We were planning to have very short trip which includes trek nearby Bangaluru and we finally choose Anthargange night trekking. This place is about 70km from Bangaluru and famous for a temple situated on a mountain, sandstone rocks and many of the caves around. Many people visit this place for an earthly experience of night trekking and caves exploration and so did we!!
Happy Birthday Nachiket 🙂
It was Friday night after tiring week at work. Gautham and Krishna were the first to board in vehicle from Marathhali. Then they picked up Anand, Darshal, Ronak, Vashist, Bharat, Peeyush, Nachiket, Myself, Sudha, Richa, Anuj, Akshay, Abhishek, Manoj and Sainath. By the time we reached at Indiaranagar for last pickup it was around 1:20 AM. And guess what? It was Nachiket’s birthday.
Birthday Boy
We celebrated his birthday on the footpath. Thanks to Abhishek and Akshay for arranging this surprise and totally amazing roadside birthday celebration. Then we all boarded the vehicle and almost everything was silent except a fairly average music system of our vehicle. It was around an hour journey and most of us were almost either silent or sleeping. We reached at the venue and all of us packed our bags with food, fruits and water bottles after getting down from the vehicle.
Celebration on Road Foot Path 😉
Initial part of the trek route (which is not actually a trek but a way to temple) was very well build, with wider steps which leads you to famous temple. We easily reached to the temple with the help of LED torch lights :). Two or three among us went to behind the temple to check whether there was any proper trek path to go further up or not. Fortunately, a path was there and we started night trekking on the slippery granite stones. From there onwards the trek path was having very small but clearly visible footsteps marked on sand stones and passing through small forests. The trek was moderate and within an hour we reached a place where we found level surface surrounded by rocky hills formed of sand stones. It was very heavy and cool wind blew there (I am still having a cold gifted by wind!! 🙂 ) We had planned a camp fire and so few of us went to collect tinder and dry sticks. Due to stormy wind it was very difficult to put fire without help of flammable liquid like petrol. Fortunately we did take petrol in a bottle and we were able to set fire after few trials. While we were camp-firing and having biscuits and fruits, Abhishek and Sainath went to explore nearby cave and came back.
Organizers : Akshay & Abhishek
On the way to peak
Bonfire
Group at Bonfire activity
Bharat and Peeyush having experience of cool wind
Now we were ready to start most exciting and interesting part of the trekking, which was cave exploration. The caves here are very narrow and naturally formatted. Moving inside the cave was a bit difficult though we all managed with help of each-others. At first site, the cave seemed like someone did put a flat bottom surfaced heavy carbonite rock with help of two equally sized sand-stone support acting as two columns. I was very curious to know about how they would have been naturally formatted. We enjoyed a lot inside that cave and clicked some memorable pics and came out. This cave exploration was joyful and an enjoyable adventure as moving inside and coming out form cave was like moving slowly, laboriously as in prone position. It will remind you your childhood days where you loved to walk around the home on your hands and knees.
Me at Cave Entrance, Passing through Very Tight Space Between Rocks
Akshay & Vashist, Sliding in Cave like Prone
Cave Stones
By the time we came out form caves a foggy and peaceful morning was welcoming us. We decided to explore the sandstone hills around us and to be at peak for a sunrise view. Trail to that peak was not at all proper trekking path though it was reachable by passing over groups of randomized positioned granite boulder having size of my office cubical at least. What you need to do is just: either jump over stones or crawl over sheer rocks. When you jump over stone just be careful not to fall in the gap between the two rocks which was almost deeper than 10 feet!! We moved forward slowly in an adventurous way to the peak where we can see the sunrise and then be there for some time. After that, everyone took different ways to back as it was not comfortable enough to be back on the same way by which we came up.
Amazing Early Morning View of Kolar Town from Peak
Me and Anuj Jiju in front of Street Lights of Kolar Town
Sun just saying Hello 🙂
Sun rising slowly
Ohh..It is saying Good Morning to the World
We all gathered at level surface and started out journey back to the temple. It was a very cool experience to trek downstream in early morning. We cancelled our plan to take rest at temple because of lots of monkeys. We came downstairs and we found a view point on right side of footsteps just before to temple gate. We went there and took rest for few minutes. It had stone benches with grilled surrounding edges and gave an exceptional views of the stones sited on mountain hill.
Taking Rest at Sunrise Viewpoint (from left to right) Peeyush, Manoj, Richa and Anuj
On the way Back to Home !!
Viewpoint Near Starting point of trek to see beautiful stone placement over hill
Group at viewpoint
Natural view of Anthargange Hills
Greenery around Mountains
Finally we all gathered at our vehicle and came back to Bengaluru again by 10 AM. It was a short yet complete journey which will be memorized forever and ever. Thanks to all who participated and made it enjoyable. 😀
