Place: Kabbaladurga trek
Distance: 100kms x 2 = 200kms
Directions: Bangalore > Bidadi > Channpatna > Kabbaladurga > Kanakpura > Bangalore
Krew: Madhu (Bande) > Anwar (Sharief bhai) > Karthik (Sp)
Bikes: Enfield >Pulsar
Previous Visit: Rayakottai fort trek
Budget: Rs 290/head
IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:
Alright, this trip was more than just a trek. Kabbaldurga tests your internal being and your will to survive. Going alone is one thing; going as a group is something else. And yeah, with all the steps being carved out, etc., for public safety, we took the old school route up and pulled off a banger!!
INTRO & PLAN:
It had been a week since the Rayakottai chapter. Hands were itchy already. And with the Diwali holidays on the horizon, I had planned to execute 1 or 2 more trips to catch up on 2025. Usually Kabblu is the place I visit alone on my birthdays for resetting my being. But this time had the best 2 (wait 3) companions. It was Anwar and Madhu on the confirmed list. And we were set to GO.
TIME: 22:00 (17/10/2025)
ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:
Yeah, I was up at 02:45am. Called Anwar, who had to come from Attibele and come over to my place and leave his bike. Madhu, on the previous day, had confirmed that he would be at Kanakpura and join us at the base of the hillock directly. So it was Anwar and me from Bangalore. As I waited for Anwar sitting outside the home, I was shocked to see the flock of cars and bikes heading out of Bangalore. Insane it was. Anyway, once Anwar arrived, we said tata to Bangalore.
TIME: 06:00
RIDE 1: (Bangalore– Ramngara – Channpatna - Kabbaldurga)
This was a 100km one-way ride on Mysore Road. As we left Bangalore, it started drizzling. I had second thoughts about Kabblu being a good option on a rainy day. But kept riding. The darkness still prevailed, and with the rains, it was tough, so we moved out at a slow pace. But then again, "if you don't ride in rain, you don't ride", right? We pulled over at our regular breakfast at Bidadi for some nice breakfast.
TIME: 06:00
After a great breakfast, the slight light had made its way. The air was still cold, we hopped onto the bike again and made our way to Ramnagar. Upon hitting Ramnagar, the old Mysore presented itself, and a different side of me awoke. The bike more or less took over the riding part, and we chatted our way to reach Channapatna. From Channapatna, we took a left turn, and the country roads were bliss. It was a complete canopy ride, with the trees welcoming us on both sides and sheltering us from the sun. We made it to Kabblu where Madhu was already waiting for us. It was time to CLIMB.
TIME: 07:00
KABBALDURGA TREK:
Well, it took us about an hour to reach the top. I knew it would be more difficult compared to their previous treks for both Madhu and Anwar. The idea was to maintain a slow speed and keep going. As before, I have divided the trek into the following sections:
i) Initial stretch
ii) 3 point stretch
iii) Viper stretch
iv) Final Stretch
So ready? Yeah this was a calm yet crazy trek, keep up with me here!
i) Initial stretch:
Trust me, this is never straightforward as it navigates through a forest. This is the easiest stretch, but the stretch where I always goof-up. I mean it is fun, but not always. Even after visiting this hillock many times, i made a micro-mistake where i strayed off a clearly visible pathway, talking and narrating stories haha :P
ii) 3 point stretch:
This was shaking you up from within and really tests your stamina. Well, there were the steps that had been carved out. But even that kinda pulls u out of your body. But like always, we took the old school route, climbing it free style. But something special awaited us on this one. The dog that had accompanied me last year showed up and immediately recognised me. We hugged, and it was such a special moment. (Kabbaladurga 2024 chapter) Oh yea, as far as the stretch goes, cautiously but continuously we're grinding our way to the top with a break in between.
iii) Viper stretch:
After the grueling 3-point stretch, there was the viper stretch. Call this cause, it resembles a mega boa that had passed through the grass. This is not difficult, but the inclination is steep. We made it through this pass without any hassles.
iv) Final stretch:
The final stretch consists of tricky spots and a lot of steps. We consciously avoided the steps as they are more draining. Climbing free style, avoiding stepping on flowing water from the top. We ground our way to the top.
TIME: 08:00
TOP:
As we reached the top, I told Anwar and Madhu to keep aware of the recovery rate of their breath and body. Trust me, it is surreal at this place. As soon as we reach the top, the bodies magically calm down. As though the entire stretch was a test of some sort. First we paid respect to the Kabblu temple and then we crashed behind the Shiva temple. Where the dog, came and rest amidst us.
We slept at the top, without speaking much, imbibing the natural sounds. Whoo! it was such a refresher, trust me. As we could sense the clouds slowly hovering around and the air getting heavier, we decided to head back as we didn't want to get stranded on this hillock with the rains slashing down.
TIME: 09:00
TREK DOWN:
Trek down was a fun one. It always tests the knees a lot. As we began the trek down, we cruised through the final stretch and viper stretch in a matter of 10 minutes. After which, during the 3-pointer, we looked for an alternative route and then descended in the steepest phase. Being calm and cautious, we pulled it off to get our feet back on solid muddy ground. What-a rush it was! But very satisfying.
TIME: 10:00
RIDE 2: (Kabbaldurga – Kanakpura -Bangalore)
This was a 100 km ride back, but took the Kanakpura road this time, completing a small good circuit. As we got down from Kabblu had a Sting to shoot up energies. And then we took off via Sathnur towards Kanakpura. It had been a while since riding on this baby, and it felt good. We pulled over at Kanakpura and thanked Madhu for making it. Post which Anwar and I zoomed towards Bangalore and more specifically Blue Wings haha. Had a light drink and finished our lunch, and made it to our respective homes.
TIME: 12:00 (reaching Bangalore)
CONCLUSION:
" this was a excellent and to be frank tough ones considering the route we took. Kabblu never dissapoints to shake us up. But Madhu and Anwar pushed beyond their boundaries, overcame their fears while getting down and pulled off this BANGER of a trip"
Until next time, Cia \m/ (oh yeah, the third being was the Kabblu dog!, here we go)
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