The Loapers | 200+ Epic Road Trips & Treks in Karnataka, and Beyond: Shivagange

Koof ascending the final vertical steps on foggy day at Shivagange

Place: Shivagange (Shivaganga) Trek

Distance: 60 x 2 = 120km

Directions: Bangalore > Nelamangala > Shivagange

Krew: Dileep(Koof) > Karthik (Sp)

Bikes: NS400

Previous Visit: Madhugiri Trek - how we conquered the largest monolith of Asia!

Budget: Rs 250/head (Petrol = Rs500/2)

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

This is one trek where you can still catch a glimpse of the fog. Reason? Well, it is only 60km from Bangalore and the route is perfectly clear. Our run was an excellent one. Slightly disappointed with the crowd, but we can't control these things. But the trek is nothing short of supreme, especially on a foggy day. This is our 3rd time at the place; the previous two were Shivagange Rain Trek & Shivagange Dry Trek. Oh yeah, this was another no-breakfast trek.

And now I present to you the fog trek :)

INTRO & PLAN:

The plan was simple. After Madhugiri, last week, the feet were itchy for another one. Koof was on the confirmed list. But on 21st Nov, I got caught right below a cloud burst for 5min in Bangalore, and was completely drenched. I almost wanted to pull off the trip, but sometimes, I'm too lazy to use the phone to cancel, I guess.

TIME: 22:00 (21/11/2025)

Sippy amidst the green thickets, with Shivagange partly shrouded in fog in the background

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

Yeah, I was up at 3am, did a few push-ups and pull-ups, had a sip of coffee and was all set to go. Called Koof, he woke and said he was at his relative's place and asked me to come near Nayandahalli. 5 Minutes later, Koof called and said he was at his home, haha! He arrived at my place, hopped onto his bike, and we left Bangalore.

TIME: 05:00

RIDE 1: (Bangalore- Nelamangala – Dobbaspete - Shivagange)

This was a 60 km ride. It was a complete no-nonsense ride. We cruised at a decent pace to get out of the city. As we reached Nelamangala, heavy fog set in; we were kinda used to it. We slowed down and searched for the correct deviation from the highway. Once on the country roads, the fog came to life even more, and it was a beautiful ride to reach the base of the hillock.

TIME: 06:30

Koof sitting at the summit of shivagange. The fog had engulfed the summit, making it a surreal experience.

SHIVAGANGE TREK:

Alright, had my doubts on Shivagange, as with Madhugiri, these are commercialised quite heavily. But she didn't disappoint. I mean, yes, the density of people is quite heavy, but the trek in its absolute sense is a beauty. Even though it has railings and provides you a sense of safety throughout via steps, the steps are something else, especially if it a fog-enshrouded day like our treks. Like always, I have divided the trek into the following sections:

i) To the Nandi Gateway - marks the 25%

ii) To the Shiva Parvati Statues - marks the 50%

iii) Stairway to Heaven

So, what do you think? Try to keep up with me, here!

The Nandi gateway marks about 25% completion

i) To the Nandi Gateway: (0 to 25%)

This is the easiest part of the trek as the terrain is more or less flat. The trek begins with some steps right to the temple. From the temple, you need to take a left and pass through some ancient ruins of temples, and the path is very obvious with shops all along the way.

With Koof huffing and puffing all along the way, I broke a stick for the monkey's but it came in handy to keep driving Koof up and upwards.

The Shiva and Parvathi statues indicate the half way stage on Shivagange

ii) To the Shiva Parvati Statues - (25 to 50%)

Okay, this stretch is still easy. But the terrain slightly gets wild and freestyle. But this stretch is really beautiful. And in winter, you start encountering the fog right around this stretch. Its a beautiful stretch but needs caution. You can start seeing the might of the hillock, wondering how much more to climb right at this stretch.

The last flight of stairs are scary and risky on a foggy day, but can be done easily if caution is practised.

iii) Stairway to Heaven:

After passing around the Shiva & Parvathi statues, the trek gets intense. A flight of stairs that leads directly into the skies. And on a foggy day, it looks like the sacred steps into the clouds of heaven. It is pretty intimidating to look at, but, is pretty easy as it has railings all throughout. But a word of caution, on a rainy or foggy day, the steps have condensed water, and the rocks are not the rough ones you get, so slipping is a high probability. So extreme caution is advised at this stage.

By the end of this stage, you meet the friendly Nandi, which marks the top and finish of the summit. Well, our experience, Koof got his energy up by this time and started pushing along and enjoying the climb into the fog.

TIME: 08:00

View from the Shivagange Summit on a foggy day

TOP:

The Nandi statue looked so mystifying this time, covered with a blanket of mist, he sat peacefully. With all the crowd, we just went and sat at a peaceful spot. The winds were strong, and with the fog around, it made the whole atmosphere chilly. We tried to catch some sleep, but with all the howling from the people, I actually felt sorry for the rowdy monkeys of this hillock. We rested about 20-30min and decided to head back.

TIME: 08:30

Koof taken aback by the foggy winds that hit the hillock on our way back

TREK DOWN:

The trek down was a smooth one; we took about an hour. But we had to be doubly cautious as the slippery stairs would be a sure-fire recipe for disaster. a good rule of thumb to keep here is, until one foot is strongly embedded, do not lift the other one. I know it's basic, but basics work well. We were more or less doing the descent at a very good pace, then all of a sudden, Koof got the urge to eat Maggie (pahadi maggie). And there are a lot of shops. Koof took some Maggie, and I had a couple of cups of tea. We reached the base safely and hopped on the bike and took off.

TIME: 09:30

Koof descending Shivagange with caution every step

RIDE 2: (Shivagange – Bangalore)

Well, there is no shortage of power for NS 400. As we left Shivagange, we could see the mountain clearly. The fog had lifted, and it was a good trip. Having skipped breakfast, we took a call to skip it for good and head home directly. As we reached Bangalore by 10:30, at a traffic signal, we decided to pull over for a light beer and head back home. We sat and discussed about the trip and how good the past month has treated us with a trek every week. Finally, Koof dropped me back and headed home.

TIME: 12:00

CONCLUSION:

Well, this was one amazing chapter. Even though Shivagange is being commercialised and heavy density of people, it did not disappoint. The fog made the trek special. But if you ask me, I would return on a weekday sometime next year :)

KREW:

Koof: Made the monkey stick useful by trying to sit down at every nice big boulder he would find. Making me run back to him and drive him up.

Sippy: Felt like a shepherd all along the way hahaha :) Cheers, guys, until next time, keep tripping \m/

Sippy admiring the fog at the summit of shivagange

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Here is eJ visiting Shivange.