Camping in Bangalore - Kaurava Kunda

Kaurava Kunda is the place for a small yet intriguing trek with unfamiliar path and steep ascent. The peak looks easy from the base but once you start trekking, it gets tougher as you go along and try to find the route to climb the hill which gets tricky as there are no specified routes to get to the top. There are uneven steps till temple but you have to figure out the way beyond the temple to get to the top. Being in Bangalore for over 2 years now, I always wanted to do camping and pitch the tent and stay on a hill for a night. And what better way to start a new year by doing something new and adventurous which adds a bit of thrill and uncertainty to it.

With the idea of trekking on a Saturday evening and figuring out if the place looks okay for camping at night, we started our preparations in the morning after having a filling breakfast at hotel udupi. We did some shopping to find a barbecue and other equipment required for the night. We had a 3 persons Quechua tent which could accompany 4 persons as we didn't have much luggage with us. We bought some snacks, chicken and marinated the chicken in the afternoon. We got ready and packed some bed sheets for the night and water bottles. We put on our shoes and left on our way at around 3 in the afternoon. After passing through Bangalore traffic and having a short coconut water break we were near to our destination. We could see a hill along the highway which looked an easy climb and were relieved that we would have enough time to pitch our tent by the time it gets dark and windy.

We took a diversion from the national highway and after a rough muddy road through a small village, we came to a halt as suggested by google maps. But it was a dead end. Upon asking for the directions, the villagers suggested us to park our vehicle there and climb from the backside of the village. We parked our vehicle and started climbing the steps and boy we underestimated the trek. The steps were uneven and the hill was steep with sun at its best and heavy backpacks on our backs, we were out of energy very early. We took a short break and drank some water having a look at the view. We could see some canals and the mining activities happening near the place. The village had roughly around 30 houses and the crops all around. We started again and this time we didn't stop till we reached the temple which was closed. After a bit of confusion, we decided to take the left turn and climbed a steep rock which didn't have much grip and was a bit slippery. After crossing the rock, we followed a path which took us a bit further and to the top. The view now was more wide with the never ending vehicles flowing on the highway and the nearby villages around chikkaballapur.

We continued on our way as per our instincts to find a place which was flat and muddy to pitch our tent. But it was almost steep and rocky all around. After what seemed like hours of climbing we found a spot which was surrounded by a hill from the behind and the view was refreshing. A quick lookout to our surroundings and we saw dried up bonfires and ashes which seemed like they were used for fire. And there were ample amounts of dried sticks and leaves to start the fire. A small part was muddy and looked good for camping and so we decided this was it. We kept our bags there and took a short break. Then we started unpacking the tent. We had done a quick tent setup the previous night so we knew the process and we set working on it. But it was a bit tough out in the nature with the wind and the uneven land. After some tough time with pinning down the nuts down the rocks and hard land we were at last set up our tent. We checked one last time if everything is all right and it looked perfect. We kept our bags inside the tent and decided to trek the hill behind us and come back before it gets dark.

The next part of the trekking was more tricky with boulders and slippery rocks and thick grass and thorns. After some trekking we came to a wide open flat area with hills all around. The view was spectacular with the sunset colours emerging from behind the hills. We couldn't spot the sunset because there was another hill to climb which seemed far and risky with the time we had to get back to our tent and bags. After exploring the place and some photographs we decided to get back to our tent and so we walked back. We settled near our tent and enjoyed the view we had in front of us. We decided to start the fire as it was getting cool and dark. It soon turned very dark and the sounds of insects from the trees around started to fill our heads. We had some snacks and sat near the fire awaiting for two more members who were supposed to join us for the night. We looked around to spot the moon and there was nothing to be seen in the sky. After a while, we could see a big light in the distance and thought what was it and for the first time we saw the moon rising with all its beauty. It was so colourful and round that we were awe struck with its elegance. Soon, the moon was up in the sky glowing and lightning the earth. As it was cold and windy we were using more sticks for fire and we didn't have many left. So, we decided to stop the fire and get into the tent for sometime. We went into our cosy tent to take some rest. Then came our other members with another gang who were there for camping as well accompanied by few dogs. We spoke with each others and the other gang decided to go above to the other hill for camping even further.

We four started the fire again and started doing the barbecue. We sat around the fire and enjoyed the delicious barbecue. After a while of eating, talking and laughing we decided to take some photographs. We had brought some marshmallows with an idea of having them by frying on the fire but it turned out to be a bad decision as they were so sweet and became sticky when we fried them. We spoke for sometime and enjoyed the night on the hill. We decided to get into the tent as it was getting chill and the fire was almost gone. We went inside our tent and slept off watching Manchester united game and other YouTube videos. After few hours of broken sleeps, barking dogs and chilled cold we woke up around 5 in the morning to the sounds of other people who were there for the morning trek. It was so cold outside with clouds hanging below the sky and our tent dripping water because of morning fog. We started the fire and walked around the area collecting some sticks and leaves. Thanks to the other gang who tried to do the same but didn't, we had access to all the sticks they left behind. After getting warmed up by the fire and listening to songs we were all set to watch the sunrise. But the clouds kept gathering and we started losing hope of our sunrise view. Just when we decided this was not ending well a small orangish light came beyond the clouds. I spotted the sun and we were all ecstatic when it was elegantly coming out of its nest. The view was spectacular with all the white clouds hanging around and the orange sun glowing above them. We enjoyed the sunrise and took some photographs. We spoke to another group who were there for the sunrise visit and they asked us about the camping and night stay. It was soon daylight and the hot sun was getting its hold on us.

We had some snacks and started packing our bags. We decided to disassemble the tent and started taking out the nuts which was dug the previous day. Expect a couple of them others came out instantly. We packed the tent and with bags on our bags we bid adieu and climbed down the hill. It was easy climbing down and we quickly came down to the place where we parked our bikes. We started the bikes and went on our way back to Bangalore with an adventurous camping experience and a wonderful start to the year 2020 hoping to make many more memories of such kind. We had breakfast near a small town called devanahalli and went on our way to home with an idea to come back again.

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Notes:

One of the less explored place in Bangalore.

Better to start trekking early morning and finish by 11 AM as the place gets warmed up quickly because of the rocks and there are very good chance of getting sun burnt.

There are couple of mountains behind the main hill which looks really unexplored and deep but also very interesting.

This place is good for camping and the villagers are helpful and welcome.

Don't litter. Don't throw plastic. Bring back waste and dump in the dustbin.

Be careful with the fire. Don't spread it. Be responsible. It's dry and fire can escalate quickly.

Don't make noise or play loud music in the night. There is a village and people nearby. Be grateful for free camping.

Enjoy the nature, experience the night and have fun.