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).
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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).
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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