The best trek of India : Skandagiri trek

admin September 7, 2022

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Introduction

Skandagiri is situated in a village called Kalavara Halli, and because of this, it’s also called Kalavara Durga. At the foothills of Skandagiri lies one of Karnataka’s historical and oldest mutts, the Papagni Mutt.

The path begins off from Papagni Mutt and follows its way to the peak, in which lie the ruins of a fort that dates again to the 18th Century. Tipu Sultan conquered the fort which belonged to a nearby king and later he used it as a stronghold to combat opposition to the British, although he later surrendered in 1791 whilst Tipu Sultan became defeated.

The peak gives a wide-ranging view of the 4 neighboring ‘Giris’ or hills and its miles are a sight to behold.

Skandagiri has situated much less than 60 km from Bengaluru and three km from Chikballapur and is nicely related using avenues and railways. Therefore, it’s miles an excellent 12 months-spherical trek for first-time trekkers in addition to the pro ones and may be finished in five hours comfortably.

The huge rock formation which overlooks Nandi Giri

Skandagiri hill has been visited and praised by many VIP personalities on their way to Nandi Hills in the course of British Rule, like Jawaharlal Nehru and Sir M. Visveswaraya to name a few.

The trail is a unique blend of rocks, boulders, and dust with thick vegetation

Very few treks pleasure hiking thru rocks, hopping boulders, and also revel in the muddy path with sun sunglasses or timber in between. Skandagiri gives a lot of these for a trek that is so near our habitat.

Dilapidated fort walls

Closer to the summit, the ruined walls, carved pillars, and stones take us back to the time whilst Skandagiri fort became full of lifestyles and grandeur.

The Shiva Temple on the summit

At the summit, the temple devoted to Lord Shiva is worshipped by many devotees who climb up all the way to get a glimpse of the idol. This is a remarkable sight for a citadel press whose surrounding systems are in ruins.

The breathtaking view of the nearby hills and Chikballapur city from the summit

From the summit, you get a wide-ranging view of the encompassing hills, even 4 of the 5 “Girls” in conjunction with forests, villages, and the city.

Trail Information

The path starts from Papagni Mutt, within the Kalavara village. The village is three km from Chikballapur.

The trek may be divided into 3 sections – the primary stretch is a flat path stroll from Papagni Mutt to the Forest Checkpost which one wishes to file earlier than beginning the trek. The 2nd stretch climbs up lightly and once in a while steeply through dust trails and rocky sections to the primary relaxation point. The very last stretch is a steep ascent to the summit on slippery muddy and rocky terrain.

Best Time To Do Skandagiri Trek

Skandagiri is one of these treks that may be accomplished every 12 months.

However, because of little or no tree cowl on the path, it’s advised to put on a cap in summers to keep away from publicity to the sun. Not sporting a cap or a hat will tire you out quickly because of dehydration and severe heat.

During monsoons, carry a poncho or a raincoat in conjunction with a rain cowl on your backpack to hold yourselves dry for your hike to Skandagiri.

But, it’s advisable not to go trekking in the course of heavy rain because the path turns slippery because of free rocks and dust. This will impede your revel in the trek.

Difficult Sections On The Skandagiri Trek

Slippery path (Monsoon specific)

The path turns extra elaborate in the course of monsoons because the dust and rocks come to be very slippery and an awesome warning should be taken even as traversing. If hiking within the monsoons, trekkers have to be very cautious with their preference of shoes and have to test climate charts to be able to keep away from days with expected heavy rains.

Rocks and Stones

There are a couple of things about the trek in which trekkers can be required to scale small rocks or stroll on massive stone slabs. While that is an exceptionally fun part of the trek, one wishes to be cautious. Slipping or falling from a rock can result in severe damage and trekkers should exercise warning even as navigating those sections.

Muddy sections

Since this path is a mixture of rocks and dust, there are a few sections of the dominant dust path which could be very slippery even though it has now no longer rained. The chances of slipping and sliding down for some meters are excessive in those sections. Hence, corporation footing is recommended in those sections.