“Let’s plan for Skandagiri this weekend”, my roommate said. It was almost 4 months passed after we got transferred to Bangalore. As everybody of us was so much enthusiastic to go for Skandagiri, we quickly decided to go.
Skandagiri also known as Kalavara Durga is situated in the Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka. It is a very old mountain located off Bangalore-Hyderabad road (NH-7) approximately 70kms away from Bangalore city. Skandagiri is very famous among people who are fond of trekking. The peak is at an altitude of 1350 meters.
We were not aware about the bus routes so we planned to go by private vehicle. So we booked private vehicle. It’s better to have our own vehicle, as the location is not at routine bus tracks. In Bangalore, heavy vehicles like Scorpio, Tavera will be easily available in reasonable rates. Call JustDial for more options. Normally some fixed amount is charged for first few kilometres and then charges are applied per kilometre. For us it was 2400 INR for first 150 kms and after 150 kms, it was 9.50 INR per kilometre. (Oct 2010 rates)
We started at 4 o’clock in the morning and had our breakfast on the way. It was very cold outside. It took almost one and half hour to reach to the foothill. The clock was pointing to 6...And the journey began there.
8 youngsters were fully energized. Each of us was carrying one water bottle each with one and half litter capacity. We had also taken some fruits, cucumbers and chips with us. Our sacks were full of water bottles and food.
By mistake we started climbing up by an unusual way. And the funniest thing was, we realized this fact after reaching on the top. We were struggling to climb on very huge rocks to complete our task. We didn’t have ropes with us. In such a difficult situation the grass with strong roots helped us a lot. We could easily go up by grabbing grass in hands. Sometimes some of us were facing difficulties while going up. But we were a TEAM. Everybody was helping each other to achieve the goal. Almost everyone’s hands were full of scratches. However we were fascinated by the peak of mountain. Hence nothing could destruct the spirit.
The journey was so exciting and very much difficult too. While climbing many times we feel thirsty or hungry. As a result we drink too much of water or eat at such extent which will make our body difficult to proceed further. As sun rises temperature starts to increase. Thus it becomes so hard to face whether, especially climbing up.
Even after lots of problems on the path, we finally reached on the peak...The moment of achieving this triumph was really memorable forever. Finally, we reached at the altitude of almost 4500 feet. The wind was so amazing there. No air cooler in the world can bluster like that. We all were so hungry. Rather we realised our hunger after reaching on the top. But almost everything from our bags was finished. We found two local men there sailing Maggie, egg omelette and water bottle. Each item with cost of Rs.50....!!! If you are going to Skandagiri, remember these men will be there till 10 o’clock only. We had hot Maggie and coolest water on the earth...I have already started clicking snaps of victorious faces.
After staying there for an hour we started getting down. It took almost an hour to get down. Our energy level was somewhat decreased by that time. Still we were supporting each other especially tired members.
That night, everybody went to a deep sleep immediately after dinner...even if that was a Sunday...!!!
Road map
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I would like to share few things with those who have just started to trek. Nobody has told me this before. I just learnt them from this trek.
Trek is an activity to which you should go in a group of at least five to six or more. Couples, please avoid to be separated from group. Normally mobile phones stop working on high altitude. So be together always or at least be reachable from each other. Avoid races or competitions. Don’t leave weak members behind. Everyone must have enough knowledge of the map of trek area and must be aware of the directions.
Keep sufficient food with you which will quickly provide energy to your body and must not load your stomach. Fruits are the best choice especially citric fruits like lemon or orange. Fruit juices also work, but avoid artificial soft drinks with carbon dioxide. Vegetables and fruits with large water contents like cucumber, slices of watermelon or muskmelon are also very helpful. You can also have glucose biscuits but you must stop after having one or two. Avoid heavy food like bread butter or potato chips. Don’t eat salted things, it will increase thirst.
Shoes are “the must” thing. Avoid floaters, high hills. If you don’t have shoes at least use ketoses. Wear light clothes, preferably cotton. For ladies, try to wear the clothes which will not become an obstacle while climbing or getting down from high.
The “most” important thing to have is WATER. If you require two hours to climb up and one hour to get down then each person should have at least 3 litters of water. Get information from local people about natural water resources.
Try to do some breathing exercises like bhastrika or anulom vilom etc. 7-8 days prior to trek. If you have regular practice of heavy exercise like gym practice or running, trek will not be much difficult task for you.
