Bangalore to Avalabetta hills is approximately 90 KMs. It is in the Hyderabad highway and a little deviation from the highway. Due to its lesser fame, as compared to Nandi hills, Avalabetta is on the list for offbeat travelers. It is famous for its hanging rock. Is Avalabetta open? No now for covid it is closed.

This is the entrance to the Avalabetta Hill. Cars and Bikes can drive up the Hill and park at the top and climb the stairs.

 

How to Reach
What to See
Two Different Routes to Top
Trek Difficilty Level
Tips and Precautions
My Experience

How to reach

Avalabetta distance is 90 km from Bamgalore and it takes 2 hr drive from Bangalore. You need to drive in Hyderabad highway and after crossing Chikkaballapur should take a left turn. There is parking outside the entrance, so cars can be parked there. Though there is a road which goes to the hill top, cars are not allowed.

What to see

Avalabetta temple is a Vishnu temple on top of the Hill. There are actually 2 temples. One temple comes when you climb 50 steps and another temple at the top most.

There is a hanging rock and a pond near, which attracts a lot of crowd. And for photography this is one of the best spot. To find this spot is difficult, until you know clearly how to go. We went the first time could not find the hanging rock and returned back. Next time read about how to find the hanging rock location and then could locate it.

So to find the hanging rock, climb the stairs the first temple arrives. Take a right in front of the first temple and and follow the route and after climbing a big rock you will see the hanging rock. Now they have put a barricade but still people cross the barricade and go to the rock for photography.

This is the hanging rock. Need to be very careful while taking pics here. But stunning place to be at sunset.

One more pic of the hanging rock.

This is the view from the top of the Hill.

When you explore the Hill, you will come across these small ponds in that area…

Two routes to reach the top

There are two routes to reach the top. One just follows the road and you will reach in 45 mins by walk. But the road is paved so well, so the bikes can directly reach till the start of the steps. But cars are not allowed on top.

Walking route goes parallel to the paved tar road, but cuts the turns and makes it little shorter.

This is the walking trail to the top of the Hill.

This is the driving path. Very nicely laid and maintained.

Trek difficulty level

Trek difficulty I would say easy to medium. It takes 40 mins for a normal trekker. For a novice trekker may take 1 to 1.15 hrs. It is one of the best treks around Bangalore.

Tip and Precautions

On climbing the hanging rock, one should be very careful. It is a dangerous spot. If a person is scared of height avoid this rock.

Also there is lot of monkeys in the spot and if a person going to the tip of the rock should be very careful, since the monkey’s jumps here and there and if scared of monkey may slip from there.

The photos come out too good during the sunset, so if you can hang around till 6 pm, you can get amazing pictures. But make sure to leave the place at least by 6.30 pm if you are planning to trek down, since climbing down takes at least 30 mins, so that you can reach back before it gets dark.

This is the top of the Hill and the view from there.

My Experience

We decided to go for a trek on a Saturday afternoon and generally trek goes hand in hand with Nandi hills. So generally go to Nandi Hills. I should mention here we would have trekked Nandi Hills atleast 40 times by now, we know the steps by heart. So this time decided to go to a different place and and on browsing got this place called Avalabetta.

We left and 3 pm and reached there by 5 pm. There was a board saying Tress passers will be prosecuted, I was little worried seeing the board and already it was 5.30 pm still we decided to go ahead. The road was quite good to walk, but no one was there, we were the only two in the whole hill.

After a turn in the road the steps started which was the walking trail. We thought of doing the trail trek and so got into the trek and it was quiet dense and dark and sun was setting too. By 5.45 we reached the top and saw boards of tigers and something written in Kanada, which I could not read. But you see a board with a tiger what will a person understand? Same even I thought tigers might be there, since it was also mentioned Reserve Forest.

And all this 1 hr of trek we did not see anyone. We wanted to see the hanging rock, we tried going left and right of the Hill, but did not come across the hanging rock. It was already 6.30 pm, and we decided it was dangerous to stay later than this and started to return back. While coming back in the serene Hill, could hear a TV noise from a building on top. And then got to know the Poojari and his family stays in that place, that gave me a sigh of relief that some human being is there.

After 2 weeks went back to the same place and made sure to find the hanging rock and clicked few pics and returned back with a mission accomplished feeling. To me it was one among the best treks around Bangalore.