Sangagiri Fort - relatively easy trek, good views from the peak

Since Nagala way back in Jan 2018, it took me until Dec 2022 to complete another trek! After my first taste in 2009, I had been going to at least a few treks every year. And Bengaluru had so many trekking clubs and places nearby. After leaving the city in late 2017, the opportunities dwindled and I wasn't that motivated to go alone.

I decided to get back to being active physically on a more regular basis last year. Visiting Yercaud, lakes, hiking to nearby places, etc. And finally, this December, I decided to do a solo trekking. And nature decided to play a prank - it rained about 15% on the way up! It was still helpful as I got a feel for the place and also got to know about a fork in the path (from others who were sheltering from the rain).

Near the entrance, cloudy sky

Undeterred, I went again two weeks later and this time I finished it! As per Sangagiri Fort wikipedia:

Sangagiri Fort was built in various times. Before 15th century total 10 of 4 Entrances were built by Vettuva Gounder King "Kunni Vettuva Raja" and after 15th century by the Vijayanagar empire. It has 14 fort walls built on and around a hill and the last phase these walls were built by the British. The fort served as a British tax storage facility for Kongu Nadu, a region comprising the districts of Salem, Erode, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Namakkal, Karur and Dindukal.It is also known as Guptha Giri

It was an important military base for Tipu Sultan and later for the British East India Company. This is because only one side of the hill is climbable, as all the others are too steep to climb. This has a death well, granary, two oil godowns, one explosives godown, two masjiths, 2 Varadharaja Perumal temples, former British administrative buildings, and cemeteries formerly used by armies that were stationed at the fort.

 

I was better prepared for the second attempt. Got up early and reached Sangagiri around 10AM. It's about a kilometer walk from the bus stop to the fort gates. The weather was pleasant for December, although I sweated plenty once I began climbing due to humidity and exertion.

View from the base

Unlike the first time, there weren't many people at the fort when I started climbing. Perhaps it was too early? As per the board outside the gates, opening time is 9:30AM. Only met one group of three college students on my way up.

Enjoyed taking macro shots (wish I had better camera though)

 

I didn't know how long it takes to reach the peak, so I tried to keep a good pace. There were steps or forest paths for about 90% of the climb, so I'd rate it one of the easier treks I've done. However, some of the sections were moderately steep and given I was out of shape, I had to take breaks often.

One of the many forest paths

The Sun was hidden behind the fog and clouds more often than the rays gracing the Earth. A bit of wind in relatively open area was a huge welcome. I had to stop a few times just to wipe sweat (to prevent my spectacles from falling off).

Spot the spider

 

The college group were climbing leisurely, which made me wish that I was with a trekking group like BTC. Anyway, I passed them soon and steadily made my way to the top. Had to encourage myself a few times that I had completed way more difficult treks in the past, it was just a matter of getting used to climbing again.

Near to the peak (didn't know while climbing though)

 

There were a few sheltered structures along the way. While I didn't linger too long, I kept wondering what it was like to live there a few centuries back.

Hard to spot amongst the rocks? Luckily I did and not stepped on it.

Just about an hour later, I had suddenly reached the peak. It definitely came across as a surprise, and here I was guessing the climb would take close to two hours.

View from the peak

 

I spent a few minutes near the temple at the peak, taking pictures and feeling relieved that trekking was still something I could do and enjoy, even solo.

 

One of the many ponds

 

Apart from the temple, there were other buildings as well. There wasn't any clear paths to roam around though. Still, given that I had plenty of time and wasn't feeling too tired, I went around just to soak in the sights. There were a few ponds and the views overlooking the town on one side and highway on the other were great. Couldn't get clear shots due to fog, but it was still a nice experience.

 

Spot the bee

 

After going around as much as I could, I stopped when there were too many trees. Relaxed for a while, had snacks, took more pictures/videos and then started my way back.

Spotted this insect many times along the trekking path

 

Climbing down was much faster. Hardly took a break, other than conversing with those climbing up, taking a few more pictures from different perspectives, etc.

View from about halfway

In about 40 minutes, I was at the base. The trek took less than 2.5 hours in total. By then, a lot more people had shown up - some idled around the pool at the base and some were on their way up to the peak. A few school kids were even busy playing multiplayer games with their smartphones.

Another view from the base

Overall, it was very satisfying to have completed my first trek after close to 5 years. I'm definitely planning to be more active in the coming months. Even if they are easier treks than what I used to do, they provide a much needed break from being in front of the computer all day.

Mookaneri lake

While looking for a nice spot to visit, I stumbled across Mookaneri lake. What's more, it was easily reachable and promised great views all around.

Mookarnei lake

As per the Mookaneri Lake wikipedia entry:

It is located to the south of the Shevaroy Hills, and is a major water body of Salem. The lake is fed by rainfall from the surrounding area, including the hills surrounding Yercaud, which flows into the lake via the Puthu Yeri and Kothukaran Odai streams.

There are 47 man-made islands in the lake. Each island was created by excavating and piling lakebed clay about 10 feet high, and covers and area of a few thousand square feet. Initially, millet was planted on the islands to arrest erosion and help build a soil layer, before saplings of neem, banyan, jambul, peepal, and vetiver trees could be planted. The lake islands were populated by nearly 12,000 trees as of 2013.

I surprised to know that so much effort had been made to avoid erosion. And that it was formed via streams from Yercaud, which I had visited just the previous month.

 

Armed with directions to reach the lake, I decided to walk about 1.5 kilometers from a bus stop. In hindsight, that was a mistake as I got sore feet while returning.

Anyway, the place wasn't crowded despite being a weekend. Perhaps because I had reached about an hour before noon? I took pictures and videos and relaxed a bit in the narrow park along the lake boundary. Some of the locals were fishing and some were taking a nap.

 

Some of the man-made islands

 

After about three months, I went back for another visit. This time, it was way too crowded due to a local festival (I hadn't known though). And thanks to the monsoon rains, the water level had risen too. Learning from previous visit, I had taken a bus ride much closer to the lake and thus was able to spend a lot more time walking along the lake. Looking forward to going there again next year.

 

Mookaneri lake

 

Yercaud

Yercaud is a popular tourist spot in Southern India (see wikivoyage for detailed travel guide). I don't remember much other than going to a park regarding the first time I went there (as a side trip during one of the marriages of college friends). And despite living close by since 2017, it wasn't until 2021 that I went there again. Even that needed a couple of my friends dragging me out. I'm glad they did.

 

January 2021

We had our own vehicle, but there are frequent buses too. It wasn't that cold for January at the foothills. I still packed warm clothing and that came in handy at the peak.

On the way up

 

About 20 hairpin bends later, we reached the peak. There are a couple of parks and a lake among other tourist attractions. We spoke about going for a boat ride, but the wait time was too long and we decided to skip.

Boating in the lake

Like any tourist place, options for food and beverage were overpriced. The coffee shop we went had a nice ambience.

Nursery near the coffee shop

 

There was a nursery near the coffee shop that I enjoyed browsing. My friends bought a few plants too. After that, we got a few local products like tea, coffee, home made chocolates, scents, etc. Overall, it was a nice trip, especially in the company of friends.

 

May 2022

I finally managed to get my lazy self to visit Yercaud again. Went alone this time. Was bored from writing programming books and this was a chance to get some relief from summer temperatures as well. I got up early and caught a bus ride to the peak.

 

I made the mistake of going during a weekend in summer. Once I reached there, it was clear that there were just too many tourists. I had to wait about 30 minutes to get breakfast served.

Lake under a clear sky

I was too early for parks to have opened. So, I just strolled around and got a glimpse of ongoing constructions and village life. There were kids learning self-defense in school grounds.

After one of the parks opened, I spent a few hours there. By the time I had come back after the stroll, it had become crowded. Still, there was enough space to sit around and observe tourists having breakfast, enjoying the swings, snapping selfies, etc.

Adventure activities

Boating was out of question. So, I went to check the coffee shop from the previous year and that was crowded too. I simply walked around the streets and found a place organizing adventure activities for kids (which was unsurprisingly crowded too).

 

I decided to return back early. But first, I got some home made chocolates and masala tea. Then, as I went to the bus stop, I came to know about the main attraction event for the tourists - flower show. The waiting queue was too long outside the gate, contributing to the traffic problems.

Lots and lots of tourists were still coming up. So much so that it took about couple of hours to go down 4 hairpin bends. Luckily, I had brought snacks (just in case). I will likely go back next year in summer, but I will certainly avoid the weekends!!