View the Map of South America under the water body below :)
Difficulty: This one is slightly harder than the Nandi One and the Ramnagar betta treks.
Trivia: This is a Vijayanagar era fort as was used for training the soldiers. Post fall of Vijayanagar empire this was part of the Bijapur sultanate when it was captured by Shahji Maharaj (father of Shivaji Maharaj). The hill derives its name from the name of a feudral lord names Makaliraya who controlled it.
Legend has it that Rishi Markandeya performed penance at this place.
How to reach: The trek location is well connected by road and the Makalidurga railway station is very close to the trek. It is approx 60km from Bangalore and the road head is SH9. There is an entry fee of 250/- per head and NO NIGHT trekking is allowed anymore. You can pay for this online. If you forget to pay in advance you can do it at the venue. The network connectivity was good.
Legend has it that Rishi Markandeya performed penance at this place.
How to reach: The trek location is well connected by road and the Makalidurga railway station is very close to the trek. It is approx 60km from Bangalore and the road head is SH9. There is an entry fee of 250/- per head and NO NIGHT trekking is allowed anymore. You can pay for this online. If you forget to pay in advance you can do it at the venue. The network connectivity was good.
Season: Avoid during the rains as the ground and the rock can be a bit slippery. The best time should be between September to February. Also try to reach by 0600 to avoid the sun. You should start from Bangalore latest by 0430 hrs.
Plan: Carry water bottles and food (if you are planning to hang around on the top). There are no food shops at the top or nearby. Only a tender coconut vendor is there at the bottom but he too comes in at around 0900 am (only on Sat and Sun). There are Rhesus monkey troupes in the area so be careful. Normally they are busy with themselves.
The Trail:
Follow the directions from google. The road from SH9 to the base camp is dusty (kutcha road). Right before the railway tracks you might notice vehicles parked. You can park your vehicle there. Expect some local villagers trying to ask for a parking fee. Cross over the train tracks.
You may notice some forest rangers on the other side who will check for the entry tickets. Book online in case your forgot, they were cool about it. Follow the direction. It is straight ahead and then right. You will notice painted arrows which will lead you to the top. There are colored ribbons as well on the tree to mark the trail.
As you come closer to the summit of the hill you will notice the first watch tower of the fort to your left.
The small fort at the top is in ruins now. However you can see the 3-4 watch towers. Take a left from the stone with a marking as below (Durg stands for fort). There are 3 watch towers in succession.
You can also view the lake below which resembles the map of South America.
The is a natural rain water reservoir used for drinking water supply especially during a siege.
And then there is temple.
There is a Shiv ling and a Nandi statue inside as well.
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