Chinaga Betta; it is a hill that is located in the Tumkuru district and is roughly around 80kms from Bangalore. It is located close to the bigger and more famous Devarayanadurga. We were three families who had been looking to go for a trek as a group for a while. After several abandoned plans, we finally made it; we went climbing Chinaga Betta.

The trek was to start near Swandenahalli. So we drove off in two cars from home. We decided to stop over for breakfast enroute on the national highway. Our first stop after breakfast was an unplanned one. It was a lake just before Swandenahalli. The lake was overflowing given the rains in the past days. This had caused a section of the main road to be submerged. Thankfully it was not deep and the road was motorable, though it did take some faith to drive through as I could not see road under the water for a bit 🙂 . Our car had reached first. While we waited for the second car, we decided to look around and take some pictures.

Once the second car reached, we headed on. Soon we reached the forest check-post.

Here they checked the booking that we had made. From this point on, the road got worse. Soon we came to point where we could see others had parked. So we too parked our cars there. And our trek began officially 🙂 . Here is a group photo before we commenced:

We began our walk. It started with an easy incline. Away from the city’s concrete jungle and busy streets, it was nice to be walking on a path that had tree cover on both sides, and the only sounds were that of nature.

Soon we reached the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple. Here is what it looks like.

Till this point we had not yet started the steep climb onto the hill. Back on the path we headed towards the base of hill. Just before we reached it, there was a small temple.

After this, the climb started 🙂 . And it was a pretty steep climb almost immediately after. It was through an open forest and rocky terrain. Here are some images from the section:

We finally came to a flat section of the trek. It was a great place to take in the views and take rest for a bit. The weather was brilliant with cloud cover and cool breeze. There was even some cloud cover atop the hill top. It was however humid given the recent rains. Here are some pictures from the area:

10 minutes or so later we decided to make the final ascent to conquer the betta (hill) 🙂 . To get to the base of the top most rocky formation involved squeezing in between two large boulders. Here is me just about managing to squeeze through 😀 :

Now getting atop the highest point was something of a dance. The large boulder had small grooves chipped onto its vertical face. It was just enough to put ones foot or hand. There was also an iron bar that was inserted into the rock at one place. So it involved using both of these elements to climb up on top. It was almost like rock climbing. A few of us decided to go ahead and do it. The views from the top were just brilliant. Here are some photos:

Getting back down from the topmost rock was really tricky. There was a specific technique for it. Thankfully we had a local guide who gave us instructions on how to do so.

Back on the flat section, it was time to take in the feeling of having climbed the betta and to celebrate. We jumped for joy literally 😉

The trek down to base of the hill was not difficult. But it had to be done carefully. Here are some pictures from the downhill trek:

Here are a couple of photos that I took from the main temple at the base before we headed back to our cars:

Once in our cars, it was time to head back home after a wonderful experience on the trek.

Recommendations

Here are some things to keep in mind if you are considering doing the trek:

  • The trek from the base to the hilltop and back is around 5kms
  • The initial climb up is quite steep. It is not very difficult but still needs to be done carefully. One has to go on a mud path and also involves going over rocky surfaces in between
  • The weather can play a big role in what you experience in the trek. Cloudy weather will be the best. If it is sunny, then there is not much tree cover for most part of the trek. So take a hat
  • If it has rained before your trek, you will need to be careful. Some of the sections can become slippery
  • The last climb onto the topmost rock is very tricky, especially when coming back down. If you are doing it make sure you have someone who knows how it is to be done. Otherwise I would not recommend climbing that section. You will also need to quite fit to do it given that it involves quite a bit of use of arm and legs
  • Wear a good pair of hiking shoes. Sections can be slippery at places sometimes
  • Take water and some snacks. Remember to not litter and get all the waste back with you

Interested other places trek around Bangalore? Check out Handi Gundi Trek or Bidarakatte Trek