루트들 Ramanagara, Mysore Highway에서

Multiple easy routes can be set up using trad gear on the left extreme wall

First route from the left edge of the crag.

Route 1 and 2 are perfect routes to get in your first lead climb, anchor set up & rappel.

*Shares top anchor with Gethna Workshop Route #2

Second route from the left edge of the crag.

Route 1 and 2 are perfect routes to get in your first lead climb, anchor set up & rappel.

*Shares top anchor with Gethna Workshop Route #1

Route by Sohan and Tanvi. FA - Vikram Murthy

Route by Sunny, FA Tanvi Badami

Route by Sohan and Zaman. FA Tanvi Badami

About 50 feet to the right of the first set of climbs.

Looks like most of the original holds have peeled off, and yet is a quality route.

Route credit, Gethna/Keerthi/Prani and folks.

About eight-10 feet right of route #3. Excellent four-bolt problem. The crux is before the first bolt. A rock at the base, before you can clip the first bolt.

Stick clip would help here for those pushing their limits. Route under Gethna aegis by Keerthi/Prani and folks.

Variation 5.11 a/b

Head to the top of the north crag, from the west facing path.

Short powerful route on a boulder sitting at the top of the hill.

Route by Madhu Raj, Gujju Razzak, Nagaraj and TT Niranjan. Mar 2017

FFA: Madhu Raj

This short corner crack is immensely enjoyable. You can climb the first half of Trap Rock Dreams onto the ledge, and then continue, on the corner crack instead of climbing the Sport line on the face. Belay from on the ledge.

Off width crack quickly turns to fingers, plenty on the dihedral for your feet, and the crack is quite solid. Gets a little sticky around monsoons from bat shit.

Route credit: Sunny Jamshedji & Sohan Pavuluri. FFA, Sunny Jamshedji. Jan 2016.

Immediate left of the five top rope routes that start below the cave. Two-part climb; starts on the slab (3 bolts) which is no harder than 5.10a, then from the ledge, proceeds on the inside face, right of the corner crack (3 bolts).

Brilliant small ledges with interesting movement on the second half.

Route credit: Sohan Pavuluri, Satish Venkatachaliah, & Amit Manikoth. FFA, Sohan. Added Nov 2015.

This and the next four top ropes range sequentially from stiff to easy slab climbs on crimpy flakes at times, from left to right.

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

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

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

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

Converted to lead by Satish Venkatachaliah

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

Located Just before Sunday Brunch Bolts. Top anchors can be accessed by climbing 2 bolts on Sunday Brunch and Traversing left.

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

Shares the bolts with NTR ; the route goes left of the roof. For this line, you could use six of the bolts, avoiding the bolt under the roof that is meant for NTR.

Route credit: Satish Venkatachaliah, Rahul Thomas & Sohan Pavuluri.

FFA, Satish Venkatachaliah. Added Oct 2015.

Shares the bolts with Sunday Brunch, the route goes under the roof. Seven bolts plus double bolted anchor station with maillons.

Route credit: Satish Venkatachaliah, Rahul Thomas & Sohan Pavuluri. FFA, Wojtek Traczyk. Added Oct 2015.

Starts on the slab, goes over the roof, and traverses left. Crux move requires balance moves using thin finger pinches.

Route credit: Sohan & Satish Venkatachaliah. FFA, Aby Iyer. (Dec 2015).

Starts on the slab, goes over the roof and goes straight up left of the tree.

There’s a knee bar which will allow you to rest, and not everyone seems to appreciate this little resting place!

Route credit: Sohan & Venkatachaliah. FFA, Sohan Pavuluri. (Dec 2015)

Bolted Top rope route with anchor on the left of Wine n dine route.

Bolted by Prani. This route is located on the neighbouring rock in Gethna area and about 30 m to the right of Knee man's land route.

Bolted Top rope route with anchor on the right of Wine n dine route.

Extremely flaky.

Heady route with spaced out bolts.

First bolt is 12 meters from the base.

Bolts have been removed after being extremely corroded. This route is no longer bolted as of July 2023

Route by Balaji S. Rajagopal

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.

First bolt is shared with Ironman.

Starts at the first bolt of the right-side route, Ironman, and after six more bolts, shares the anchors of the Iron Man .

Goes left of the big bucket.

Feb 2016. FA, Seema Pai.

Goes right of the big bucket

Jan 2016. FA, Seema Pai.

18-20 meters, if done from the ledge or 30 meters from the ground.

Shared anchor with Black Black Gully, Starts after the big bucket.

First bolt 40 feet from base. Feels harder than a 5.9, especially the transition from the first to second bolt, probably that the route character has changed since first climbed, or this is an old-school grade.

Feels harder than the Black Gulley. FA, Joshua.

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

A short classic line, that runs in the gulley, requires some technical moves, including stemming and mantling, and side pulls, and one that stands apart from all the slab moves on rest of the climbs here at Senapathy.

Anchor shared with Snakeskin. FA, Shyam aka Krishnan Narayanan

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

15 meters if standing from the ledge. Else, 30 meters.

Four bolts including the first bolt of Hurting Toes, Family Woes.

Reaching the first bolt maybe slightly heady.

Watch for the big flake after the first bolt. The flake will come off one of these days.

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

FA, Nandini K. Mehta.

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.

Trad-line starts on a diagonal seam, that is probably 5.8ish, and after 15-20 feet, the route continues straight, retaining the grade under 5.4-5.5, with sparse protection.

No top anchors. Walk off.

Hard to know what the original line was. Too many options after the diagonal seam.

FA, Gokul G. and Seema Pai

Trad-line Put up in 1985 by Blade Ashok and Pai.

There is no clear information on where this starts and ends, as is the nature of these old school trad lines on 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.

Starts on the boulder wedged at the base.There are 3 lead bolts + 2 anchor station bolts.

The crux is between bolt 2 and 3. An interesting route that requires a short technical traverse using a right oriented hold.

Top rope route by Pranesh Manchiah & Keerthi Pais, bolted for lead by Sohan Pavuluri & Satish Venkatachaliah. FFA, Chethan BM

Short, fun, single crux route and optimally bolted.

Requires transition to a deep side-pull, using crimps and very little for the feet.

Top rope route by Pranesh Manchiah & Keerthi Pais, bolted for lead by Satish Venkatchaliah. FFA, Sohan Pavuluri

This is the 3rd route from the left side. Bolted by Pranesh Manchaiah in August 2020. Clip into the first bolt from the ground and the first crux move is the dyno start. There are other crux moves at bolt 3 and 4.

Starts from the boulder and is a sustained 5.10c climb that requires intense route finding on thin but solid holds.

Top rope route by Pranesh Manchiah & Keerthi Pais, bolted for lead by Sohan Pavuluri & Satish Venkatachaliah. FFA, Sohan Pavuluri

The horizontal cracks on this climb are deceiving. They are shallow and flaring.

The Dyno move to the first holds sets the pace for the high 5.10ish intensity and doesn’t let up until the fifth bolt.

Top rope route by Pranesh Manchiah & Keerthi Pais, bolted for lead by Sohan Pavuluri, Alok Tater & Dhiraj Deka. FFA, Sohan Pavuluri

Top rope with 2 anchor bolts with double rings. Does not have lead bolts yet. This route is on a bit of overhanging wall and is about 20 m to the right of Veera Madrasi route. Top anchors bolted by Pranesh Manchaiah. The expected grade is 5.12a/b.

Located to the south-west corner of the crag, facing south. An old trad line first climbed by Gunda Srinivas, Guru & Datta in 1988. Gunda is associated with pre-bolted routes era of Bangalore climbing, and is known for some bold crack first ascents.

“...the name is after the small roof like overhang section at end of 1st pitch leading into the beginning of the crack. The crack itself is mainly shoulder and thigh jam... Those days we used to climb with 50-meter ropes. Overall the climb is about 75 meters. 1st pitch on slab 35 meters, 2nd pitch crack 30 meters & final 10-15 meters to exit...” – Kamalesh V.

Was explored by Aravind S, Gowri, Gokul, Gujju, and others in Jan 2018. The base was horribly overgrown, and the climb was considered to be stiffer than the indicated grade.The base is currently overgrown and will need considerable effort to get to the base and climb. Or rap down and climb.

P1: 5.9+. 30 meters. 9 + 2 bolts.

Feels harder than a 5.9, especially after the third or the fourth bolt. The crux ends quickly, but a sustained 5.7/8 moves to the anchor station.

P2: 5.7. 30 meters. 8 + 2 bolts.

Steep, exposed and extremely enjoyable pitch for the first half. Maillons on each station to rap off.

Exit: Rap off with a 60-meter rope.

Route by Prani, Seema and Dini.

P1: 5.9. 25 meters. 6 + 2 bolts.

Starts in the corner, switches back and forth between the slab and the corner crack. The short pitch ends below the overhang. The climb is fairly new, so still shedding rock, but very enjoyable.

P2: 5.11a. 50 meters. 11 bolts + 2.

Reaching the first bolt is a bit heady considering the ledge fall, but an easy lower 5.10 or lower grade move.

The route kicks up in grade after the first bolt, and the crux is between bolt one and bolt three. Requires you to use a corner crack, stem, side pull, slab climb, edge, crimp, and a repertoire of skills, in a very short section. As of 2017, the holds are flaky, and corner a bit chossy. Once this settles down, the moves will be much more enjoyable.

The route remains a stiff slab climb till the sixth bolt of the pitch. Thereafter it eases up. If you may not see the bolts, as they are bit hidden, so climb the most natural line, and you will find them.

Exit: Traverse to High on Grass**.

Route by Prani.

P1: 5.8. 28 meters. 5 + 2 bolts.

The first bolt is about 30 odd feet from the ground, on 5.5-5.6 terrain. Bolt 4 to 5 can be a potential ledge fall.

P2: 5.11a. 50 meters. 13 + 2 bolts.

Sometimes placement of the bolts in relationship to the line is critical to get the most out of a Sport line. And the brilliant bolting here makes this route sublime for someone pushing into the 5.11s. Allows for the rush with seemingly out of reach bolts at times, and then keeps the climb largely safe. You shouldn’t come out of this climb with more than bruised and bashed, knees and ego, at its worst. So, if you want to push your limits, absolutely throw yourself at this climb.

The crux is in getting from bolt 1 to bolt 2, and the section is ever so slightly bulging out. The crux requires a degree of commitment than the actual technical difficulty of the moves. The route is sustained higher 5.10 slab, thereafter. It doesn’t let up until the last 30-40 feet of the pitch. Extremely well protected.

Exit: Traverse to High on Grass**

Route credit: Pranesh Manchaiah

P1: 5.10a. 45 meters. 11 + 2 bolts.

First pitches of the Routes Inspiration and Chai, Comfortably Numb, and Pranic Drilling share the bolts till the ledge about 25 odd meters from the base. After the ledge, the route starts on the face, about 3 meters to the left of the gulley, and is a sustained 5.10a for about 15-20 meters until the anchor station. Falling from above the 1st bolt after the ledge (3rd bolt on the pitch) could potentially deck you on the ledge.

P2: 5.9+. 35 meters. 8 + 2 bolts.

The previous pitch’s stiff slab continues for a short distance (first three -four bolts) after the anchor station. Thereafter, it eases up, progressively, until it becomes scrambling terrain.

Exit, traverse to High on Grass anchor station about 30 meters to the left of the top anchors. Top anchors shared for Inspiration and Chai, Comfortably Numb, and Pranic Drilling.

Route by Prani and Dini.

Routes Inspiration and Chai, Comfortably Numb, and Pranic Drilling share bolts till the ledge that starts about 25 odd meters from the base.

Starts immediately left of the gulley and ends back at the P1 -anchors of route Inspiration and Chai.

The route after the ledge feels stiffer than the given grade.

Second pitch merges with route Inspiration and Chai, Inspiration and Chai.

P1: 5.7. 35 meters.

See above for P1 shared bolts until the end of the ledge. The route after the ledge is in the gulley, with the bolts placed to the right. This second half of the P1 gets into a steep gully for about 10 odd meters, has some nice moves and is well protected.

P2: 5.10a. 40 meters.

Pitch two is a bit flaky in places, with some really nice side pull moves on slab. Bolt two to three on P2 is a bit runout with flaky holds, and accumulated loose mud, and a fall here will get you all the way to the anchors. But relatively easy terrain. Two crux moves on the P2.

P.S. Looks like I didn’t count the bolts here!

Exit: Traverse to High on Grass**, and rap off on 60-meter rope.

Route by Prani and Seema

** 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 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.

The first bolt is a bit of a runout. After you scramble about 15-20 meters to the ledge that forms the start of this climb, the first bolt is another five odd meters higher up in the corner. A fall before you clip the bolt in the corner, will certainly cause much damage. Hence the rating of R/X.

The moves in this corner climb, that transitions to a slab are quite interesting, and would have been more fun, if not for the flakiness of the holds. Despite the rating of 5.10b, I think the moves here are no harder than 5.9, but the ‘choss’ factor drive up the grade, I suppose. I found the route to be simpler than High on Grass**

After six bolts, the climb eases up, and then after the eighth bolt, you won’t see any bolts further.

There are two options here. One, you either continue climbing and angle left to join the second pitch of ‘Rum and Rasam’ and finish the route in one entire rope length, with an additional bolt protecting the rest of the 5.5 rated pitch, or, two, do the mildly exposed sharp left traverse from the eighth bolt to the P1 anchor station of ‘Rum and Rasam’ to break this up into two pitch climb.

Route credit, Pranesh Manchaiah.

Named for the flake at the crux that seems as if it may come off at some point (not to worry, it has withstood the test of time and climbers for over a decade).

This two-cruces problem with the second and the main crux requiring one to traverse right from the flake to a thin ledge.

Route Credit, Balaji SR.

The first bolt is a bit exposed but optimally situated. Takeoff on a mildly overhanging boulder, make the first clip and then face the first crux of the route, which requires dynamic moves for folks of average or shorter height.

Then after a mildly runout 3-odd meter traverse, another out of reach bolt on the headwall that requires a technical move to make the clip. The short, but intense headwall is well protected.

Old school grade. Feels harder by a grade or two than the given grade. Is the hardest route amongst all the routes here.

Route credit, Dinesh Kaigonhalli. Rebolted with Rawl bolts in 2016 by BCI, including the addition of top bolts.

The route starts on the boulder at the base of the crag, protected by a bolt, and continues up, directly under the roof. If you traverse right along the crack, you would have taken an easy variation of the original route.

The initial slab moves on the boulder take off and the roof transition are the hardest moves in this entire climb. Otherwise, will go at 5.10a or b for a small section and considerably lower for rest of the route.

Route credit: Gerhard Schaar & Pranesh Manchaiah

This variation follows the same line but uses the crack instead of the bolts after the fourth bolt on the roof. And then again you clip the penultimate bolt to protect the slab.

An old classic line that used to have two bolts leading up to the crack, and the climb used to follow the crack.

In early 2000s, Gerhard Schaar in consultation with couple of local climbers but not the wider community had bolted the route slightly to its right and changed the nature of the original line. This had caused some anguish in the local community, but the decision at this point is to leave the bolts alone.

Follow the arête, right of the boulder at the base, and follow the crack. The crux is right before the roof crack, and there after the route eases up considerably.

The variation uses the crack to protect route, after the third bolt. The line also changes a bit, as you stick to the crack, instead of getting on the slab. Option to use the penultimate bolt to protect the open slab.

The route is on the right side of Prema's Chapathi and traverses from the start to right and then back to left. The route is bow shaped.

Follow the arête, right of the boulder at the base, clip right and traverse right. The start is on thin holds on the slab and doesn't letup for next four-five bolts. Thereafter, the next crux is a long-reach slab move, before the route traverse left and straight up.

The first bolt is a bit exposed with serious consequences. Stick clip, or clip while exiting the route to its left (Prema’s Chapati)

Route credit, Gerhard Schaar & Pranesh Manchaiah

Well protected slab characterised by delicate moves, high steps and side pulls

The stiff slab start gets you on to a ledge under the tree and the crux involves getting over the roof, with no good feet to assist.

Route credit: Gerhard Schaar & Pranesh Manchaiah.

Another stiff slab start. Stiffer than the start of the route #6. After the initial hard slabby moves for about 12 feet, the route becomes a 5.8 climb.

There is a particular beta to make this easier than it seems. Figure it!

Route credit: Gerhard Schaar & Pranesh Manchaiah

Starts under a horizontal crack and move left to clip the first bolt. The climb runs along the edge of a fold in the hill. So, while the route is a slab, the consequences of a fall, will put you squarely over the edge.

One of those routes, engineered to be more interesting than it would have been if the bolts had been shifted a few feet to the right.

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

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

P1: 5.5. 30 meters. 5 + 2 bolts

Route credit & FFA: Satish Venkatchalaiah.

P2: 5.8. 20 meters. 5 + 2 bolts

The second pitch turns left and goes over the bulge and provides for mildly exciting moments on an otherwise forgettable route.

Second pitch by Karthik Vijayakumar and Abhijit Sriramareddy

Exit by rapping off. If you attempt to walk out, it makes for a long walk across the plateau and down slippery slab (especially during the monsoons).

Another four-pitch route added in Dec 2023.

P1: 5.7, 6 + 2 bolts, 20-meters Slab. Hanging belay

P2: 5.10a/b, 5 + 2 bolts, 20-meters Crux between the 3rd to the 4th bolt. Steeper slab. Hanging belay

P3: 5.10b/c, 6 + 2bolts, 30-meters Crux between 2nd and the 4th bolts. The seeming bulge in the rock provides for opportunity to solve the crux. The second half eases off significantly.

P4: 5.7, 6 + 2 bolts, 30-meters From the airy belay station, a relaxing and satisfying finisht to the route.

Route by Sohan & Zaman Ishtiaq

Needs a 60 Meter Rope.

P1: 5.7. 55 meters. 4 + 2 bolts

The first bolt at 40 feet distance, until 2016 was damaged with no hanger. And the climbing parties had to run out the first 80 feet, until the second bolt. Plenty of loose flakes on the slab. But once the first bolt is clipped, you are quite safe.

P2: 5.9. 55 meters. 9 + 2 bolts.

This first section looks steep, but is very well protected, and has plenty of holds. The crux is the first four bolts and then the last two odd bolts, where the section is steeper in gradient. Nothing too technical.

Exit hike is to the right, and takes 60-90 minutes. Ideal to rap off using one of the routes to either side.

Put up in 1991 by Jean Francois Hagenmuller and his wife Natalie, with help of KV Mohan and Rukmangada Raju.

Four-pitch route, similar length as Namaste to its left.

P1: 5.6, 3 bolts + 2, 30 meters Comfortable anchor station.

P2: 5.8, 4 bolts + 2, 30 meters The slab begins to get slightly vertical between the 2nd and the 4th bolts. Crux of the pitch at the 4th bolt. Comfortable anchor station.

P3: 5.10b/c, 8 bolts + 2, 20 meters The money-pitch, along the corner and the slab. Sustained grade and well-bolted, the crux between the 4th and the 8th bolts. Hanging belay.

P4: 5.10a, 7 bolts + 2, 25 meters Steeper slab. Watch for a potential fall onto the belayer before clipping the second bolt. From the anchor station, head over the easy slab to a large boulder hidden amidst the grass to top out, or abseil from here. If topping out, hike right to exit out. Or find the top bolts of another route below the large boulder sitting at the edge to the left, to rap off.

Roof after the first bolt is NOT the crux. Easy, and well protected minor roof.

The crux is sustained 5.8 nature of the slab route. The route has shed rock significantly since first bolted, and the grade has followed in the opposite direction.

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

The crux is between bolt 1 & 2. Spoiler alert; move left below the first bolt, and traverse right over it. If it feels harder than 5.9. then you have the beta wrong.

Alternate move that continues right of the bolt is 5.10ish and may cause significant swing to the left.

If you plan to top out, there is another set of anchors, after about 5 meters from the current top bolts. The route used to be 35-meter long, before we lowered the anchor, a year later.

Route by Sohan Pavuluri, Narayan Pai, Gujju Razzak, & Arjun Menon, FFA: Narayan Pai

5.10c. 45 meters. Multi-pitch

P1: 5.10c. 20 meters. 5 + 2 bolts.

The route traverses significantly from left to right. And with sharp ledges. Not a great route for top roping.

The crux is the first half of the first pitch. Over the mildly overhanging ledge, a sloper crux! Traverse right on the ledge with feet close to the edge and continue the suffer fest on sharp rock that threatens your rope constantly.

P2: 5.6. 25 meters. 3 + 2 bolts.

Left to right diagonal route, with spaced out bolts on easy terrain. Allows you to top out.

Exit: 35-meter rappel, or walk left, over to the top bolts of Kurma, and rappel in two lengths (5 meters & 30 meters)

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

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.

No bolted anchors. There is a tree at the top so have to rapell down using the tree.

Moves on arete and slab. Immediately to the right of Vasuki.

Route credit: Sohan & Balram Warrier. FFA: Vikram Murthy

P1: 5.11d, 25 meters. 10 + 2 bolts. Sustained powerful moves on crimps and transition to chossy upper section.

P2: 5.10a. 25 feet. 6-7 + 2 bolts.

Chossy slab pitch. With more traffic, it may settle in.

Route credit and FFA: Pranesh Manchiah & Seema Pai.

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.

Bolted and incomplete route.

A Dinesh Kaigonhalli bolted route.

Bolted route.

The first known bolted route in Bangalore, created in 1989, by Philip Coquard and Dominic Danard, two visiting French climbers.

This is could be a fun adventure; locating Bangalore’s first bolted route, on the expanse of the Handi Gundhi Betta face.

This is the 1st route from the left side on the upper wall.

Bolted for lead in 2019.

Route credit: Satish Venkatachaliah and Pranesh Manchiah

FFA – Currently known clean FFA is attributed to Praveen CM, belayed by T.T.Niranjan.

This is the 2nd route from the left side on the upper wall.

Top anchors bolted in 2019. Bolted for lead on 14th Feb 2021.