Channarayana Durga Fort: The High Mountain Trek | Chapter 211 (Oct 21, 2025)

Place: Channarayana Durga trek

Distance: 100kms x 2 = 200 kms

Directions: Bangalore > Nelamangala > Dabaspet > Kortagere > Channarayana Durga

Krew: Anwar (Sharief bhai) > Karthik (Sp)

Bikes: Pulsar                                                                                  

Previous Visit: Kabbala Durga trek

Budget: Rs 250/head (Total = 400 petrol + 100 breakfast & tea)

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

Well, this was a crazy chapter, the second run during the Diwali holidays. People often ask me why I go to these hillocks repeatedly; this chapter answers it perfectly. Firstly, I don't go for myself. It's the others I help reach places. Secondly, the mountain always presents a different face every time we go, so its a new experience every time. (Thirdly - none of their business)  In this chapter, the fog descended wildly onto Channarayana Durga as we ascended and presented a beautiful yet scary side of her. The trek, as such, was beautiful, but with water running down on the white stones, proved to be quite risky. Thankfully, we had a guardian angel along with us! Read on.

INTRO & PLAN:

Well, it had been 2 days since our trip to Kabbaladurga. 1 day to recover and 1 day to plan. Madhu said he would be busy, and Anwar said he could be staying at Nelamangala. So yeah, the trip was planned, pick from Nelamangala. Headed where? Nobody knew. Oh yeah, btw, it was Anwar's b'day as well. SO, thought of gifting him a good experiential gift rather than materialistic ones.

TIME: 22:00 (20/10/2025)

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

Oh yeah, woke up at 00:30, wait what. Yes, you read that right. Woke up, did a few push-ups and sit-ups, and by 2am was ready. I got bored and listened to some music. Woke up Anwar by 3:30am and told him we'd head out early. Had a sip of coffee and left home.

TIME: 04:30

RIDE 1: (Bangalore – Nelamangala-Dobbaspete - Channarayana Durga)

The ride to Channarayana Durga is a smooth one. But the construction on the highway is slightly draining. As I left home, I cruised along at a decent pace in the early hours with still darkness all around me, felt homely. Reached Nelamangala and picked up B'day boy and cruised to reach Dobbaspet. Once onto the Kortagere road, it was smooth sailing in the darkness to reach our regular breakfast spot for a double round superb breakfast. 

TIME: 06:00

We had a great breakfast, and the sunlight had begun to rise. The zone just before sunrise feels the coldest. Hopping onto the bike, we zoomed ahead until the town "Tumbadi", Oh yeah, that's right, we discussed the awesome movie as we cruised along, parked our bikes at the town's centre. Requested a random bakery to hold on to our helmets until we reach back :P

TIME: 10:45

ASCENSION:

Channarayana Durga is one such hillock, which is easy to ascend, but is also tricky. Let me explain. The rocks here are slippery, and with water running down, it becomes actually risky. As we reached the foot of the mountain, the sun was up and we felt good. The waters running down the mountain send slight chills. We took about an hour to ascend the mountain.

Anyway, I have divided the ascension into the following stages, So keep up with here! :

i) Initial Stretch

ii) Lost Paradise

iii) Layouts

iv) Last Stretch

TIME: 07:15

i) Initial stretch:

This stretch is the hardest part of the trek. Not surprising at all, right, if you want your enemies to die, let them die at the foot of the mountain, not at the top. This stretch is tricky, I mean real tricky. With waters running down, we could only feel what the invading armies felt whilst trying to conquer this fort. And guess what, out of nowhere, I mean seriously out of nowhere, a dog joined us in the middle of this stretch. 

ii) Lost Paradise:

Once we reached the first fort wall. We began navigating our way into the lost paradise. And as we entered it, we were taken aback by the sight that was in front of us. Thick dense fog is descending on the hillock. Damn! It looked so beautiful and scary at the same time. The whole of the lake and ruins of the temples were shrouded in fog and felt damn nice. With the winds blowing with the fog, felt like an angry banshee's cold hug!    

iii) Layouts:

The layouts, I mean, what layouts huh? Nothing was hardly visible haha! Crazy scenes, it was. And we were the only two on top of the hillock (oh yeah, the dog as well, so three). So, we kept pushing further and reached the "end of the word" spot. And we weren't surprised to spot nothing. We couldn't spot Madhugiri or any of the hillocks. It seemed as though the fog and wind had made peace and were howling and encircling the entire hill. Felt surreal. 

iii) Last Stretch:

Told Anwar and the dog (yes, I really did tell him) that we would summit the top and wait for the sunrise, and then come back here. We pushed through the last stretch and reached the summit. 

TIME: 08:15

TOP:

As we reached the top, we settled down below a tree and began to relax. The fog was really howling by now. The sun was trying to put up a good fight but it was of no use. We had some biscuits in our bag. We fed the dog, and after having biscuits, he sat down and began napping. Haha, such peaceful creatures. We also had some water and relaxed for a while. But the winds blowing along with the fog were actually spooky. After resting for about 20-30mins we decided to head back the spot we discussed earlier.

TIME: 09:00

As we came back to the "end of the world" spot.  We could spot the bottom of the ground, and the fog seemed to be lifting. We felt happy and decided to crash at the spot until the fog lifted. The spot is a tricky one with dead ends all around. And the brave dog followed us onto this spot. Peeping cautiously below, took step by step and sat with us. And it was truly the "end of the word" feeling!! We waited and waited, then finally took a nap at the spot and decided to head back haha!

TIME: 09:15

TREK BACK:

It took us hardly 45 minutes to reach the base. The dog was waiting for us to get back. As I sat down beside him, I tried to seriously have a conversation, looking into his eyes. All he did was stare at the next gateway that lay afar. He had a mission, and that is all that mattered to him, I guess. We cruised back the top two stretches in a jiffy. And we entered the "initial stretch", we could see that the water flowing down the mountain had increased, and to make matters worse, it started raining. 

Being doubly cautious, we made our way down very slowly. The dog stuck with it throughout until this stretch. And as we were navigating the final steep descent. We couldn't spot the dog anymore. thanking him for the company, we headed towards the bakery for some refreshments. After some Sting, we decided to head back to Bangalore.

TIME: 10:15

   

RIDE 2: (Channarayana Durga – Dabaspet - Nelamangala – Bangalore)

Okay, this was the 100kms ride back to Bangalore. As we left Channarayanadurga, the cool breeze felt good on our face. We stopped and had a final look back at the hillock, who was still fighting the fog with the help of the sun. We promised her a return and zoomed ahead towards Bangalore. Dropped Anwar at Nelamangala, and headed back to reach hime. 

TIME: 12:30

CONCLUSION:

“Has to be one of the most awesome faces of this mountain I have ever seen since 2012. But nevertheless, it was risky. And a superb experience to the b'day boy. Let's keep GOING!!  And last but most importantly, thanks to the dog for sticking by us throughout this adventurous trek. Cheers boi :)“

Until next time Ta-ta Cia \m/

⬅️ 210) Kabbaladurga Trek 212) Medigeshi Fort Trek ➡️

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Nijagal Betta Trek: Perfect Weekend Morning Hike Guide | Chapter 206 (Jul 7, 2024)

Place: Nijagal betta trek

Distance: 60 x 2 = 120km

Directions: Bangalore > Nelamangala > Dobbaspete > Nijagal Betta

Krew: Dileep (koof) > Karthik (Sp)

Bikes: Pulsar                                                                                                   

Previous Visit: Medigeshi trek

Budget: Rs 150/head

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

Nijgal is a small hillock situated 50km from Bangalore. This hillock offers an easy climb and is a perfect trek if you are unsure about a trek for a weekend. This place can be submitted via two routes, we usually take the easy one to the top and take the mildly challenging one back down.

INTRO & PLAN:

It was one week since our nice trek to Medigeshi. So, we had no plans to trek, but a meet up scheduled for the first week of July. Hence a Saturday passed away lazy watching The Shield. Then asked Koof if he was up for a small trek, and we decided to go to Nijagal once he agreed.

TIME: 19:00 (6/7/2024)

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

Oh yeah, woke up by 3 am, did a few stretches, and warmed up. Had a sip of coffee and was waiting for 6 am. At around 5:45 am left my home picked up Koof from his place and left Bangalore.

TIME: 06:15

RIDE 1: (Bangalore – Dobbaspete - Nijagal)

This was a clean 50-60km ride, a very smooth one. As we departed Bangalore we stepped on the gas and accelerated.  Cruising at a comfortable pace we zoomed pass Nelamangala. Since both of us were not very keen on breakfast, we skipped and directly headed towards Niajagal.

The starting point of Nijagal is slightly tricky. You can spot the hillock from the Dobbaspete Bridge itself. But after the HP petrol bunk, one must take a route under the railway track to reach it. This time it was flooded with water, hence parked the bike near the railway track and decided to walk up.

TIME: 07:15

NIJAGAL TREK:

Alright, Nijagal is one of the smallest treks but offers a pleasant view throughout. For a Sunday morning, yeah this is good. It took us about 30 minutes to reach the top.  I have divided the entire trek into 4 phases which include the descent via different route.

i) Initial walkway

ii) Hike uphill

iii) Dark Caves

iv) Lost Ruins

Ok, so, let us finish this, eh?!

i) Initial walkways:

The initial walkway is through a gravel-filled muddy trail. The route is straightforward, the view of Shivagange lifts you. The weather was cool, and we kept moving at a controlled pace.  At the end of this initial stretch is ancient gateways and the place really opens up after that.

ii) Hike uphill:

Once the initial stretch is done you get a very good overview of the place. The center of all is the ancient temple in complete ruins.  We took the path towards the right, which led to steps, and this took us uphill. This is the easier route to the top.  Once we reached the top, the view all around was very uplifting.

iii) Dark Caves:

But the highlight of the place is the huge boulders on top. It had become a thing, a few years back nobody knew this hillock, but now quite some people were present. Asked Koof if he wanted to sit at the cave, finally opted to sit at the cliff with a view. A monkey came slowly towards me, Koof warned me about the monkey, but I just sat there aligning my breathing with it showing I’m no harm and beautifully it also sat in peace alongside me observing the view. It was a magical moment.

iv) Lost Ruins:

We spent about 45 minutes on the top. After which I told Koof, we head down a different path which would lead us to the ruined temples. And trust me guys, this good route. The rock of this Nijagal is slightly slippery, so cautiously we made our way down. We did encounter a few tricky spots and it was super fun negotiating all of it.  Once we reached the ancient temple, it looked beautiful like always. This place kind of hits you differently, with Shivagange staring from afar. Once we rested a little bit at the temple, we decided to wrap up this chapter.

TIME: 09:45

RIDE 2: (Nijagal – Nelamangala – Bangalore)

Ok, to be very honest we were super confused on what to do the rest of the day. I suggested we have breakfast on our way back, then go home, and then again meet at Blue Wings. But Koof we finish off all together. Hence the ride back was a dash, we pulled over near my place for some nice breakfast, after which we headed to Ble Wings and chilled for an hour so, after which I dropped Koof and reached back home.

TIME: 13:00

CONCLUSION:

“This was the perfect chapter for a lazy Sunday, rather than sitting at home or chilling at bar, this just fell into the slot perfectly!”

Cheers, until next time \m/

⬅️ 205) Medigeshi Trek 207) Madakasira Trek ➡️

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Medigeshi Fort Trek: The Spirit is Only High (2024) | Chapter 205 (Jun 29, 2024)

Place: Medigeshi Fort Trek

Distance: 150kms x 2 = 300kms

Directions: Bangalore > Dobbaspete > Madhugiri > Medigeshi

Krew: Madhu (Simha)  > Karthik (Sippy)

Bikes: Xpulse 200                                                                                         

Previous Visit: Kabbaladurga trek.

Budget: Rs 615/head

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:                                                             

When a trip starts with a good tea and breakfast, you know it will be good! Yeah, this was one such trip where everything fell into the right slots and all we had to do was keep moving. Medigeshi is a small town situated on the Karnataka-Andhra border.

INTRO & PLAN:

Okay, with 2024 rolling out well, and the treks flowing in smooth, decided next up would be Medigeshi. Madhu and myself had visited Ratnagiri last month, so Medigeshi was a slight tougher trek than Ratnagiri, hence the choice of place.

TIME: 15:00 (27/6/2024)

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

Yes, I was up by 3:30am, stretched out a bit, had a sip of coffee and was all set to go. Madhu has a 25km ride to my place through the city. He reached my home by 5:45 and left the town with clouds hanging low down in the skies.

TIME: 06:00

RIDE 1: (Bangalore – Dobbaspete – Madhugiri – Medigeshi)

This was a 135km ride, I would say it was one of best this year so far. We made it out of the city limits at a slow pace. But once we hit NH-4 we picked up speed, once we reached Dobbaspete, we took left deviation towards Madhugiri and had a tea. The tea shot some fresh energy into us, it was so good. After thanking the person we continued our journey.  

A lot of hillocks flood this place, and all the top of the hillocks were covered with clouds. It was something magical. The skies felt heavy, and the temperature was cool and the whole air was gloomy. It was almost like, If I could prick the clouds with a pin, then a downpour was given.  This made the ride extra special. We cruised along smooth and we decided to pull over at our regular place about 10-12km from Dobbaspete for some yummy double round breakfast.  

TIME: 07:15

With our tummies full, and the weather superb we cruised along at a decent pace absorbing the cool ambiance that was offered to us to reach Madhugiri. From Madhugiri, Medigeshi is about 25-30km on butter-smooth roads.

TIME: 09:00

MEDIGESHI FORT TREK:

It took us about 45 minutes to reach the top. The trek as such is not so difficult, but there are a lot of instances one can lose their way. But hey, this is what makes it fun right? Even after visiting this place 4 times, the last time we visited we had lost our way. 

i) Initial forest– 10 to 15mins

ii) Rock Face – 10 to 15 mins

iii) Final gates – 10 to 15mins

i) Initial Forest:

The trek begins with a walk through the forest. One gets a feeling of walking into an ancient kingdom in ruins. This stretch is easy and enjoyable. The lush green forests and the sounds of the chirping birds lifted our energies and we took it all in with a happy smile.

ii) Rock face:

Once out of the forest, we found ourselves on pure rock face. With the entire town of Medigeshi behind us, we started ascending the rock in a slow and composed manner. We could spot a lot of buildings in ruins, pillars fallen, fort walls torn down, must have been a bad invasion.

iii) Final gates:

Last phase of this trek is to go figure out and go through a couple of more gateways. But to get to the gateway we had to climb up a steep face of rock. Now, we had two options, take the steps or climb up free style. We chose the later as it would be more fun. So we studied the rock face and plotted a route up that would join back the steps just below the entrance of the 4^th gate. 

And boy, was the climb fun. It is these moments in which you are forced not to think other than your next step. Simply a beautiful climb, few places it turned risky, but that is what makes climbing fun.  After joining back the route, it was a peaceful walk to reach the top and spot the iconic building of Medigeshi constructed in Indo-Islamic style.

TIME: 09:45

TOP:

We spent about an hour at the top. We skipped the main building and directly ventured towards the spooky tree behind. To our surprise, the spooky tree was all alive and was sporting green leaves for the first time. In all our previous visits we had seen only a skeletal structure.  But the place was seriously spooky this time, with no one around, and under the tree was dark and scary. And over all this, we found a nice stone bench in a corner.

We sat on the stone and relaxed having some water. Madhu pulled out a notebook and started drawing some amazing sketches. I played blackjack for a while and then slept off. As we stopped talking, the silence set in. Then trust me, we started hearing sounds. The whole place came alive from all sides. Insects chirping, wind blowing, it was beautiful and scary at the same time. We enjoyed nature talking to us in its purest way, but we also realized we weren’t fully prepared to have a full-fledged conversation. Once we both started speaking, it was like a veil disappearing from all sides of us, sounds receding, and suddenly the place went silent. We decided it was time to hit back, as we spotted some clouds coming from afar right towards us.

TIME: 10:45

DESCENT:

The descent was quite straightforward. We took no breaks in between, oh yea we didn’t on the way top as well. The descent took us about 25 minutes. We visited the building and spent few minutes there and from then on it was straight down.

There were a lot of instances where we lost our way, that is common, but we knew we had to just keep going down. And things fell in place, we found pathways back recollected few landmarks and made it back down.

TIME: 11:30

RIDE 2: (Medigeshi – Madhugiri – Dobbaspete - Bangalore)

The ride back was on again the butter-smooth roads. This time I thought I would give a shot riding the X-pulse and boy was it fun riding it. Cruising at a decent pace of 70-80kmph, we cut through the well-laid smooth highway to reach Madhugiri. Here we had a “sting” off late it had become a custom to have one after a trek. Then we reached Dobbaspete, took a short break, and then reached our regular “Whity Dhaba” for some light lunch and drink. We spent about 2 hours at the Dhaba, relaxing, and then rode back to reach our homes.

TIME: 16:00

CONCLUSION:

“Excellent tea to kick start things, a yummy breakfast to set our energies, a great ride with captivating views all around to take us to our destination, then the whole process of the trek was relishing, then the butter smooth ride back – a day well spent! “

Until next time Cia \m/

⬅️ 204) Kabbaladurga Trek 206) Nijagal trek ➡️

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Kabbaladurga Trek: Focus Baby Focus | Chapter 204 (Jun 1, 2024)

Place: Kabbaladurga trek

Distance: 100kms x 2 = 200kms

Directions: Bangalore > Bidadi > Channpatna > Kabbaladurga > Kanakpura > Bangalore

Krew: Karthik (Sp)

Bikes: Pulsar                                                                                  

Previous Visit: Huliyurdurga trek.

Budget: Rs 400.

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

Okay, so birthday’s I have this funny ritual of travelling solo to one of the tough climbs – Kabbaladurga and a place which I revere a lot. It feels like hitting a re-boot / re-set button of your life. Helps you get centred. So, this visit was no different.

INTRO & PLAN:

Previous evening I went out and had some chats at Shivas (Hanumanthnagar) and then fuelled up my bike and rested well at night. The day before a solo travel always is slightly jittery, but hey overcoming that jitters is the whole point.

TIME: 22:00 (10/6/2024)

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

Yeah, was up by 4am, stretched out. Was ready for the trip. Had breakfast at home itseld, 3 nice dose and was ready head out. The skies looked gloomy, well good sign to ride, but not a great sign when you want to climb a rocky hillock.

TIME: 05:30

RIDE 1: (Bangalore– Ramngara – Channpatna - Kabbaldurga)

As I headed out, it was a weekday, but the traffic on mysore road never ends. I was little shaky in the beginning and though it was not even 6am, the skies were bright. Listening to some Chinese songs I zoomed ahead full steam. After a while, I could see the sun rise on my rear-view mirrors and that felt great. On to the left a train zoomed by, smiling at all the passengers, flipping off a few I made it to Ramnagara. Here I had lost my way last time, so cautiously took the old Mysore Road and reached Channapatna.

After Channapatna, the country roads welcomed me with two broad arms, and I just left the bike dictate the terms of the ride. After all the rains, the surrounding had turned green and it was so calming on the mind. Once I had a chance to spot Kabblu, the top was shrouded in clouds it was such a beautiful sight to behold. Shouting aloud that 1hr I will be there, zoomed into the town, parking my bike and with a mountain goat’s spirit wide awake, I was read for the trek.

TIME: 07:15

KABBALDURGA TREK:

Okay, this trek was slightly different. Past one week I had taken a rest week from workout. Hence I knew this trek would be okay but slightly harder than usual. It took me 40 minutes to reach the top. But if you are trying for the first time 90-120minutes should be considered.  Okay here we go with four stretches again:

i) Initial stretch

ii) 3 point stretch ?? – wait what!

iii) Viper stretch

iv) Final Stretch

So ready? Here goes nothing!

i) Initial stretch:

Usually this stretch is so chaotic that I never take the right route, but somehow get passed this. But this time, it was different. From the get-go all things fell in place and I took the actual route from the first step until I reached the favourite spot.

ii) 3 point stretch:

The 3-point stretch which was my favourite, steps had been carved out.  I mean yes, it helps but shit, feels bad. “Helping boys become men” – KA tourism dept. I got off the steps and was climbing up the mountain like a lizard, when I could feel someone watching me and slowly catching up. When I turned back it was dog wagging its tail wondering why I was struggling so much with the climb.

iii) Viper stretch:

At the viper, the dog found its own puddle and quenched its thirst. I did not stop, but on the go I had a sip of water and relaxed a bit. The dog and me had a conversation going.  I mean the effortless climbing of a dog is just a bliss to watch.

iv) Final stretch:

During the final stretch, the legs were showing signs of fatigue. But I kept pushing it.  And at the final moment, the dog wanted me to reach the top first and I want it to go ahead and lead the way. I sat down and so did it next to me. Finally I started running up and then it overtook me reaching the top first.

TIME: 08:00

TOP:

At the top, we visited the main temple first and paid our respects. Then with the dog wondering why I was removing my shoes and putting it back on. Then, I started making way to the shiva temple and my sleep spot. Once the shoes off I entered the temple and crashed on the floor. The dog was confused whether to enter or not, I sat near the door and try convincing it to enter. But it was outside. Once I started dozing off, I could hear light footsteps enter the temple in a confused manner hehe. Finally, the dog had also found its own sweet spot temple and was resting peacefully.

I was explaining how the past year had been the ups and downs of the year. Few of stories it genuinely listened with interest, rest of the times it just dozed off. After about 30mins or so, we decided to head back.

TIME: 08:30

TREK DOWN:

The trek down was an easy peasy one. It took me 20-30 mins of non-stop trek. The final and viper stretch was finished off in a matter of minutes. Then during the three point stretch, met a few people making it up, offered them water and then looking at the stairs I felt sad. Then decided to jump of the rails and go wild and climb down like a lizard I always am. Then the final stretch I just ran to the bike. Then met a person and started conversing with him for 20-30 minutes.

TIME: 09:15

RIDE 2: (Kabbaldurga – Channpatna – Bidadi-Bangalore)

This was 100kms ride back, decided to take back the Mysore road. As I left Kabblu, with still sweat dripping down my forehead like a small stream I washed my face in the town. Then as I started riding my bike, started cooling down. Whew! As I rode on about 3-4km, I turned back, promising her a return I zoomed into the town of Channapatna.  Upon reaching the old Mysore Road, I felt home. There is something so different about the mysore road, it is simply more enjoyable to ride on. It was a straightforward ride to home.

TIME: 11:00

CONCLUSION:

Upon reaching home, had some 3 dose slept for a while, then got up and then had proper pappu rice and all and dosed off again. Then Koof called me and said to meet at Blue Wings. So went to BW and crashed there for about an hour so, then after coming back did 50pullups, 100pushups and 100squats in total of 15minutes. Happy birthday to me, FTW!

Cheers all \m/

⬅️ 203) Huliyurdurga trek 205) Medigeshi Fort Trek ➡️

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Ratnagiri Fort Trek: Freestyling Leopard Adventure | Chapter 202 (May 25, 2024)

Place: Ratnagiri Fort Trek

Distance: 150kms x 2 = 300kms

Directions: Bangalore > Dobbaspete > Madhugiri > Ratnagiri Fort

Krew: Madhu > Karthik (Sp)

Bikes: Pulsar                                                                                                   

Previous Visit: Bhairavadurga.

Budget: Rs 500/head

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

This was another simple trek to the mystery fort of Ratnagiri. The route and the gateways can be confusing, but fun nevertheless. First time, Madhu joined hence the idea was to keep it simple and stick to the process we knew.

INTRO & PLAN:

It was two weeks since our trek to Bhairavadurga, that was some rattling trek eh? So, the week after that nothing panned out, and ended up having some monk and golgappa in Bangalore itself. When Madhu came up and expressed his interest to join for the next one. I was more excited than him haha! With the destination unknown, but the plan clear, we decided to head out weekend.

TIME: 11:00 (22/5/2024)

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

Oh yeah, woke up by 3:30 am, did a few stretches, and gave a wake-up call to Madhu. He was up by 4 am as well. The plan was to meet at my place at 5:30 am. Surprisingly, Madhu arrived at my home at 5:15 am itself. Wow! This was a happy surprise, and we took off immediately without wasting any time as every minute before sunrise is precious.

TIME: 05:15

RIDE 1: (Bangalore – Dobbaspete – Madhugiri – Ratnagiri Fort)

The ride from Bangalore began smoothly, it was dark and slightly chill. We rode at a pretty good pace to exit Bangalore in a whiff. Afterwards, the roads opened and so did the sky. Just before the sun rose, the temperature took a sharp dip. Once we reached Dobbaspete, we pulled over for a tea stop as we had covered a good 50km and it was just 6:15 am. 

After a sipping hot cup of tea, we felt fresh and alive. Then, we went on the hunt for the breakfast stop we had discovered last time. And it was a tough search eh. After a while, we found the old couple, and trust me this place is out of this world. They serve the best idly vada and pulao on the roadside. It was a super heavy breakfast and so worth it.

TIME: 07:00

After the awesome breakfast, we headed full steam ahead but made a conscious stop just before Madhugiri to stretch out. After which we continued for another 40km to spot Ratnagiri afar waiting to greet us. The ride through the town was superb, with high fort walls and whatnot. This gave us an impression of what people of the olden days must have felt like. Reaching the base of the hillock, we parked our bikes and with the goat’s spirit awake we were ready to capture the hillock.

TIME: 08:30

  

RATNAGIRI FORT TREK:

It took us about an hour to ascend the fort. The weather was cool and gloomy, but what was unique this time was the eery silence that hit us hard. With no one around the silence was dense around us and tended to cave us in.  Ok, the three stages of the trek are as follows and let's see if you keep up with us, let's go!

i)   Way to the Door.

ii)   Amazing Mid-Riff.

iii)  The Last Stairs.

i)  Way to the Door:

The initial stretch, the point between the parking place and the fort entrance, is the most tricky and enjoyable. A simple way is to run your eyes all along the hillock and find a small door like in the wall. Then you figure out your way to the place. Every person might choose a different path, but the goal is the same.

TIME: 08:45

ii) Amazing Mid-Riff:

Once we made our way through the entry point of the fort, a strange silence hit us. . A clear stony path was visible, but the place was quite heavy. The fort walls shrouded with creepers and branches gave us the chills and felt super at the same time. We kept our senses on high alert and took each step cautiously. This stretch we relished every moment as it was eery and nice at the same time.

TIME: 09:00

iii) Last Stairs:

The last stairs could be spotted from a layout, which consisted of lot of granaries. We spent some time exploring the granaries, learnt from Madhu that they looked like where fruits were stored for the process of ripening. Once on the last stairs it was matter of simple climb to the top.

TIME: 09:15

TOP:

At the top, the wind speed picked up. We picked up the helicopter seed and started playing with it. The skies were calm and cool, and the weather was perfect. We ran around getting a 360-degree view of the place, we found a spot where the fort wall had crumbled and the wind was gushing at a super pace. Going ahead, we found the cave where we usually crash.

TIME: 09:30

 

TREK DOWN:

We spent about 45 minutes at the top. Since it was Madhu’s first time, we discussed various topics and then finally we decided to crash for a good 20 min. After which we decided to head back down.

The trek down was a smooth one with no stops for rest. We took about 30min to get back to our bikes.  The trek back was fun, and we tried descending a few rock faces instead of taking the stairs, giving a glimpse of what was instore in the coming weeks. We reached back our bikes and took off from the beautiful Ratnagiri.

TIME: 10:45

RIDE 2: (Ratnagiri Fort – Medegeshi – Madhugiri - Dobbaspete – Bangalore)

The ride back was a smooth one, we had decided to pull over after every 50 km to stretch out. Hence as we began the ride back, the sun was blazing away in all its glory, making us feel dizzy. We reached Madhugiri in a matter of 30-45mins and pulled over for the first stop.

After which it was a non-stop ride to Dobbaspete, on our way to Dobbaspete we saw a brutal accident where a person had died on the spot. Keeping composure and trusting the process we just glided on in Whitty Dhaba for a super-duper lunch.

TIME: 12:30

After a nice lunch, we took the NICE road to crash back into my place. We had sipping hot cup of coffee after which Madhu departed to his home on his bike to another part of the city.

TIME: 16:00

Great and smooth trip, Until next time, Cia \m/

⬅️ 201. Bhairavadurga trek 203. Huliyurdurga trek ➡️

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