Kabbaladurga Solo Trek - Answering the Call of 2025 | Chap 220 (Dec 28, 2025)

Kabbaladurga - one of the Navadurgas

Place: Kabbaladurga trek
Distance: 100kms x 2 = 200kms
Directions: Bangalore > Bidadi > Channapatna > Kabbaladurga > Channapatna > Bangalore
Krew: Karthik (Sp)
Bikes: Pulsar
Previous Visit: Huliyurdurga Trek - Pahadi Biryani
Budget: Rs 400/head (Total: Petrol = 400)

Check out our Navadurgas page. - a tight interlocking of 9 forts around Bangalore, which kept the baby safe! 

---

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

Alright, putting the last rites on 2025. 13 weeks, 12 roadtrips feels great. This chapter was more about the mountain call. And I had to be present, no questions asked, this was my 18th time to this place, so yeah it is a special place for me. Solo treks instil this healthy fear, but the call of the mountains is superior. This chapter saw some cold-blooded upward climbing and completed the trek in 25-30min. But during the trek down, spent quality time with locals, hearing their stories, giving away my entire water bottle and almost everything I had for the joyous moments they offered. 

INTRO & PLAN:

Last week of 2025, had taken a week off from work. So, yeah, did some heavy lifting and got the blog into good shape. And hey, we got our own domain. I was going on a 5km walk every day and kept moving. In between the week, got jitters of the Kabblu call, but kind of pushed it on for a fort hill in Andhra. And oh yeah, got my bike serviced and rectified, guess what, we had pulled off  6-7trips on a limping bike. Haha! But late at night, Bhai texted that he wasn't feeling well and hadn't started from his native. So the direction had to be changed. And the call only got stronger! 

TIME: 22:00 (27/12/2025)

The Calling

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

After the cancellation, I got jitters, and to be very frank. Feet sweating, and a sense of anxiousness flooded my body. I wasn't able to sleep until 1:00. By 3:00, I was up doing pull-ups and some RDL's. By 4am, got ready, had a sip of coffee, had a look outside and jumped into the cold darkness, closing my eyes trusting the CALL.

TIME: 04:30

RIDE 1: (Bangalore– Ramngara – Channpatna - Kabbaldurga)

This was a 100kms ride, but the ride was very special this time. Past 17times I had covered this hillock, never had we left so early. So, Mysore Road was dark. And Mysore Road is confusing now. I cruised along at a decent pace, as the roads were pretty much completely empty. All of a sudden, post Bidadi, started getting this haunting feel, as winds gushed and the temperatures dropped. 

The haunted cold ride to Kabbaladurga

I slowed down, embraced both the cold and the darkness. It felt calm. I allowed the bike to glide down the ride at its own will. After a point in time, it was almost like the bike was taking me to her, rather than me pushing on. 

Post Channapatna deviation, things got creepier, as it opened up to country roads and darkness and cold made their presence felt 10times more than usual. I blinked in cold -bloodedness and allowed the bike to do her thing, come what may! After a few minutes, as I approached the hillock, the sky began to light up, and the faint outline of the mountain could be seen. No matter how many times I've seen this hillock, the first glimpse sends a shiver down my spine. With a sense of healthy fear, I parked my bike at the usual spot, keeping the helmet on the bike unlocked, I awakened the lizard's spirit within and was ready to answer the call I had missed all week. 

TIME: 06:45

The first glimpse of the hillock 

KABBALADURGA TREK:

With 12 treks in 13 weeks, I felt great. It took me 30minutes to complete the ascent. It was a non-stop, slow, steady type of trek. But yeah, felt good nobody was there at the hillock. And I wanted to complete it before the Sunday crowds arrived.  As before, I have divided the trek into the following sections:

•  Initial stretch
•  Old Traverse and Grinder stretch (New updated! - from all other chapters)
•  Viper stretch
•  Final Stretch

Ready? So, yeah, on solo treks, you can hear your own breath, you can hear birds calling you (or maybe abusing you for waking them up), you can feel the winds engulfing you. The first time I soloed here, for every 1 step, I felt like taking 1 step back. But not this time. 

 Initial stretch:

This is the funniest and toughest for me, I can say. The tough vertical face seems easy. Every time I go on this trek, I get lost haha. I always find the path, but damn. Something about this stretch. This is supposed to be the easiest in terms of technicality and can be done easily. Spot the railings on the vertical face and keep heading in that direction. 

The starting point

The Old Traverse + Grind stretch

The 3-Point stretch is no more fun, so we found another fun route a few months back. It is the old path, but we directly climb the vertical face, not taking steps. This is fun, check our technicalities and also, wait.. yes, less taxing. The steps drain you out and pull our hamstrings and calves. When you take the vertical faces head-on, at least you feel it is worth it. 

Breaking rules on the old traverse route

By the end of the old you find nice bushes. you will realise, there is the grinder left. This is the true test. After traversing what feels like the hardest stretch, now you gotta grind out another 2x distance on a relatively safer stretch. But the endurance required is high as the face of the rock is steep but with good grip. I could feel my lungs burn, but didn't stop, took slow, steady steps, but never stopped. 

Viper stretch:

The third fort wall, represents the beginning the Viper stretch. I call this as it feels like a titan boa had crawled through the grass eons back. This is easy and feels safe. So pushed it at a good pace to get out of this one. 

The sun had begun to rise

Final stretch:

Well, in the final stretch, we are back on the rock face again. Now the mountain really tests you to push it through. Every ounce of grit in the last corner of your body needs to be summoned and step by step, we pull this one off. Well, in my case, I was getting excited as I was about to reach the top, so I started hopping. It was chaotic, no doubt, but it had a grace in it. Pushing through, I reached the top. 

TIME: 07:12

At the Kabbalu - Original 

TOP:

The cool winds greeted me at the top. As the legend goes at this place, the mountain is made of 5 sub-hillocks and tests the hiker up. The vertical face (2nd stretch) is the true test. Many of them give up at this point. And once you reach the top, a sense of rejuvenation can be felt. And I can personally vouch for this, as you enter the top, there is a sense of calmness (provided there are no monkeys around - monkeys i'm referring to are not the actual ones, but humans shouting, putting loud music etc.,) 

Boots on ground

I first went the to original temple and waved a big "HELLO". Saying, i had heard the call and have responded. Thanking the mountain for making 2025 a good year. I winked and requested permission to kick some more ass in 2026, I made my way to the Shiva temple where I met a couple of old friends. 

The dogs who had accompanied me on earlier treks

As soon as they saw, one of them recognised me. The other well, simply plain, didn't care. I opened a pack of Parle-G I had carried, now both recognised me. Haha. Feeding the whole packets to both of them, I took a power nap at the top. 

Woke up and asked if they wanted some water. When both were okay, I decided to head back.

TIME: 07:45

A beautiful sun rose atop the summit

---

CLIMB DOWN: 

The climb down was a smooth one. It took me about 20-25min to get down. But with some interesting encounters. 

Two Boys: Both of them had not carried water, wearing Crocs, they looked defeated on the Viper stretch. Passed by them and gave my water bottle to them. 

Aunty stories: A family were making their way to the top, sat with them and heard some funny Shivagange stories from her. 

Aunty confidence: As I was almost out of the hillock, one aunty asked me how much further and she could make it. I told her to take it one step at a time and never quit. Continued to tell her, climbing back half way takes the same mental energy as pushing through and climbing down. We both looked at each other for a few seconds, she smiled. I wasn't sure if a tight slap was going follow. I said good luck and bye and ran away haha! 

Promise I will return to you :)

TIME: 08:15

RIDE 2: (Kabbaldurga – Channapatna - Bangalore)

As I made it to my bike, saw a lazy Ox yawning, and I yelled at it, saying the sun is already up. It stared at me nonchalantly, continuing to munch some dried hay. Hopped onto the bike and took off via Mysore Road. Right before entering Singarajpura, stopped and had one last look at the her and promised her a return and thanked her for the call. 

Get up lazy bum.

The ride back was smooth, I was on auto-mode following a KSRTC bus, where a small pingu like baby head popped and it was just staring at me. Not knowing what to do, I squinted - no reaction. I made a monkey face - no reaction, I waved at it - It waved back with the purest laughter :). Haha, a perfect end to the chapter, see you on the other side, fellas. 2026, we are not stopping the flow, buckle up! \m/

TIME: 10:30

Until next time, Cia \m/

Two companions

Ending 2025 on a High: 25,000+ views this December alone! A huge shoutout to every loaper who tuned in, shared a link, or sent a text. You guys are the fuel for the next 200 chapters. See you in 2026 at our new home: theloapers.com! \m/

25k views in Dec 2025 alone. Cheers to every loaper out there :)

"Young riders pick a destination, Old school pick a direction \m/."

⛰️ ESSENTIAL TREKS: THE LOAPERS ARCHIVES

Explore the full archive of solo guides, seasonal ascents, and fort history.

⬅️ 219. Huliyurdurga Trek ALL CHAPTERS ➡️

Huliyurdurga (Kumbhi Betta) Trek Guide: Routes, Distance, and Tips | Chap 219 (Dec 20, 2025)

• Place: Huliyurdurga trek
• Distance: 100kms x 2 = 200kms
• Directions: Bangalore > Nelamangala > Kunigal > Huliyur > Magadi > Bangalore
• Krew: Anwar (Bhai) > Karthik (Sp)
• Bikes: Pulsar
• Previous Visit: Pavagada Fort Trek
• Budget: Rs 225/head (Total: Petrol = 450/2)

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

Alright, this chapter was a total special one. When people are searching for good breakfast spots, we searched for a good spot to have a good breakfast, subtle but strong difference. Huliyurdurga is the smallest Navadurga. But don't be fooled by height, it offers 15-20 minutes of crazy climbing and total fun routes.

(Other navadurgas are; Savandurga, Makalidurga, Nandidurga, Channarayanadurga, Devarayanadurga, Kabbaladurga, Bhairavadurga & Huthridurga)

INTRO & PLAN:

After the marathon run to Madakasira and Pavagada in the past two weeks, the winter blitz was turning out great. With Bangalore's temperature dipping below 15 deg C, it was time for another cold, dark run. And Bhai always reliable, was on the confirmed list. Place? - Well, we had a few places in mind, but narrowed it down to Huliyurdurga as we felt it would be a good break from the long previous runs.

TIME: 13:00 (18/12/2025)

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

Yeah, I was up at 3AM. It was freezing cold. Did a few pushups and pullups to get the blood flowing, after which I got ready and went down and cleaned up the bike, and took her for a 10-15km ride in the darkness to warm her up as well, which felt comforting. After returning home, sat on the footpath waiting for Bhai. Once Bhai arrived, we left Bangalore. TIME: 05:15

RIDE 1: (Bangalore – Nelamangala - Kunigal - Huliyurdurga)

This was a 100km freezing cold fun ride. As we left Bangalore, the weather turned icy cold. We cruised at a decent pace to reach Nelamangala by this time, we could feel the blood flow slow down, and our hands had got really hard. We pulled over for some tea and found a nice spot to warm our hands.

After tea, things only got harder. The air turned absolutely chilly, dipping to 12 °C, and riding was getting challenging but fun. When I was shivering, heard Bhai singing his heart out, I couldn't even let a proper laugh out, a teeths were chattering in the cold. From old Kannada to modern Hindi to bhajans, Bhai was in flow, singing aloud. Once we reached Kunigal, we went a little ahead and took the deviation, asked Bhai if he was ok to skip breakfast and climb the mountain, he said ok, but needed to stop at a Banana farm. I was confused, but said ok.

We pulled over at a Banana farm, and Bhai jumped the fence and was pulling with all his might as the the leaves were frozen in the cold. Laughing at his exploits, without questioning, we carried further to reach the base of Huliyur. Parking our bikes safely, awakening the lizard's spirit, we were ready for the trek. TIME: 07:15

HULIYURDURGA TREK / KUMBHI BETTA TREK:

Well, it took us 15 minutes to ascend the hillock, Haha, yes, but the 15minutes was absolutely insane, giving this Navadurga its own special place in our hearts. The trek is crazy in the fact that it is very easy to get lost. Once you are lost, a guarantee 1hour puzzled exploration is guaranteed. The trail runs through steep rocky ridges, which have to be navigated with pinpoint precision, and the tricky part is that it has dried leaves scattered all over muddy, narrow paths. The point being, it gets slippery no matter how good your shoes are.

After squeezing through a narrow path, the trek opens to boulders. We felt natural here, but there is one tricky spot that makes this place special. It is tough but worth it. The falls on these stretches could be fatal but navigating them would lead you to the final stretch, which is a steep rock climb. We were on top in 15-20 minutes. TIME: 07:45

TOP:

We spent about 1hr at the top. As we reached the top, we could see the mist still prevailed on the town below. The sun was coming up, and we could feel the blood slowly picking up pace. As we sat down at a good viewpoint, admiring the view, Bhai started cleaning up the Banana leaves. I was whipped out two 2 boxes of Biryani, which he had prepared for the trek. I was seriously surprised and melted at the same time.

It had been about 11months since I had eaten a Biryani. And having it this way almost brought a tear to my eyes. It was very special, and I would stretch to say, the best breakfast of this entire year. With the air still cold, but the sun fighting, we started belting the awesome biryani :)

We dozed off after the biryani, allowing the sun to warm us as it rose. Felt so good to have biryani in our tummies, the sun pumping back life into the cold cadavers we had almost turned into during the rides. After having some water, we decided to head back down. TIME: 09:00

CLIMB DOWN:

The climb down took us hardly 15min. But had to be done cautiously as the terrain was steep and tricky owing to the dried leaves. Once we reached the town, we met the locals cleaning up their houses. They offered us some breakfast, we said, we had packed and had on top of the mountain :) TIME: 09:15

RIDE-2: (Huliyurdurga – Magadi - Bangalore)

This was a 100 km ride back via a different route. As we left Huliyurdurga, we looked at her one last time. Thanking her for allowing us to spend time and have a memorable breakfast. While riding back we took the Magadi route. The route goes via forests and is superb. But the roads to Bangalore have not yet been completed, so it was draining. We reached back home in 2 hours and chilled out at my place with some monk. TIME: 11:30

CONCLUSION:

“Had to be one of the off-beat chapters for sure. I guess even Huliyurdurga would have got confused. Pahadi Maggies, yes, we all have seen. But Pahadi home-made biryanis hit me differently! The short intense climb to stealing frozen banana leaves, and the sun pumping back life into our cold bodies, this trip felt special“

KREW

Bhai: Well, getting up before 3am to make biryani and make the trip a special one, what else can be said. Thank you chef Bhai. And yeah, continue singing next chapter, kept me disctracted from the cold :P

Sippy: Happy tummy, happy mind, almost dosed off while riding back, haha!

Until next time, Cheers & Cia \m/

"Young riders pick a destination, Old school pick a direction \m/."

⛰️ ESSENTIAL TREKS: THE LOAPERS ARCHIVES

Explore the full archive of solo guides, seasonal ascents, and fort history.

Pavagada Fort Trek Guide: 350 KM Winter Ride from Bangalore (The Ultimate Guide) | Chap 218 (Dec 13, 2025)

• Place: Pavagada Fort trek.
• Distance: 175 x 2 = 350kms.
• Directions: Bangalore > Dobbaspete > Koratgere > Madhugiri > Madakasira > Pavagada
• Krew: Anwar (Bhai), Karthik (Sippy)
• Bikes: Pulsar
• Previous Visit: Madakashira Trek.
• Budget: Rs 600/head (Total: Petrol = 850/2, Breakfast = 90/2, Lunch = 250/2)

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

Pavagada is a 600-year-old fort with 8 layers of fortifications. The trek as such is an easy one, but what makes this run challenging is the long ride to the place, then hiking up the mountain. It offers subtle lessons of planning your ride well and the ability to grind through a long day. But this chapter saw an insane morning fog ride, with visibility reduced to 10-15 feet, we crashed through hard! Let's go.

INTRO & PLAN:

As far as the planning goes, 2025 was in full swing. The past 11 weeks, we have rested for only 1 week and pulled off 10 trips. As 2026 was nearing, we had decided to treat December no differently than Oct / Nov. The plan was simple: after the completion of Madakasira last week, we stretched a little bit more and hit the 175km walk to Pavagada. Bhai was on the confirmed list, and the target was locked! TIME: 14:00 (10/12/2025)

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

Okay, I was up at 02:30 and was ready to head out. Then realised it was too early, did a few pushups and pullups to pass time. Then at 04:00, I went down, wiped my bike, spoke to it for a few minutes, then realised the air was really cold. So thought I would go for a small ride within the city before Bhai arrived. Went for a good 7-10km ride on the ORR, and by 5am, Bhai arrived and after a formal greeting, we decided to leave. TIME: 05:15

RIDE 1: (Dobbaspete – Madhugiri - Pavagada)

Alright, this has to be the craziest part of the trip without a doubt. As we left Bangalore, we realised the air was freezing. We zoomed out of the city in a jiffy;before the fog wrapped us up post-Nelamangala. The visibility had dropped down to 10-15feet, but we kept riding at a decent pace. It was very challenging, was damn fun. Hands had become numb, and as we spoke or even took in a breath, we could see mist coming out. Haha. Insane stuff it was. We pulled over at our regular idli stop, where the sweet couple started laughing at our state, hands stiff, shivering like crazy, they offered us idli and set up a small fire to warm us :) TIME: 06:45

Post breakfast, it was still cold, but the sun had eventually begun to win the battle fiercely. The air being cold and sunlight hitting our hands, it felt strangely good. We zoomed past Channarayana Durga to enter Madhugiri, promising her a visit soon, as Bhai had missed it, we refuelled the bike and rode ahead.

We passed by the Ratnagiri junction and Hosakere to zoom into Madakashira, the hillock, for some reason, looked more and more like a lion sitting peacefully. It is also called Simhagiri for this reason. Post Madakashira, it was an easy 20km ride to Pavagada. TIME:09:00

PAVAGADA FORT TREK:

1. ASCENSION:

Pavagada is famous for the "Shani" temple. As we entered the town, 1000's of people had flocked to the town. We asked locals for directions to the start of the trek and parked our bikes, and awakening the goat's spirit within us started the trek. The trek as such is very simple, straightforward steps until the top. The grass had been for the next generation of plants to come. The hillock looked black and charred towards the top, but it looked beautiful in its own way. The fort has 8 gateways and can be completed within 1hour. But treks like these, time should not be considered, as it offers a lot of exploratory opportunities, just go out there and have fun. TIME: 10:15

2. TOP:

The top of Pavagada was very peaceful as there were no other people present. The top has a complex layout, where the king used to reside. And the absolute summit has a lot of outposts for fending off enemies. We admired the beautiful town, which was completely buzzing with people from top and decided to crash and rest for 20-30 minutes as we had a long journey back. TIME: 10:45

3. DESCENSION:

The descent took us only 30 minutes, and it was non-stop. As we zoomed down, we met a priest at the temple. We smiled and were making our way down, he called us and gave us bananas and asked to ride safely back to Bangalore. These kind of tender moments uplifts us, humanity still exists. That genuine care for people whom you don't even know.

As we made down, a local was coming up, with a bag full of biscuits in his hands, he asked us if monkeys were present. I told him not to worry and requested him to carry a stick. He said the bag of biscuits was for the monkeys themselves. And these kind of moments makes us lose hope in humanity :P haha! Poor monkeys had shifted their base of operation to the top, as the hill was burnt, and the person was feeding them. We felt so humbled by these two encounters. TIME: 11:15

RIDE-2: (Pavagada-Madhugiri-Dobbaspete-Bangalore)

Now, here was the challenge: the last 175km, we had to space it well and take enough breaks. As we took off from Pavagada, we thanked the locals and the hillock for a wonderful trek. We zoomed in to reach Madakashira. Made sure, we took the right turn as 5-6roads converge at this town, we zoomed ahead to reach Medigeshi. We decided to take a small breather here.

Looking at Medigeshi, we smiled, remembering the ass-whooping we had received a few weeks back haha! We continued at a decent pace; by now the sun was up, and it was draining. We zoomed past Madhugiri to reach Kortagere. Here we pulled over at a standard stop to re-hydrate. After about 30-45min surgical sitting, we took off to reach Whity dhaba for well deserved lunch. Post the lunch we hit back the road hard and reached homes safely :) TIME:16:30

CONCLUSION:

“This trip was a wonderful one as it blended a good amount of riding and a decent trek. The morning fog element made this chapter a very memorable one. It was hard and fun at the same time, the right combination that we enjoy. And the two events on the hillock restored some amount of faith in humanity :) ”

KREW:

1. Bhai: The silent crusader waded through the entire ride without any complaints. Ready for any decisions. Had to wade through all the rubbish I was throwing at him haha:)

2. Sippy: Was actually surprised I could pull off the fog ride flawlessly, sometimes wonder whether all this travelling has woken a monster inside of me.

Until next time, Cia \m/

"Young riders pick a destination, Old school pick a direction \m/."

⛰️ ESSENTIAL TREKS: THE LOAPERS ARCHIVES

Explore the full archive of solo guides, seasonal ascents, and fort history.

⬅️217. Madakasira Fort Trek219. Huliyurdurga Trek ➡️

📸 Follow @theloapers_90

Madakasira Fort Trek Guide 🗻: Capturing the 500 year old fort hill of Andhra | Chap 217 (Dec 6, 2025)

Place: Madakasira Fort Trek

Distance: 150kms x 2 = 300kms

Directions: Bangalore > Dobbaspete > Madhugiri > Madakasira

Krew: Anwar (Sharief Bhai) > Karthik (Sp)

Bikes: Pulsar                                                                  

Previous Visit: Shivagange Trek

Budget: Rs 420/head (Total: Petrol = 600/2, Breakfast = 90/2, Lunch = 150/2)

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

Madakasira is part of Andhra Pradesh, lying about 150 km from Bangalore. This is a 500-year-old fort also known as Simhagiri, the fort of the lion. Our visit was a superb & peaceful one, as there was no one around, and we had the fort to ourselves. A 300km trek is no doubt draining, but worth it with this one. And during the ride back, a crazy incident with a sheep(🐑) occurred, it was funny and heart-warming! 

INTRO & PLAN:

With Bhai back in town, it was time to hit the roads again. It had been about 4 weeks since our epic Bhairavadurga trek.  Few treks will ever come close to that chapter, trust me on this one. So, anyway, the plan was simple, we had hit a few forts in the Dobbaspete direction, so the plan was to continue the assault one step at a time. 

TIME: 08:00 (5/12/2025)

ASSEMBLE & LEAVE:

Oh yeah, woke up at 03:00, did a few push-ups and sit-ups, had a sip of coffee and was all set to go. By 04:00, I was sitting outside on the road. At 05:15, Anwar arrived, and we took off from Bangalore. It had been a while since we headed out, so it felt good. The air was icy cold.

TIME: 05:15

RIDE 1: (Bangalore – Dobbaspete – Madhugiri – Madakasira Fort)

This was a 150km ride, broken down into three fragments. As we started the ride, it was really cold, but the joy of returning back on the road somehow overpowered or rather delayed, the sensation of how cold it truly was. We rode non-stop, chatting all the way, until post-dobbaspet to pull over at our regular Idli stop. 

TIME: 06:45

As we got off the bike, we realised the temperature, and we were shivering. Hands, owing to the cold, had completely hardened.  Dipping into the idlis felt really good. Having some tea, we set off. Waving a big "hi" to Channarayana Durga hillock outline, we continued to reach Madhugiri, to find her completely shrouded in fog, whew, what a sight it was! With 100km in the bag, we cruised into Andhra for 50km passing by the mighty Medigeshi Fort, bending our heads after the ass whooping we had got last visit, we entered the beautiful town of Madakasira, asking locals for the starting point, and with the ibex's spirit awake within us, we were READY!

TIME: 08:30

MADAKASIRA FORT TREK:

It took us about 45 minutes to ascend the fort. The weather was perfect, cool and dry. The fort has 7 gateways that lead to the summit. Not everybody makes it to the top of the fort, due to a technical stretch in the end. The trek can be divided into the following stages: Stairway to heaven, Boa’s belly and Final test

So, try keeping up with me on this one. Here goes:

i) Stairway to Heaven:

The initial stretch is pretty straightforward. A lot of well-laid ancient steps took us along a well-guided path until we spotted the stairs route right in the middle of two gigantic boulders, making it look like the stairway to heaven. This stretch is very easy and takes a matter of minutes to complete.

ii) Boa’s belly:

This is the core of the trek, the boa's belly. A lot of 90-degree turns, often, is misleading, well, I mean, that is the purpose of the construction that way as well. You wouldn't want to welcome enemies with a straight line red carpet. You can spot a lot of outposts and a Shiva temple at this stage. Knowing the lay of the land we dashed through this stretch as well. 

iii) Final tester:

Alright, ready for the last part? Once you are out of the boa fort, the summit is still pending. And this requires some skill to ascend, trust me. And the reason we call it Boa's fort will become evident once you ascend this part. As we got out of the fort,  we found ourselves with the ultimate challenge. Even though a steel rope had been placed, we had our doubts about where it was fastened to, so we did some free-style rock climbing to reach the top. And btw, the steel rope was fastened to a small tree, well, not very reliable, I would say

TIME: 09:30

TOP:

As we reached the top, the wind speed picked up. We reached the final mantap on the top and felt so rejuvenated. We rang the bell and declared the completion of the trek. As we sat there, the winds kept blowing at a scary pace, which was actually comforting in a way. We saw a few eagles flying below, we chuckled at it, saying, "We dare to go where eagles dare". 

Sitting atop, we discussed the upcoming trips and also the past trips. We had some water and felt really refreshed, as we were about to head back, we heard eagle sound, saw the eagles flying above us, it was like they had heard us and were mocking at us haha! 

TIME: 10:15

TREK DOWN:

Well, the trek down took us only 30 minutes, but it had a few intense moments. That is right, the two vertical rock faces. I made my way down first, wedging my feet between rock faces. Then Anwar came next with me as the safety net. After the final stretch, it was plain walking down the ancient well-laid steps to reach the town, where we had parked our bikes. Oh yeah, on our way back, we spotted a snake, but by the time we got our hands on it, it slipped away. Damn, maybe next time!

TIME: 10:45

RIDE 2: (Madakasira – Madhugiri – Dobbaspete– Bangalore)

This was a 150 km ride back home, and the ride felt really smooth. We had allowed the bike to come to life and guide us back. We sailed through smoothly and, more importantly, nonstop 75km until Kortagere, where we pulled over at our standard juice shop. After spending about an hour here, we headed out at 1pm.

As we left, a lorry with sheep was heading beside us. I have a habit of making faces or waving at the kids. So decided, why not try it with a sheep? I waved at it and smiled at it. And guess what it was responding to it with a loud Baah! We laughed our assess off, happy and surprised, we actually followed the truck for a good 10-15km, enjoying with our newfound friend on the road! :) 🐑

We rode flawlessly until Nelamangala, where we pulled over at Whity Dhaba for some light lunch. Then we proceeded to take the NICE road and enter back into the city.

TIME: 16:00

CONCLUSION:

“This place has a place of its own on the trek list. We would give a solid 4/5 any day. It is a fun climb. Give it a shot! With Bhai back to town, it was a refreshing long ride, 300km and trek to top it, feels draining, but with the right spirits, can be pulled off - take it anyway u want haha”

Until next time, Cia \m/

And last but not the least, here is eJ (our mascot) dealing with the Boa Fort 🔥

"Young riders pick a destination, Old school pick a direction \m/."

⛰️ ESSENTIAL TREKS: THE LOAPERS ARCHIVES

Explore the full archive of solo guides, seasonal ascents, and fort history.

⬅️ 216.Shivagange trek 218. Pavagada Fort Trek  ➡️

Follow us on Insta
📸 Follow @theloapers_90