The train that we took from Hyderabad reached Guntur as early as 4:30 AM in the morning. We took an auto-rickshaw to reach Guntur bus stand. After freshening up a bit there, we had a heavy breakfast in a hotel and boarded a local bus to a nearby village called Narsaraopet. From there we took a mini-bus to Phirangipuram, a small yet serene village at the base of Kondaveedu ranges. This 30 minutes bus journey is totally though the countryside and sure to charm you with its unique flavor.
By the time we reached Phirangipuram it was already 7:00 AM in the morning and from the base we could see a nice silhouette of a watchtower at the top of the hill, with the rising sun sneaking behind it. As we started climbing up, we split ourselves into 2 teams and the goal was to meet at the watchtower, which we could see from the base. One team would follow an easy or already set path to reach the watchtower and another team would explore its way to the top through rocks and bushes. I took charge of the team that would explore the route and reach the watchtower.
Next 2 hours saw a really tough knee-breaking climb. We had to crouch, crawl and climb through the rocks and ruins of the fort. Initially a ruined entrance beneath a demolished fort wall greeted us. We started tracing the path along the fort wall assuming it would lead us to the watchtower. But it wasn’t an easy climb, as it seemed to be. Some places were really too tough to climb. At times we had to blindly rely on the strength of the wild bushes to push ourselves up. After some slipping, holding, screaming, guiding, sweat, push and pull, we finally managed to reach our first goal point!! – The same watchtower that we saw from the base of the hill. I think it was around 10:30 AM then.
As always any tough action should be rewarded. So the tough climb was rewarded by a brief photography session at the top, near the watchtower to celebrate the sense of achievement. Not to forget, the beautiful faraway fields and hillocks in the background. A small ‘fruit and juice’ break followed it. Did I miss to mention? We all carried 4 water bottles each for this trek! Well yes. By the time we reached the watchtower, one water bottle was over and the second one was already in use.
Our second goal was to trek through the ruins and bushes to our next destination – “The Kondaveedu Fort”. The fort is located little deep into the forest. To reach there, we had to quickly descend from the watchtower on the other side and hike a couple of kilometers deep into the forest. But it wasn’t an easy task as it just sounded to be. We had to crawl at times and walk on top of sharp stones with the fear of it toppling and twisting our foot any time. Also sun had placed itself in a most comfortable location to give us additional trouble. But after all the hurdles and hardships, we managed to reach the fort around 11:30 AM in the morning!!
Kondaveedu Fort is yet another ruin at this point of time. As such there is nothing interesting to do there apart from swinging from the roots of an old banyan tree. Also the fort wasn’t the final destination in our itinerary. Our plan was to trek across the range and reach a village called Gopanpalli on the other side of the hill ranges. So after a brief rest and customary photography session, the trek continued into the ruins of Kondaveedu…
Next 30 minutes walk was comparatively easy. Less or almost no rocks to hip hop, more plain lands. All the way ruins, ruins and more ruins. At the end of this short trek, we spotted a huge rock formation (which we later came to know is 1200 ft high). Some of us were curious to climb that rock and get a bird’s eye view of the entire path we just traced. As we were getting late for lunch, we decided to do it after the lunch session. Another 5 minutes walk from that rock formation, we reached a small pristine lake in the middle of nowhere.With stomach already sending signals for food, the lake seemed to be “the perfect place” for having lunch. Packed roti’s were unpacked. Pickles and jams for touch and taste. After half a day of strenuous walking, the rotis with pickles and jams never tasted better ever before!! 15 minutes nap along the lakeside and we were ready to walk the remaining challenge ahead. Adios 2 bottles of water.
Well, at that point some of us wanted to go back and climb the rock formation while some decided to stay back near the lake. Climbing that rock wasn’t easy at all. Everything has a price to pay in this world. To get a nice bird’s eye view of the place, we had to undergo a really tough climb. We had to grab the crevices in the rock to push ourselves up and move ahead. After certain elevation, surprisingly there was a paved pathway that led us to the top. Though it was a hard climb, every second and effort spent on it was worth it! The view from the top was absolutely stunning and breathtaking. We could actually spot the way we traced from the watchtower to the lake. This was one stunning moment. We climbed further up to reach a flat place and took a group snap there to celebrate the proud moment.
Only when we reached the top of the rock that we came to know, the other group that stayed back near the lake luckily caught hold of a villager who could make path for us across the range to the other side. So the group left the place, hiked a mile from the lake and was waiting for us to join there. Thanks to the invention of mobile phones, we could effectively communicate even in the middle of the jungle and spot their location from the top.
We descended the huge rock slowly and steadily. Without taking much break, we started walking towards the place where the other group has stationed. Finally after 30 minutes of walking through a tough trail covered with dense bushes, we reached the place where the other group was waiting for us to continue with the rest of the journey. It was around 2:00 PM at that time.With the villager leading the way, cutting the trees and making path for us, the next 3 hours of trekking through the forest and descent was as easy as removing the word “Easy” or any of its variants from the dictionary. In the beginning the word “Tough” slowly transformed to “Tougher” and to “Toughest” in no time. A fruit break some where in the middle of the jungle and adieu to 3rd bottle of water as well. Tough and steep descend ahead and with the necessity of water management, everyone’s face read only one thing – “Is there an option to time travel and reach the city?” But everybody knew the obvious. Trees, more trees, big trees, stones and rocks of various sizes, after a while the smell of raw greens becomes totally daunting.
Suddenly shining asbestos at a distance caught our attention and some factories were spotted. Immediately shutters opened, “few smiles” and a sigh of relief at last. Some motivation refueled our journey ahead. Another tough hour of descent, we had actually hit the base on the other side. Hurray! Now the smiles slowly transformed to laughter for the few jokes cracked. 2 km walk from the base of the hills through a bamboo forest took us to our final destination – “Gopanpalli Village”, a very primitive civilization. But “civilization” is all that mattered at that time. We could get some “drinking water” and “lime soda”!! Life sometimes hit the very basics and it’s quiet interesting to deal with it in such situations.
It was already late in the evening then. A quick piggyback ride on a local luggage carrier auto brought us to a nearby town, Boyapalem. From there a local bus to Guntur brought us to the smell of real civilization and marked an end to a memorable trekking trip that took us into the slice of history.
Fact file – Kondaveedu
Kondaveedu fort was built during the reign of the Reddy kings in 14th century A.D. There are 21 structures in the fort. The ruins of the fort located on the hilltop offer unraveled mysteries. It is an ideal place for beginner level exploratory trekking. It is not necessary to trek the entire range. One can trek up to the fort and retrace the path back to Phirangipuram. The huge rock formations also aid in practicing rappelling.
How to reach there?
Kondaveedu is approximately 25 km from Guntur and is easily accessible via road. Lots of local buses run from Guntur bus stand (platform number 17) to Narsaraopet. From there one can take a private auto or a mini-bus to reach Phirangipuram (base).
Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) itself is well connected by Bus and Railroad from different parts of the country. It is approximately 260 km from Hyderabad and 390 km from Chennai. Express trains like Hyderabad-Chennai express stops at Guntur. Guntur railway station has a decent cloakroom and retiring room facility. Commuting inside Guntur is pretty cheap. Shared autos are available between the railway station and bus stand at just Rs.6 per head.
Popularity: 4% [?]