The hills of Hulukudi betta at sunset; I guarantee~ is enough to make a person lose sense of reality. It felt as though I was in another realm altogether. You can either take my word for it... or, find that out yourself. The choice is yours!
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Getting the sense of another realm at Hulukudi betta | treks from Bangalore
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Previous blog~ Channagiri hills trek : weekend workouts from Bangalore
Hulukudi betta trek highlights
Distance from Bangalore~ 70 km
Total Trek distance ~ 7 kms
Trek start point~ Doddaballapur village
Terrain~ rock-cut steps, boulders interspersed with greenery
A late start to a perfectly good day
It was almost noon. For some reason the busload of antakshari singing trek revellers, including me, were still seated inside our bus. The trek leads were nowhere in sight, so I continued chatting with a fellow trekker beside me. "I have been on many treks with this group, don't worry. I'm sure they have a plan." said the girl. "I hope they do." I replied.
Apparently, this was my first time to Hulukudi betta, and I hadn't bothered to research on it, so I just went along to see how it would turn out... just then some guys gave us a signal to get down, and we were directed to a restaurant nearby for refreshments and use of restrooms. So I had a hearty meal of chicken butter masala and naan.
The ascent to Hulukudi betta
Thereafter, we assembled at the base of the hill. "So, guys this is a crosstrek, meaning we will climb the hill from one side and descend from the opposite side", said our trek lead amidst an excited flurry in the background.
The ascent trail is the rugged side of the hill. It was about 1 pm, and we were walking through a field resplendent with greenery and some slush. Then we began the climb up.. I assure any challenges you may encounter lie on this side of the hill. My trekking experience had by now made me a footwork ninja and I thoroughly enjoyed the climb uphill, as my feet took on a mind of their own. I enjoyed the feel of small rounded rocks, tuffs of greenery and rough surface of the boulders. It was as if my entire being longed to trek.
Giving it a shot at bouldering
As the climb progressed, larger boulders could be seen, so we began scrambling over them, using our whole bodies to get over and in some cases a helping hand pulled us up. It was indeed adventurous and tiring at the same time.
At a patch of interesting boulders we stopped by for a session of bouldering. The boulders were quite big from 6' to almost 10', guys were seen strategically working a way to the top of the boulders and back to bottom. I gave it a shot too (with help of course) & came out successful with some scratches and bruises.
I have a fear of heights, but long to reach for the clouds ☁️
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| A 70° gradient slope at Hulukudi betta trek |
Then came a stretch with an almost 70° steep gradient slope. "NOT AGAIN" I screamed within. "I cannot do this 😭 please... I cried out!" A glimpse of KabbalaDurga~ my scariest trek flashed before my eyes. Meantime I could hear sounds of encouragement from above me, "C'mon you can do it, try". So holding on to my sense of balance, and taking advantage of the nice rough surface, I climbed quickly and crossed over the slope. But I was still terribly breathless like the others.
What I find astonishing is, even after so many treks~ many of which have high gradient slopes; I still haven't got over my fear of heights?! 😓 And that is sad, isn't it?
The evening sky in all its glory
From the point the boulders end, the landscape & skyline alter so dramatically, that it feels as if you might be in another realm altogether.
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An evening sky on the hills of Hulukudi betta, treks from Bangalore
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Guys got out their high-end camera 📸 to get the best shot. We walked through a field of wild grass-like vegetation till we finally got to the top of the hill.✌️
What awaits at the peak of Hulukudi betta
Hulukudi betta trek is more or less 'off the beaten track' as compared to Makalidurga and Nandi hills. Now, that I did appreciate and understand what the trek organisers had in mind~ was to :
witness the magic here at sunset
The evening sunlight was flirting with the sky in gay abandon. Much further near the horizon, we could see a sliver of rainbow 🌈 and rainfall but only to the farther end. It was truly magical.
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| A magical evening sky atop Hulukudi betta, treks from Bangalore |
views of the countryside and lakes
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| view of the surrounding countryside and lakes from atop Hulukudi betta hills, Doddaballapur |
Besides there are some fortifications just like the hill forts of Makalidurga and Uttari betta which I found interesting.
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| fortifications atop Hulukudi betta, treks from Bangalore |
Veerabhadra temple
The Veerabhadra temple located at the peak is popular with the local populace. It was past 6 pm now and the temple was shut. But we could see some portion of the periphery and a small rock pond around.
The descent
As daylight faded by and by; we needed to pick up pace. "C'mon guys let's get going", said a tour guide. We were climbing down the clear well-paved rock-cut steps that pilgrims take on their way up. Maintaining utmost silence as we passed by a bunch of beehives on the side rocks we climbed down cautiously, and then switched on our mobile torches as it got darker...
We were now to the bottom of the steps where our van was waiting...
The End of another successful trek from Bangalore 🎆
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