Up The Serene Skandagiri Hills

Sunrise up the hill between the mist and clouds of early morning hours away from the bustling traffic, sound and lights of the city is a scenic bliss, in addendum a moderate 4km trek in the early morning hours is like a curry made exquisite with a perfect pinch of salt. The Skandagiri trek was in my bucket list from the time I landed in Bengaluru, when the Google photos did not suffice my craving for a beautiful sunrise, i badgered my friends into going for this trek, even though they huffed, puffed and did give me death stares all the way ultimately the enjoyed the most as we created a lot of memories.

The trek begins from the base point approximately at 4:00 am in the morning or according to the sunrise time, as it is a reserved area under Government of Karnataka, anyone willing to go for the same has to pre book tickets, which cost 250/- rupees per person exclusive of the GST through Karnataka Tourism website. There would be forest guard and guides who will give you information about the trek, the place. They encourage you, help you to climb up the hill and makes sure you see the sunrise at the correct time. You can book an outstation cab from Bengaluru if you do not have your own vehicle and reach the destination. I would not say 4Km up and down is a simple task especially for trekkers who are beginners. Therefore carry less weight up with just small water bottle, first aid kit and a small packet of biscuit if you are too hungry when you reach up there, but make sure to carry back the waste as the area is preserved and its our duty to protect the environment. Wear good shoes with good grip as there is no paved pathway, we have to go up and between big boulders and rocks. You will at times also have other friends to guide you that are the dogs who will wait and sit with you whenever you take a break. Last but not least make sure you book the tickets as they only allow around 2 batches of i assume 50 t0 100 people a day. Happy Trekking.