Monkey King: Self-taught climber scales 1788-ft high Gadaikallu Hill

Jyothi Raj, the self-taught free solo climber successfully scaled the Gadaikallu hill (Narasimha Gudde) near Belthangady of Dakshina Kannada district. Also known as Kothi Raju (Monkey King), he was given the moniker after scaling rock formations, buildings and waterfalls without safety harnesses or ropes.

Last week, Jyothi Raj had announced that he would scale Gadaikallu hill on Sunday, February 12. The mega rock formation is estimated to be 1,788 feet above sea level.

The hill is made of granite which has about 1876 steps cut into it for trekkers and visitors to climb up the hill. Kothi Raju however, did not take the steps and instead climbed the hill from the northern side.

He began the climb at 9: 45 am and made it to the peak by 12 pm, thereby successfully achieving the feat in just a little over two hours. According to Jyothi Raj, he scaled 1,500 feet of the hill.

A team of eight members accompanied Jyothi Raj to help him make preparations for the climb.

WThey all offered prayers at Chandkuru Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple behind Gadaikallu before Jyothi Raj attempted to scale the hill.

Safety measures were taken as he scaled the hill. Once atop the peak, Jyothi Raj and his team waved the Karnataka Flag with pride.

After scaling the hill, Jyothi Raj said, "Although the climb was not as difficult as climbing the Jog Falls, Gadaikallu had its own challenges."

"The texture of the hill kept changing at certain points as the height increased," Jyothi Raj said after experiencing it first-hand. He now becomes the first person recorded to scale this hill. In a media interaction after completing the feat, Jyothi Raj shared his vision for the future generations with regard to climbing as a sport and hobby. "I want to raise awareness about climbing for the future generation while raising funds for it.

My goal is to create a foundation for the youth with dedicated wall climbing facility," he said while requesting the Government to sanction some land for the cause.

Jyothi Raj and his team had obtained prior permission from relevant departments. He mentioned that the forest department at Belthangady had been very supportive towards his attempt. Before the climb, he had also consulted Belthangady MLA, Harish Poonja and the Dharmadhikaari (hereditary administrator) of Dharmasthala Temple, D VeerendraHeggade.