Savandurga
Magadi Taluk, Ramanagara District
- Time needed
- Half day
- Distance
- 50 km away
- Entry
- Free entry
- Best time
- Nov – Feb, start the climb before 7am
Savandurga splits into two peaks, Karigudda and Biligudda, and the climb is entirely on exposed granite rock face with no tree cover for most of the route, which makes an early start essential rather than optional. There are temples at both the base and partway up, and the hill has a reputation locally tied to old stories of forts too difficult for enemies to take.
This is a proper scramble in places, not a paved trail, and gets genuinely slippery if there's been recent rain — most local trekking groups avoid it during monsoon for that reason. The summit view over the surrounding Ramanagara scrub country is the payoff.
Highlights
- Two granite peaks, Karigudda and Biligudda
- Temples at the base and partway up the climb
- Wide views over Ramanagara's rocky scrub landscape
- One of the largest monolithic hills in Asia
Good to know
- Start by 6:30am — there's no shade and the rock face gets uncomfortably hot by mid-morning
- Carry at least 2 litres of water per person; nothing is sold on the climb itself
- Avoid this one in wet weather — the granite gets dangerously slippery
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