THE GRAND TN EXPEDITION 🗺️:
The Grand TN Expedition is an ongoing, non-stop trekking campaign launched in October 2025 to explore the rugged hill fortresses and remote peaks across Tamil Nadu. Driven by an old-school approach that involves early departure, no Google Maps, and raw terrain reading, this entire conquest is carving a new side into all of us.
The GTN is something that means a lot to us. Officially, it launched on Oct 12, 2025, as the first trek of a record-breaking streak from Bangalore. But its true form emerged on Feb 7, 2026, during the Anchetty Durgam chapter. During this chapter, we had to pivot 180 degrees and play the "Scoop Shot" from Tumkur Road into Hosur Road, and we got a glimpse of the true self of the GTN expedition :)
Then came a series of hillocks, marked on a hand-drawn map, one mightier than the other, testing our will, making us sweat and making us bleed. The GTN is one of the richest circuits done to date. It truly shapes one's character in profound ways!
If you ask me four things that I always look forward to in the GTN, these are them:
i. Local food and Hospitality: Breakfast of TN is something more than food. It is an experience. The parental care and comfort they offer along with the breakfast, is stuff from mythical books.
ii. Communication: Even though we suck at speaking Tamil, watching movies, we try to communicate; that effort is enough for them to open the floodgates of love and care. Simply beautiful. No algorithm based navigation will bless you for your treks, it has to be via human connect :)
iii. The HIT: Each hillock hits you differently, in terms of view, the climb, the trails, the technicality involved or simply the people you meet. Every hillock is different, and the impact is deep!
iv. Bhai's company: If it wasn't for such a company, then this wouldn't have been possible. From easy trails to a fight for survival, Bhai's constant company has ensured this expedition is one of the most successful ones carried out to date.
Without further ado, here are the treks to cover on the GTN expedition, LET'S GO \m/ (you can click on the photo or on the main heading to go to the full story)
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| Rayakottai Fort Trek |
1. Rayakottai Fort Trek - 100km (Easy)
This was a banger of a trek to start the GTN expedition. And moreover the streak that we had never seen. Bhai was vetted into our group after a 5-month interview haha. And when he turned up on Oct 12, 2025, it was pure, unadulterated love for the hillocks. The trail is smooth, and the climb is easy. What struck us and shook us the most was a 71-year-old waiting for us at the base of the hill to guide us. He had old magazines and maps of the place. He did the trek effortlessly with us; was this a message? Was this our future - we never know; time will tell :)
Overall - 7/10 ; Technical - 2/10 ; Summit View - 8/10 ; Endurance - 5/10 ; Exploration - 8/10
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| Anchetty Durgam Trek |
2. Anchetty Durgam Trek - 65km (V. Easy)
We had initially planned a trek in Karnataka. Then Bhai's bike broke down, and we had to pull the famous "Scoop shot", which pivoted our attention from our usual routes, and we actually tapped into a new nerve - The TN route. And boy, did this work out well for us. Anchetty Durgam is hardly a 15-20 minute climb, but the view it offers is mind-blowing. Vast landscapes, trains passing by, the dead silence of the peak. It was something we had never experienced. Bhai asking which hill we were on, after reaching the summit has to be the highlight of this trip :)
Overall - 7/10 ; Technical - 1/10 ; Summit View - 9/10 ; Endurance - 1/10 ; Exploration - 6/10
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| Ratnagiri Fort Trek |
3. Ratnagiri Fort Trek - 65km (Easy)
Ratnagiri Fort trek is when we put in some serious thought about converting the whole thing into a non-stop expedition in Apr 2026. We had marked a few undone hillocks along the route, and we became serious. And we pulled this one off, and it did not disappoint. A small hill with some technicality, which allowed us to flex our skills. This is not to be confused with the Ratnagiri Fort in Andhra, which we had done multiple times. We in fact placed those wishing stones and wrote in the blog to wish us luck on the GTN expedition here :)
Overall - 7/10 ; Technical - 5/10 ; Summit View - 7/10 ; Endurance - 5/10 ; Exploration - 8/10 ;
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| Udedurgam Fort Trek |
4. Udedurgam Fort Trek - 75km (Easy)
Things took a wild turn with the trek. The trail is easy and runs through forests; we spotted a wild gaur on a trek trail for the first time. And we ran after it with sticks. It was absolute madness. This trek cemented our thoughts about the GTN expedition. It hit us so deeply that we decided to explore more of Tamil Nadu with this one. What made this special was that Bhai had prepared biryani, and we sat on top of the mountain overlooking the forest below and had one of the best meals till date :)
Overall - 8/10 ; Technical - 5/10 ; Summit View - 8/10 ; Endurance - 5/10 ; Exploration - 7/10
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| Mallapadi Fort Trek |
5. Mallapadi Fort Trek - 135km (Moderate)
Well, Mallapadi is a hillock that introduced us to the wild side of GTN. I was half deaf; my right ear wasn't functional while pulling this off. 5-6 peacocks welcomed us to the hill. There is a Hanuman Temple at the midway point, and the trail is clear until here. Then the chaos descended on us like a hammer. Thorny, thick bushes engulfed us and ripped my pants to shreds, making me look like the highest certified beggar of the region. And this is also the first time we came across a rock face similar to that one on Easter Island called Moai. It was a strange, spooky and crazy climb :)
Overall - 8/10 ; Technical - 7/10 ; Summit View - 7/10 ; Endurance - 7/10 ; Exploration - 8/10
6. Jagadevi Fort Trek - 110km (Moderate)
Jagadevi hit us hard. It was not the climb, but the emotional arc of this chapter that got to us. As we began our trek, we could hear painful cries from the trail. Fearing the worst of scenarios, we build courage and held and knife and ventured. And what we found was a lost pup. The pup followed us to the summit. There were instances where we had to carry it like a baby across boulders where it was not experienced enough to make it across. During the descent, we took a hard call to allow it to figure it out, and it did. We intentionally didn't see it, and it was heart-breaking, but the pup learnt its way around the rocks on the way back. The goodbye was very emotional, and I shed tears while writing the blog of this one.
Overall - 8/10 ; Technical - 7/10 ; Summit View - 7/10 ; Endurance - 8/10 ; Exploration - 9/10
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| Thattakal Fort Trek |
7. Thattakal Fort Trek - 125km (Difficult)
Thattakal hit us deep and shook us to the core. We call it the "BOSS hill" of this region. It's the absolute bad-ass hill of the region. Zero trails and a 2- 3 hr grind through thick forest infested with thorns. It was not at all about the physical grind. It was more about the mental calmness we could keep on this one. At one point, we were not sure if we would return. And after some more time, we were sitting in the middle of the forest, calmly taking breaks. This set a new benchmark in terms of mental toughness required. I wrote the article about Thattakal with 18 thorns embedded all over my body. A true grinder. Loved it the most \m/
Overall - 10/10 ; Technical - 10/10 ; Summit View - 10/10 ; Endurance - 10/10 ; Exploration - 11/10
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| Ankushagiri Fort Trek |
8. Ankushagiri Fort Trek - 80km (Easy)
Ankushagiri Fort is a very peaceful climb with clear trails. The trek starts at the Thimmarayaswamy temple, which is the home god of many people in and around Hosur. Many people visit the temple on weekends. But not many people pursue the hill climb. On Saturday, you can expect large crowds at the temple, but the hill remains deeply and the summit view is amazing. A real serene climb :)
Overall - 7/10 ; Technical - 4/10 ; Summit View - 8/10 ; Endurance - 5/10 ; Exploration - 7/10
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| Periyamalai Fort Trek |
9. Periyamalai Fort Trek - 80km (Moderate)
Periyamalai is unmistakably the most beautiful climb of GTN. The hill can be spotted from any side of Krishnagiri, and it looks menacing. But the climb turned out to be one of the most beautiful ones. It was done on my b'day and on a weekday. We were joined by a white hyper dog - Uzi. And I swear, she proved to be the best guide ever. Even though trails are quite clear, it requires some level of endurance to pull this one off :)
Overall - 10/10 ; Technical - 7/10 ; Summit View - 11/10 ; Endurance - 10/10 ; Exploration - 7/10
10. Virabhadra Fort Trek - 110km (Easy)
Virabhadra Fort trek turned out to be our first monsoon trek. It drizzled throughout, and we had to cautiously navigate the rock surfaces. The trails at this place is clear and really good. However, what hit us hard during this run was the horizontal rain showers that we experienced for the first time on the summit, and chowing down on some Pahadi maggie prepared by Chef Bhai using chopsticks at a stone mantap on the summit :)
Overall - 8/10 ; Technical - 7/10 ; Summit View - 9/10 ; Endurance - 7/10 ; Exploration - 8/10
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| Maharajakadai Fort Trek. |
11. Maharajakadai Fort Trek - 125km (Moderate)
Well, this one hit us hard. We had vastly underestimated the scale of this climb. And it is a gruelling endurance test. To start off, it has high-voltage wires to keep elephants away. Yeah, it is an elephant corridor. The climb, per se, is a grinder for sure. It kept coming and coming, truly shaking and testing our core endurance. What really hit us hard on this chapter was the breakfast scene, where the hotel aunty fought with a guy defending us haha :)
Overall - 9/10 ; Technical - 7/10 ; Summit View - 6/10 ; Endurance - 11/10 ; Exploration - 7/10
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| Musattu Malai Trek |
12. Musattu Malai Trek - 110km (Easy / Moderate)
Well, Musattu Malai is one of the most cherished chapters of this GTN for two reasons. Rama returned for this one, and he is a walking encyclopedia of plants. He got in a layer, which really made us take the climb from a totally different perspective. And the view from Musattu Malai is absolutely stunning. One can see all the significant Krishnagiri peaks from here. Also, Musattu Malai has two routes; based on the weather and risk appetite, one can choose :)
Overall - 9/10 ; Technical - 5/10 ; Summit View - 10/10 ; Endurance - 7/10 ; Exploration - 10/10
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| Saanarappan Malai Trek |
13. Saanarappan Malai Trek - 120km (Moderate)
Well, this was a totally offbeat hill, located just behind Jagadevi. Not having much info on this hill, we decided to tackle it with a four-member crew of different climbing styles. The trek proved to be rewarding. And once the trail starts, it is well-marked, pleasant, and really beautiful. A grinder in terms of endurance for sure :)
Overall - 9/10 ; Technical - 7/10 ; Summit View - 8/10 ; Endurance - 8/10 ; Exploration - 9/10
14. Sanjeevarayan Malai Trek - 125km (Moderate)
This was another back-to-back, offbeat hillock we hit on the GTN. And this we pulled on an empty stomach. The trail is well marked, and the hill seems short until we began the trek. And the trail kept coming, like "Draupadi's saree," and boy, did it beat us up good. But it was totally worth it after reaching the summit. The view is just mind-blowing. And it is one of the few hillocks that we have seen dedicated to Hanuman.
Overall - 9/10 ; Technical - 6/10 ; Summit View - 11/10 ; Endurance - 11/10 ; Exploration - 8/10
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| Arulagiri Fort Trek |
15. Arulagiri Fort Trek - 110km (Easy)
This is the strangest-shaped hill climb done in the GTN. With absolutely no info on Google, we just went like old pirates and explored this one. This hill ascent takes only 15 minutes, but what we did was over an hour of exploration trying to find the 3000 year old ancient human settlements. Sitting in the same cavities where our ancestors sat, overlooking the same horizon, watching for the same predators from the forest, hit us pretty deep on this one :)
Overall - 7/10 ; Technical - 2/10 ; Summit View - 6/10 ; Endurance - 5/10 ; Exploration - 11/10
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| Mookanur Malai Trek in Tamil Nadu |
16. Mookanur Malai Trek - 175km (Difficult)
This is one hill that destroyed us completely. We were left with 20+ thorns all over the body, bleeding, pants ripped open. This is a massive forest range with the summit reaching almost the skies. And one wrong turn, like we did, left us stranded, fighting the elements of the forest. The dehydration levels will be off the charts, so please carry enough water and take the easier route for this one.
Overall - 10/10 ; Technical - 10/10 ; Summit View - 10/10 ; Endurance - 11/10 ; Exploration - 11/10
Well, we have marked around 15-20 more hills in this region, so yeah, keep an eye on this page for regular updates. And wish us luck on the Grand TN expedition :)
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| Wish us luck on the GTN expedition :) |
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