A zeal for adventure

With an urge to continue his passion for trekking that started 17 years back, Yashwanth Urs formed the club called ‘Adventure Adda’ in 2015. This club explores new places in and around Karnataka either through a cycling expedition or by trekking on breathtaking trails.

“Five of us came together and formed this club — me, Puneeth Gowda, Manoj Reddy, Divakara and my brother Manu. Being software professionals, we often become busy and tend to miss out on the things we are passionate about. This club is a small step to keep the desire for adventure alive,” says Yashwanth.
“I used to go for trekking with my college friends but we somehow lost touch after college. Later, I thought of forming a group with people who have a knack for adventure,” he adds.

‘Adventure Adda’ is not only about adventure. It also aims to spread awareness among people about the
benefits of cycling and being amidst nature.

“With an idea to explore nature in its pristine form, we conduct cycling and trekking trips that cover mostly the regions of Karnataka. We organise two treks and one cycling event every month,” says Manoj and adds, “We encourage people to explore on their own. Only thing they need to do is carry a compass.” The club has covered places like Kudremukha, Kumara Parvatha, Kodachadri Peak, Tadiandamol Peak, The Irupu Falls, Pollibetta and Bisle Ghat and so on. Before any trip, the members do a recce and shortlist the destinations along with the pitstops, hotels and hospitals for any emergency. “For us safety and comfortability of every member is a priority and therefore, we provide them with homestays which fall within our budget. The group accommodates about 16 to 18 people for each trip. A briefing session about the safety and precautionary measures is given to the members just before we set out,” says Puneeth.

“I have been with the group from the very beginning and like how every trek is well thought of and organised. Everyone has to hit the homestays not later than seven in the evening. We are not in for night trekking, however, night camping is always on the list,” says Divakara.

The group also rents cycle to people who wants to explore the city on their own or for different cycling events. So how do they finalise on the place of the visit? “It primarily depends on the season. We organise both off-road and on-road treks. Where people can explore both the mountainous regions and also experience the hustle bustle of a busy street. The off-road trips that are normally done by a jeep, we cover it on our cycles,” exclaims Puneeth.

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