Unexpected journeys are always bound to give adorable memories when bunch of enthusiastic guys coalesce for the night trek. There are many weekend getaways from Bangalore, so it was not tough to shortlist the place. The stage was set for us to chill out in the Bangalore outskirts. We headed towards Tumkur on NH4 and decided to climb Nijgal Betta(Hill) which is exactly beside the highway and easily accessable. Trekking starts from reliance petrol bunk on the right side of the highway after 4-5 kms from Dabaspet. Keep looking for cafe coffee day , Kamat Upachar on NH4 just after Dabaspet flyover. It's hardly 50+ km from Bangalore. Once you hit the NH4, it's easy to cruise to the destination within half an hr. There is a sign board just opposite to reliance petrol bunk which leads you to the base of the hill.
Reliance Petrol Bunk
Direction to Nijagal Betta
We parked our vehicle at the nearby work shop just before the deviation from NH4. There is a jeep track kind of path towards the hill which makes your initial trek easy. You can grade this trek as very easy, as it was not strenuous and path was not steep either. If you are looking for less trek and more fun, this place would be my first suggestion. Throughout the trek you can enjoy the cool breeze which eases your hike and pumps up your energy level to reach the hill top. There were many places where we slept on the boulders and gazed at the sky. With not much effort we reached the top of the hill within 40-45 mins. We were amazed to see such a nice place for the camping.
Camping Place:
Nijagal Betta top view
Quickly pitched the tents and had a little chit chat before going to sleep. When we woke up in the morning by 6 am, we were welcomed by the morning drizzle and entire hill was filled with fog and we could not able to see the base of the hill. We started exploring the surroundings and got enchanting views all over. We were enthralled by seeing the beauty of fast moving clouds and hide and seek play of the fog.
Morning captures
After spending couple of hours on the top, we packed all our luggage and started the descent. There are many abandoned temples which gives you the feel of historic place. Also there is a dargah on top of the hill, thus this place is a perfect example of religious tolerance in India 😊😃. We witnessed the ruined fort of Nijgal on the way back. Mirror image of Nijgal hill as seen from the pond at the base, was a real treat to watch.
Ruined Temple
It was morning 9:30 am when we reached the place where we had parked our vehicle beside NH4. Started back to Bangalore and reached home by 10:30. If you are looking for a place to burst your stress and enjoy in the lap of mother nature, then head to this place 😎.
