Located in the Kolar district of Karnataka, Anthargange is one of the simplest yet most adventurous trekking location. The mountains have an altitude of 1712 meters from sea level. The area has numerous rocky boulders, dark caves, and narrow passages. The cave exploration forms the major part of the trek followed by the beautiful sunrise.
The place derives its name from the river Ganga that flows through the rocks and originated somewhere within the mountains. This place is very well known in Southern India for Trekking and exploration purposes.
Night View of the city
There are several organizers who take a group of 30-35 people for the trek; all you have to do is book the trek and reach the pickup point. The charges vary if you decide to travel to the destination in your own vehicle (like we did). The Anthargange Trek was priced at 900/- INR (exclusive of pick-up and drop by a tempo traveler). With pick-up, the total cost was around 1100/- INR.
This trek begins at midnight and continues till 3 in the morning. Making way through the large boulders and narrow passages under the moonlight, this is a good experience for the first-time trekkers. It will help to test your stamina and strength. The guides provide a sleeping bag and a thick stick to each member and guide the group through the forest. (It is not exactly a forest but a clearing. Owing to the darkness and the eerie silence, the atmosphere is calm).
We reached Anthargange by 12:30 AM and were merged with the other people soon. After receiving our sleeping bags and sticks, we started for the trek. We were supposed to carry enough water and a torch. Since we all were first-timers, we took each step very carefully. At some points, we really got stuck, especially when we had to jump from one boulder to another. After the narrow passage, it was our turn to explore the cave by making our way through the small holes and spaces. It was fun yet difficult.
After a non-stop struggle and several bruises and slight pain in the muscles, we came out and were guided to the top of one of the mountains. There we enjoyed the bonfire (not really). Most of the group members did not spread their sleeping bags and instead opted to chat for few hours. The next thing on the list was to wait till 5 and watch the sunrise and then head back.
Shivering in the cold air, we decided to call it quits and left the place early. The guides, despite being tired, agreed to show us the way out.
Overall, it was a good experience- a one-night adventure trip.
A piece of advice: Plan the trek on a Saturday so that you can relax on Sunday.
One liner for the trip: The boulders that force everyone to explore all avenues- to find a way out!
“I see my path, but I don't know where it leads. Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it.”
-Rosalia de Castro
Note: Not all photographs are original (Photo Source: Google). Due to low light, we could not click clear photos.
