Kondaveedu Fort set to become a trekkers paradise

Adventure clubs show keen interest; forest dept to develop eco park atop the hill

Members of Outrival Adventure Club explore the hill range at Kondaveedu for a possible trekking expedition.

For years, the rugged hills on which the lofty remnants of Kondaveedu Fort are located, had enticed adventure lovers. The absence of any trekking route or mountain trail had come in the way of adventure clubs to explore the rugged mountains. The laying of a ghat road a few years back, has made it possible for people to drive all the way to the fort, but none could beat a trek up the hill.

That could change in the coming days, as a few adventure clubs have decided to explore the Kondaveedu Fort. On Tuesday morning, members of Outrival Adventures Pvt Ltd went on exploring the different routes and have identified some routes, including Sajja Mahal Buruju hill, Tara Buruzu and Chukkala Konda buruzu (fortified wall). Though the major portions of fort have been ravaged over the years, some portions of walls have remained making it possible for trekking along the stone ridge.

The members of the adventure club, along with District Forest Officer N. Ramachandra Rao, trekked along the Nemalle Buruzu. “It is an awesome experience as this is the most beautiful part of the hill range. The ambience and the height is perfect for mountain trekking,” said Mr. Ramachandra Rao.

The fort is now accessible from two major roads — the one connecting Phirangipuram and the other at Boyapalem on the NH-65.

To ensure a direct connectivity from Phirangipuram, a seven-km road via Solasa at an estimated cost of ₹24 crore has been sanctioned and work is set to begin. The last leg of ghat road extending up to 0.75 km to guest house and temples was taken up at an estimated cost of ₹11.80 crore, another stretch of road to Puttakota (Kotha Palam) bypass road to link the approach road has been planned at an estimated cost of ₹40 lakh. The Forest Department had sanctioned ₹13.35 crore for the development of “Nagara vanam”.

“Our dream of tapping the immense tourist potential of Kondaveedu Fort is being realised and we thank Minister for Finance Buggana Rajendranath Reddy for giving nod to major developmental works,” said Kondaveedu Fort Development Committee convener Kalli Siva Reddy.