Makalidurga Trek (Makli)

Makalidurga: An Uncharted Ascent 

I left home at 7:30 AM, heading to Majestic to catch our Tempo Traveller, which was collecting others from Marathahalli. Our destination was Makalidurga, a 1350-meter hill situated near Doddaballapur, about 15 km from Ghati Subramanya and 30 km from Nandi Hills. We finally set off around 8:00 AM, stopping for breakfast at a hotel on the New Airport Road just after Hebbal. After the usual idly and vada, we were back on the road by 9:00 AM, a bit late, but eager to start. Our team consisted of seven: Sagarika, Suresh, Vanati, Arul, Deepak, Atma, and myself.

After packing lunch in Doddaballapur and a bit of searching for directions, we finally reached the railway track crossing. Following a quick briefing, our trek began! The first challenge was crawling through a small tunnel under the railway track. From there, we started our ascent. This was new territory for all of us, and instead of taking the known path, we decided to forge our own route. This involved literally cutting through plants with sticks and battling tall, dry, thorny grass. Emerging without a single scratch or poke was simply impossible! Our ascent was slow as we constantly debated which direction would lead us to the summit.

We climbed, backtracked, made decisions, and pushed onward until we reached a point where we had to pause to figure out where and how to go next. Suddenly, a train rumbled by below – an awesome spectacle, looking like a toy train on a toy track. It reminded me of Hot Wheels! Sagarika, Suresh, and I decided to explore while others enjoyed the serene views of the valley down below. So we split off, exploring different directions to find a way up. Sagarika and I found ourselves facing a near-vertical mountain face, about 5-8 stories high, roughly 75 degrees steep. It clearly required rock climbing skills. Sagarika and I attempted a short climb, but after a quick discussion, we wisely decided against risking it. Without ropes or proper equipment, and with others in our group (Deepak and Atma) having no rock climbing experience, turning back was the prudent choice. No peak for us this time! But it was a valuable lesson in teamwork and knowing when to prioritize safety.

For our descent, we could either retrace our thorny, off-trail ascent or find a new way down. Since we hadn't taken the usual route, there was no clear path. Around 1:30 PM, we stopped for lunch – delicious lemon rice and pulav. After refueling, we began our descent, reaching the base by 3:30 PM. A debriefing followed, and of course, a session of pulling out about a hundred thorns from my legs!

With daylight still on our side, we decided to head to Nandi Hills, reaching there by 4:30 PM. After spending some time enjoying the views, we started our journey back home, arriving by 8:30 PM. It took me over a week to write this treklog, a rare delay! Oh, I almost forgot – before the trek began, while we were enquiring about directions to Makalidurga, there was a lake where some of the others cooled their legs, a nice refreshing break before the adventure truly started.