Gypsy of the world, hard to catch !
Don’t look for me in the concrete walls..
City life and me are a perfect mismatch .
Look up there in the mountains,
Quieting my breadth with the mystic.
Racing with the horses,
Away from the maddening rush.
And when you were panting, trying to catch a breadth…
My game had just begin beyond the walls
I’m busy playing somewhere in the meadows,
Impersonating humming birds, drinking from the mystic
falls…
When you hear the tree branch crack…
Know that I’m close, probably about to fall!
Wearied of humans,
I’ve given my company to the
spirits of the jungle.
Heard tales that no one dare
speak,
And hymm rhythm’s only few
can keep…
Glowworms light up my world,
Nightingales sing me to sleep…
As pure as the dew on leaves,
As replenishing as the mist in the trees…
Gypsy of the world, hard to catch !
I’m with the birds taking a dip in the sea…
Well ,twenty gypsies headed towards the
third highest peak of Karanataka in the western ghats on the 8th of
September. 1894 m above sea level Kudremukh is home to a variety of flora and
fauna. Kudremukha means ‘horse -face’ and refers to a particular view of the
mountain. These lush green hills have the capability to enchant even the most
experienced trekkers.
When the entire city was tired from the
incessant rain and was heading towards their home for rescue, twenty BTCians
were only eager to start their adventure. We started our journey at 11.00pm on
a Friday night from Majestic. With a quick tea break in between we dose off to
sleep on our plastic covered new seats, trying not to slip all the time. Waking
up in the mystic land, the breathtaking view on the sides had already begun to
enchant us. The white mist adding to the magical feel ! We arrived at the base where hot cups of
coffee and tea at the local shops warmed us up.
Our organizers Gaurav and Monisha
informed us about the two options to reach our home stay. We took the route
more travelled only by foot as opposed to the jeep. We started our 6km small
trek towards the awaiting breakfast we were eager to have! Familiarizing
ourselves with each other and our backgrounds the beans began to spill ! Most
of us turned to be regular trekkers however our heavy sacks only reminded us of
our long journey as trekkers ! Monisha hinted us the task we had undertaken to
climb the 3rd highest peak and so this should be a piece of cake!
We reached our home stay
relieved after an hour of trek. Surrounded by hills on all sides the seclusion
was soothing and refreshing. We had just begun soaking in all the green .We
threw our bags on the ground and grabbed a cup of coffee. The sound of the
nearby falls was very inviting. We freshened up and had our breakfast of rice
balls and sambhar. With a quick intro session it was evident how everyone had
left their professionals selves to be lost in the wilderness.
Day one-We started our
trek towards Bavikonda peak. At its base lies the Mullodi village. At a lesser altitude than Kudremukh it served
as a practice trek for the Sunday trek. It is one of the less explored areas
but nonetheless beautiful. With our guide leading us we followed his footsteps.
The initial trail was easy but slowly
the ascend started. While some were confident to walk, others went on all fours
to climb the steep areas.
Playing Frisbee in between, we reached our mini stoppage and sat on the logs for some
rest. A few houses were visible there surrounded by small farms. Their own
sweet world inside the forest. The sun was bright this time and offered us a
beautiful view of the nearby hills. After hydrating ourselves we started for
the peak again. On reaching the peak we had tamarind rice for lunch and most of
us dosed for a quick nap. Whilst others trying to capture the ecstatic view. We
were surrounded by mist after sometime which we could see was proceeding
towards us for quite sometime. Like a storybook we were captured by the spell
and found ourselves dumbstruck by the beauty. After that we started our
descend. We returned to our base by about 4:00 pm with love bites from leeches.
On reaching the home stay
we went for the long awaiting falls. The sound of the gushing water increasing
our adrenaline rush. We crossed a small wall which stopped the high flow of
water, made probably to prevent super excited humans from drowning! Trying to
be extremely meticulous with our steps we reached an opening to the falls. All
the stones were covered by a slippery slime making our hearts skip a beat many
a times. The boys headed straight for the fall while girls took it slow to
adjust by the cold water. Extremely refreshing it soothed our aching legs and
we were rejuvenated in seconds. Holding on to each other we tried not be a
victim of the strong flow nevertheless a few falls were inescapable. We headed
back to our abode content and with empty stomach.
We had our
refreshments. Each bowl full of pakkoda vanishing into thin air! Light music
and games followed thereafter. We settled for a game of UNO. The game becoming
intense with each player completing their decks. By the end of it, each one of
us took a side of the remaining players. Cheering ,fighting the game ended
right on time before world war three! I
realized I was the Monica from friends and became picky with game rules
,scolding a few! Then we went for a game of bluff. True colors coming to surface
we tried to catch each other’s lies. A fun evening ended and we headed for our
dinner. It took us no time to fall asleep thereafter.
Day two-We filled out
bottles with stream water and headed for Kudremukh. A selfie at the forest
department office and we were all set. Our first millstone was a large tree
which marked the start of our actual journey. From here there was a small trail
which leaded us inside the jungles. With hill on one side and a downward fall
on the other the way was paved with leaves and fallen twigs from last night’s
rain. We reached the first stream and we tip toed trying to avoid water from
going inside our shoes.
After crossing the jungle we were in the wide
open exposing the green carpet in its full beauty for the first time. To enjoy
this place you definitely need to take advantage of the monsoon season. The
entire range was a massive florescent green carpet only folded and with many
grooves in between. The valleys were in dark green color housing numerous trees
and streams. The entire trek is a repetition of getting inside the forest
coming out in the green carpet, drinking fresh water from the streams and
following the same cycle.
We finally came to the
place from where we could see the horse like shape of the hill, however each
one of us had our own sweet versions! After a long stretch we reached our place
of first break. Like a lone ranger in the middle of nowhere this tree stood
firm and tall in between the carpet. We took refuge in its company. A quick
session of snacks and leech removing session was carried out. We took some more
time to appreciate the beauty surrounding us. The place is truly the green
carpet not to be missed. It cannot get greener than this. With clouds rising in
between the greens it’s like the mountains are high on their own trip!
The last stretch of our trek got even
steeper. We were still away by about a km to reach our destination. The peak
challenging us in every way possible! Not giving in we continued our journey. With
every step the mist kept increasing and out tummies made sure we were reminded
that they are empty. By this time only few of us cared about the beautiful view
we were surrounded and more hell bent on reaching the place. And there it was
after a strenuous stretch our peak. With a signboard confirming the same we
were relieved, exalted , tired all at the same time! We were quick enough to
unpack our boxes and enjoy every morsel of lemon rice .Thereafter a few fruits
and biscuits became our sweet dish.
We started our descend in the rain, Trying not to fall with
each step we took. Maintain
the sequence Gaurav the selfie queen ,kept on emphasizing but a few of us
gladly kept on shifting. Re-soaking the beauty on our way we reached the great
tree again .We decided to rest and take up the mannequin challenge here and
made a video. Some great performances came to the surface when replayed! We
restarted for our home stay. Now that we were so drenched in rain, we on
purpose jumped inside each stream that came our way and Monisha’s work kept
increasing. Like a teacher in the kindergarten she helplessly tried convincing
us to move forward. By the end of the trek we realized we had left no stream un-bathed
and un-jumped. We had no plans of taking a bath for a week for the quota was
already complete! A bumpy ride in the jeep and we reached our bus.We had a
large feast after the trek completed in the city and ate to our heart’s
content.
No matter how many times you visit this place,
you’ll always find something new yet to be explored. Pictures can only do little
justice to what the place actually has to offer. You’d wear your sun tans with
great pleasure for a while and leeches shall be a reminder of the sweet
memories you created. And though goodbyes are hard, we knew that we’ll see
these gypsies soon. It’s hard to contain them for long in one place anyway !
Written by : Shruti Gupta
Organized by : Gaurav & Monisha
Date of event: Sep 9th & 10th, 2017
Place : Western Ghats
We reached our home stay
relieved after an hour of trek. Surrounded by hills on all sides the seclusion
was soothing and refreshing. We had just begun soaking in all the green .We
threw our bags on the ground and grabbed a cup of coffee. The sound of the
nearby falls was very inviting. We freshened up and had our breakfast of rice
balls and sambhar. With a quick intro session it was evident how everyone had
left their professionals selves to be lost in the wilderness.
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