Day 2 – Trek to Tallest Peak of Karnataka
Date: 3-Oct-14
Our plan for today was to trek to the tallest peak of Karnataka, Mullayanagiri, and then visit Baba Budan Giri. We had read in several reviews that the drive to Mullayanagiri was quite dangerous because of the narrow and not-so-well-maintained roads. Almost every blog we came across carried the same warning. Because of this, I was worried about going there by car. Initially, Thilak wanted to drive all the way to Mullayanagiri, but I did not allow him to do that. Finally, we decided to drive only up to Seethalayyanagiri and then trek from there.
Mullayyanagiri
On the way to Mullayyanagiri
We wanted to leave the hotel by 6:00 AM because we knew that many tourists would be visiting Mullayanagiri and we wanted to drive through the narrow hill roads before traffic increased. Later, we realized that starting so early would mean missing breakfast. We knew there were no good hotels near Mullayanagiri, so we had to eat breakfast and pack our lunch beforehand. Therefore, we left the hotel at 7:30 AM, had breakfast at a nearby hotel, packed our lunch, and started our journey.
The road to Mullayanagiri was extremely beautiful. There was greenery everywhere. The weather was pleasant as we drove through the ghat section. The road was indeed as dangerous as we had read in the reviews. It was very narrow, and Thilak drove very carefully. Luckily, there were fewer vehicles while we were ascending the hill.
As we climbed higher, the views became more and more beautiful, while the roads became increasingly risky. Huge green hills surrounded us in every direction. When we reached Seethalayyanagiri, we found a large crowd gathered there. There was a designated parking area for vehicles. I had read that people who could not climb Mullayanagiri often chose to climb Seethalayyanagiri instead. That probably explained the crowd.
People standing at the peak looked like tiny ants from the parking area. Seethalayyanagiri itself looked heavenly. The hill was neither very tall nor very steep, making the climb quite easy. The view from the top was wonderful. There was green, green, and more green everywhere. It felt as though we were standing on an enormous green lawn. From the top of Seethalayyanagiri, we could clearly see Mullayanagiri and the trekking trail leading to it. The trail curved around the hill, and we could see that it was long and quite steep in certain sections. Mullayanagiri was around 3 km from where we were standing.
The authorities had restricted vehicles from going all the way to Mullayanagiri because of the unsafe roads. So, the only option was to walk. Walking 3 km is usually easy, but walking 3 km on a steep road under the hot sun and then climbing more than 200 steps was a different challenge altogether.
Moreover, I had completely lost confidence in my energy levels. I seriously doubted whether I would be able to complete the trek. Thilak boosted my confidence and encouraged me. After all, trekking to Mullayanagiri was the main agenda of our trip. His motivating words finally convinced me, and I decided to give it a try.
Trek to Mullayanagiri peak
The weather was not pleasant at all. I had expected cool, foggy conditions, but it was surprisingly sunny. The initial 1 km stretch was not very steep, and we managed to walk without taking any breaks. After that, the road started becoming steeper. We slowed down, took several short breaks, clicked photos, and enjoyed the scenery. Every inch of the landscape was photogenic.
By the time we reached the base of Mullayanagiri hill, I was completely exhausted, and we still had more than 200 steps left to climb. To make matters worse, we did not have any water because I had accidentally dropped our water bottle when we started the trek. While climbing the steps, I think I stopped once every 10–15 steps. Looking at my energy levels, I honestly felt embarrassed. Thilak, on the other hand, was not tired at all. He was fully excited and energetic. Though I kept complaining to him about the difficult climb, deep down I was grateful for his encouragement. Poor guy had to adjust to my painfully slow pace. Finally, after half an hour, we reached the top.
Yes, we were standing at the tallest peak of Karnataka, at an elevation of 6,330 ft. Just thinking about it made all the effort feel worthwhile. The view from the summit was breathtaking. Instantly, I forgot all my tiredness. Both of us sat there for a long time, simply enjoying the beauty around us. There was also a temple at the top, but it did not fascinate us much.
Descending was far easier and less tiring. We reached Seethalayyanagiri in about 45 minutes. By then, the crowd had increased significantly, and several small stalls had opened nearby. We bought water bottles and buttermilk. The buttermilk was extremely refreshing.
After regaining some energy, we started our journey again in our Nano.
Baba Budan Giri
Our next destination was the famous Baba Budan Giri, which was around 30 km from Seethalayyanagiri. Neither of us felt hungry, so we skipped lunch.
On the way to Baba Budan Giri
The same scenic roads continued towards Baba Budan Giri. Everywhere we looked, there were rolling green hills. As we travelled, I started feeling sick. The sunny weather had given me a severe headache. On the way, we encountered traffic jams in a few places because of the narrow roads. At one point, we noticed several vehicles turning back.
People there informed us that the road ahead was in very poor condition. One person even warned Thilak, saying, “Innova ne hogilla. Vapas hog bidi. Road swalpa nu chennagilla.” (Meaning: “The road is so bad that even a Toyota Innova could not go further. You should turn back. The road is not good at all.”) I was eager to return because I was feeling unwell and the road genuinely looked dangerous. But, as usual, Thilak paid no attention to the warning. I think he wanted to conduct a rigorous stress test on our Nano.
For the next 4-5 km, there was practically no road at all. The stretch was still under construction. Anyone watching would have wondered how our Nano was managing to travel through such harsh conditions. Yet our Nano had never failed us anywhere. This time too, it passed Thilak’s test with flying colours. Once the bad stretch ended, we felt immensely relieved and even more proud of our little car.
At Baba Budan Giri
When we finally reached Baba Budan Giri, the scenery was every bit as stunning as Mullayanagiri. Massive green mountains surrounded the area.
Baba Budan Giri is an important pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Muslims. The place was not very crowded, and the visitors included people from both communities. Inside a cave-like formation, there was a shrine dedicated to the Muslim saint Baba Budan as well as Guru Dattatreya. We went inside the cave, spent a few minutes there, and returned in about five minutes.
There was a hotel outside, but it was very poorly maintained. By this point, I was feeling extremely sick and desperately wanted to get back to our room. We had coffee at a nearby shop, and only after drinking it did I start feeling slightly better. I am not sure whether it was the effect of the coffee or simply the relief of knowing that we were heading back.
We reached Chikmagalur city in about two hours. As soon as we arrived, we went to Town Canteen, which is famous for its dosas, and enjoyed some delicious dosas. After that, we returned to our room and relaxed.
Travel snapshot
Overall, the day was amazing. The spellbinding views from Mullayanagiri and Baba Budan Giri, the narrow and dangerous roads leading to these places, the tough climb to the peak, and the horrible roads near Baba Budan Giri will remain in our memories forever. A very big thanks to Thilak, who encouraged me to climb Mullayanagiri and experience such incredible beauty. Without his support, I would have definitely given up on the trek. An even bigger thanks goes to our Nano, which successfully carried us through the difficult roads of Baba Budan Giri. Our Nano definitely earned a lot of love and respect from us that day.
- Route Travelled: Venkatesh Residency > Seethalayyanagiri > Mullayyanagairi > Seethalayyanagiri > Baba Budan Giri
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We could feel how much your happiness would be when you are on the tallest peak of Karnataka. “We were at the tallest peak of Karnataka with a height of 6330 ft. must be a great experience.
Yes. It was a wonderful experience.. when we went there, the road was under construction.. so we had to walk and then trek.. though it was tiring, the final view made us feel worth the effort..