Setting foot inside Madhugiri Fort

July 17, 2011, Sunday
It all happened in about 3 hours.

After the 26 Bikers left, the 3 of us began our ascent, to the top of the World's 2nd largest and Asia's largest single hill. Its height recorded to be about 3988 ft MSL. The Madhugiri Fort, Karnataka, India.
Little did I know what to expect up there. The only 2 things that a caretaker over there informed me during a short discussion were a) Take lots of water and b) It takes 2 hours to get up there.

Armed with this piece of information, loaded my tummy with a glass of water and filled in water in a 300ml bottle from an overflowing borewell pipe. Well, that was before the 29 of us from the Rolling Thunder Motorcycling Club (RTMC) went on to have our customary introduction session, Sholay style this time.

Having finished with the session, 26 of them made their way back to Bangalore, about 11.30AM. That's when I realised, "Oops! My helmet." Asked the 2 climbing mates, Jaggu and VC to carry on while I go fetch it from another biker, Junk P****. Now, the prime thing, instinctive I guess, is not to carry my set of tools, spares, the leather jacket, the knee guard and now the helmet, all the way up there. So thinking quickly, saw a chai shop, lugged all the baggage, asked the kind lady if she could host my things until I came back. She gladly obliged. Sigh! Was she a lifesaver or what!

Taking just the little bottle of water, bid adieu to the lady and the parting group. Run VJ, run... a sip of water and run more till moi legs hurt, don't wanna let the 2 mates be far ahead of me.

A tricky route, the initial turn up the first few flights, one goes straight in to an open area and the other looks too narrow, took the easier one and ended up right at a "road" block. Eesh! Looked back and knew at once that stupidity had struck me. The path wound around in a circle and right below me, a few tens of meters was where I had started from!!! That was a learning not to just blindly follow the route but to think first. So now, climbed down the untrodden "route", back to square one. Walking now, a huge open well, a couple inspiring themselves, huge boulders everywhere, steps waiting to be trodden upon. Stamina, gone to dogs already, due to running perhaps. gasping already. Been a while since I exerted so much. Well, that shouldnt be a showstopper for a person who has done the stairs of Tirupathi in 1 hour 35 minutes twice. So, the confidence builds. Thinking begins as the breathing increases, a sip of water. Perhaps, sit down a bit. It's but natural for a body to slow down the heartbeat when activity ceases. Did just that and a minute later, was back on my feet pacing up the stairs.

Another couple descending now, interestingly, this was a steep ascent, this entire hill is considered to be a monolith. Phew! The power of a natural formation. In all earnestness, there is but one simple way that the Archaeology department has made for people to have a safe route. The rock is cut to make steps, just enough for 2 feet to stand in in each spot plus a single long iron baluster railing to hold on to. Quite strong enough too. Me wearing a good gripper shoe, moved aside to a no-hold place and kept climbing and when the couple passed, moved back to the railing. The tricky part is to watch for my steppings, can't afford to set foot here and there. Well, its kinda give and take there.

In times like these where the stamina gets a beating, every second seems so precious, every step requires so much of effort. One wouldn't bother feeling that it just takes a few minutes of rest that can make ourselves fit again. And so, the climb continues, time to stop for a breath again. Pulling in as much air in to the lungs, getting the bad air out, letting the heartbeat subside too. Prime factors for a persistent climb I guess.

The thinking goes absurd now. Should I stop, return, what if I pass out, I'm alone and who will take me down, I had to be back home by 8 atleast, well, thats a lot of time at hand, but this condition, how long will it last, where are the other 2?! There is one pleasant thought that always comes to my mind, which makes me do things beyond, "Success is just always one step away". That's the only difference between the successful and the normal people I guess.

A wall with an entrance greets me. A few crumbled rocks from the old construction, water seeping from somewhere, moss gathered around in the wet places... A wrong place to step on. Finding a dry spot and to tred carefully wasn't too difficult though. Continuing the ascent reveals a large expanse of the rocky hill, steep, plain and windy too. Wondered how in blazes did the oldies tredge up this smooth surface?!!! But now, the one single railing and the rock-cut steps again came in handy. One step a time boy, I thought, don't wanna be too loosely footed. The wind could push you off on a roll down the steep hill. There was this one time on my descent that I had to literally sit down to avoid being thrown off balance. Now, it was time for a sit-down session, look around and take in the view and wait for the heavy breathing to subside. Funny how the angle of a lake at a distance from the hill changes directions each time I look at it. Hahaha! It is of course the weaving of the path on the hill.

I now hear my nickname called out by one of my mates from atop. The 2 slowly climbing up step by step, bent backs, one hand on the rail and a push forward. Well, looks like everyone goes through it. They looked so near but yet, were quite a few painstaking minutes away. "COME ON" one of them says, I say, "COMING!"

A few more steps up, Steep it was, rest again. The lake had changed direction again. No thoughts of returning now. But yes, I placed a cut off time in my head, keep going until 2 PM and return from where ever I am. That sounded doable. 45 minutes to 2 and a good plan in head.

Half the water bottle empty now. Can't afford to drink too much of the water too. They say it aint good for the body when on an exhaustive exercise.

A while later, I see the 2 men, perched on one of the fort walls. I wonder when they reached there. Considering that Jaggu hadn't started eating his apple yet and VC's biscuit packet was intact, it perhaps wasn't too long before I reached. Greetings and gestures and "well done" exchanges through. Sat together on the wall for as long as the biscuits lasted.

Looking up towards the remaining hill from there showed a pile of rocks. Hmmm, perhaps that was it, but then, can we be sure? Time to move again, just to see if anything else lies beyond. A little criss crossing along a seemingly less trodden path and a clearing after that, showed a marvel, astonishment and disbelief. Another peak to be conquered. Ah! but then, is everybody okay? Not the kinda thought one should ever get after having gone up so high. The answer "YES", let's do it and so we began as a group now.

From here and for about a few meters ahead, the best way to go up is either go zig-zag on the hill or crawl on all fours. VC can certainly be called a "mountain goat" for his ways.
The final ascent is so cleverly set that no more than one person can enter in to the entrance of the final fortress. While entering, on the right is a drop all the way down the hill and on the the left are large rocks. One wrong step on these rocks and anybody else in the path will go down too. The care that the kings took to fight the enemy. It's a totally different story to understand and narrate. The architecture, warfare de technique and a thorough employment of the workforce to establish such an achievement. Mindboggling indeed.

A flat land surrounded by walls. Taking in the views inside, at that height from the land, what one can feel with eyes shut is how buzzling the activity would have been during those days. Soldiers in their armoured uniform or not, dhotis and langotis perhaps, towel wrapped heads, moustaches, swords, the language, the filling of the cannons with sulphur and iron. The booming of the guns. Life was certainly different back then.

The brick, lime and mortar domes of about 7 feet tall and about 7 to 8 feet in diameter had but one circular opening on the top. There was one dome at the first entrance here, then another wall, 2 domes here. These were meant to store the gun powder perhaps.
A stable like structure all around us now. I pointed that this was the sleeping place for the soldiers, but VC said nope. Going deep in to the structures now... Exit on to the other side.

Now comes a huge building, no doors or windows except for one main entrance. but first we climb on to the roof, we see that this building had tiny openings on the roof about 4 or 6 of them. They could have been skylights. the building could have been a granary, a store, a prison cell just about anything. VC opined that it could have been a barrack.

Winding back a bit, Jaggu had worn almost flat soled shoes on and thought it best to take them off during the final ascent to this place. Unfortunately for him, he had carried along his turtle bag. We hid them all in a "blind spot" as VC called it and then on, Jaggu was walking around barefoot. It was more like VC and I were the shoe bearers for Jaggu. First, go check and announce if it was okay to walk in. There could be snakes around or maybe broken glass too.

Having said that, VC had "hid" his baggage, a riding jacket and a bag but alas, on our way down, he found them to have been rummaged through thoroughly, his cell phone was gone.

Coming back to the multipurpose building. The practicality of its construction is what makes it so amazing. no windows mean that during the night, no light is emanated.
Entering this structure makes one think of the bygone times. People were actually living in there, protecting and fighting. Cooking, scheming a defence strategy, swords and bloodshed. Screams! Everything seems so live. So exhilarating. Perhaps because the whole place has such an ambience.

On the rooftop, the view around can show you as much as you can see. Miles and miles of expanse. There absolutely is no way an army can march in from any direction without being spotted by a watchful eye. Adding to these thoughts is the weather that surrounded us. Dark rain clouds, thin rain on our faces, fear of slipping on the rocks on our way down, strong gusty winds, yet so calm and silent and peaceful up there. Pictures taken. Interestingly, there was no hurry to go back at all. It all seemed like, we are here and we ought to see what this peak has to offer. As time flew by, no part of the peak was unseen. The feeling that will certainly be embedded in us forever.

2.05 PM. Time to roll down. A brilliant experience. Coming down was simple but yet done with caution because of a tiny film of rain on the rocks. 1 hour at most it took and without resting anywhere. Retrieving Jaggu's shoe and his bag was a tiny event by itself. VC reclaimed his baggage "hidden" in a lookout spot. Well, there was still enough energy left to explore a different route to get back home via Gauribidanur. Jaggu showed us his farm, hope he has a shelter there soon. It would be a house with a view of the hill that he can think back on.

An equally excellent ride back on the 3 Enfields, a beautiful chase with Jaggu leading the pack at 70's and 80's all along. A stop for a cuppa and snack at Thonde Bhavi. A painful note, a crippled old man, wading about on a seat on wheels. His eyes are white with cataract. Yet he survives by begging. Another old man, begging around. Wonder how they survived these many years by just begging. Life is not just about pleasure but pain too or maybe life is not just about pain but pleasure too?

In all, it was a memorable trip, ride, trek, climb, achievement and an adventure.

6.40 PM. Home!