Kumara Parvatha trek opening date 2026 is the most searched question about Karnataka’s hardest one day climb right now, and the honest answer today is that the Karnataka Forest Department has not published a date yet.
Last updated 7 October 2026. As of our portal check on 7 October 2026, Kumara Parvatha is still not listed on Aranya Vihara and no official opening date has been published. 1 October has now passed without a notification.
What has happened is more useful than a rumour. The department has started the groundwork that has to be finished before the mountain can reopen, and that groundwork tells you roughly when to expect the gates to open.
Here is what is confirmed, what is still being decided, and what you should keep ready so you are not scrambling on the day permits go live.
Is the Kumara Parvatha trek open right now?
No. As of our portal check on 7 October 2026 the trek is still not listed on Aranya Vihara, so Forest Department permits have not opened and no official date has been announced. 1 October, the date the last few seasons reopened on, has now passed with no notification. The phased reopening is still moving, though: Tadiyandmole in Kodagu was added to Aranya Vihara on 1 October 2026, taking the portal to 14 live treks. We check the portal every day and will update this page the day Kumara Parvatha appears on it.
Kumara Parvatha trek opening date 2026: what we actually know
For the last few seasons Kumara Parvatha has reopened on 1 October, once the southwest monsoon eases off and the trail dries out. That has been the pattern, not a written rule.
This year the Forest Department is reopening treks in phases instead of switching everything on at once. Several Western Ghats treks are already live on the booking portal while others are still shut, and each one is being cleared as its own season allows.
That expectation has now passed. 1 October 2026 came and went with Kumara Parvatha still absent from the portal, so the realistic window is the rest of October and no date is confirmed. What is still moving is the phased clearance itself, and that is the thing to watch: treks are being added to Aranya Vihara one at a time as each season is signed off. Keep your dates flexible and watch this page.
The guide training on 10, 11 and 12 September is the real signal
Under Karnataka’s new trekking SOP, a trained guide is mandatory on every trek. The guide also has to carry a mobile app with a GPS tracker so the department can see where each group is on the trail.
That rule has one very practical consequence. No trained guides, no treks.
To meet it, the Forest Department ran the first stage of trek guide training on 10, 11 and 12 September at the Forest Training Centre, Kushalnagar. Candidates needed to carry the original of their Aadhaar card and one photocopy.
That batch was trained as part of the preparation for reopening the Kumara Parvatha trek. The guide training is a strong signal that preparations for reopening are underway.
If you want the full picture of what changed this year, read our breakdown of Karnataka’s new trekking SOP for 2026. It covers the guide rule, group sizes and the reaction from the trekking community.
The three routes, and what may change this season
Kumara Parvatha has historically had three route options:
- Kukke Subramanya to Kumara Parvatha and back to Kukke Subramanya
- Beedalli to Kumara Parvatha, exiting at Kukke Subramanya
- Beedalli to Kumara Parvatha and back to Beedalli
The new SOP puts a ceiling of 19 km round trip on a permitted trek. The full Kukke side climb and return sits above that ceiling, which is why the Kukke route is the one under review.
Last season the Kukke round trip was open end to end. Trekkers started at 6 am and had to be back at base camp by 6 pm. In practice a large number of people could not finish the full stretch inside that window, and late returns on that descent are exactly what the SOP is trying to prevent.
Two possibilities are being discussed within trekking circles for this season. The Kukke round trip may be allowed only up to Shesha Parvatha, or the department may place a timed checkpoint that you must cross before a fixed hour to be allowed to continue to the peak.
Neither is confirmed yet. We will update this post as soon as the department makes it official.
Bookings can open any day now
Trek permits are sold on the Karnataka Forest Department’s Aranya Vihara portal, and slots open 30 days before the trek date.
It is now the start of October. The 30 day booking window for the first half of October is therefore already open, which is why the trek’s continued absence from the portal matters.
As of 7 October 2026 the Kumara Parvatha trek is still not listed on the portal. Once it appears, the good dates go quickly, especially weekends and the Dasara week.
Keep this ready before the booking window opens
Every trekker in your group will need:
- First name, exactly as it appears on the ID you upload
- Any one document: PAN card, driving licence, Voter ID, ration card or passport
- Age
- Gender
- Mobile number
- A recent, clearly identifiable photograph, file size under 1 MB
Save all of it in one folder on your phone now. The middle of a booking form is not where you want to be resizing a photograph or asking a friend for their ID number.
Planning the climb itself
If you are new to this mountain, start with our Kumara Parvatha trek guide for the honest version of the gradient, the water points and what the Bhattaru Mane stretch actually feels like.
For route specifics, we run the climb from both sides: the classic Kumara Parvatha trek via Kukke Subramanya and the gentler, greener Kumara Parvatha trek from Somwarpete and Beedalli.
Book your slot with Elneeru
Elneeru has opened bookings for the Kumara Parvatha trek for this season. Reserve your slot with us and share your details in advance, and the moment the Forest Department opens permits on Aranya Vihara we book for you instead of you refreshing the portal at midnight.
Pick your route and reserve here: Kumara Parvatha trek booking.
Questions about dates, fitness or what the new guide rule means for your group? WhatsApp us on 9008253367 or message @travel_elneeru on Instagram. We will update this page as soon as the Kumara Parvatha trek opening date is officially announced.
