Tadiandamol: A Monsoon-Fueled Coorg Trek

 

October 10th, 2025: The Race to the Foothills

The Tadiandamol adventure began on the afternoon of October 10th. My friend, his cousin, and I left Bangalore at 4:15 PM from his house, armed with a car full of anticipation and a stash of road snacks.

The initial leg of the drive was dramatic. The Bangalore-Mysore expressway quickly turned into a challenge as we were hit by a period of heavy rain and poor visibility. Determined to reach our homestay before 10 PM, we drove non-stop. The journey’s final stretch tested our patience: the last 30 km was along a small, badly maintained road that took nearly an hour.

We finally pulled up to the cozy homestay at 9:15 PM. A warm, hot dinner was waiting, a perfect welcome after the long drive. With the darkness pressing in outside, we settled in for the night, keen to get some rest before the mountain climb.

October 11th, 2025: Mist, Leeches, and the Peak

The Delayed Start

We woke up at 6 AM, planning for an early start, but the view outside was reason enough to pause. The Coorg valley was a sight to behold in the morning light. Our plans for immediate departure were tempered by the homestay owner’s advice: forest guards only permit trekking once the dense fog clears, a crucial measure to avoid potential encounters with elephants.

Breakfast was ready by 8:15 AM, and we made sure to collect our packed lunch before heading out. We left for the base camp around 9:00 AM. The final road to the base camp is narrow and strictly reserved for small vehicles. Larger vehicles must use the designated parking lot two kilometers before the final base point. We reached the parking spot at 9:15 AM, parked the car, and began our walk.

The Ascent Through the Green

The sky was overcast and cloudy as we started the hike. About 1.5 km in, we reached the forest check post. The guard quickly verified our permits, had us sign the entry register, and thoroughly checked our bags for any prohibited plastics. After a firm warning against littering, we were permitted to proceed.

It was here that the rain began. The initial trail involved a steady, muddy ascent, enveloped by lush greenery and a thick tree canopy. We crossed a couple of flowing streams and noticed signs of the local wilderness—elephant dung along the crossings, a clear reminder of the morning warning.

The path transitioned to a flatter, more open stretch, but the gentle light showers continued. This section presented our first real challenge: the trail became riddled with leeches. We constantly flicked them off our legs, though a few persistent ones inevitably succeeded in getting their tiny, bloody share!

The Final Push

The trail soon pitched upward again, becoming a mild ascent strewn with boulders. We took a moment to enjoy the mist-covered view of the adjacent hills. The path was relatively quiet; we only spotted a handful of fellow trekkers throughout the morning.

We encountered a couple of false peaks, adding to the mental challenge. By now, the rain had subdued, but the mist was so dense we could barely see beyond 20 meters. The final stretch was rocky and slippery in several spots. I was incredibly thankful for my trekking pole, which proved invaluable on the slick stone. Thanks to the cool, damp weather, I never felt exhausted or thirsty, and we maintained a steady pace all the way to the top.

We reached the summit at 11:15 AM. The peak was initially shrouded in white, but the curtain of fog gradually began to peel back, giving us intermittent, breathtaking glimpses of the valley below, and even views stretching all the way into Kerala. We took photos and settled down to enjoy our packed lunch. The cycle was mesmerizing: every ten minutes, the fog would sweep back in to hide the vista, only to retreat again.

The Return Journey

We started our descent around 11:50 AM. The downhill path was significantly more slippery, and since more hikers were now making their way up, we felt quite cramped in a few places. The rain had completely stopped, and with the sun finally breaking through, the trail looked like an entirely different place than the one we had ascended.

By the time we reached the forest check post, it was sunny. We signed out of the register and continued the descent back to the car. We were definitely tired, but the real surprise came once we reached the homestay and freshened up—it was only then that we truly counted the number of successful leech bites each of us had acquired!

We set off back to Bangalore around 3:00 PM under pleasant weather. After finishing the last of our car snacks, we stopped for a well-deserved dinner at the Shivalli restaurant on the Bangalore-Mysore expressway at 6:45 PM. We reached my friend’s house at 8:00 PM, and after bidding farewell until the next adventure, I was back home by 8:30 PM.