WaateHole Waterfalls (Vate Halla)

 

Uttara Kannada with their differing climates, lush green rain forests and mountains we expect to find various most striking backdrops. The place is blessed with deep gorges yielding most spectacular waterfalls. This time I like to share my experience to this place which i had visited few weeks back.

 

Actually it’s not my plan, my friend Rajesh Naik surprisingly preferred to go Vatehole  waterfalls for our sake on lunch time at Sirsi. After a soft journey we left our car near by stream and crossed the brook and Rajesh Sir led in the right direction to us. Initial few minutes smooth walk on fine Jeep track we took right deviation on a narrow steep downer paled rout.

 

s I scanned nothing looked easy but I could see what appeared to be a possible rout and set off. It was difficult clambered down the steep slope, brushing aside low branches, scrambling over moss laden rocks until I came across a steep slope that seemed to offer a way out.

 

The descent from there was frightening one slip in the wrong place and I could have been killed or big injuries; at the very worst was very slippery muddy steep trail without any support all fear gripped me. Literally hauled myself up the slippery section at one point there someone had put a small lash for support so to avoid falling into the ravine.

 

Eventually after a hard attempt I reached to the base of second falls, the view from here was magnificent. It was a wonderful set of falls though the reality they are just series of cascades culminating from the top and after taking some picks I pushed up the side for little and had an excellent view of the waterfalls, large rock formations and undergrowth that was impenetrable blocked to go more closely.

 

The water is bigger than stream and smaller than a river, by name Vate Hole makes this visual treat. 'Vate' is the local name for the river side bamboo which can be found in plenty here. and Hole is Kannada for a medium sized river.

 

I stopped and had some fresh water and reflected on how lucky I had been. Lucky not to have fallen in a new place lucky I hadn’t been injured or bitten by anything and lucky to have made it here one of the special places I had been to in my travels.

 

20 meters further on the second base I reached the base of the third falls. Had I taken direct rout from the right side of the 2 base it would have taken me about 10minutes all up yet I managed to trash my way around the next level.

 

When I got back to just top of the 4^th step I thought spied another possible lead to approach base to the 4^th step. I was drawn to the possibility that may be there was an approach on the right perhaps a traverse across the rock face might be feasible. I wasn’t a quitter just lack of time I left it for my next visit.

 

Had a nice time and time to retreat so while back I climbed into the plant that was to haunt me it was some kind of stinging plants. I was shattered a half hour of climbing had back at jeep track. After few minutes smooth walk we reached the stream bed had bath freshened-up soul and body till days turn dark:-)