Pandemic chronicles! Savandurga trek

 The Pandemic has changed our lives forever it seems. Locked up in the house for more than 5 months now, it felt like eternity by the time we could resume our normal way of living, socialising, travelling and doing things which we had loved the most.

And then on Sunday I was nibbled by the travel bug again and set out on a 75kms drive followed by a trek at Savandurga. Its India’s largest monolith hill, the entire structure is just one huge rock, the first sight of which makes us wonder about its formation. But Savandurga holds a surprise for us when we see green patches of bushes and trees amidst its rocky terrain.

The initial trail follows a mud path through some foliage with a light ascent till the base of the hill. The track ahead is famous for its challenging climb and amazing views of Magadi, Manchabele and Thippagondanahalli reservoirs and Arkavathi river, which stays with us for the entire trek. All it takes is just a head turn to get the panoramic views of nature. Like mirage in a dry desert, we can spot small pond kind bodies, but they are depressions of the hill where rainwater has accumulated over a time.

The path is not very easy to spot, so we looked for markings on the rocks and boulders to ensure the right track. In between took breaks to catch the breath and obviously turned around to enjoy the lush green expanse seen below. As the trail is primarily on granite rock, the shoes should have a good grip and flexibility.

Finally, after 1.5 hrs of steep ascent we reached the top where there is a Nandi shrine which is now primarily a slab for snacks/ drinks vendor. We settled down on a rock, took a deep breath of fresh cool air and started enjoying the wonderful view below.
The journey is extremely rewarding as the sight from the top is spectacular. Down below are lush green groves and parts of the Manchanabele and Thippagondanahalli reservoirs and in the horizon glimpses of the villages of Ramanagara and Magadi.
Closing the eyes and observing the sounds of nature, I felt the body getting comfortable and relaxed, preparing itself to descend. We spent almost 30 mins at the summit during which we were lucky to spot the Egyptian vultures gliding under the blue sky and discovered that these hills are home to some endangered long-billed and white-backed vultures.

The most challenging aspect of this trek is the descent which took almost another 1.5hrs. Since the hill is steep and is made of a single rock, walking down requires patience and awareness. Slipping and falling while descending can lead to serious injury, therefore must walk down slowly and carefully. The best way is to use the indentations in the rock while going down in case the shoes are slipping.

The best time to visit this place is now, but will have to start early else the bare rocks would be too hot and better to avoid monsoons as the slopes would be extremely slippery making the trek very risky, carry good amount of water to keep hydrating and some snacks as you are sure to get hunger pranks amidst the hike. We started at 5 from Bangalore and the trek at 7 in the morning and unlike the normal times, it was not at all crowded and that made the hike even more exciting.

Driving back home after such a stimulating jaunt, I remembered the words of Murakami ‘And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure, whether the storm is over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about.’
It just resonated what I was feeling about coming out of long isolation life that the pandemic imposed on us, to the tough but exhilarating trek that was accomplished.