Crew Member: Dilip, Deepesh, Shravan. Krushi and myself.
Duration: 1 hour climb, 1 night stay and half an hour of descend.
Expense: Just the snacks and dinner expense.
Date: 24th and 25th of May.
Terrain: Rocky.
Abstract: An escape from hot Bangalore!
We actually were planning for Bananthimari betta (or Mari betta) in Kanakpura for the weekend. But since one of our group mate dropped out on Friday, we moved to our second preferred location - Makalidurga. Generally, people take a train from Bangalore to Makalidurga station and reach there around 8:30 PM and walk to base of the hill and start the climb. But we thought of doing something different!
Our crew member Dilip is a resident of Doddaballapur. So, we thought of driving to Doddaballapur, leave our bikes there at his house, get a drop till start of the trail and then do our job. We decided to meetup at Marathahalli at around 1:30 PM on Saturday. By the time I reached Marathahalli it was 2:10 PM as I had a birthday function to attend at Sarjapur road. Deepesh came to rendezvous point soon. We had to wait for another 20 mins for Shravan to turn up. We left Marathahalli at around 2:30 PM. Krushi wasn't very sure of joining us as he was working on that day. I had told him, once we reach Hebbal, I'll call him and if he is done with his work, he can join us from office directly. So I did and Krushi, even though not done with his work, raised a middle finger to the work and decided to join us! :D
We started our ride to DBpur at 3:30 PM from Hebbal. Royal Enfiled Electra, Royal Enfield Classic and Yamaha FZ-R took us to DBpur in 45 mins. We met Dilip and headed straight to his house. Had his mom's delicious Avalakki Chitranna. This is not the first time I'm having it and I actually wanted him to get it packed for the trek. But I was a bit reluctant to have his mom sweat over our craziness. But he actually saw it and had his mom prepare it for the trek already. We left our helmets and bikes in his place and his brother, Kiran offered us a drop till the trail in his car. We left Dilip's house around 4:50 PM.
The spot is located on DBpur - Hindupur road. After Makalidurga railway station, another 2-2.5 Kms on the highway would take you to a mud road on the left side. You'll see the hill from the road anyway. Remember it is not the hill you see beside Makalidurga railway station. If you can zoom your eyes to the peak, you'll see remnants of a fort on top of Makalidurga betta. Car could go through the mud road till the rail. Rail is barred with metal bars on either sides.
We bided adieu to Kiran and we started our hike. Immediately after the rail crossing, there is a Krishna temple.
Trail actually starts behind the temple, but we went ahead passing the temple.
Krushi had been here almost a year ago and I had consulted my friend Arun Jose who had been here couple of weeks ago. We got to stick to the left side and take a half circle around the hill to get a proper hike. There is a big rock that stays almost 90 degree and stays a hindrance to the climb straight up. We started our gradual circling along with climbing. We stopped after 15 mins to change to shorts. We could hear human voice up the hill. We thought there were other trekkers already there. But it turned out to be local shepherds. After another 15-20 mins of climb, we sat at a place and this shepherd boy came near us and stood staring at us. We offered him water and he rejected it. He gave us a warning. He told there was murder that happened at the peak to weeks ago. 4 Bangaloreans like us had been there and only 3 returned it seems! We didn't buy the story anyway but kept on asking him for details! We asked him if it is ghost who did it and all! Just had some time pass there! :D
After 10 mins of that fun session, we resumed our hike. In another 5 mins, we decided to stop circling and decided to head straight up. We hit the rock very soon, we could find some passable ways through the rocks and bit of rock climbing helped us climb almost 70 degree slanting rocks.
Myself and Deepesh headed up first. Dilip and Krushi were behind us and Shravan was way behind. Once we climbed all the rocks, we could see the fort walls a distance and that was a relief! Rock climbing was really fun and tiring. We thought of waiting for others to turn up. But seeing the peak at a distance and sun going down, we couldn't resist the urge of watching Sunset from the peak.
We moved as fast as we could and we reached the first layer of the wall right for sunset. Clicked couple of pictures and waited for others to turn up. After 10 mins we could see Dilip's and Krushi's heads. In another 20-30 mins all reached the peak. I was told about two layers of wall and a temple inside it. We decided to find the temple and camp somewhere close to it just in case of rain in the night. We found the second layer of wall and the entrance to the temple. That was just awesome! Seeing the entrance, first thing that came to my mind was the game Tomb Raider! :D
We moved close to the temple and decided to set our camp fire down next to it. Dilip had carried an awesome machete with which I could collect enough wood for the night. With the kerosne we carried, we could soon we had set up the camp fire. We had a flat rock beside on which we decided to sit around and relax. We opened our snacks packets one by one and guess what we were talking about! Modi government! Talks went on and on! Night was very dark and windy. Some where around 10-10:30 PM I dozed off! I was very tired and damn sleepy that I don't even remember myself opening the sleeping bag and going inside it! Next day morning I found myself inside sleeping bag nicely tucked in fighting the cold. Unfortunately, there was no sunrise view! Sky was all cloudy and weather was awesome! We decided to walk around the fort and click some pics.
Around 7:30 AM, we decided to start our descend. There were lot of wood and almost a full bottle of kerosene left there at the peak! Any one who is planning to visit Makalidurga next weekend, its our gift to you!
Descending was easy and we hit the base in 30 mins. And then we realized, the trail actually started behind the Krishna temple. We found an old shepherd who were amused to see us climbing down and he asked us if we stayed there over night. We gave away our left over snacks and juice bottle to him. We reached the rail and we could hear a train from a distance. Shravan placed a coin on the track and waited for the train to run over it. Only one tire of the train went over it and it got toppled in to the tracks. But the coin was flat and nothing engraved on it was visible anymore! :D
We walked back towards the road and guess who we met there! The same shepherd boy who narrated the murder story the previous day. Dilip told him, 'See we were 5 yesterday and we are returning with the same number! So don't worry about any murder this time'! Boy was embarrassed and laughing!
We tried hitching a hike in some vehicles and finally a KSRTC bus stopped for us. We got down at DBpur and went to Dilip's. Had upma and left as soon as we could since myself and Shravan had engagements for lunch. We left DBpur around 10:20 AM and by 11:30 AM, I was at Marathahalli. This was a much needed trek after a pretty long adventure less days.
Things to remember:
1. One can actually walk along the rails from Makalidurga railway station to the trail staring point. But the railway authorities appeared to ban that. So take the road way till the mud road on the left side.
2. Go around the hill to find a less steeper rock and take that route up.
Do's:
1. Keep the area clean and carry all your wastes back.
Dont's:
1. Don't believe any of this false stories from the localities.
Our group pic:
Duration: 1 hour climb, 1 night stay and half an hour of descend.
Expense: Just the snacks and dinner expense.
Date: 24th and 25th of May.
Terrain: Rocky.
Abstract: An escape from hot Bangalore!
We actually were planning for Bananthimari betta (or Mari betta) in Kanakpura for the weekend. But since one of our group mate dropped out on Friday, we moved to our second preferred location - Makalidurga. Generally, people take a train from Bangalore to Makalidurga station and reach there around 8:30 PM and walk to base of the hill and start the climb. But we thought of doing something different!
Our crew member Dilip is a resident of Doddaballapur. So, we thought of driving to Doddaballapur, leave our bikes there at his house, get a drop till start of the trail and then do our job. We decided to meetup at Marathahalli at around 1:30 PM on Saturday. By the time I reached Marathahalli it was 2:10 PM as I had a birthday function to attend at Sarjapur road. Deepesh came to rendezvous point soon. We had to wait for another 20 mins for Shravan to turn up. We left Marathahalli at around 2:30 PM. Krushi wasn't very sure of joining us as he was working on that day. I had told him, once we reach Hebbal, I'll call him and if he is done with his work, he can join us from office directly. So I did and Krushi, even though not done with his work, raised a middle finger to the work and decided to join us! :D
We started our ride to DBpur at 3:30 PM from Hebbal. Royal Enfiled Electra, Royal Enfield Classic and Yamaha FZ-R took us to DBpur in 45 mins. We met Dilip and headed straight to his house. Had his mom's delicious Avalakki Chitranna. This is not the first time I'm having it and I actually wanted him to get it packed for the trek. But I was a bit reluctant to have his mom sweat over our craziness. But he actually saw it and had his mom prepare it for the trek already. We left our helmets and bikes in his place and his brother, Kiran offered us a drop till the trail in his car. We left Dilip's house around 4:50 PM.
The spot is located on DBpur - Hindupur road. After Makalidurga railway station, another 2-2.5 Kms on the highway would take you to a mud road on the left side. You'll see the hill from the road anyway. Remember it is not the hill you see beside Makalidurga railway station. If you can zoom your eyes to the peak, you'll see remnants of a fort on top of Makalidurga betta. Car could go through the mud road till the rail. Rail is barred with metal bars on either sides.
After 10 mins of that fun session, we resumed our hike. In another 5 mins, we decided to stop circling and decided to head straight up. We hit the rock very soon, we could find some passable ways through the rocks and bit of rock climbing helped us climb almost 70 degree slanting rocks.
Descending was easy and we hit the base in 30 mins. And then we realized, the trail actually started behind the Krishna temple. We found an old shepherd who were amused to see us climbing down and he asked us if we stayed there over night. We gave away our left over snacks and juice bottle to him. We reached the rail and we could hear a train from a distance. Shravan placed a coin on the track and waited for the train to run over it. Only one tire of the train went over it and it got toppled in to the tracks. But the coin was flat and nothing engraved on it was visible anymore! :D
We walked back towards the road and guess who we met there! The same shepherd boy who narrated the murder story the previous day. Dilip told him, 'See we were 5 yesterday and we are returning with the same number! So don't worry about any murder this time'! Boy was embarrassed and laughing!
We tried hitching a hike in some vehicles and finally a KSRTC bus stopped for us. We got down at DBpur and went to Dilip's. Had upma and left as soon as we could since myself and Shravan had engagements for lunch. We left DBpur around 10:20 AM and by 11:30 AM, I was at Marathahalli. This was a much needed trek after a pretty long adventure less days.
Things to remember:
1. One can actually walk along the rails from Makalidurga railway station to the trail staring point. But the railway authorities appeared to ban that. So take the road way till the mud road on the left side.
2. Go around the hill to find a less steeper rock and take that route up.
Do's:
1. Keep the area clean and carry all your wastes back.
Dont's:
1. Don't believe any of this false stories from the localities.
Our group pic:
No comments:
Post a Comment