savanadurga trek

Hi all,

This is a small story of my wonderful experiences on my trip to savanadurga. I with my office friends planned for a small trip to Savandurga, 60kms from banagalore towards mysore.



The day started on morning 5 45 A M. I woke up at 5 45 am and to my surprise chandu also woke up at 5 45 am which he doesn’t do usually( that’s the magic of the trip I guess). We are ready by 6 30 AM, which is the time we have to go to UDUPI GARDEN stop where Sandeep is waiting for us. According to the plan Ritvik and Krishna should reach our place by 6 25 AM and we have to meet sandeep at UDUPI GARDEN 6 30 AM. But as we are very punctual we followed the timings strictly with a 10 minute delay. Ritvik and Krishna came to my room arnd 6 45 AM and we left with bags containing water, fruits(apples oranges bananas), biscuits and chocolate and tropicanas for the trip. We met Sandeep at 7 AM and started the journey in his new Santro car.



Then we called Vijay who is coming in koramangla route with his family(wife and child kushal), Devendra, Keshav, Sashank. They are coming in a Palio.



We started journey 20 mins late but it was good that we started. We switched on FM 94.3 and enjoyed the ride with songs, chat and snaps. As it was a Saturday morning the road is free, no girls to watch and have fun as a normal weekday. None of us know about Bangalore well. But as Vijay is from Bangalore they drove happily without any confusion. We got confused even to go to Majestic after staying in Bangalore for more than 18 months. But finally we went to Majestic and then took Magadi Road which will take us to Shavandurga. We are just following the magadi road and after crossing Vijayanagar, I donno why we took a left and went inside thinking it is magadi road. Then we saw vijays car which is stopped aside and we crossed them. Then we stopped and saw them, they took a U – Turn and started back. As we donno anything we also did the same but we cant keep track of them and we started searching for them.



Then Ritvik called vijay asking them to wait for us and their whereabouts. Vijay got frustrated as we are not able to track them he left telling us to ask anyone and come to know where we have to go. Then after some time a old man of 60 years age came to our rescue and showed us the way to shavandurga. Then we started happily once again and after 1 hr journey we all met at outskirts for breakfast. So all 11 of us had a very nice breakfast and started towards our destination.



Its around 9 30 we reached there and started. Everyone of us carried bag with bottle of water, fruits, biscuits and chocolates. We started together after 2-3 mins I chandu Krishna ritvik devendra and sashank started to climb the hill.



Ohhhh !!!! I forgot to tell about the place savanadurga. It’s a place famous for a temple and 2 hills. The hills names are Karibetta and Bidibetta. Kari means black and Bidi means white. As every place White has some preference so we are not allowed to Bidibetta it requires some permission from forest rangers. So we followed our way to Karibetta.

We also hired a 15 year old boy to show the route. He is a real warrior. You will come to know about it later in the story. First the boy accompanied vijay and his family , Keshava and Sandeep. Rest 6 of us went in other way. By climbing the hill which is 70 degrees slant. There are no trees nothing its simply a rock. After getting up for some distance sandeep told us to come in their path which is simple. So from 100 ft high we all started going parallel to ground to reach other people. That’s the most tough thing to do when ur climbing a hill. Climbing is a bit easy but going sideways after climbing is very tough that to where it is 70 degrees slant and no exact grip( thanks to my adidas shoes with which I could do it ). Then after coming to a place near to sandeep’s place we found another route to climb the hill. Sandeep insisted us to follow them not to try anything new. But we didn’t listen then sandeep send the guide boy to us and they followed the normal route. Chandu and Krishna also followed Sandeeps route as their shoes doesn’t have gud grip.



So finally I ritvik devendra and sashank decided to go in the way which we found and the guide boy is happy that we are following it. We asked him twice before we start and he said its simple and we could reach easily as it is a shortcut but tiresome to go in this route and its not tough.



Then we started climbing it up with a bag back of us. I started first, leading them then ritvik , sashank and devendra followed me and the boy is coming last to see everything goes fine. Then after going up for 15 minutes its becoming very tough for us. And the boy is saying from down just 10 minutes and everything will be fine. So we started moving up keeping 10 minutes in the mind. But I didn’t know at that time really what 10 minutes mean. So after going 10 more minutes up, its getting really tough for us no proper grip, thanks to the climate it is really cool and no sun that day. There is a water path aside which is wet and its not safe to step on it as we will slip. Slowly we completed 1000 feet and we are out of form wanted some rest and fully tired.



And adding more excitement to our life we are not getting any grip to go up. We are like lizards on a wall and not getting any grip to go further and its getting tough to be in the same position for more time. And we are nearly 1500 feet up. Then I and ritvik started bugging the boy to come and help us. He came up gave some support to ritvik and ritvik went a little bit up and he did the same for me and again we are back to climbing. Then there is a hurdle. There is a path to go up and it is wet to go up. We cant step in water as we will slip. So the boy came up he is not having any footwear so he went up and started pulling ritvik up. Just imagine a 15 year old boy pulling 23 year old ritvik up. I thought of not troubling the boy and started going in other route i.e., side of that wet path. Then there is a hill I have to go up the hill to reach top. I tried my level best to get over the hill bit I couldn’t. Then I gave up and asked the boy to help me. Then he told me to come in normal way and he will help me in wet path through which he took ritvik up. I was shocked to hear it. 1500 ft above the ground how could I move sideways and go there. I took god’s name and started sideways and luckily by god’s grace reached there and he pulled me up, he pulled 69kgs(me) up. I was shocked and there is some place for us to take rest so I and ritvik just sat there and took some rest. In the mean time the boy is also taking rest. Sashank and devendra are also taking rest down the elevation which we crossed we couldn’t see them and they couldn’t see us as there is some part of the rock between us. After taking rest for 10 mins I and ritvik thought of going up. Then the boy told me to wait and he started taking ritvik up by showing him the way. They both left up. And I was sitting pretty happily thinking I got some more time to take rest but didn’t thought it is the most frustrating time.



Sashank and Devendra are down shouting my name and asking how to come up. I told the boy and ritvik went up he will be back in 10 mins then I will send him down. From then for every 1 minute we are shouting each other names to know everyone is fine. And this is happening at 2000 ft above. It is frustrating to sit there. The boy is not coming down, we started thinking the boy and ritvik went up and they will not come down. We have to make our own way to go up.



Then shashank started coming up and he came to my level. I went up and gave shashank my place to sit. Devendra got frustrated sitting thr for long time and we are shouting about the boy to come and help us. Then Devendra decided to go down. But I and sashank cant even do that as we are a elvel high and to go down to reach devdendra will be really tough. Then after some time the boy came back to us and he took devendra back to the starting place the ground. In the mean time I and shashank got frustrated and feeling bad as devednra left us. We are discouraged, for 1 minute we thought we should have followed sandeep s way. We are half way up thinking what to do cant go down or go up. Then I thought myself this will be the most adventurous thing I could do in my life and thought not to give up. I gave some energy and boost to shashank. Then Shashank took his N73 phone and started playing songs. He played Aditi song from jaane tu ya jaane na. It cooled us and we are happy to sit above 2000 ft in middle of the rock and to listen songs. And we heard some thunder noises thinking it might rain after some time, then it will be hell for us. But for 5 mins we just enjoyed rehmans number. Then after some time the boy came to us dropping devendra down. And after giving some rest to the boy we started our journey back after 45 mins break to me the hell time.



I started freshly with lot of courage and confidence that I could male it. Shashank was a little bit dull but seeing me he also became and happy and we started going up. It has become more tougher for us now. No proper grip and at times we thought we will just fall from there. I started taking god name and shouted for the boy in crisis times he gave me support and took me up. There are points when no support to hands and legs just applying heart pressure to ground and stick to it so that boy will come and gives us support to go up. I cant forget those moments in my life. Then we both started to encourage ourselves and started moving up. We could find some small trees and started taking their support. Once shashank tried to take support of a branch and to our surprise it got broken. Then we even stopped to take support from trees. We are moving ahead and the boy as usual is saying 10 more minutes. We have no energy to go up and fully tired that 45 minutes stay took hell out of us. But we are giving everything we have. Shashank started to move taking his shoes but its tough to walk barefoot on the rock his skin came out and it started bleeding on both his legs then again he wore his shoes and we started again. Hestarted to take more rest as he his bleedeing. I told the boy to be with him and started gong up myself. I though its near to the end but after going up for 20 more minutes I was totally exhausted and started taking rest.



I waited for shashank to come and once he came after 5 mins we 3 started once again and this time the boy told this is last 10 mins and he showed us the top. But we are totally exhausted not even to climb a single step. But we started up. I was thinking after coming to top if I slip then again I will be reaching down. I looked back and confirmed that I cant go till the bottom and 50 ft down thr is a small tree so that I could take its support though I could slip. It gave me some energy and I started moving up fast by saying “ I can do it “ ….. and after some 15 mins we are finally up. And I could see all my fnds up thr shouting our names ……….. I felt happy to see all my fnds once again which I felt doubtful in midway. It gave me shashank all the energy we lost and we just ran towards them and told them abt the experience and scolded ritvik for taking the boy with him leaving us behind. Then ritvik told that he was frightened when boy told him to wait up so the boy accompanied him till some more distance from where he came alone. Then we could understand his feelings and gave him a thumbs up for making it. And in mean time devendra also came up in normal way.And then we spend some time on the top nearly 1 hr. Took snaps and ate the fruits biscuits and chocolates and then came down in normal way which every1 followed.



The up journey took 3 hrs + for us and down journey took just 45 mins …. We came down and started back … and then it was the puncture drama. Our back tyre got punctured then to our luck we got it done in 5 mins from some autowallas thr and started again for lunch. We ha gud lunch at dhaba. I donno how the food is it is tasty or not but I had it happily as I was fully hungry and ready to eat anything.



Then we took a 10 min break and started back to Bangalore. After getting struck in banagalore traffic we reached home around 6 30 in the evening.



This day is the most memorable one as I did the most adventurous and thrilling ride on the hill. I donno whether I could do it once again but I could say that I did it atleast for once. I came with some minor injury other than that everything is fine. So at the end as our SRK dialogue ….. End main sab kuch teek hi hota hain ………..



I think i wrote a lengthy story though I didn’t mention abt some other funny incidents. I hope u enjoyed it else sorry. Thanks for the patience.