My Motivation

Mountains seem to bring me peace, and understand me. I learnt this in 2012 (in the summer break after 12th Class) when I first went to McLeodganj with a couple of crazy friends. It was for a "Mountaineering training & expedition" in the Atal Institute (ABVIMAS).

Since then, all that I think about during my free time is, where's my next hiking expedition. But since I left Delhi & moved back to Bangalore in 2017, going to the Himalayas wasn't like a weekend trip. I would have to plan months in advance and do longer trips.

So on an average day when my craving for mountains would increase, I started exploring smaller hills nearby. While they are no replacement to what you can find in the Himalayas, hikes in the Deccan Plateau (Bangalore <> Mysore <> Hoskote <> Tumkur <> Kanakpura belt) have a vibe of their own.

The exploration went on, and in no time, I had pretty much covered all of the hikes. I now keep this Google map list as a reference for anyone who asks me which hike & where.

An Average Hike Near Bangalore

The hikes here are nothing like Himalayas. Very different.

Here's what an average day looks like when you go Hiking: Takes 1-2 hours to drive to the location, 3-5 hours of total hike+chill time for a hike, typically 30-90 minutes climbing and 20-60 minutes coming back down, drive back, you'll probably have breakfast/lunch (brunch?) somewhere on your way back.

Here's what an average hike looks like: Good wind at the top, often sunny, sometimes with green cover. Top always comes with a 360 degree view of the entire rural belt of the Deccan Plateau, some agri patches, some houses, a ton of lakes, and most importantly, a groups of hills surrounding each one of them. Rarely you'll see some exotic birds or any animals (apart from dogs ofcourse).

The best part: Rarely are these hills in isolation and when you're at the top, and looking around, there's always 5-10 more hills -- which makes it so mesmerizing and exciting to keep looking around.

The worst part: Summers have been ridiculously hot lately, and some of the hikes have gotten too popular (I'm looking at you, Skandagiri, Savanadurga). I'm sorry if you're going for a hike where you're basically in a human queue all throughout the trek, oh God, please just rather go to the market and have some pizzas there. Why even go hiking.

But if you're still excited to explore around and go hiking, I'm sharing below a list of hikes. Before you go to the list:

1. Planning:

• Most of these require pre-booking (atleast 24 hours before). Check this govt. website to plan and go.
• Always carry a cap, water bottle, some dry fruits / protein bar.
• Wear shoes please.
• NO speakers or plastic please. (Respect the nature, and it'll respect you)
• Pictures are cool but watch your step carefully.

2. DIY Vs Organised:

I really love doing it DIY as these are not really some tough hikes but if you are alone or don't have a car/vehicle or are just starting out, don't worry. There's like bunch of trekking groups/companies that take enthusiasts by bus for the popular ones. Go with them (I haven't been through one ever so can't recommend but google should be helpful). Some related points:

• When you go in a bus group, you leave at 11pm saturday night and return on ~3pm sunday. When you do DIY, you can leave at 6am and be back at ~1-2pm.
• DIY gives room to play around but needs you to be more respectful & aware of the surroundings.
• The cost of DIY if you're 4 people in a car, ends up being around 1000ish per person (South Indian breakfast, hiking cost, fuel cost) but if you're fewer, then maybe 2-3k per person.
• I have done DIY using Uber/Ola rentals also. They work great and end up costing around the same ~1.5Kish but here, beware that if there's offroading, the drivers might get a bit pissed/worried. So always book SUVs if possible and tip the drivers for their effort (they can also often help with local communication in Kannada)

There was a time when I used to open up registrations on Airbnb for people to piggyback with me but it's not active anymore because I've been a bit occupied lately.

I genuinely hope this list helps you to get started in your exploration. If you have any queries that you think aren't answered already in the blog, feel free to message me on twitter or instagram.

Best for beginners:

1. Makalidurga

2. Antaragange Caves

3. Nijagala Betta

4. Handi gundi Betta

5. Skandagiri night trek

6. Kauravkunda betta

Moderate effort:

1. Kaiwara Hills

2. Ramadevara Betta

* Gives a wholesome view of Tumkur town!

Slightly long but super easy trek.

You definitely can’t miss this hill when you’re driving to Chikmagalur or Mangalore.

1. Channagiri Betta

2. Hurtidurga Betta

3. Savanadurga Hills (dry season)

4. Harihara Betta

Slightly challenging:

1. Chinaga Betta

2. Madhugiri Betta

3. Bilikal Rangswamy Betta

4. Savanadurga Hills (Monsoon)

Extended list:

1. Horagina betta

2. Devarayanadurga betta

3. Ramadevarabetta Vulture Sanctuary

Coming Soon:

I really want to add detailed reviews, pictures & tips for each of these. For now, you can try to look at my reviews on the google map listings that I shared. It should be a good start.

Looking for more?

Read my blog on treks in the Western Ghats.