Medigeshi Fort Trek: Complete Route Guide | Chapter 212 (Oct 25, 2025)

Place: Medigeshi Fort Trek

Distance: 150kms x 2 = 300kms

Directions: Bangalore > Dobbaspete > Madhugiri > Medigeshi

Krew: Anwar (Bhai)  > Karthik (Sippy)

Bikes: Pulsar                                                                                  

Previous Visit: Channarayana Durga trek.

Budget: Rs 500/head (Total = 500 (Petrol) + 90 (breakfast) + 400 (lunch))

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:                                                  

Alright, this was, I must say, a perfect old school chapter. We had no clue where we were heading until about 100km from Bangalore. And after finalizing on Medigeshi, the trek proved to be something else. All out past treks, it was usually dry weather. But this time, with vegetation fresh, it proved doubly hard to find the trails. And the vegetation was filled with thorny shrubs and those small sticky thorny bomb like seeds, damn, but yeah, it was fun :)

INTRO & PLAN:

We had 3 chapters in the bag for Oct 2025. And what a great feel it was. But we were not done yet. It was time to hit one last chapter. Anwar was ready as well. Considering the budget and body condition, we decided to hit another one. Place? - Not decided. Direction? - either Koratagere side / hassan roadside.  

TIME: 17:00 (24/10/2025)

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

Yeah, I was up at 02:00, as usual, did a few push-ups and sit-ups, and was all set to go. Had a sip of coffee and went down and sat on the footpath waiting for Anwar. Once Anwar arrived, I asked him where we were headed to??  Both us exchanged blank stares, and then we hopped onto the bike and left Bangalore.

TIME: 05:15

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

Okay is this was about a 135-150 km ride. To start things off, it always feels good if you can get 50-100km before sunrise. The sun rising in your rear-view mirror is a treat to watch and also makes you feel really good. So, as we left Bangalore, we cruised past Nelamangala, and I asked Anwar again, "bro, which place?" All that came was a hearty laughter. So I rephrased "Bob, you want to eat that idly again?" The answer I got was yes. Hence, the direction was frozen; it was towards Kortagere. Haha! We cruised along at solid speed and reached Uncle's breakfast stop for some piping hot idlis and rice bath.

TIME: 06:45

After breakfast, we took off towards Madhugiri. We spotted Channarayana Durga afar, reminding us of the trip we took 3 days back. She was not shrouded in mist, so yeah, we had struck gold the other day. We rode along pretty solidly; the traffic seemed to be lean as well. We spotted Madhugiri afar. After our standard stop prior to it, we cruised along. I narrowed the options to Ratnagiri / Medigeshi. Anwar again laughed and said, "Anything is fine". After some thought, I decided to head to Medigeshi.  Parking our bikes at the temple and awakening the mountain goat's spirit, we were set for the trek.

TIME: 08:30

MEDIGESHI FORT TREK:

It took us about 60 minutes to reach the top. The sun was up and the skies were clear. Seemed pleasant at first. But the ascension proved to be tougher than past ascents. Nature always has a way to keep you humble. When things are out of control, one thing we always do is keep landmarks like trees, rocks, bushes, etc, and add a dirty thought to it, which helps you remember on your way back :P (not sure how good it sounds, but hey, they work!)

Like always, I have divided the trek into the following segments:

i) Gateways 

ii) Rock Face 

iii) Steep face 

Sooo, these were the stretches. Let me run you through each one. Keep up with me here!    

                                            

i) Gate-ways:

To start things off, we started following the trails. And within the first 5min we were lost haha. The thick vegetation was really misleading. So we started mentally marking stuff. We managed to get to the 1st gateway and then the 2nd way amidst the thick vegetation. Our shoes, jackets were filled with the thorn balls. Taking a break we cleared up and were set to ascend the rock face. 

ii) Rock face:

Once out of the gateways, we found ourselves in the open, with the sun's mighty rays crashing on our heads. We were sweating pretty hard. Even the rock face proved to be merciless. There was water flowing, and algae settled all over it, making it extremely slippery. We managed to get past the initial phase cautiously.      

                                       

iii) Steep face:

The last phase of the trek consists of the ascent of a really steep rock phase. Steps had been carved, but it is well hidden fin plain sight. Even I didnt mention it to Anwar and we began climbing the rock free styling. The water streams in between started to prove to be too risky. Then we took the most rational decision to head back down, then climb on the steps. Yeah, sometimes you gotta know when to step back.  Making post the steps, we were surprised by the vegetation at the top as well. No paths, nothing, looks like we were the first to open the Medigeshi account post monsoon. Carving out paths we made it to the top and glad to see the huge structure on the top.

TIME: 09:30

TOP:

The top of Medigeshi fort consists of lot of buildings and granaries. As we were approaching the huge structure, we were blown away by the purple carpet welcoming. Yeah the entire front portion of the structure was flooded with some kind of strange purple flowers, which made the whole place look so beautiful. We were past the structure a we have a habit of finishing it last. We went to our usual spot behind the structure and crashed for 20-30 minutes. The silence of the place is mind-bending. And the whole place actually looks damn spooky. We hydrated ourselves as we had lost a lot of water climbing up. After a good nap at the top, we explored the main structure and decided to head back down, as we knew it wouldn't be an easy one. 

TIME: 10:00

DESCENT:

The descent was nothing but straightforward. The landmarks mentally marked came in very handy. As we descended, it was through rough bushes. Then as we made through the steep face very carefully and slowly descending amidst flowing water streams. We got LOST :P. Oh yeah, one wrong turn and we were stranded in the forest. And it was not any forest, it was forest filled with thorns and bushes. Whilst climbing a rock, got atleast 4-5 big thorns into my palm, and my right hand started bleeding. Washing away the blood, we decided to carry on. Finally, on we found the gateways and damn, we just allowed our bodies to carry in auto mode, slowly cautiously traversing each rock with care, we made it back to the temple dehydrated and parched. 

Reaching the temple premises, we hopped on our bike and saying sayonara to the beautiful town we took off.

TIME: 11:00     

                                           

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

This was about a 150kms ride back to Bangalore. We decided this would be a 2-stop ride back, first at Madhugiri and next at Dabbaspete. As we left Medigeshi, we turned back, looked back, passed a quirky smile at the mountain; it was a damn good test, and we thanked her for that. Promising her a return, we zoomed towards Madhugiri for some sting. Post which we cruised along until Dobaspet and pulled over for a 2nd break. Then we zoomed into Whity Dhaba for the final finisher. 

We spent around 2 hours at WHITY and then decided to take the NICE road to reach back home.  

TIME: 16:30

CONCLUSION:

“Well, the fourth trip for Oct-2025, damn felt good. Also not knowing the destination until the last moment, kind opened up a pandora box of experience. The trek proved to be very different, the challenge of the mountains always humbles you down, but yeah, we are up for it \m/. And thanks to Anwar bhai, for remaining calm amidst all the chaos, a true old school!”

Until next time Cia \m/

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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/

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Madakasira Fort Trek: Conquering the Giant Monolithic Fort | Chapter 207 (Jul 13, 2024)

 Place: Madakasira Fort Trek

Distance: 150kms x 2 = 300kms

Directions: Bangalore > Dobbaspete > Madhugiri > Madakasira

Krew: Madhu > Karthik (Sp)

Bikes: Pulsar                                                                                                   

Previous Visit: Nijagal Trek.

Budget: Rs 500/head

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

Alright, July 2024, here we go. A classic trip to Madakasira aka Boa Fort. This pristine fort trek lightens up one’s spirit as it is easy and more of an exploration. Our trip was nothing but it. The highlight of the trip was we missed a turn and headed into AP for 30km before we realized we had taken the wrong route. Oops! And another highlight would be cleaning up the hillock of plastic residues, to make mother nature feel more natural – a good initiative from Madhu. Cheers let's go!

INTRO & PLAN:

It was 5 days since our visit to Nijagal trek. Wasn’t very sure about a trek, texted Madhu and asked “trek/rest?”. And the reply came back “trek”. And it hence this run was executed. Place unknown. Keeping things simple, clean, and old school.

TIME: 16:00 (12/7/2024)

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

Oh yeah, woke up by 3am. Stretched out a bit, had a sip of coffee, was ready by 4am, texted Madhu. Listened to music for about 1.5hrs and once Madhu arrived at my home, requested him to park his bike at my place and we took off on my bike.

TIME: 06:00

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

This was about 150km butter smooth ride. As we left Bangalore, we could feel ourselves slightly cramped amidst traffic. But as we started reaching the outskirts, our wings started opening up and we could feel lighter and in better control. The air was unsually cold as it had rained last night. Shivagange could be spotted afar shrouded in mist. As we reached Dobabspete, we took right turn towards Kortagere and we pulled over for some elixir of tea. After the tea, we felt so lifted up. It was like taking some life in a syringe and shooting you with it. Going 10-15km ahead we pulled over at our regular hotel for breakfast.

TIME: 07:00

After a nice two-round breakfast, we hopped on the bike and it was no-nonsense riding. Every 50km we pull over but 50km stretches to be covered at a good cruising speed. The scenery throughout the stretch was good. A lot of jackfruits could be seen for sale. This stretch is known for Jackfruits. We pulled over at Madhugiri for a break, post which we hit Medigeshi. Waving a big HI to the beautiful hillock, we pushed further to cross AP border. Asking the locals in Telugu, we managed to enter the town of Medigeshi. Navigating the narrow roads and asking the starting point of trek to the friendly locals, we parked the bike in front of a home and with Astral Goat’s spirit high, we began the trek.

TIME: 09:00

MADAKASIRA FORT TREK:

It took about 45min to reach the top. We played around the entire stretch. Okay, have divided the trek into three phases.

i)                    Initial gateways.

ii)                  Brown fortress.

iii)                Final climb.

So, try keeping up with me on this one. Here goes:

i)  Initial gateways:

The trek began with a narrow path leading out of the town and into the ancient footsteps. And slowly as we ascended, the civilization began to disappear, and we felt at home. Decent rainfall had lifted the whole hue of the place. It just felt great navigating through the gates.

ii) The Brown Fortress:

This is the core of the trek. The main fort with its twisted fort walls lies at this stage. When viewed from afar, this looks like a boa constrictor coiled up after a heavy meal. We explored the place and decided to hit the final stretch as dark clouds began to drift towards us.

iii) Final climb:

The last stretch of this trek is the most intense. I mean not all parts, but two crucial traverses. We could spot the final point from the previous phase.  The place was so alive and was filled with butterflies and bugs. As we began the final ascent, the two tricky spots lay one after the other, we navigated these two spots with caution and had fun as well.

TIME: 09:45

TOP:

We were greeted by huge boulders on the top, which formed the perfect shelter. Then moving ahead we found the final point, a small structure at the tip of the hillock. The wind speeds were off the charts. Standing up straight was a challenge. We sat in the structure in silence taking in the view and all the slapping from the winds.  Madhu got busy drawing and I rested. We spent about 45 minutes at this place and then decided to head back.

TIME: 10:30

TREK DOWN:

Well, the trek back down took us about 30-40mins. But it was different this time. Madhu had an idea to pick up all the plastic bottles and take it back to the town to dispose it properly. It was a noble and wonderful idea. So, we packed as many plastic bottles thrown away into a bag and slowly, we navigated down to find a heap of rubbish just before we entered the town, we threw all the bottles and decided to say tata to Madakasira. It was a beautiful day spent.

TIME: 11:30

RIDE 2: (Madakasira – ?? – Madakasira – Madhugiri – Whity Dhaba - Bangalore)

This was supposed to be a 150km but turned out to be a 200+ km ride. Multiple roads lead into Madaksira, all look familiar. We took the wrong one, it looked exactly like the one we had taken into the town. A dog almost stopped us, the universe has strange signs to suggest. We continued further and further, but we couldn’t spot Medigeshi. That’s when we pulled over and asked locals for directions to Madhugiri, when they said, to go back 30km to Medigeshi and then take left, our jaws dropped.  That was a hammer fall on our face. We tried to fight the situation by taking some interior routes, but it spit us back right onto the same highway.

We accepted the situation first and decided to ride 30km back, it was like Madaksira was not done with us, she wanted to see us one final time. We rode back 30km and said a proper “Tata” and then switched on cruise no non-sense mode riding.  We rode continuously until Madhugiri and had some egg puffs and sting. This felt so freaking good, with new energies we locked on towards Dobbaspete. Cruising at a decent pace we pulled over at Whity dhaba for some lunch.

TIME: 15:00

After spending about 1-1.5hrs at dhaba relaxing, we left back and reached my home. From where Madhu headed towards his home.

TIME: 17:00

CONCLUSION:

“Goof-ups are part of trips. That is what makes them fun. We always learn the hard way. Shutting and accepting your situation helps."

Until next time, Cia and CHEERS \m/

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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/

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