Routes in India for selected grade

Conspicuous double arete problem near where the foot track enters the plateau area

SDS from sloper, into chunky rail and up flakes. Alternative descent route.

Big start holds - facing Party Boulders. Pistol squat mantle to slopey dishes

Sit start makes it harder.

Sit start on left side of arete

From the crack straight up with pocket

Sit start. Nice little problem on small boulder facing diagonal

Anchor station and 2 lead bolts hangers are missing. This is on the left side of French Indian Masala route

Very short slab; good for learning to smear; trust your shoe soles! For guide: Scramble up to the top from the back, sling the horn near the bolt with a long cord and equalize with the bolt to build a top rope anchor.

One of the few, if not the only chimney around Bangalore that can be protected with non-wide gear. Also, possibly the FA of this high boulder. No signs of previous ascents were noticed on the top.

Squeeze chimney in sections with chock-stones along the way to protect, with a thin crack running the length of it.

Climb over the 12-foot boulder to the west leaning on the face, access the chimney and inch your way towards the chockstones, and climb through between them. The thin crack takes small nuts, and finger and double finger sized cams. If feeling bold, cams could be avoided, nuts alone.

Anchor: Hand to fist sized horizontal cracks will take tricams or intermediate-sized cams.

Natural Anchor, the entire top on the right-side or the stack to the south can be slung with a 15-meter rope, or further on the same stack, a smaller but substantial boulder will take a 20-foot rope to sling and protect, with extended anchor of five to eight meters.

Exit: The bolted top-anchor of Fire in the Belly

FKA: Sohan, Manoj Prakash, Amrit Appaden, and Srivats Vats. May 04th, 2022.

Hand crack

30-50 meters to the north of Bare Necessities.

Over the chocked block of rock and through the hand crack going right diagonally, and then left to the top of the chimney. Crux involves transitioning into the hand crack from over the wide chimney.

Exit: Walk left, over the boulders, to the trees, and a 15-meter rappel

Facing: North:

Rack: Mid-sized pieces

Anchor: At the end of chimney, cracks.

Natural Anchor: None

FKA: Amrit Appaden and Sohan, April 2021

The offwidth on the Zen Garden boulder, facing north.

Starts in a chimney left of a tree. Through the tree to the offwidth.

This face of the Zen Garden boulder is covered by thick vegetation.

Rack: Slings for the tree, and #4, #5, #6 (optional) cams. Large hexes and small gear for the anchors.

Anchor: Boulders and cracks below the boulders

Natural Anchor: Boulders

FKA: Caleb Daniel and Amrit Appaden, Apr 2021

Finger and hand crack

Left of the offwidth on the Zen Garden boulder, facing north.

Start on the horizontal crack to the left, and then through the tree and then through the vertical crack. The start is simpler than it looks, and the crux is the commitment before the top out. Suggested to protect the traverse to protect the second. At the crux, at the top, finger jams or lean out to the right with the feet in the crack. Exciting top out.

Rack: Finger- to hand-sized cams/nuts to lead, and anchoring gear as mentioned for Peanut Stall. Offset nuts of the mid to larger sizes or the tricams shine here.

FKA: Sohan and Shyam Krishnakumar, Apr 27th, 2021

Chimney for about 15-20 feet between the King Swing Boulder and the Mango Seed boulder, protect using the wide to hand-sized cracks, and over to the ledge.

From the ledge to the tree is a run-out section. Protect the tree and top-out to the left.

Rack: #4,#3, and #.3 (to protect on the ledge), or a set of large hexes.

Anchor: Trees and cracks. If using the trees, long cordages for top-rope anchors. For the crack, hand- and fist-sized pieces.

Natural Anchors: Trees.

FKA: Amrit Appaden & Sohan. May 11th, 2022.

Consider this a two-pitch route, in three acts. Not a traditional, linear line. The horse-shoe line traverses three different boulders. Climb through the short four- meter hand crack (5.4G), walk the ledge to the right, traverse right (5.5X), and then gain the opposite high-boulder (5.7R).

Creative protection on the second part of the route and ground fall potential on this 5.5 traverse. The airy top-out, from the right side of the ledge with potential to swing back into the rock is quite exciting. Equally exciting for the follower.

FA: Sohan & Amrit Appaden. May 21st, 2022

The line that goes up straight after the chimney on the Bar-Stool Traverse.

Best to break up this line into two pitches. Set-up an anchor after the chimney, as high as possible, in the wide-crack.

Top-out through the hand-crack and the roof. Traverse left through the vegetation.

If setting up as a top-rope line, and possible to exit using the tree growing to the right, though looks sketch.

Rack: One #6 cam for the chimney section below or run it out to the finger-sized crack about 20-feet from the ground. #3 and below for rest of the route.

Exit: The sketch ‘tree’ to the right in the chimney. Safer to top-out, and then walk left and then down the slope, through the talus field and an experience of terrain.

FKA: Charan Hanumanthappa, Tanmayi Geedh, Sohan. July 3rd, 2022.

Chimney A stand-alone boulder to the left at the base of Higher Than Noon bouder.

Solo it out, and protect the top with hand or fist sized cam.

There is another chimney to the right and behind this block of rock.

Route and name courtesy, Subhash

Start from the center of the face, good ledges to take-off and then easy terrain if you move left, or mildly heady right exit.

*This Route is Soloed often.

Short crack route opposite You Or I crack. The rock itself is part of the Higher than Noon boulder, but the access requires one to hike up from the left and south of the You or I boulder.

While being a short boulder that seems to lend itself to bouldering, the base slopes off and makes bouldering risky. Either rope up or solo it out.

If roping up, protect the belayer with an anchor (small offsets and double finger sized cams).

Bouldery start, and quickly provides excellent hand jams.

Three variations to top out. Either through the crack going straight up, or through the hand jam diagonal crack, or traverse right, protect the horizontal finger crack and top out over the slab.

Rack: To protect the climb, Finger to fist sized cams.

Anchor: Cracks and a tree above

Natural Anchor: Tree

The thin crack radiating left from the take-off of Xeriscape.

Micro-nuts to protect the crack, and then along the arete.

Slab crux

On the downslope to the Redeemer rock, start from right of the tree at the base.

The first 20 feet might seem absurdly easy climbing. Infact, after ten feet, you could walk left and onto the trail. The crux is the last ten feet, which is a slab.

For the crux, protect far right hand crack, and slab it out.

Variations: Potentially, you could traverse right, and on to the south face, and pursue an easier (and still an exciting) version of the Virar Fast.

Facing: West

Rack: Hand to fist sized pieces, and sling the stub of a plant

Top Anchor: Cracks

Natural Anchor: Boulder at the top, but will need directional

Far right on the east face of the boulder.

Starting left of the crescent shaped feature, traverse right, through a series of horizonal cracks, finding the weakness in the rock.

Rack: Finger sized nuts and Cams

Anchor: Large boulder behind, and some directional pieces.

Natural Anchor: Boulder atop the rock

FKA: Amrit Appaden, Feb 2021

Additional top-ropeable lines could be set up to the right and left of the off-width.

The jagged face to the left (5.8), face to the right of the crack (mid-5.11), stem- chimney to the right (5.6/7). And one further to the right in the Stem-Chimney (5.5).

Diagonal Chimney

The prominent diagonal chimney, facing north, can be easily soloed out. The face to the left of the chimney (facing north) with some potential shallow cracks, could be a Grit style project? The east face arete has been high balled previously.

Facing: Chimney itself faces North

Old problems. Information by Vineeth, name provided by Vikram Murthy

Starts atop a series of boulders, with a tree growing atop it. Start at the base of the pile of boulders or station the belayer so, and use the tree as the first protection.

3-bolt line, with take-off crux, mildly high first bolt, and one more crux along the way. Use the tree to mitigate the fall consequences.

FA: Akhil Menon, August 7th, 2022. Route by Shyam Krishnakumar, Charan H, Akhil Menon, & Sohan

Currently, the first of the routes as you hike south from the NW trail. Steep line for the grade!

Runs diagonally left from the trees, along the ledges, initially to the left and then straight up. Very mildly traversing.

Take-off crux, and then ledges along the way.

FA: Akhil Menon. Route by Sohan. August 10th, 2022.

Beginner-friendly route with a gully being the main feature between the second and third bolt.

Route by Anand Bhat and Amrit Appaden

As you walk along the base to the south, a couple of slabs separated by a channel filled up with mud.

Both sets of the slabs could be protected with gear or from the trees atop them.

Three lines here; one of which could be led on gear, and the other two are currently soloed.

The leadable line is to the far left, thin cracks take finger sized pieces (cams only). Or maybe pitons. The take-off crux here, and then easy line to the top.

The weakest (5.5) take-off section is to the right. And then follows a series of weaknesses diagonally going left. And top out towards the left horizontal crack.

The third line follows to the right, closer to the edge, and then exposed but easy climbing to the tree.

Three top-rope lines could be setup, with one from the tree in the channel, and two on either side about 8-10 feet below in the horizontal cracks.

FKA: Sohan. July 31st, 2022.

Chimney and Finger Crack

Facing south, the first half involves chimneying upto the ledge, protecting in the finger crack/seam, and then running it out to the topout.

The last eight-ten feet is the crux.

Exit via the scramble to the north-east and hike around.

Rack: A set of finger-sized nuts or cams.

Anchor: Hand-sized cracks

Natural Anchor: Hip belay

FKA: Sohan, Arun Bhat, & Dave X, Nov 27th, 2021

Squeeze chimney.

The standalone stack, north-west of the temple on the slab. From the base of MS Betta, the stack looks quite impressive.

Hike west from the temple, and mildly north to locate this stack sitting atop the slabs.

The line through the chimney can be protected after 15 odd feet using the chocked boulder. The crack formed by the wedged boulder, takes hand-sized or finger-sized piece. From atop the boulder leaning on the main stack, easy scramble to the top.

Exit: To the east or south-west, scrambling lines.

Rack: Mid-to large sized nut or hexes, or similar sized cams.

Anchor: Cracks

Natural anchor: Sling the boulders with 20- or 30-foot long cordage

FKA: Sohan & Amrit Appaden, Dec 1, 2021

Through the hand crack inside the cave to the south-west corner, over the ledge, follow the thin seam behind the tree, over the slab, and then top out through either of the two cracks to the far right on the south-face. Both cracks provide good protection.

The left side crack takes nuts, and about four-five feet to the right, the alternate crack takes hand-sized pieces. Both provide exciting finish to this short line.

The route traverses quite a bit, so plan accordingly.

Rack: From one odd Micro nuts in the seam on the slab, all the way up to #3 cams. Between the tree and the cracks before the top out, a finger sized cam would help protect.

Anchor: About 200- or 250- kg boulder sitting atop the stack, or cracks.

Exit: Plan to take a five-meter length of Tat (old webbing or rope) to leave behind, if the old Tat is deteriorating.

Route credit & FKA: Sohan, Kartik Vaithylingam, Akshay Kumar KV. Sep 15th, 2021.

Slabs to the east of the temple, or north of the Jenga Stack

Route Credit: Shyam Krishnakumar, May 2022

A 3 bolt line

Anchor - Trees

Route by Shyam Krishnakumar & Sohan. FA: Shyam. November 9th, 2022.

Hand and finger crack

The crux is within the first 12-14 feet, and then a scramble to the top-out.

Finger-crack to hand-crack, and then a seam where it turns to slab. The crux move is the take-off and at the point of transition to the slab. More of a placement beta route than the movement beta. Simpler to boulder this line on the crashpads as the upper section is a scramble. But climbing on removable gear kicks up the challenge a notch.

Rack: Hand-sized pieces and lower.

Top-Anchor: Tree to the climber left and the cracks to the climber right (might need cleaning up. For top-rope anchor, long cordage (20-meter length). The tree branches atop the boulder are close enough to the boulder, but with a drop of about 20-feet, between the tree and the boulder.

FKA: Ravee Bhat bouldered and went right from the sloper, at the end of the crack. June 26th, 2022. A week later, in early July, Charan H. & I cleaned up the crack to be able to protect the line through the seam. No impact to the grade.

Corner finger crack.

This partially quarried high boulder offers a unique style of climbing for Bangalore.

Located a few meters to the south of the Breathe-in Off-width. Essentially the twin boulder that forms the Breathe-in Chimney/Offwidth

Take-off is the crux. If climbing on the slab alone, the grade kicks up a few notches. If climbing the corner, in any fashion, the grade drops to the one stated above.

The corner crack fills up with mud and the vine keeps growing back and blocks the crack. Needs to be cleaned up to climb free.

Rack: Set of smaller nuts, and finger or double finger sized cam.

Anchor: The tree about 15-feet from the edge.

FKA: Sohan & Amrit Appaden. May 21st, 2022.

Fist crack

Will need a #3 and #4 cams to protect the crack. A tree at the end of the crack to set up an anchor.

The base was dug up with JCBs in 2021. Infact adds to the length of the route, and the charm of it.

• Rack: Couple of cams, #2, #3 and #4

• Anchor: Tree at the end of the crack

• Natural Anchor: Tree

Placeholder names

Placeholder names

Placeholder names

Route credit: Gethna/Keerthi Pais, Pranesh Manchaiah & Team

Route credit: Gethna/Keerthi Pais, Pranesh Manchaiah & Team

Shares the anchor bolts with Life Begins at 40.

First bolt is at a shorter distance than all other routes here.

Bolted in Feb 2016.

FA, Seema Pai

An old classic. Older 7mm bolts.

Watch out for the flake after the second or third bolt that has withstood the test of time and many climbs but threatens to come off at some time.

FA, Nagi.

Shared anchor with You Kan.

Older 7 mm bolts. First bolt, 20-25 feet from base.

FA, Dini

Older 7 mm bolts.

Named in memory of Kanhai Dutta, Delhi based rock climber who was one of the first ascensionist of Deepawali route on Savandurga. FFA: Dini.

Goes right of the big bucket

Jan 2016. FA, Seema Pai.

15 meters if starting from the ledge, else 30 meters from the base.

Reaching the first bolt can be slightly heady.

If rapping all the way down, a 60-meter rope might fall short by a meter or two on the easy slab.

Shares the anchor with C'est La Vie.

FA, Seema

The route ends left of a large bucket/grass patch.

If rapping all the way down, a 60-meter rope might fall short by a meter or two on the easy slab.

FA, Latha BN

Starts on a cleared patch on the left of the rightmost chimney. Bolted in 2023 with new fixe bolts.

Single anchor station has 2 maillons for bailing in rain.

Route is very flaky as it has not seen much traffic. Generously bolted, but weaves around some ledges and formations, giving the route a lot of variation compared to the other routes in the area. The anchor station is above a diagonal ledge.

The 2nd pitch is unbolted and is a 5.4/5.5 scramble.

A tree can be used to stabilize the belayer to bring up the follower.

To exit, top out among the boulders on top, which will lead to gentle slabs.

Put up in 1983/84 by Mico Ramesh via the chimney crack.

Either a variation or the original route was last climbed by Gujju and Suma during the Romp 2016. No top anchors. Walk off.

** There is an Owl nest, in the cave behind the grass patch you see on the ledge. Avoid climbs Rum and Rasam & Beku Beku, during Owl’s nesting season. Alternatively, these climbs deserve an alternate start.

P1: 5.7. 35 meters from the ledge, or 50 meters from the ground level. 5 + 2 bolts.

This is a really good 5.7 (possibly mixed Sport) climb for the beginners. A short crack of about 5 meters can be protected with BD size #2 or -#3 cams. Or can be runout.

P2: 5.5. 30 meters. 1 + 2 bolts.

The route angles left from here. There is a good line directly below the bolts for a future route.

Exit: Rap off using a 70-meter ropes. Or a 60-meter rope, if you are comfortable with downclimbing on easy terrain.

Route credit: Dinesh Kaigonhalli and Pranesh Manchaiah, Ground up bolted.

There is a harder start to the left of the tree, that will make it a 5.8, but a very short start problem.

You can also access from the right over the slab. Crosses a flaring wide crack. Shares the anchor with #3.

Route by Sohan Pavuluri & Narayan Pai, FFA: Narayan Pai

The first route at the crag, created ground up, which realized rest of the bolted routes.

One bolt. Trad climb. Top anchors bolted about 15 feet below the tree. The first ascent saw the tree being used as an anchor. This was the first route here.

Rack needed, between BD cam sizes .3 and 3.

FFA: Onsighted by Sohan Pavuluri with support from Narayan Pai/Karthik Vijayakumar

Mixed trad climb, or run out the one place, where gear can go into a horizontal crack.

Start either from the base, or scramble up the rock to the right, and get below to the first bolt.

Route credit: Narayan Pai, Karthik Vijayakumar & Sohan Pavuluri. FFA: Karthik Vijayakumar

This ground up bolted route runs right of the Mayabazaar Chimney. Just another slab route. My first ever ground up bolted route.

FFA: Onsight by Sohan Pavuluri with support from Narayan Pai/Karthik Vijayakumar

The first route at MP Betta, that allowed the creation of all other routes. Originally explored and identified during the Romp of 2016 by Sohan & Dominique Holzl. Subsequently, onsighted by Sohan, with support of Arjun Menon, and Gujju Razzak.

P1: 5.7. 13 meters. Off width crack that takes cams between #4 and #6 and ends at a tree on a ledge. If you don’t have the gear, you can lean out of the crack to use the bolts of the Garuda route. If you plan to exit from the first pitch, carry a spare webbing or cordage of about 6 feet long, to rap off the tree. Else, continue to the second pitch.

P2: 5.4. 15 meters. Unprotected technical climbing through a chimney over boulder. And into a cave.

If you get into the cave, you might as well, continue the scramble that leads you to top out on the crag. A delightful adventure.

Exit: Top out on the crag and walk to the other end (to west), and to the right of the boulder, close to the edge, you should see bolts to exit above the Kurma route. 35 meters to the base, or use the intermediate anchor station, another five meters below for 30-meter rap.

An old school route, and one of my best adventures yet. But the route isn’t popular because of the nature of its climbing. There are bunch of such routes littered around Bangalore, and to understand these routes from the lens of modern climbing, one needs to experience them.

There is limited protection on this route after the first 60 meters. And the belay stations are just good stances in large buckets or on ledges. Body belays are more efficient as there is no fixed anchoring for the belayer. Ideally, the route should be soloed, as all the roped climbers are at risk if the leader falls.

The approach to the route takes 40 minutes to an hour. Map to the following coordinates (12.735434, 77.311752), and look for a small temple to park at.

The base is overwhelmingly a jungle now about 20-50 feet deep. So, requires one to traverse across fairly exposed lower slab of the hillock from the west. An adventure in itself. Look for a fold in the hillock, with a crack running to its left. Else, navigate to the base using the images provided below.

Gear needed, 50-meter rope (there is no possibility exit at any point along the route), and two-three slings. A rack including ball-nuts and big bros, (if you so wish to). There is possibility to place pro, only in the lower 60 meters. And there after the rack is just additional weight.

P1: 5.6. 32 meters. 5.4-5 slab for the first 15 meters with a tree at the end of it, and then an off-width crack for another 15 meters. The off-width crack starts from further left, but narrows to a fist crack, just below the tree, and continues as an ‘arm-bar’ sized off-width crack. The crux is just before the end of the pitch. Possible to protect with double finger sized cams just before where the crack ends. Wide gear might be needed for anchoring, or climb beyond to the tree, for about eight odd feet from the crack, and use it for anchoring. The tree seems healthy, but the root system didn’t seem extensive. Hence, we didn’t use it for anchoring.

P2: 5.5. 30 meters. Angle mildly left of the tree. Slab with large buckets. Might take ball nuts, along the way to protect, and a fist sized cam in another location. Not much to protect in the second half. End of the 30-meter mark, a system of large buckets, allows for a belay stance.

P3: 5.6+. 45-50 meters. Slab with moments, and no protection. The anchor station is in a large grass patch on a ledge. Might take larger pieces at the anchor station. A horizontal band of wide crack running across, behind the grass.

P4: 5.5. 30 meters. Aim right of the nostril shaped cave, and then straight up. End of the pitch is relatively flat terrain (still slab, but relatively easy angled)

P5: Easy scrambling terrain. Walk right below the cacti, and then continue straight up to a large cave. 50 meters

P6: 5.6/5.7. 20 meters. Continue on the headwall to the right of the cave (5.7), or alternatively from the left of the cave (5.6).

To exit, walk to the end of the plateau, and angle left. You should hit the well- marked goat trail.

The route was explored and climbed between 1984-85 by Shyam Krishnakumar, Y Sathya Prasad (Shyam’s brother), and Gajendra, after initial explorations by Shyam and Gopinandan since 1983. There is another resultant route to the right of Dhani (right of the fold/gully in the rock) that goes up for about 40 odd meters up to the trees, and up to below the overhanging section, and then hits a headwall, climbed in a similar style. While Shyam has led ‘Dhani’ multiple times over the three and half decades since, the only other person known to have led the entire route is Raghu (Sreenanandan AV).

Shyam, turned 60 in Jan 2019, continues to lead this route, with sure footedness, and is probably one of the oldest if not the oldest active climber around Bangalore.

Multi-pitch

P1: 5.9. 30 meters. 7 + 2 bolts.

P2: has two bolts with a massive runout (will add one more bolt in the run out) - so incomplete multi-pitch technically”

Route starts right of the corner.

Route by Suma Rao, Bhaskar Bhat and Satish Venkatachaliah.

FFA - Suma Rao

P1 : 5.7

P2 :5.5

Route by Satish Venkatachaliah and Pranesh Manchiah.

P1 : 5.6

P2 : 5.5

Face and Traverse

Thamma

First ever route - easy- opened in this area by Harshavardhana & others of 'The Climbers' in late 1985.

First hillock

FFA: Harshavardhana & Others, 1985

First hillock

Guruprasad, Ramagopal & Dattatreya of 'The Climbers' in 1986

Second hillock

Guruprasad, Harshavardhan & Bindu, 1986.

On the rear face of the second hillock.

S.R.Balaji, Kamalesh & Jagadeesan, 1996.

Harshavardhan Subbarao, Gunda Srinivas, Prakash, & Dini (1986)

Opened by Lopsang Thisring, Kamalesh & other members of 'The Climbers' in 1987 during IMF All India Camp.

Route opened by either Naresh, Paramjeet, Annie in 90/91 (5.9/5.10aR) as per Dini, or by Subhomoy, Kamalesh & Jagadeesh in 1994.

Dini Route.

Route by Srikanth, Dini, Raju K.H., & Pai (1985).

Back in Business is one of the first two routes put up on Achalu wall by Dinesh Kaigonhalli.

P1: 5.6. 30 meters. 5 + 2 bolts. First pitch starts to the right of the caves. Stand up on a ledge after the slab, and you are at the first bolt.

P2: 5.4. 25 meters. 2 + 2 bolts.

Second pitch is a walk up between large pockets.

P3. 5.7. 30 meters. 4 + 2 bolts.

Interesting pitch for a beginner route.

Route credit, Dini and team. Early 2014.

P1: 5.6 - 30 Meters -4 (+ 1) + 2 bolts.

After first pitch, the route merges with Back in Business second and third pitches.

P2: 5.4. 30 Meter. 2 + 2 bolts.

Second pitch is a walk up between large pockets.

P3: 5.7. 30 meters. 4 + 2 bolts.

Four bolts plus one shared with Back in Business.

This route is also a popular first pitch variation to get on routes number 7 and 8.

To get on Memory Loss or Basanti, veer right after the fourth bolt, and locate the first pitch top anchors to the right on easy terrain, after another 60 odd feet.

Route credit, Dini and team. Early 2014.

About 15-20 meters to the right of Broomberg. Just another slab route. A bit chossy.

Route credit: Dini, Prani & Seema. 2017

Cool arete high and easy

Old bolts with a fence at the base. Hence currently not safe to climb.

Top Rope anchors only on a tree pocked slab

From the anchor station of Bungle in the Jungle, cut left through the roof. Currently no bolts to protect the exposed passage through the roof. Narayan used the first bolt of the Meghaduta Traverse

FFA: Narayan Pai & Griffin Ernest (May 2019)

Starts a bit left of where the approach trail arrives at the crag.

Crux pitch runs from a bush to small tree. Long runout pitch at about 5.4 or 5.51.

First Ascent: Mohit Oberoi & Dinesh Kaigonhalli

A variation of Flesh Trade, first ascended by Gujju Razzak and Madhu on Mar 24th, 2016.

“Old Route Flesh Trade .. we went a bit on the left and then took a short traverse to right and up. It’s just a small variation. Climbing Style Trad / Solo ... It took us about 2 hrs to the top with ample time to sit and enjoy the sun rise and other small climbing moments” - Gujju

5.7+G through 5.9x variations. 350 meters. Trad, Five-Seven Pitches.

FA: Charu Sharma, Rohan Kanhai, Mandip Singh Soin, Oct 22/23, 1984, of the original Deepawali route

Deepawali was the first technical route opened on Savandurga in 1984. For the full story recounting the epic ascent look up the Outdoor Journal, summer 2013 edition.

Gear: 60-meter rope is optimal, but a 70-meter rope will help you reduce the number of pitches required to climb the routes. Full rack up to BD Cam #3, doubles of intermediate sizes, a set of nuts, a few tricams will be immensely useful. A dozen alpine draws and anchoring gear.

Committing route with possibility to exit only upto the first 60 or 70 meters, assuming you have double ropes or a tag line.

Five to seven pitches, depending on the rope length, and with multiple variations (at the time this documentation, there are five variations to the route), with each deserving its own name, and with its own grade. All these variations start from the same point and converge into the same penultimate pitch, which is a long gulley.

The first 10 odd meters are hard to protect but an easy 5.5/5.6 terrain. Thereafter, you could either stick to the right side slabby dihedral crack, or with a 70-meter rope cut across the slab to the left to trees you see to the further left of a horizontal off width crack.

If you chose to stick to the right side, again you have a choice between taking the horizontal off width crack which is hard to protect and can get hairy, or continue up the Navaratri version, which is the yellow line in the topo image.

The Green dotted line in the topo is the original Deepawali line and has a sandbagged grade for a short section. It is harder move than 5.8, and as per the admission of the First Ascensionists, it is much harder grade and they got over the crux by standing on the shoulder of the fellow climbers.

If you choose to follow the solid yellow line connecting to the blue dotted line, after the second pitch, you will encounter a short section of 15-20 feet of a 5.9x line. This line is part of the Scott Crack or the Crack route. Aside from this one section, the rest of the line is easier to protect and holds no surprises.

The hard-green line at the top section is a variation that directly gets onto the technically easy but hard to protect slab. Opened by Samiran Kolhe & TT Niranjan.

All the route variations converge back into the gully. At the end of the gully (a large tree blocks further progress), traverse right with a short bouldering move over the slab, and the terrain eases up. The terrain is very easy. You can stand and walk. But if you are roped up, go across to the wall, use the cracks to put in a piece and clip the rope to avoid the rope getting caught in the thorny bushes, and continue up to exit right over a boulder.

Bonus climb: On the plateau before the final exit, to the right, there’s a crack formed by a large boulder leaning against the right-side wall. A short 15 feet section. Use a #3 cam to protect and exit to the intermediate plateau.

Once you have topped out, to exit, scramble over the boulders to the right, until you get to a slab that will take you directly over to the main Savandurga plateau. Follow until you meet the trail, turn right and exit. 40-60 minutes’ hike to the base after topping out.

Crack line

Follow the trail to Khoday Neer, and the route starts just over the fort wall.

Rack needed: a set of nuts, and cams up to #3. Maybe a spare of #3 for anchoring at P3 start.

P1: 5.7G. 20 meters.

The route begins right next to a fort wall in a chimney, and traverses right after about four meters. A small but growing tree sticking out of the narrow chimney poses the crux of the pitch.

Past the tree, the line traverses to the right diagonally for about three meters.

Then the route continues straight along the dihedral crack. The corner has block of rocks chocked into it. Watch out for the odd shaky chock stone wedged in the crack.

Belay stance from a triangular ledge.

P2: 5.7R. 20 meters.

This is the same ledge from where the Khoday Neer P2 starts. Instead of following the left Khoday Neer crack, look to the right corner dihedral crack for the ‘TBONTB’ line. The crux begins right at the takeoff; an option is to high step on the right wall, while using an arm bar in the left crack. Very little to protect the take-off, until you get over the crux. But crux gets over quickly, and there-after, it is a 5.4 climb.

Keep right and go over a boulder to reach the base of the Pitch 3.

P3: 5.7G. 15 meters.

Pitch three gets interesting. It is a knife blade edge on a crack. It runs straight up for about 10 odd meters. This final pitch is the second half of Khoday Neer’s top pitch.

The crux presents itself after the first five meters. The problem here is not the grade, but the quality of the crack. The right-side edge of the crack is an inch- wide sheet of rock, or a flake. As you grip it, you realise that it will eventually break off.

FA: Kinsroc folks

An easy mixed route. You could use some trad gear to finish the final pitch, but not necessary. Placing gear on the sixth pitch makes the pitch harder.

Gear: 60-meter rope, six-seven alpine draws (quick draws will create rope drag), and a couple of anchor setups. Trad gear is optional (#.3 to #3 cams)

P1: 5.5+, 55 meters, 6 + 2 bolts.

After the first bolt, the section is mossy, but with good solid holds.

P2: 5.4, 55 meters, 3 + 2 bolts.

Long easy pitch, with a bit of headwall, just below the P3 anchor station.

P3: 5.6, 50 meters, 6 + 2 bolts.

Steep slab with good holds all along.

P4: 5.6, 50 meters, 4 + 2 bolts.

Slightly run out, but the grade eases up much more than the previous pitch.

P5: 5.4, 50 meters, 1 + 2 bolt.

As you look up from the anchor station, the bolt is to the right edge of a cacti island, about 15-20 meters above you. From there, the route orients left, along a diagonal crack system. The route grade dips to 5.2-5.3, after the bolt.

P6: 5.4, 50 meters, 0 + 0 bolts.

Traverse left here on, under the roof crack for about 50 meters. The horizontal crack system of the roof will take BD Cams #3 and below up to #.03. Placing gear, requires you to get to the crack, which increases the grade. If using the gear, sling the tree, and run it out on the easy slab.

Top out at a bunch of flat boulders, sling the boulders and belay your second.

Exit: Hike out from the left.

Route Credit: Sohan, Bhaskar Bhat, Satish Venkatachaliah, & Gokul G. Recceing and logistics support: Atul Agarwal, Aby Iyer, Vinay Chandra, Prithvi Wanderer, Anusha Anu, Karthik Vijayakumar. FFA: Kowshik Narayanaswamy, Alok Tater and Gokul G, Jan 2015

5.7R, 320 plus meters, eight pitches.

The route starts atop a stack of boulders to the far right on the south facing wall of the BM Betta. The hike to the base from the Bananthimaramma temple parking is about 2.4 km.

P1: 5.5, 40+ meters, 5 bolts + 1 plus tree The first bolt is behind the ‘chossy’ tree to the right, under the roof.

P2: 5.5, 40+ meters, 3 +1 + tree The first bolt to the right, after some 20 odd feet.

P3: 5.5, 40+ meters, 4 + 2. Some route finding, as the first bolt is after about 40 feet. But follow the natural line, and you will find it.

A short section (20-25 feet) of scrambling to get to the base of the slab, from this anchor point of being atop the high Boulder. There is an easy down climb from above the anchor.

P4: 5.7, 40+ meters, 4 + tree anchor The sea of slab opens up! High first bolt.

P5: 5.7, 40 meters, 3 + 2 Mildly runout second bolt. A spectacular view beholds down the sea of slab. The money pitch.

P6.5.7, 31 meters, 3 + 2 The first bolt is directly above the anchor station on the only crux of this section.

P7: 5.4. 50 meters. 1 + trees. Angle mildly right towards the upper slab.

P8: 5.7. 30 meters. 6 + 2

The top-out is a rope length of scramble with 1 bolt to protect during the rains.

Walk off. From the GTS mound, follow the trail of cairns. And some painted blazes. Can get tricky at night, so plan to exit before dark.

Route by Sohan and Amrit. Support, Prasanna G.. Dave Gates and Shyam Yeluri helped clean up the choss and equip the anchors with hardware.

The upper three pitches are also what Shyam Yeluri soloed out as an alternative finish to Junoon. Route name by Shyam.

Gear required; At most 4-5 pieces. All medium sizes and above up to #3 cam.

Slightly runout start with 5.7 slab moves, and then eases up to 5.5 until the top- out, which is again a slightly runout 5.7ish moves.

FFA, Sohan Pavuluri supported by Poonacha Medappa, Martina Wengle & Vasu Primlani, Sep 2014

Up easy blocks on far right of crag.

Intro to Rock climbing route. Big holds

This climb can be identified by the painted '9' that appears on top of the route. Hard to miss this one when you're looking up at the cliffs. Scramble up the cliffs to access the platform. Nice mix of laybacking and crack climbing.

Crack

Gear needed: Rack upto #4

Starts on a block of rock, connects to another, gets on the face, and then connects to the off-width crack going diagonally left.

Couple of bolts were added on stance, and then, an anchor station was added when threatened by rain. The anchor station perverts the route and needs to be removed. Early attempts at ground up routes.

FFA: Sohan, Narayan Pai, and Karthik Vijayakumar.