Climber scales Gadaikallu, hopes to train youngsters in Karnataka

MANGALURU: Jyothi Raj aka Kothi Raj, a self-taught climber from Chitradurga, scaled the historic Gadaikallu (Jamalabad Fort) in Belthangady taluk on Sunday.
After finishing the climb, he told TOI that he is working towards setting up a foundation to train youth so that they get national and international recognition. He climbs hills and tall buildings to raise funds and spread awareness. After careful planning and seeking permission from Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja and Dharmasthala Dharmadikari Veerendra Heggade, he decided to climb Gadaikallu, he said.

"I'm doing my first climb here, and it's for my dream project. I am following the rules and will climb only after getting permission. The forest department at Belthangady has been supportive," he added.
He started climbing at 9.45 am with a safety rope and reached the peak by 12 pm and held the Kannada flag atop the fort.
He reportedly climbed from the northern side of Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple situated behind Gadaikallu after offering prayers at the temple. "Though Gadaikallu stands tall at 1700 feet above sea level, I climbed about 1,500 feet. The challenges were many. Definitely, not as tough as Jog, but the texture of the hill keeps changing," he said.
Jyothi Raj said that on several occasions he had requested the government to sanction a piece of land for him to start a foundation to set up an artificial wall-climbing facility to train people. He hopes that people will come forward to support his project. He will be in Mangaluru for the next two days.