Climbing the Trails of History: Rohit’s Skandagiri Night Trek with Thrillophilia

Tired of the Bangalore hustle, Rohit and his colleagues decided to spend their weekend in a slightly different manner than the rest of the weeks. Instead of pub hopping and cafe outings, they decided to do something adventurous, something thrilling.

But what could be the possible option? They wandered over a cup of filter coffee one evening after office.

“A long drive to Ooty?”, one of them suggested.
“Where is the car?”, came the reply.
“Rent?” he said.
“No, too costly again”, the rest of them said.
“Then what?”Rohit let out a tinge of frustration in his voice.
“How about a trek?”, said one of the other friends.

All of them paused for a moment. Silently brooding over the suggestion.

“We can do that…is everyone in?”, said Rohitl. “We all are more or less fit for a short trek…the ascent won't be that much either. Skandagiri trek is a popular one near Bangalore I have heard. It is hardly 60 km from here.”

“Sounds feasible. We can go for that...it won't even cost that much”

“Okay, let's book it from Thrillophilia then, I know someone there, he can arrange it for us”

Saturday, 2:30 AM

Rohit called each one of them and woke them up, asking them to get ready and get down ASAP.

“Why now, it’s not even morning!”, said a colleague.
“We are going for a night trek. Get up and get ready NOW!”

And out they were in a cab. It was March, and the Spring air had started to fill the air with scents of blooming flowers. The weather was pleasant, and everyone almost fell asleep, apart from Rohit.

Saturday 3:30 AM

As they reached Papagni Mutth, one of the oldest mutths in India, they stood there in wonder. After exploring the place, they headed towards the forest checkpoint of Skandagiri Hills- one of the Panchagiris of Chikballapur District.

Showing their IDs, they got access to the trail. It was still dark, and the forest trail looked mysterious. There was no such danger from wild animals, but they had to be careful while walking. Rohit led the way as he was the most experienced one there.

The first part of it was easy, and they quickly reached the first resting point. The next part was slightly more difficult- muddy paths and loose rocks dotted the trail but the ascent was still okayish. It was not that steep that they could not manage on their own. But the third and final part got quite challenging. The slope of the hill got steeper with every turn, and the vegetation started thinning.

Then all of a sudden, Rohit spotted a stone wall with something written on it. But he decided not to spend much time looking at that because they had a sunrise to catch. With much deliberation, and even holding hands of each other near the top, they somehow reached the summit.

Saturday 5:45 AM

They sat there in silence, the birds had started chirping and the sky had slowly started to change colour. From pitch black to deep blue, and then to a soft glow of orange and red, the sky displayed a play of colours impossible to catch from Bangalore City.

The surroundings were lush green, and as the first rays of sun graced the horizon, the true colours of the scenery started to reveal themselves. The trees were much greener than the ones they saw beside the roads of Bangalore, and the top of the hill was more of a rock than soil. The trees also bore some buds that were waiting to bloom and change to the whole spectacle. They could see the entire Panchagiri range- the Nandi Giri, Channagiri, Skandagiri, Brahmagiri and Hema Giri- each standing proudly like the guarding of the Western Ghats.

The countryscapes stretched out beneath their feet, probably hundreds of feet, showcasing the village of Kalavara Halli and the farmlands around.

Suddenly, the girl in the group of friends started to hum the tune of a very well-known Malayalam song-  Cherathukal.

She knew the lyrics, and as the sun rose above the horizon, sparkling like a bright ball of gold, she started singing the lyrics…

Cheraathukal thorum nin
Theeyormayaay
Tharaathe pom chaaruvaam ummakalaal
Chuzhalunnori kuttaakoorirul
Kazhiyolam njaan eriyaam

Rohit did not know the meaning of this song, but he loved hearing it that morning. It suited the ambience perfectly, soothing, soft, and relaxing.

Saturday 7 AM

They had explored the Shiv temple at the summit before starting their trek down, and as the ruins of the ancient Fort appeared before them, they took time to explore it all. They clicked pictures of the 18th-century carvings, the pillars, the shrines, and the staircases that echoed the tales of the bygone times.

It was a great experience for them. And by the time they reached back to the point from where they started, it was almost 9.

Another group of trekkers were starting on their trek during that time, and one of the members asked them if the routes were well-defined. They replied with a yes and also informed us to keep an eye on the rocks and boards as the directions are marked with arrows there.

Rohit and his colleagues resumed their journey back home, but this time, with wider eyes and a much happier heart!

Read More: Thrillophilia Bangalore Trek Reviews