Say it's a weekend, and there is no good movie to watch or you want to do something very active, then this is one of the best and easy hikes to do with your parents and with your kids !
It's a perfect family getaway .
60 kms away from Bangalore City, towards Kanakapura , is this lovely set of two hillocks which is super easy to hike and least crowded.
You can either go there at night and camp overnight or just go for an early morning picnic and hike.
We chose a Sunday morning and reached the base by 7am .
At the base there is enough space for parking of your vehicle and a temple for a landmark.
Just near this spot , trail will lead your way.
Around 200 mts into the trail. You will notice a pond on your right hand side.
Now since this is not a very popular hike , not many markings are there.
Hence the next few clues are very important.
If there is another organized group on the same trail, then all you need to do is follow them or ask them.
In case there is no one , it's ok. Just keep walking around 50 mts from the pond and look to your left. You will see a path going upwards into a pile of boulders.
If you miss this left, you will end up at a huge tree which has little elements of worship around it . Don't worry . Just take U turn and return towards the pond and this time keep an eye on the path on your right .
Once you find this path , just follow the red arrows that are painted on large rocks. Or simply follow the path that has less grass or looks like some people may have passed through it .
In about 5 - 10 mins you will see the that the trail opens up and now you are walking on just the monolith surface and there are cactii all around.
Be careful of the thorny plants on your ascend.
Once you reach the top of the first hillock, you can see the other hillock which is slightly higher and you can walk towards it.
Within 1 hour at Max you will be on top of the hill.
Open your picnic mats and start digging into your little bites.
We hiked with a dog and a child and it was very easy to handle them .
It literally took us 30 mins to hike down . However while doing so the shoes we wore mattered . The bald boulders can be tricky and dry leaves across the path can be slippery .
So ensure good grip shoes.
The hillocks open to such amazing vistas and you can see so many other hillocks peaking through the mist.
Overall I highly recommend this hike and here are things we carried.
1. 1 litre water bottle / person
2. Some short eats
3. Wear good shoes . I wore proper Columbia trekking shoes
4. Wear full sleeves or full pants to avoid being scratches
Hope you check this place out soon !
