An adventure at Vatehalla waterfalls

Our first visit to Vatehalla (or Waate hole) was in 2017. Armed with some information found on the internet, five of us had tried to hike to this waterfall. The route was confusing, but we had managed to solve it. Difficulties started as we started getting down the valley. It was an almost vertical climb down. The rainy season had not yet ended, making the path slushy. My brother and two of my cousins backed off within a few minutes. My other cousin Anujith and I continued our journey down. It was getting difficult at each step. Finally, we could see the water flowing down the valley. Only 20 feet of vertical distance separated us from the water. It was a slushy route, and there was nothing to hold. We could have got down sliding on the clay mud, but we were also sure that we could not climb up!! While visiting the waterfall was important, returning to our home was non-negotiable!! With a heavy heart, we turned back.

Our travel to Vatehalla

Years had passed. I was in my native place last week to attend a function. Anujith and I hatched out the plan to visit this waterfall. It had not rained for the past few days, and it looked like a window of opportunity. Our neighbours Raghu and Shreyas joined us. Not ready to take any chances, we also carried a rope!!

Our journey to waterfalls was uneventful. We crossed Siddapura town and continued towards Niklunds passing the villages of Harsikatta and Nilkunda. We had come on this road many times, mostly to visit Unchalli falls (here and here). Aghanashini river at Manimane looked beautiful.

From Nilkunda, we took the deviation from the main road. The asphalted road gradually turned bad, eventually leading to a jeep track. There was no need to ask for directions as we had come earlier. Also, there was no soul to ask!! We reached the stream, and the road had turned difficult for our car to pass at a particular stretch. We stopped our car and started walking.

We could see a few changes from our last visit. There was now a bridge across the stream. The path after the stream was earlier hard to find, but now even a four-wheeler could pass through!! It looked like the road connected to some village deep in the jungle. We walked for some distance enjoying the forest walk. At the place where we had to get down the valley, there were two bikes parked!! It looked like this place was getting some publicity.

We started getting down the valley. It was almost a vertical drop with support from vate bidiru (A genus of bamboo). But the ground was dry, which helped us a lot. With great anticipation, we reached the point of our previous return. The last 20 feet stretch was equally bad. But due to relatively dry mud, we could manage that part without rope!! Within two minutes, we were in front of the waterfall.

At Vatehalla waterfall

It was a multi-step waterfall of about 200ft in height. The waterfall gets its name due to the presence of vate bidiru. It flowed in a narrow valley filled with boulders. Some sections of these boulders were dry, and it helped us to go near the base of the falls and climb up a little higher.

The water flowing in 3-4 steps formed a nice pool at the base before jumping further down in a narrow gorge. It was an ideal place for swimming, though it was deep at certain spots. The group of people who were present departed as we arrived. We spent time relaxing down, crossing to the other side and exploring the location.

With great satisfaction, we started our climb up. It was a non-stop climb, and we were gasping for breath when we reached the road!!

Information and tips

• One needs to be fit to visit this waterfall. The climbing down is hard on the knees, and the climb up is tough on the heart.
• Though I prefer to visit waterfalls in the rainy season, I would not recommend visiting this place in the monsoon due to the slippery path. November and December are the ideal months. There may not be much water left after December.
• There are a lot of opportunities in this waterfall to slip, fall and die. Be extremely careful. There have been deaths in this place.
• There are no sign boards to this waterfall. While the location in Google maps is accurate, it will not help you with directions!!
• You can also visit the nearby Bheemana eri viewpoint and Unchalli falls. Both those locations are easy to reach.