Shivagange Trek Oct 2009

Shivagange: A Day of Detours, Bouldering, and Shoe Emergencies

Our Shivagange adventure began with our departure from Majestic at 7:30 AM. By public vote, we decided to grab breakfast in Dobbospet or somewhere near Shivagange itself. The journey was uneventful, and given that some new faces were with us, I skipped the usual briefing (plus, I didn't know much about Shivagange's routes myself!). We spotted the turn-off for Shivagange, but hunger won, so we drove another 6 km down Tumkur Road to Kamat. Breakfast was the usual idly and vada, with tea/coffee. We also parcelled tomato rice for lunch. Despite my complaints to Sree about the delay, we finally left the hotel by 10:15 AM and reached Shivagange by 10:40 AM.

With our stomachs full, Amruth and I decided to ask around for an alternate trek route to the summit, as the normal path was predictably crowded on a Sunday. Luckily, a vegetable shop owner pointed us to another way. And so, our trek officially began at 10:45 AM.

We ascended the magnificent mountain, taking countless photos, especially of the beautiful boulders – a clear indication this is a good spot for rock climbers and bouldering enthusiasts (though Bangalore boasts even better locations). Then came the unfortunate moment: Sree's water bottle rolled down the slope. Thinking I could retrieve it before it hit ground zero, I managed to grab it, but at the cost of my left shoe's sole, which detached completely! My heart sank; I thought my trek was over right there. A massive, indescribable thank you goes to Suresh, who lent me his awesome Woodland sandals, saving my day. Content, I didn't dwell on it much. After asking a local, we learned that our current "alternate" route didn't actually lead to the top (unless you could swim through mush and sand!). So, down we went, ready to try another climb.

After some mild trekking downwards, we intercepted the normal route. We then "cut" the route, forging a new, steeper path upwards, which turned out to be a fantastic decision, leading us to a good, steep hill face. Driven by an "unquestionable desire" to free climb, Sree, Ganesh, Amruth, Suresh, and I formed a second team. Sree, an excellent climber, managed to reach the very top of this section. I climbed the first phase but hesitated to proceed further without a belay or rope. Thanks to teamwork and a little help from Sree, we all managed to conquer this section. This daring move significantly cut down our distance! We soon reached the famous "Shivagange point," where you try your luck at touching water by putting your hand into a hole in the ground. We waited a bit for the others to catch up, as they had overshot our new route. After a visit to the temple, all ten of us except Vanathi managed to touch the elusive water! Following the temple visit, we started our climb to the absolute summit. This was a pretty difficult ascent, though steps and railings were present almost all the way.

We finally reached the very top at 2:15 PM. After spending some time enjoying the views, we decided to take a slightly unused, but fun, way down. We attempted to set up camp for lunch, but the monkeys proved too troublesome. So, we decided to descend further. On the way, Amruth, Sree, and I were in the lead. After some deliberation, Amruth made the right call: it was time to eat! We had our packed tomato rice just outside the Antaragange temple. Once done, we made our way back to the van, taking the normal route down. We reached the base by 4:30 PM.

From there, not much else happened, save for a brief "debriefing" and some fun banter in the van on the way back to Bangalore. I reached home by 7:00 PM. It was truly a wonderful day's outing. Oh, and about my torn shoe: I managed to tie the laces around it to create a makeshift cast, getting me home! Definitely time for a new, good pair of shoes.