,000 ft. Although the distant mountains were partially obscured by misty fog, we pressed on. Soon, we encountered the aptly named Roaring Lion Viewpoint—a massive, protruding boulder on the hilltop that genuinely resembled a lion mid-roar from our distance.

Reaching the Cascade

The final 500 meters was the trickiest part: a steep, slippery descent over loose rocks and rubble with barely a visible path. 

Finally, at 11:00 AM, after covering 7 km, I arrived at the majestic Bandaje Falls. We were standing right at the top of the 200 ft cascade on a beautiful, rocky terrain.

Thankfully, we beat the initial rush. I immediately snapped some photos and enjoyed the ultimate reward: plunging my feet into the icy, cold stream. As the rest of the group trickled in, we took a break, but by 12:00 noon, the area had gotten crowded and fiercely sunny. We quickly retreated to a shady spot to enjoy our packed lunch of delicious Puliyogare, courteously prepared by our homestay.

The Fort of Veera Ballala I

The 7 km return trek kicked off at 12:30 PM. I pushed ahead of the group, and by 2:30 PM, I arrived at Ballalarayana Durga Fort. The trail was quiet—a few quick directions from fellow trekkers were all I needed to find the way. This fort, dating back to the 12th century and built by the Hoysala ruler Veera Ballala I, was a stunning piece of history.

Sadly, it’s now a magnificent ruin; only fragments of walls remain, with wild plants and trees growing freely inside, and cattle peacefully grazing outside. 

The fort's viewpoint offered a panoramic sight of the neighboring mountains. After taking some photos, I started the final descent.

 

Evening Thrills

I ran into a few group members on the way down, reaching the starting point by 3:40 PM. I grabbed a quick tea from the shop outside, where trekkers were busy refuelling. Right there was the Ranijhari Viewpoint—a quick 200-meter climb—offering one last breathtaking look at the surrounding peaks. I could spot a very faint waterfall trickling from a distant cliff and a stream snaking through the deep valley below.

After I returned, we waited for the rest of our crew before piling into the jeep for the return trip—and let me tell you, that jeep ride was an adventure in itself! We made it back to the homestay by 4:45 PM, showered, and settled in for coffee and snacks. The evening was a blast: we sat in a circle playing classic travel games like One Up One Down and Green Glass Door, swapping horror stories until dinner. Dinner at 8:30 PM was simple but satisfying: chapati, paneer gravy, rice, sambhar, and rasam. We capped off the night with a hilarious round of Mafia before hitting the sack around midnight.

September 15, 2024: Eramayi Falls and Farewell

We kicked off September 15, 2024, by waking up and freshening up around 7:00 AM. A few of us took a gentle walk just to grab that morning coffee fix. After a classic breakfast of Idly, sambar, and chutney, we departed the homestay at 8:50 AM.

Two hours later, we arrived near Eramayi Falls. We dropped our bags at a nearby homestay, quickly changed into swim clothes, and took another short jeep ride to the location. The falls truly lived up to the hype—it was a tiered cascade that looked like it was ripped straight from a desktop wallpaper!

We were lucky to find it almost deserted. The group dove right into the water; it was cold at first, but the hot weather soon made it perfect. We stood under the powerful spray for a while, and some of us even ventured up to the secluded upper tier, where we had the place entirely to ourselves for splashing and photos.

We left the falls and headed back to the homestay around 1:00 PM for lunch, then officially started our long journey back to Bangalore. The bus ride was filled with music, games, and laughter as we said goodbye to the mountains. After a final stop for coffee and snacks near Hassan, I finally stepped off the bus at the Goraguntepalya metro station at 9:00 PM. Bidding farewell to my new trekking friends, I took the metro home, already dreaming of the next "unplanned" adventure.