And finally, after months of contemplation and efforts, I could manage to do my first high altitude trek. A lot of questions revolved around my mind when I planned to invest nearly all my vacation days in a solitary, outlying place in the depths of Himalayas. I thought of sharing some common concepts here about high altitude treks. Inbox me if you still have any questions.
Idea in mind
The whole idea of a trek erupted after I read a Facebook ad about Stok Kangri by an adventure group emphasizing the statement- ’Highest trekkable peak in India’. Such ads quite excite the target audience like me. I did a real good research on what this peak is, whose name I haven’t ever heard of. Web search dictates this peak as one of the highest trekkable destinations in India with a cloud touching altitude of 6153m. Six thousand meters! The highest I had ever done till that date was 4200m in Himachal and never thought that some normal naive trekker with limited climbing experience can summit a SIX THOUSAND meters peak. It really excited me to dig further about it.
Further reading and a few discussions with diverse adventure groups suggested that Stok Kangri has become a commonplace. People don’t even get proper place to erect their tents at the base camp. And indeed, it is very much crowded. You won’t be able to figure out if your tent is on a poop. Even people who haven’t got trained enough for the trek attempt the summit. They face the consequences later. Neverthless, the word ‘CROWDED’ itself drained all my interest in this peak and I began my search for similar such peaks in India. As a matter of fact, the peaks in 6000m club are mostly at Ladakh. I found a couple of others, certified as ‘trekkable or require minor mountaineering skills’. These peaks were namely Kang Yatse 2 in Markha valley (6250m. Remember, Kang Yatse 1 at 6400m is very much technical.) and Mentok Kangri (6400m) in Tso Moriri region of Ladakh.
Kang Yatse 2 or any such high altitude peak for that matter, I later learned, is not that straight forward and requires you to build quite a good amount of endurance, strength and stamina. If you are going there without getting trained, you might end up quitting even before you reach the base camp. In many circumstances, one might face AMS as well. So beware to do your homework starting a couple of months before the start of your trek. I did a lot of crossfit sessions and running sessions before I considered myself fit for it.
Okay. I got your question. Why do we need training?
In the Himalayas, it’s not just about going down the trail. After a certain altitude (say 2500m), human body faces the effects of altitude. This is because of the decrease in environmental air pressure as the altitude increases, which results in decrease in the amount of oxygen. If your body doesn’t get the required amount of oxygen, it will not work efficiently. The brain itself, even though it weighs just 5% of the total body weight, uses around 15% of the oxygen the body gets.
Building physical endurance
Now how does training help?
Proper cardio exercises like running, swimming or even cycling can help build the cardiopulmonary systems stronger and also build the required endurance. If your lungs have more capacity to hold oxygen, it will be beneficial where the oxygen is less.
Breathing exercises will help you gain control over your heart beats.
Some high intensity trainings like crossfit and boxing will make your body adapt to less amount of oxygen.
A little strength training can add icing to the cake as you need to carry your own body weight plus the backpack up on the hills while ferrying from one camp to the other.
Apart from this, it’s better if you follow a proper diet (not for reducing weight!!). Increase the intake of protein, iron, antioxidants and vital vitamins in your food. This will help build immunity and increase oxygen-carrying red blood cells in your body.
Plus, a complete no-no to cigarettes and alcohol before a couple of months and during the trek.
Physical training is absolutely necessary but what most of the crowd miss out is a proper mental endurance. Due to high popularity and glamour such kind of expeditions carry, most of the people don’t understand the importance of mental preparation which is required. This is mainly because majority of the crowd is first timer for high altitude treks and have not been exposed to such unforgiving conditions before.
Following are some of the ways to build the same:
Build confidence in yourself that you can do it. Be prepared for adverse weather conditions and the resulting effects on your body and mind.
Visualize the game before starting it. Look for the complete picture, read the blogs by people who have already did the trek, converse with your trek leaders about diverse terrains to be encountered.
Build your passion towards travel and motivate yourself and the team. As your brain might not function normally at higher altitudes leading to depression and negative vibes, it’s your will power and the control over your mind which will define your achievement in the end.
Understand your limits and build tendency to accept failures. Even if you are not able to do it today, you can always come back with better preparation tomorrow. Mountain will always be there. At least, you will get to know your limits and the areas to work on.
Things to carry
For the summit day, you will require crampons/snow boots, gaiters, ice axe and a helmet which are normally provided by the adventure group you would be associated with. You are required to get your own basic trekking and winter gear. For me, the most difficult part was to decide on what to wear during the trek and how much to pack in the bag. It’s a common rule that your backpack should be light.
You should read about a real good explanation on the concept of layering of clothes here.
I carried the things mentioned below for the trek which I have shared on my Insta as well. I got nearly everything from Decathlon.
Things to carry for a high altitude trek
60L backpack
Rain cover for the backpack (40-60L)
20-35L backpack (useful for the summit day)
10L daypack (useful in your initial acclimatization days)
Couple of quick dry breathable t-shirts
Couple of pairs of quick dry breathable socks for trek, woolen socks and one pair of woolen gloves (just in case), muffler
Waterproof trekking shoes (>=5000mm. Make sure the midsole of the shoe is not very soft. For me, Forclaz 500 did the job. It costed me around 5000 bucks.)
Flip-flops or sneakers (useful while on the camps)
Biodegradable garbage bags (can be used as laundry dry bags as well)
Toilet kit (sunscreen with >=40 SPF is most important)
Notepad and pen, energy bars, reusable water bottles(2), napkins, head cap
Tiffin box, cup, spoon
Quick dry towel
Down jacket (or a fleece jacket, for the cold)
Waterproof and thus, windproof shell jacket (RET 12. This will not keep you warm. It will just protect you from wind and water.)
UV protective polarized sun glasses (most important), night glasses (optional)
Breathable inners or thermals
Light weight hiking pants (couple of them will do)
Baliclavas
Identity documents (for permit to climb mountain)
Headtorch (you will need it for the summit day and while on the camp), lighter, compass, camphors, insect repellant, playing cards, carabiners, scissors, clips, fevi sticks
Medical kit
It was a mixed feeling of gamble, mystery, excitement and fear.
At an altitude of 6200m, this summit chase was my first ever high altitude trek. Proper training is required to conquer such a height, as already mentioned by me, and Cultfit helped me in my quest.
A lot of time, energy and money was spent for this trip and it is worth all the resources.
Please share this if you liked the post. It may help one or two wanderers.
I had just one day off last weekend. Although Bangalore is quite self-sufficient when it comes to visiting local attractions, going for a shopping or hanging out for a quick beer, it still lags behind the other metropolis across the country if a day outing is being looked for. With such a small list of places to plan a day travel, there are a few gems which actually need to get a push in the tourism sector. One such place is Lepakshi, which I believe many of us haven’t heard of. Just for a brief introduction, Lepakshi is a small temple town in Ananthpur district of Andhra Pradesh known for its 16th-century architectural marvel in the form of Veerabhadra temple.
This place got my attention when I looked for places near Bangalore, rich in history and architecture, after my trip to Hampi. I found Badami and Lepakshi worth visiting. You can easily drive your way to this religious place called Lepakshi as it is well connected to National Highways. Just follow the NH-44 till Kodikonda where you need to take a sharp left towards Lepakshi road. It takes around 2-3 hours to cover this 130 km stretch and submit yourself to the marvelous art and get lost within the temple premises. Other options are buses, cabs and trains. Hindupur is the nearest railway station located around 15 km from Lepakshi.
Entry gate of Lepakshi temple
As soon as you enter the town, you are welcomed by a huge monolithic Nandi, a 4.5m high sculpture of a bull. The Nandi directly faces the Shiva-Linga which is inside the main temple.
Beautiful carvings on the entry gate of Veerabhadra temple
The wonderful carvings on the stones starting right from the entry gate to every other pillar, each having its own story, is a jackpot for art-lovers. Not only the pillars but the colorfully painted ceilings tell many tales. You just have to look up. It is said that the 24 by 14 ft. fresco of Veerabhadra on the ceiling before the main sanctum sanctorum is the largest in India of any single figure. There is a Shiva-Linga, a Hanuman-Linga, a Rama-Linga and a Padmavati statue inside the main temple.
The array of magical musical pillars
The quaint miraculous structures like the hanging pillar and the musical pillars are heart-throbs. Many people who visit this temple aren’t aware of the hanging pillar. When I was there, I saw a person resting with its support without any knowledge of what he is resting on. I asked this person to move a little off the pillar. Then I took out a piece of paper from my bag to slide it beneath the hanging structure. People opened up their eyes in awe and started clicking pictures. When you get outside the main temple, you will see that the temple is surrounded by 70 pillars. By looking at its drum-like, grooved structure, I reckoned they must be similar to the musical pillars at Vishnu temple at Hampi. I tried to play this stone with my fingers, and yes, it produced an enchanting sound. Every other pillar has its own pitch. I really wonder what these 16th-century people might have done in unison with these musical pillars.
Intricate carvings on the temple walls
Also at the temple’s outer enclosure, you will see a mammoth Ganesha statue hewn in stone and leaning against a rock. Perpendicular to it is a massive Naga with three coils and seven hoods. There is this Kalyana Mandapam, which was never completely built. It’s quite photogenic and people, as usual, had their selfies and group clicks shot. There’s also this huge foot engraved on the ground, which is supposed to be Hanuman’s foot. It was nearly 10 times as bigger as mine. This puts a question to my inquisitive mind- “Are we shrinking?”
The incomplete Kalyana Mantapa
The thing I liked about this temple is not only its features but also the kind of peace and tranquillity we look for in a religious place. This place is hot all year-round and thus, morning time is the best time to explore this place.
If you happen to visit Lepakshi, you can also visit Dharmavaram (around 90 km) for its famous silk sarees and Veerapuram (around 40 km) for the painted storks all around the village (Dec till June). If you have spare time and would like to visit a model village, don’t miss this beautiful Proto Village near Tekalodu, which is on the way to Bangalore. The exact location of this village is: Proto Village location
13.80405577.604922
Please share this if you liked the post. It may help one or two wanderers.
How often do we connect with history? A straight vibrant echo of our forefather’s voices engulfs us as we embark on our quest to visit historical places. And Hampi is no exception.
This time, I decided to visit this ancient “Kishkinda” of the Ramayana times. Hampi is a temple town in Hospet taluk of Bellary district in the Karnataka state of India, recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located within the ruins of the city of Vijayanagara. Given a quite sociable and outgoing nature of this place, many Indian and foreign travelers are attracted here and it is one of the biggest backpackers’ havens in India.
I started off solo this time at the end of January. The weather, though hot, is the optimum season for visitors. All the shacks and cafes are full of business. Hampi is off-season from March till September. My travel started from Bangalore city which is roughly at a distance of 500 km from Hampi. Hospet is connected from Bangalore via trains and buses. I went for the latter option as it provided me the time flexibility. Starting off at 11 PM, I reached Hospet at 6 in the morning. It was a good road with minimal bumps. Hampi is around 12 km from Hospet. You can find buses for Hampi in the posh KSRTC bus stand plying every 15-20 mins from Platform no. 12. The journey takes around half an hour and charged me just 16 bucks. Don’t expect an easy seat as buses are generally crowded. Autos are also readily available outside bus stand to Hampi which may charge you some 200-300 bucks.
On the way, you will notice a beautiful vast Kamlapur lake on the right. After some time, the much-awaited ruins appear, which is spread till the horizon. As you reach Hampi, the first thing you will notice is a huge artistic Virupaksha temple. I decided not to enter the temple premises before taking a bath. So, had some decent clicks and moved ahead.
Manmatha Honda (Tank)
Virupaksha temple
Hampi town is divided into two parts by the mighty Tungabhadra river. The temple side contains all the ruins including the much-hyped Vitthala temple. By the way, I am on this side till now. The other side is popularly known as Hippie island and contains a relatively lesser number of historical monuments and more number of shacks to stay. So, backpacker’s paradise would be the other side. I had done my initial research on this place. You have to cross this river by boat. They charge you Rs.50 before 10 AM and after 6 PM when it gets dark. Otherwise, you have to pay a nominal fee of Rs.10 for the ride. I saw many people carrying their bikes and bicycles on the boat to the other side. I was reluctant to pay Rs.50 for this not-even-a-minute ride. Fortunately, the water levels were low this month and you have a path to the other side by jumping over the rocks plus a minute of walking down the river.
Boats carrying people from one side of the river to the other
As I reached there, I saw many local shops selling hats, scarfs, shawls, chunnis, sunglasses, etc. After 5 mins of window shopping, I asked for a way to Goan Corner, the place where I would stay for next couple of days. After nearly 200 meters of walk, I was already seeing the cool shacks and cafes. People were everywhere, in different colors, of different nationalities. On the way, there were lush green paddy fields on both the sides with mostly the majestic light brown boulders of Hampi in the background. I followed a sign board mentioning-‘That is THE GOAN CORNER–> ‘.
Dormitories at Goan corner terrace
Lush green paddy fields
As soon as I reached this place, I could feel a different aura, a different vibe. It seemed like some party is going on with all the travelers either eating or drinking or chilling around. A good number of people were just waiting to get a confirmation on a bed at this little place to sleep. Now, I got worried. Can I manage a bed here for this night? I asked the owner lady at reception to provide me a single bed wherever it is, just to sleep. I need no room, no private toilet. She put me on the waiting list. Till then, I had a good breakfast of bread butter, Israeli salad, and a coffee at its in-house cafe. Finally, after an hour of chit chats with the fellow travelers, I got a confirmation. I went to see my bed which was on a rooftop. They have many mattresses properly lined up on the terrace with a mosquito net over every single mattress. I pulled up the neatly tucked net from one corner and entered my mattress. I rearranged my stuff and went for a shower.
It was just 11 o’clock. A long day to go and Hampi is no small. I found one guy from Bangalore who was traveling solo. We decided to explore the hippie side of Hampi for today. It’s always better to get a bicycle or a moped on rent at Hampi. You can find them on rent at any shack or even in the markets. But remember one thing: Mopeds taken on rent on hippie side of the river cannot be driven on the other side. It can attract you a good fine. We took bicycles on rent for Rs.100 a day. If you are opting for a moped, then you will have to shell out some 250-400 bucks depending on the model.
We decided to visit Anjaneya temple popularly known as Monkey temple or Anjanadri. Before that, we had a satisfied Indian lunch at a local restaurant. After spending some time resting on their beds while looking at the lake and boulders, we decided to move ahead. Anjanadri is a sunset point and it seemed better to go there as late as possible. So we went ahead of Anjanadri for a km and found this place called Pampa Sarovara at Anegondi. It is a square water tank with a flight of steps along its borders. It holds the credit of one of the five sacred lakes in India. There are quite a few temples here. In Hindu mythology, Pampa Sarovar is regarded as the place where Pampa, a form of Shiva’s consort Parvati, performed deep meditation with the sole intention of getting married to Lord Shiva. Footprints of Lord Rama are also said to be inscribed on a rock here. Apart from that, we found a deep cave near the Rama temple which leads us directly to the Virupaksha temple on the other side of the river, as told to us. Amazing it is, right?
Pampa Sarovara
Footprints of Lord Rama
After spending some 60-70 mins here, it was already 4. Now, we could comfortably visit the Anjanadri temple. We parked the cycle at a sweet little shop and requested the humble old man to keep a look on it. 570 steps to be climbed! And it was worth it. The awesome scenic beauty at the hill top made our day. It is believed that it is in this area, the kingdom of monkeys existed and Vali, Sugriva, and Hanuman lived. A Ram Setu Shila, i.e. a floating rock is also kept in the temple premises. We went to the other side of the hill to have a moment of peace and thereafter, spot the sunset. There were ruins, boulders, paddy fields, coconut trees everywhere down the hill. So serene it felt. We could hear just the sound of the winds. Everyone was desperately waiting for the sunset, but unfortunately, the day was cloudy enough to cover up the orange ball. We couldn’t watch the sunset, but we had a good moment here, with ourselves. We made a couple of friends afterward who were coincidentally staying at Goan corner itself. They also had their bicycles parked down the hill and thus, we left together.
After returning the bicycles, we walked our way to the Goan corner. On the way, I spotted Gali’s music shop, which I had seen in the morning as well. People were jamming inside. It caught my interest and I asked my friends to move ahead and I shall be back after looking out for some instruments in this shop. I found out a Spanish guy playing guitar, an English woman playing Ditscheridu and a Finnish woman playing Djembe. I joined these guys on Conga drums in this free community jamming session. Music with unknown and diverse guys is always special. We feel connected even if we aren’t. This music shop is run by its owner Gali who is a great guy and plays nearly 30 instruments. If music interests you, you cannot afford to miss meeting this guy. His kid is equally talented. Just at 13 years of age, he can play nearly all the percussion instruments.
Gali’s music shop
We put an end to the jamming session with Hotel California and went for dinner at this great place called ‘The Taste of Hampi’. In this dark, candle-lit ambiance, most of the crowd was non-Indian. People were sharing their travel stories with each other. Music was on, seating was on the ground. I ordered Al-fungi which was delicious. There were people playing Melodica, Djembes and other sorts of drums for entertainment. Gali asked me to play Melodica. I took the stage for some time. The crowd got crazy at Naagin. Wonderful evening it was!
I met this really cool guy from Hyderabad who accompanied me back to Goan corner as his car was parked there. He had a Spanish scotch with him and offered me the same. I called up the guys I met during the day to join us. Everyone started their stories. Scotch was going down the throats slowly and slowly while the moon shone more and more bright as the night grew.
If you come to Hampi and you don’t smoke the maal, then what did you do! As we didn’t have any sort of stuff with us, we tried to get hold of some from the foreigners, as they always have their pockets loaded. Our best bet was to offer them a drink and in return, collect stuff from them. Fortunately, we found a Russian guy who apparently turned out to be an expert in this matter. He had his own equipment like crusher, vaporizer, chillum and of course, loads of different kinds of stuff. This guy was literally an Einstein. He explained us the types of stuff he had, starting from Rs.100 a tola (10 gms) to Rs.8000 a tola. I never liked smoking but then, he convinced me that the best stuff he had is 92% pure, unlike the other common stuff Indians get which is only 10-12% pure. Contrasting difference! The high which you will get with this purest stuff is so balanced, so heavenly and so healthy. I actually got a kick, but in a good way. And I am not kidding. I didn’t just bash over at someone or puked for that matter. Everything seemed happy thereafter. The sleep I got that night was one of the best sleep in my whole lifetime. Ahh!!!
Day 1 turned out to be a heck of an experience. Hampi trip was already successful for me. The following couple of days would be busy as there are a lot of places to be explored.
Hampi travel guide
As soon as I woke up at 9, I took a shower and had a breakfast at the same cafe downstairs. I loved the coffee here. Today, I had to travel to the other side of the river, to explore the ruins. I crossed the river in a boat and went straight towards the Virupaksha temple. The first thing you should do to explore Hampi is to purchase a nice guide book. You will get many guides on Hampi, but you can trust this book by Dr.C.S.Vasudevan which will cost you Rs.200. It apparently is certified by the Archaeological Survey of India. This book lists around 67 monuments and 16 other places of interests around Hampi along with their descriptions. Much to digest for a person with no history background! You will also find a detailed map on the last page for navigation.
Map
I split my plan into two:
Day 2 – South East of Virupaksha temple (26 onwards on the map)
Day 3 – East of Virupaksha temple (1-25)
I wasn’t able to get a bicycle today as I was late. Bicycles are lent out by 8 o’clock in the morning. So, plan accordingly.
Temple elephant-Lakshmi
Virupaksha temple from the side
I started off with Virupaksha (Shiva) Temple (4). It’s such a majestic artwork of the 7th century and is considered the most sacred sanctuary over the centuries. Such a thoughtful and systematic architecture. Don’t forget to take blessings from the temple elephant, Lakshmi.
I continued to Hemakuta group of temples (3) which is quite spread out and took around an hour. There are around 30 beautiful temples on this hillock. The view of Virupaksha temple from this hillock takes another dimension.
Hemkuta group of temples
After covering two Ganesh temples (1 &2), I decided to take a small meal in the nearby mess named Geetha Restaurant, as I knew after this point I won’t be getting any food. After lunch, I went ahead to Krishna temple (23). It is one of the most majestic temples built by Krishnadevaraya in 1513 AD. There’s this Krishna bazaar in front of this temple which is again quite huge. I continued further to other points of interest. The way is a simple-straight road! And you will find all the monuments or at least some people going to those monuments. You don’t need any guide if you have a guide book. The most amazing and beautiful monuments according to me in this part were Elephants stable, Queens bath, Lotus Mahal and the whole Royal Enclosure which includes Stepped Tank.
Narasimha Shrine
Watch tower
Stone carvings
Hazara Ramachandra temple
Stepped tank
Lotus Mahal
Elephants stable
It was around 6 PM and I had mostly covered this part. Took an auto as Hampi town was around 4 km from the last point and I was barely left with any stamina to walk.
Back in the town, it was already dark. Boats weren’t operating. I found a group of people crossing the river and tagged alongside them. Don’t forget to carry your torch (preferably head torch) for such situations.
The other side of the town is as lively as it gets. Music is on everywhere and roads are rushed till 10. I went to Gali’s music shop to find out it was closed. So, I called up my guys and got to know they had reached Goan corner already. So I headed for it. I had a dinner at Goan corner and it was good. Made new friends from Norway there who turned out to be contemporary dancers. I always have good and thorough conversation with artists. Here as well, I made talks for around a couple of hours with them regarding their art after which I had a silent walk with one of them in the quiet long paddy fields. Hampi grows really silent as it grows dark. The sky lit up with more and more number of stars as the time passed. We came back to our haven and I went straight to my bed, watching the sky again. This time, through the mosquito net.
Sunrise from Matanga hilltop
I woke up at 5 AM just because I wanted to see the sunrise from Matanga Hill (6). I took a bath and got ready in 30 mins, walked the still-dark paddy fields towards the river to get to the other side. It took me another 15 mins to reach the other side. The eastern part of Virupaksha temple is mostly a trip around the hilly part alongside the river Tungabhadra, where you can’t drive. So, I caught an auto in a hurry as there was barely any time left for sunrise. I climbed and reached Matunga hilltop in dot 15 mins and noticed a lot of people already waiting there for sunrise. I reserved a location there and patiently waited for the sunrise to happen. After 10 mins when the sunrise was yet to happen, I met a couple of Marathi guys from Pune. I had a good chat with them for 5 mins may be. As the skies were already lit, we concluded that the sunrise had happened and due to clouds we couldn’t spot it. But we were wrong in our assumption. Sunrise happened but after 10 more minutes. It was a pleasant and divine experience. I am not a morning person so I can claim this sunrise to be the best in my life!
Where does it end?
Artistic pillars
Achyutaraya temple
Ruins
Dilapidated Buddha statue?
Someone suggested me to cover the east part of Virupaksha temple before afternoon as it will be less hot plus less crowded. I went down the hill and continued my pending journey of the eastern side, which supposedly is more beautiful.
Banyan tree on the way to Vitthala temple where people wrap stone in a piece of cloth and hang it by the tree to get blessings to beget a child.
Extraordinary workmanship
The first monument I hit was Achyutaraya temple (7) which is at the foothill of the Matunga hillock. There is this Achyutaraya bazaar (8) in front of it which measures around 361 meters in length and 40 meters in width. Afterwards, according to the map, I followed the directions and covered all the places of interest. Vitthala temple (15) is inarguably one of the most beautiful temples I have ever seen. It marks the highest workmanship indicating the mature Vijayanagara phase of architecture. It has this popular Stone Chariot at the center of its premises, which is a prototype of wooden Ratha. I loved this place to the core and spent around an hour discovering its in-depth art. Met another solo backpacker from Mumbai here. He accompanied me for the next couple of monuments post which we parted.
The Stone Chariot
Musical pillars
Vitthala temple
I went straight to the town and had a lunch at Mango tree, a popular restaurant at Hampi. No alcohol and non-veg served here. Shared the table with a couple of Chinese women who were curious to know the Indian dishes. I helped them in their mission. After lunch, I headed back to the Goan corner at around 3 PM to chill out. Met some of the friends there and took some rest in their cafe. The dancer girl was still there and asked me to join her for the sunset from the boulders. The sunset was awesome and this time, not cloudy. People played their guitars on the hill and sang to the tunes of nature. I wish I could have joined them but had to leave as I had to catch the bus back to Bangalore. So, descended the hilltop and left for Hospet bus stand at 8.
The journey was great and the people I met were fabulous. Stories I heard were exceptional and the places I visited were marvelous. I loved the way Hampi is. People from all over the world travel here just to see some part of the great history associated with India. They enjoy the culture at this place and I am proud to be a part of it.
Majestic view of Hampi from the top on a boulder
15.33501376.460024
Please share this if you liked the post. It may help one or two wanderers.
Travel with me 