Explore Western Ghats State Level Trekking cum Training Expedition 2026 (By Mangaluru Unit, Karnataka)

The Western Ghats are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's richest regions for wildlife and plants. The hills around Kudremukh show that richness at its best. YHAI's Mangaluru Unit bases this expedition at Samse, a village near Kalasa in Chikkamagaluru district. From there you spend three days walking out to three summits: Kudremukh Peak, Aane Gudda and Karshi Gudda. You return to the same base camp every evening.

Kudremukh means horse face in Kannada, after the shape of one side of the mountain. It is Karnataka's second-highest peak, and was once called Samseparvata because it was approached from Samse. The trail crosses shola forest and rolling grassland inside Kudremukh National Park, home of the lion-tailed macaque. Its streams feed the Tunga, Bhadra and Netravati rivers. Early December falls in the post-monsoon season, when the hills are still green.

Highlights

• Kudremukh Peak: Karnataka's second-highest summit, reached through shola forest and grassland (18 km there and back)
• Aane Gudda: Elephant Hill, through shola and grassland to views of Kudremukh and the Bhadra river (12 km there and back)
• Karshi Gudda: a hill near the temple town of Horanadu, home of the Annapoorneshwari temple (12 km there and back)
• Training and trekking with YHAI's Mangaluru Unit, and the same base camp every night, so you trek with only a day pack

At a Glance

• Dates: Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December 2026, 3 nights / 4 days
• Base camp: Thrirathna Bhavana, Samse 577124, Kalasa Taluk, Chikkamagaluru district. Report after 3:00 PM on Day 1.
• Age: 15 to 65 years
• Batch: a single batch of 100 members

Fee

• Rs. 7,500 per participant for YHAI members
• Rs. 7,700 for non-members (the extra Rs. 200 is the annual membership fee)

The Fee Includes

• Simple stay at the base camp
• Simple, nutritious vegetarian food
• Forest entry and trekking fees
• Local transport
• Expert guide charges

Program Coordinators

• Rajesh Kamath: +91 88616 18656
• V K Moorthy: +91 94804 32780
• Ganesh Prasad: +91 77600 30245
• Email: mangaloreyouthhostels@gmail.com
• Post: Youth Hostels Association of India, Mangaluru Unit, c/o Manamohan B, "Manikya", L.I.G. 78, K.H.B. Colony, Kavur, Mangaluru 575015

Who Can Participate

• Minimum age 15 years, maximum 65 years.
• There is only one batch of 100 members. Registration is first come, first served and stops once it reaches 100. The organisers may split the batch into two groups if the situation warrants.

How to Join

• Apply on the prescribed Trekking Registration Form. Print it, fill it in, sign it and send us the scanned image. The registration form and the Trekking Medical Form are available from your Unit or State Branch. You can also download them from www.yhaindia.org/Download, or the organisers can share them on WhatsApp if required.
• Share a copy of the filled-in form on WhatsApp to 87622 08656. Bring the original registration form with the medical certificate on the reporting day.
• Last date for registration: 31 October 2026.
• Medical certificate: you can hand it over when you report on 3 December 2026. It must be dated after 3 November 2026, i.e. within 30 days before reporting.
• Payment by NEFT/IMPS: IDFC First Bank Ltd, Mangaluru Branch. Current account no. 10186898165. IFSC IDFB0080611. Account name: Youth Hostels Association of India.
• Payment by UPI: youthhostels@idfcbank.
• After paying, send a screenshot of the payment details to WhatsApp 87622 08656.
• Also send a copy of your photograph and of one photo ID to the same number. The ID can be a driving licence, voter ID, PAN card, passport or ration card. Both are absolutely required to register your name for the trekking routes on the Forest Department portal.

How to Reach the Base Camp

• The base camp is Thrirathna Bhavana at Samse, 9 km from Kalasa and 125 km from Mangaluru.
• Detailed directions are shared in the WhatsApp group a few days before the expedition starts.

Stay and Food

• Simple stay in a covered convention hall, with separate arrangements for women.
• Simple vegetarian food, prepared by experienced cooks in the kitchen attached to the hall.
• Water is available 24 hours.

What to Bring

• Cotton shirts and cotton trousers, a sun cap and sunglasses
• Trekking shoes with good grip, a trekking pole and cotton socks
• Torch with new batteries, two water bottles, lunch box, steel mug or tumbler, plate and spoon
• Pen knife, toilet kit, towel and personal medicines
• Raincoat, poncho or rain sheet, and a sweater or jacket
• Sleeping bag, sleeping mat, bed sheets, air pillow and mosquito repellent
• Original ID cards, masks and sanitiser

You return to the base camp every day, so there is no need to carry your full luggage on the trek. Bring a small backpack for your water bottle, lunch box, fruit and personal medicines.

Safety and Security

• A great deal of careful preparation has gone into planning the trek route for your safety. Field staff and experienced camp leaders have visited the area to check all the details.
• Even so, the Youth Hostels Association of India and its organisers and volunteers cannot be held responsible for accidents, illness or any other unforeseen eventualities.
• Deviation from the set route is not permitted. You may join any other activity only after finishing the trek and checking out, at your own responsibility and risk.

Cancellation Rules

• If you cannot join after paying, Rs. 4,000 is refunded provided your request is received on or before 24 November 2026. No refund is admissible after that date.
• Alternatively, request before 24 November 2026 to move your fee to a credit shell: Rs. 6,850 is retained as credit, to be used by 31 December 2027 on any other National or State level program.
• No refund applies once you opt for the credit shell.