Trek Diary – Nagala – Western Entry

I went on this trek to Nagalapuram with CTC on Feb 12-13th earlier this year. I know. This blog post is coming quite late. But better late than never. I just wanted to ensure that this gets recorded in my blog.

I had been over four months since my previous trek to Nagari. I was (and still I am) badly out of shape and thought its high time I went for another trek. Another one of my friends felt the same way and we registered for a two day trek to Nagala organized by Biju.

We got our prep mail from Biju a couple of days before the trek with the customary ‘Things to Carry’, ‘Timings’ and the ‘Pickup points’. Around 70 people had registered for the trek. The friend along with whom I registered had some work in office and said that he wouldn’t be able to make it. Now I was unsure whether to go to the trek or not. I asked around and finally found another friend interested in joining me for the trek.

We started at around 4 as always and reached Nagala after having breakfast at one of the villages on the way. There was a dam near which we got down from the bus. It was around half an hour walk from there to reach the stream. Unlike Nagari Combo, this was much better since we had water all along the way. About half an hour from the bottom of the stream was the first pool. We walked and jumped over boulders all along the way. It was like Kuruva Islands in Wayanad. It was spectacular. I was one of the first guys to reach the pool so I got the chance to take a few pics of the undisturbed water.

After spending over an hour in that pool we proceed towards the next. Its was now that the climb began. But still it was not a big deal and anyone with an above average fitness level should be able to climb it in a jiffy. The second pool was as good as the first one. Biju took the rope and soon tied one end of the rope to a tree and the other next to another tree near the falls. Non-swimmers were able to reach the falls by hanging on to the rope. Here too we spent around an hour soaking ourselves in the water.

We had our lunch at the second pool and moved on. The third pool was amazing with a wonderful waterfall at the end. We climbed the rocks along the falls and reached the top of the falls to proceed further. After a few mins walk from the third pool comes another nice and refreshing waterfall which CTC has named Mini-Kutrallam. After some time under the falls we slept for another half hour. From there began the arduously steep climb. It was almost equivalent to rock-climbing. We almost reached the peak when Biju stopped us. He went alone further ahead and then hurriedly came back and went down. He returned after half an hour. It was sunset time by then. He informed us that we won’t be able to camp at the usual campsite and instead had to move down in a different direction.

We took our torches and started climbing down. It was harder to climb down with our bags, torches and total darkness. Somehow we managed to climb down and reached the camp site at around 8. We took out our noodles and soup packets and got ready for dinner. A couple of guys started the fire and we got cooking. In about an hour all our hunger was satisfied and we went to have a wonderful sleep in the jungle watching the stars.

It was unbelievably chill in the night and I got up quite early to click more photos. After eating ready-to-cook chappathis heated directly on the fire, we set off on our return journey. While on our way back we followed the same trial and it was quite easier than how it was when we climbed up. It took us considerably much time and we didn’t stop at all the pools either.

We covered the entire distance by noon and slept off at the first pool. After everyone woke up we had a intro session before resuming our journey back to the bus.

It was a wonderful two days trekking with CTC. I should also say that Biju did a great job organizing the trek.

Munnar – Music Above The Clouds

Munnar. Clean. Green. Beautiful. My third time in God’s Own Country Kerala.

This was my second team outing with Global Analytics (first one was to Mysore around six months back). Twenty seven of us started from Chennai in a special train which religiously followed the Indian Stretchable Time and took us to Dindigul an hour late. Almost immediately we boarded the bus which was waiting for us outside the station and began our journey to Munnar. It took us around six and a half hours to travel to Munnar, which included a brief halt at Theni for breakfast.

The amazing climate began soon after we crossed Theni. One by one most of the cameras started coming out followed by some furious clicking. We reached our resort ‘Ayur County‘. Its a nice resort with quite a few cottages and offered a stunning view of Munnar.

Music Above The Clouds - Munnar

After lunch at a restaurant just outside the resort we stood with no idea of what we were going to do next. The resort usually organizes fishing and trekking for its visitors. But that day we didn’t have any of those options. The only option that we had was to to go for a safari. Many of our team guys didn’t wish to go for that. Hence after a long discussion with our bus drivers we went to a dam located a few miles away. There were a couple of elephants taking thrilled tourists for a few metres long ride near the dam. We had plans to go for boating at that dam but it was closing time and there were quite a few people ahead of us. The sad thing about Munnar is that everything closes early. All we could do was to get back to our rooms and have an early night, just to see Chennai losing to Mumbai in the IPL.

The next day all of us started at around 7.30 and moved among the misty mountains to reach the Eravikulam National Park. There was a huge line where we stood for about an hour just to get the tickets. Once we had the tickets in our hand we boarded one the mini-buses to get into an area that is restricted for private vehicles. We travelled further along those fascinating tea estate roads to reach the Eravikulam Park. It has a small room at the top with some enchanting images depicting the story of the park.

The park is famous for the rare Nilgiri Tahr and the Neelakurinji. The Nilgiri Tahr is a type of mountain goat that was amazingly acclimatized to human presence. They behaved as though they were domesticated. Neelakurinji is a type of flower that blooms once in twelve years and paints the hills violet. And the time that we went there wasn’t the season for the flowers. I hope I get a chance to see these hills transformed into floral festivity in the near future.

We walked about one to two kilometers further along the roads to see a small family of Nilgiri Tahrs grazing around. We were stopped at a point beyond which we weren’t allowed to proceed, even though it was well accessible. We were a bit disappointed but well, nothing can ever satisfy the human desire. We tried to satisfied ourselves with the mesmerizing views that the spot provided. Soon clouds started covering the entire place and it gradually began to rain. We started running down to get back into one the mini-buses to reached our base.

The rest of the day was spent in bus travelling back to Dindigul to catch our return train. It indeed was a very small trip but even then we was sufficient for us to be seduced by Munnar’s charm and I would never forget the few hours we spent there.

The following is one statement which I found at the Eravikulam – Take back memories. Leave no trace. This sure would resonate well with my fellow trekkers at Chennai Trekkers Club who follow it devoutly.

Link to a few of the photos that I clicked - http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.10150163590935496.299898.501815495&l=7f554f1bb0

Roadside Soup Shops

Some of you might have heard of the roadside soup kiosks that are common in the Chennai landscape. These shops were started by a bunch of self help youth groups whose intention was to earn a quick buck during their free time in the evenings. The soups are fairly good and the prices are decent. Moreover the soups are topped with crisp fried cornflakes. Some of the varieties of soup available here include mushroom, tomato, vegetable, banana stem among others.

It started off in the year 2005 I guess. Located at strategic locations of the city, these kiosks cater to people looking for something light before heading home. These guys make considerable sales everyday and the idea was soon replicated by many. Recently some people have even started selling non-veg soups like mutton bone soup (aattu kaal) in a couple of locations in Velachery.

Like every other shop, inflation and price rise has forced these shops to hike their prices too. Am not complaining about the prices. But what I found interesting was the way with which gradual changes were done. First they started off with making the soup more watery. Next change came in the form of reduction in the amount of mushroom/banana stem used in the soup. Despite all this the quality of the soup didn’t deteriorate much and remained good enough for the 10 bucks that we paid. What changed next was the size of the cups that they used to serve the soups in. Change in size was significant enough to be noticed and commented about. Gradually they started charging more for the same cup of soup. And the prices increased upto 15 for a cup.

Am not complaining as long as I get a hot cup of soup. After all its much cheaper than the Mancho soups and Tom Yom soups at big restaurants and you can also get them instantly at a kiosk close to home. So the next time you are looking for some soup, look around. Chances are you’ll come across one of these kiosks, so you can indulge and still get back home for a meal.

Trek Diary – Nagari Hills October 23-24, 2010

It was one of those trekking experiences which I would not forget in a long time. It had some of the best and worst experiences. The whole trek was arranged by the Chennai Trekkers Club which organizes weekend treks to places in and around Chennai. Me along with four of my friends, Somnath, Badri, Arun and Prasanna went for the trek along with 180 odd strangers.

This was a two-day trek which was divided into 5 levels. With such deceptive descriptions for each level I was pretty confident that I would easily reach at least level 4. We had pick up points at various locations in the city where buses arranged by CTC were waiting for us. I reached Guindy pick up point by 4.20 with all my luggage and trek gear. The organizers checked our names with their lists and get the signed disclaimer forms from us. We got into the bus and set off positively for the trek.

We reached the base camp at around 8.45 and joined others in the queue for eating breakfast. Then had to hurry and gather food items for the next two days which we had to carry all the way to the top. So after stuffing our bags with all the food we started walking towards the hills at around 10. The heat was unbearable. After walking quite some distance on a flat slope, we started having some moderate ascent. That was when I placed my left foot on a loose stone and slipped and ended up spraining my ankle. After resting for a while, I started moving again. By this time Badri and Prasanna had taken a  considerable lead. It was just Somnath, Arun and Me walking all the way with fellow trekkers.

The whole group was allowed to trek at their own pace, following ribbons tied at few locations along the trail. It was after a long while that all of us walked this distance and it really tested our endurance. Somnath had a bit of headache and Arun had cramps. We had to take rest quite a few times on the way to drink water and consume some glucose.

The organizers essentially followed the carrot and stick approach to keep us moving. Well I wouldn’t say it was bad, but still it made us swear a lot at the organizers. We walked for about 5km after they said that we’d reach level 1 in 1km. We almost emptied our stock of water before we reached level one. About half a km away from campsite, I slipped again and had to rest for another 10 mins or so. Then I resumed walking and it was downhill most of the time now. At the end point we found a stream of water redirected from the falls at a higher level. It was a great feeling to taste some water after a long time and I should say the water was really really good.

There was a small waterfalls a few meters ahead. Badri and Prasanna had reached that spot an hour before us. They got out of the falls by the time we entered it. We rested for about half an hour there before going to a shack like structure. We rolled out our sleeping mats and went to sleep for sometime. Meanwhile, Badri and Prasanna started their trek to level 2.

I got up at around 5 to see Prasanna coming back. He said he had cramps and couldn’t go further. There were three others who were regular trekkers with CTC and had camped with us. The rest of the group had camped at a higher level next to Sada Siva Kone temple. We didn’t go there since it was dark by the time we woke up. It was getting dark and we had nothing to do. O_o. So a few of us started gathering firewood to light a fire. After a lot of struggle we found some suitable dry wood and some kerosene. Now the next huge task was to get the fire burning comfortably. We did all sort of tricks like adding dry leaves, newspapers and such to get the fire burning. After some half an hour struggle we could get the job done. Fortunately one guy had a pot in our group and we boiled some water. We then mixed our noodles packets with hot water and completed our dinner. After some chatting, we started our second innings of sleep. It was just eight when we went to sleep. (It had been ages since I’ve slept before 10 ).

We had a couple of dogs roaming around the place we slept. They occasionally started barking and howling to disturb our sleep. We slept for a long time and woke up at around 5.30. After brushing, pissing and all that, we went to the waterfalls to take bath. Then we boiled water again to finish the remaining packets of noodles.

Initially we thought of waiting for the rest of the gang before we went down. But then the remaining guys persuaded us that if we start early we can walk at a leisurely pace and take photographs on the way. We started out return journey at around 9. We now had to walk quite some distance uphill. There were a few places where there were a few turns, but Somnath assured us that we were walking on the right path and kept moving. After walking a lot further we realized that it was the wrong path. This new path would lead to a small temple at ground level and Puthur was nearest spot there. This was a shorter path and was usually travelled by the pilgrims. After cursing Somnath for a while we started walking again following a group of pilgrims who were on their way back. We reached a small temple at the bottom and had to wait for sometime till a ‘gult’ bus came along.

Now we had two options. Either to go to Vadamalapet and wait for the other trekkers. Or to go to Puthur and then travel to Chennai on our own. A few guys felt that it would be a waste of time to go and wait for others and instead we could reach Chennai a lot earlier, take rest, and go conveniently for the next day’s office work. So, we reached Puthur station at around 1 and got a ticket to Chennai. Dadar express came to Puthur at around 2 and reached Chennai Central at 4.30. We got local trains to reach our homes and I was at Velachery station by 5.45.

We later got to know that Badri reached Chennai along with the others at around 11pm in the night. And he had gone up to level 2 which was one km away from level 1, though on a path which didn’t have trails and was more difficult to climb.

One of the worst things about this trek is the ankle sprain I had. I felt that if not for the sprain, I could have gone to a higher level. The trek also was a sort of endurance test. Add to the list a hot blistering sun on top of our heads. It was the only reason for making our trek too tiring. I have now decided that I would be going for a lot more such treks in the future and at the same time develop my stamina by regular running and regular work outs in the gym.

Thank You

I am thankful to Peter and other CTC members for organizing the trek. I know how difficult it is to organize such a trip and the amount of preparation that it takes to get the job done. There were a lot of glitches here and there. A lot of things could have been done beter. But all that adds to the adventure too.

Update : I started clicking photographs only on the way back to base. I have uploaded those photos to my facebook album. Click here to view them.

Christmas 2009 at Marina and Ampa Skywalk

Travelling to the Marina on Christmas day indeed was a bad decision. There was a huge crowd of people who like me wished to get a glimpse of the newly beautified Marina. Even with the supposedly modified Parking arrangement, it took about 15-20 minutes to take my car from the parking slot. But I did get to see the beach with some leisure as I reached the place a bit early before the rest of the crowd could come.

The marina now has a glossy touch with good marble flooring where we can sit leisurely and enjoy the scenic beauty of the magnificent beach. The entire stretch of about 3.5 km from the Port to the Light House has been beautified and has a wide path suitable for walking and jogging. I didn’t get to see the lightings in their full glory, but it is said to be exceptional.

The use of Plastic has been banned and attempt is being made to clean the beaches. But you just can’t help noticing the amount of plastic bags strewn all around. Another major part of the renovation funds went into the Parking arrangements. And I’d say the parking arrangement is  very poor. They have just made space for parking of ‘n’ number of cars with no proper management of cars entering and leaving the lot. Ideally they should employ a few personnel to monitor it.

Our next destination was Ampa Skywalk, the newly opened mall on Ponnamallee High Road, near Aminjikarai and Anna Arch. This location too wasn’t spared by the crowd. Construction of this mall has taken a very long time and it is still not fully complete. The cineplex by PVR Cinemas and quite a few stores like Landmark, Spencer’s Hypermarket etc are yet to open.

The food court on the third floor with a variety of shops is fully operational and thats where the crowd was focussed on, apart from McDonald’s and KFC on the so called, ‘Upper Ground Floor’. The food court has something call the ‘Fcube’ Debit Card, which every diner has to obtain in order to place his order at any of the stalls. The card comes with a security deposit of Rs.10 refundable on return of the card. Valid for 365 days from the previous usage day, it can be ‘recharged’ in multiples of 10 based on how much you need to spend at the food court. The sad part though is that this card is not applicable for McD and KFC which aren’t a part of the food court.

Apart from the food court, there is nothing much in the mall right now. Once a few stores like Landmark, Spencer’s etc open there’ll be purpose to visit the mall. For now its just the satisfaction of having a look at the newly constructed mall which is going to have the city’s largest cineplex.

The one major difference in the two major places that I visited on Christmas 2009, was the way they manage their parking. The Ampa Skywalk has a multi stoery car parking where you can park your car with ease, while the beach has a 3.5 km stretch with a large area alloted for parking, but still it is difficult to park a car. But since the mall being a private place, their parking charges are exorbitant compared to other locations. I was charged 30 rupees for just over 2 hrs. At the marina it was free parking. But I wouldn’t mind to pay some nominal amount as long as I don’t have to suffer in such utter chaos.

PS: This PVR Cineplex will be the largest just for a couple of years I guess. Sathyam Cinemas plans to open another cineplex at the new Express Avenue Mall which is gonna come soon near Spencer Plaza. For details on the Express Avenue mall, click here.

PS: Few pics of the beautified Marina Beach can be found here - http://goo.gl/3KmH