All about waterfalls...

"Nature never goes out of style." - Unknown
 

Having done my research of the "must see places" around Bangalore, I had zeroed in on a few waterfalls I had to go to! I had selected Soochipara in Wayanad, Mallahalli & Abbey falls in Coorg, Hogennakal and Kiliyur in Tamil Nadu. I was still learning the nuances of slow shutter speed, and didnt capture Soochipara in that light, but managed to do so at the others.

Each of the waterfalls had a very unique setting and environment. Soochipara was about a 2 km walk downhill. While the weather was great, I knew that the climb and trek back to my car was going to "knock the breath" out of me. And so it did. It was a steady downward incline, and then you needed to climb up & down a few big rocks, with the help of a rope before you got to the falls. And amazing it was. I hadn't mastered the art of slow shutter speed for capturing waterfalls on this trip, hence some very standard shots.

Mallahalli, I had gone with a few colleagues from work. Different from others, you had to drive going past several tea and coffee estates, before you reached a very desolate spot, park your car and head out for a 2-3 km trek, that went uphill and downhill. Hearing the roar of the water, we were very eager to get our first look. Oh...from about a kilometre away, the water falls tumbled and fell a good few hundred feet. And that's when I realised that you had to go down a km, a very steep descent to get a real close view. The group consensus was to get halfway down there, get a few pictures and then head back to the vehicle. We were glad that we did exactly that as a bunch of unruly boys, with several beer bottles made their way past us. And after getting some very good pictures, we headed back on what seemed an endless & steep climb back to my car.

Abbey falls was a treat as well. I drove into Madikeri and then took a winding route that went up and down before reaching the parking lot at the falls. Getting to the falls was a nice 1 km walk, forest and hills all around. I got a really good shot of a big snail on a tree, and then the magnificent falls appeared. I spent a good hour there, getting some great pictures, before I started my walk back.

Hogenakkal was amongst the best falls I had actually been to & seen. "Smoking Rocks" as it means, was literally that way it was. While the inflows weren't as much, it was still an absolutely outstanding sight. The Cauvery river flows into a gorge, and it gives the effect of a mini Grand Canyon. It is often referred to as the Niagara of India. I had learnt the art of capturing waterfalls with very slow shutter speeds, and the pictures here make me pretty satisfied with what I claim was a very good attempt to do so.

Kiliyur Falls in Yercaud was an excellent sight as well. It was a pretty steep descent downwards, and that took its toll as I climbed back to the car. You had to descend a good kilometre downhill, and at several places, it was a 75 degree incline, which you realised was pretty tough on your way up. The waterfalls here fall from a height of 300 feet. While close up captures were great, getting the entire drop was a challenge, as there was a huge tree right in front, and the pictures weren't great. Nevertheless the attempt to showcase the beauty of the place was important.