INTRODUCTION – Makalidurga Trek and History
The Makalidurga trek with a maximum altitude of 1,117 metres is the perfect trek for beginners. This is an easy to moderate trek and is ideal when introducing children to the concept of hiking. The trek is located conveniently close to Bangalore city. It is around 60 kilometres from the city centre and is easily accessible by road. Unlike Savandurga, Makalidurga isn’t a granite monolith. Overall, the trek is an easy to moderate hike with beautiful views of forests and lakes surrounding the landscape.
On the summit of the trek, there is a fort in ruins along with an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Nandi. Legend has it that Markandeya Rishi performed penance for several years at this very location. It was also used as a granary in the late 19th century by Palegar ‘Makaliraya’ and was used by the Vijaynagara Empire to train soldiers and conduct warfare simulations.
GETTING TO MAKALIDURGA
From Bangalore, there are two ways you can get to the base of the trek.
BY ROAD – The first and most convenient way, if you have your own vehicle is by road. The road journey is a 60 km drive from Bangalore. You start by heading towards Yehlanka and hit the road heading to the airport. After turning off the Airport road you can head towards Doddaballapura. From Doddaballapura it’s a 20-minute drive. Searching for Makalidurga Parking on Google Maps will take you straight to the start point. The base of the trek has ample parking for all vehicles. At the base, you’d have to pay Rs. 50 as a parking fee.
BY RAIL – You can be more adventurous by taking a train to reach the base of the fort. The 56503 / Bengaluru Cantt. – Vijaywada Passenger, which departs from Bangalore at 7: 20 am and reaches Makalidurga by 8:49 am. As the hike is a short day hike, you can even come back by train. To return the same trains departs from Makalidurga at 2:05 pm and reaches Bangalore by 4:45 pm. The train that runs for the return journey is 56504 / Vijayawada – Bengaluru Cantt. Passenger.
FOREST PERMITS FOR THE MAKALIDURGA TREK
As in most of the treks around Bangalore, a permit must be procured from this site by the Karnataka Forest Department. All permits must be purchased online and will be checked by the forest guard at the start of the trek. The permits for adults cost Rs. 250 and Rs. 125 for children and students. We at Adventure-Pulse will be more than delighted to help you with the process. The Forest Permits also ensure that responsible people come hiking on this trail evident from the lack of garbage, water bottles and plastics waste. On our part , we also help as much as possible by clearing any loose garbage on the return journey.
MAKALIDURGA TREK – The Adventure Begins
Like I mentioned above, the trek is on the easier side and perfect for beginners. In fact, I have led Adventure Pulse groups where the youngest child was 5-6 years old. Running along the trail and scrambling over the boulders in order to reach the top of the hill so that you can explore an ancient fort with hidden caves, truly was an incredible adventure for them. At the end of the trek, they were so excited that one small boy said that it was like being in a movie looking for lost treasure.
From the parking, you cross the train tracks and reach the entry of the forest where you will meet the forest guard and have to show your permits. After entering your name, you follow the well-marked path. As soon as you start you’ll see a temple on your right. There are arrows on the path that will take you to the top. After continuing on the path you take a right at the forest department board. The trail’s gradient gradually starts to increase.
THE GUNDAMAGERE LAKE
The first section has a mild gradient and continues for around 20 minutes. This is up till you reach the first viewpoint, an opening in the trees from where you can see the Gundamagere Lake. This beautiful lake is formed by a check dam and has water for most parts of the year. One of the most unique features of this lake is that its shape distinctly resembles the continent of South Africa. You’ll get better views of the lake from the top of the fort.
THE CRUX OF THE CLIMB.
From the first viewpoint, the terrain changes from a gradual gradient with forests to a steeper gradient with lots of shrubs and grass. This is the crux of the climb. After hiking up this steep rocky terrain you’ll hit a rock face that can be climbed very easily. Just follow the arrows and this 5-metre rock face will be piece of cake. From there you can trek up for about 15 minutes to hit the second rest point, besides a large rock face. The trail meanders beside this large rock face, but if you’re feeling strong you can climb the second face with ease. After following the rock face, the terrain flattens revealing your final destination.
MAKALIDURGA FORT
The last part of the trek is pretty easy and should take another 20 minutes. Sticking to the arrows, you’ll hit one end of the ruined fort and get a clear view of the Gundamagere Lake and the entire valley below. If it’s a clear day, you can see for kilometres and see a hint of the curvature of the earth.
Reaching the top warrants for some celebratory sips of water. After reaching the top you can explore the ruins and walk to the other end where the temple is. The views from the top are truly mesmerizing.
THE RETURN
A total of 5 kilometres, the trek to the top and back should take close to 3 hours including a short picnic on the summit. I strongly advise setting up a meeting point and an ETD (estimated time of departure) from the top of the fort. This is crucial as in my experience, often people get carried away exploring the hidden trails of the fort and lose track of time. This becomes very difficult for people to start a search and extremely time-consuming
While making the journey back, be careful of the loose rocks. Though the upward journey is sometimes considered difficult, most accidents happen on the return leg, when tired legs trip over boulders and rocks causing a fall downhill which can be disastrous. You should avoid doing the trek, especially in heavy rainfall as the rocks can get slippery and the chances of getting injured increase. Also, make sure you carry ample water as there are no places to refill your water along the way.
A lovely weekend spent outdoors away from the noise and pollution of the city was perfect for my family and would therefore strongly recommend this beautiful refreshing getaway. If you wish to know more about the Makalidurga Trek, please feel free to leave your comments or questions and I will be happy to answer them. You can even contact us at [email protected] or on Facebook/ Instagram and we’d be delighted to help you out.
Happy Trails . . .
Very nicely captured… Good job