Skandagiri Trekking

Hi There, Hope you are doing good, me too! Skandagiri is also known as Kalavara Durga, is a mountain fortress located in the state of Karnataka. Skandagiri trekking is one of the beautiful treks through strenuous muddy terrains and bushes that are as rewarding as it is tiring. If you are planning for the Skandagiri trek, then this blog will help you a lot. Before I begin, have you read my last Blog Places To Visit In Munnar and Places To Visit In Ooty? If not, then go and read, I am sure those blogs will help you to explore stunning places in Ooty & Munnar.

If you live in Bangalore or nearby, then at least you should visit the Skandagiri trek once. Skandagiri trek is one that even beginners can go for, if you are trekking for the first time then this is going to be the perfect place for you.

SKANDAGIRI TREKKING OVERALL DISTANCE

It is approximately 75 Km from Bangalore City, and to reach here you need to take the Hyderabad highway from Bangalore. The overall distance can be covered within 2 hours on a bike or car.

Skandagiri trekking is an almost 4 Km one-way trek, which can be covered within 2:30 hours, depending on how skilled you are in hiking. At the point, from where the walk begins, there is a mutt, which is a Hindu religious center. Before you climb, you have to cover an unconstructed path between green bushes for almost half Km, then the fun begins.

BOOK A TICKET

You must have Forest Department permission and an online ticket from the Karnataka Eco-Tourism Board. The best part is, you can do night trek also otherwise, the early morning trek option is already there. Here is the website for registration: https://myecotrip.com/trailDetail/3/Skandagiri

Online booking is the only way for trekking over there. It cost you around Rs. 250/- per person, excluding Car/Bike parking. For children below 12 & students with their Id Card cost is around Rs. 150/- per person. You can choose the timing for the trek as per your convenience.

JOURNEY OVERVIEW

HOW TO BEGIN

At night you can enjoy a bonfire and camp (if you book a package) under the sky and in the morning you begin your journey since it is a relatively shorter trek and the trail is well-marked throughout the trek so finding your way to the top would be easy. As you won’t be getting any food or water essentials so it’s better to carry those with you in advance.

NETWORK ISSUE

You will be getting a network for almost all major operators like Airtel, Vodafone & Jio. The network may get weak sometimes but you won’t be facing any network issue throughout the trek for sure.

WHILE CLIMBING

The trek starts from Papagni Temple near the village of Kalwara and the first few minutes is a semi-dry trail between green bushes but soon after lush greenery begins. After walking through some dense foliage and tortuous climb, you will reach the fortress, but the fun has just started. At some point, you can see the destination point but it’s quite adventuring reaching out there. The view throughout is glorious and along the trail, walking among clouds here is an experience to relish.

SAFETY MEASURES FOR SKANDAGIRI TREKKING

The route is quite safe and no snake or animal attacks have been reported so far, but make sure not to wear shorts at all. If possible avoid trekking in monsoon, usually they won’t allow it. Do not take halt nearby bushes or shrubs. You’ll get ample places for sitting on rock and cliffs, where you can take a rest and take the pleasure of the breathtaking natural beauty.

DESTINATION POINT

The view of the rising sun from the misty clouds and the thick shade of greenery around makes it an unbelievable experience that you normally wouldn’t get with any other trekking trip around. That’s why most of the city people prefer to visit here and mostly you don’t get the ticket slot easily on weekends. Once you reach there you find an ancient temple at the peak point.

Again it’s a top view, so you can enjoy the 360 degrees of surrounding places. It’s so cold and refreshing out there, you’ll definitely forget your tiredness.

SAFETY & TRAVEL TIPS

Carry water bottles and stay hydrated.

Do not wear shorts at all with my personal experience.

Take a comfortable backpack for snacks and the first aid kit – just in case.

Carry a raincoat in monsoon and try not to get down while raining.

Wear good hiking shoes, which are made for trekking as it’s very slippery in some places.

Carry a torch if you are trekking in the night or early in the morning.

BEST TIME FOR SKANDAGIRI TREKKING

You can go trekking in any season but avoid monsoon or rainy because of slippery mud. The winter season from November to January is usually considered the best time for trekking, it gives you pleasant weather and a cool environment. Summer trek to Skandagiri is not that easy as you have that stamina to withstand the scorching summer heat of South India.

SKANDAGIRI TREKKING FACTS

Location: Chikkaballapura, Karnataka

Starting Point: Kalwara Village

End Point: Skandagiri Hilltop

Altitude: Approximately 1350 meters

Trek Time: 5 hours (both way)

Distance: 8kms (both way)

Starting time: 4:00 AM

Difficulty Level: Easy to moderate than unbelievable!

I hope this blog will give you some handy tips for the Skandagiri trek. I recently visited during the COVID situation after they have opened it for the public. Fortunately, everything was fine and just needed to follow some COVID rules, like maintaining social distance, wear a mask, and carry hand sanitizer.

Check out the complete Skandagiri trek Vlog from Bangalore – Overall Journey