BENGALURU: If you’re staying indoors on a full-moon night, then you are missing out on an adventure. Bengalureans regularly organise moonlit treks for weekends.
For Rajesh R, co-founder of a trekking agency Intrepid Trekkers, the first full-moon-night trek happened by chance and there has been no going back. “Last October, we trekking in Munnar Top Station and the night was unusually bright and beautiful,” says Rajesh, who has been trekking for seven years. The 27-year-old is a software professional and runs the agency as a hobby.
“Twenty one of us just lay there, on the grassland, and enjoyed the unusually bright night outside of the camp,” he says. Then Rajesh had thought that it was just an unusual night. It was when he returned to the city that he read online about the supermoon, when the moon is full and closest to the earth. Ever since, trekking on full-moon nights has been a regular weekend activity.
This year’s supermoon falls in November so the agency has already planned an outing with over 12 participants. But unlike other such treks, this year’s will be on the beach. The group will cover 15 beaches in 2 days, walking 2 km per hour and covering 45 km. “It is a trek curated for leisure and a lot of couples have signed up for it,” says Rajesh.
Beachcombers for nine years
Bangalore Ascenders, another travel agency, has been organising full-moon treks by the beaches for the past nine years. “We organise it once or twice a year specifically around full-moon,” says Suresh Babu, an organiser. “On such nights, the beaches are well-lit and tides are stronger, a good experience.” Suresh adds a word of caution, “It is not always safe to trek at night on the beach... The trekkers mostly camp by the beach at night.”The last full-moon trek they had organised was in December, from Gokarna to Honnavar. The next is in November because, according to Suresh, monsoon isn’t safe for such adventures by the beach.
Nature’s glory
Difference between trekking under the moonlight and otherwise is that people tend to appreciate nature more under the diffused light,” says Rajesh.Manohar Chirrabury, a 33-year-old, is on his tenth trek in seven months. He says a ‘full-moon trek’ at Kolukkumalai is the best he has ever had. First because Manohar stood exactly on the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu and, second, there was the supermoon. “Facing one side, we were on the Kerala mobile network and, turning the other way, we caught the Tamil Nadu signal. We were exactly at the border at the highest tea estate in the world on a full-moon night,” he says.
I don’t think a super-moon from the city would look as beautiful as it does in the wilderness,” he adds. Moon treks, as fascinating as it sounds, are not frequent.“Most of us are on full-time jobs, so look for full-moon on weekends,” says Rajesh. The best full-moon treks happen in winter, especially between November and January, because of crystal-clear skies.
Catch the moon for `36
Last November, Rajesh and a group of eight caught a night train to Makalidurg station at 5.45 pm from Majestic Railway Station. Paying Rs 16 for the train ticket, they reached their destination by 7.15 pm and they began an uphill climb to the Makalidurg hill. They were on the peak by 11.30 pm taking in the full-moon. The next morning, the train back cost them Rs 20. Since they all had carried extra snacks, there was no extra expenditure. “It was the cheapest trek ever,” sighs Rajesh.
FAQs
Cost: Up to `3,000 since participants share the expenses
Best spots: Nijagal Betta, Makalidurga, Kabbaladurga, Kaura Kunda, Madhugiri