while i am typing or blogging or watever one may call...i am aching all over...just getting to know that there are so many muscles or "pain points" in the body...and y is that so...becos i trekked after some 10 yrs or i walked some distance (close to 20 kms in 2 days)...
but this was a great experience...a truly adventurous trip...with all the aspects of adventure involved...probably may look very ordinary for the regulars but then it was really gr8 for me...so wat was it all abt? here it comes...
my company has an "Adventure club" and as a part of its activities they organise trekking, biking, etc...this time it was a trekking expedition to Alagar Hills near Madurai and the mail said that only 30 would be able to participate and it was first come first serve...so i shot the mail immediately...but was always wondering wat trek could you possibly do at Alagar Hills...i remember walking to the top while having left the shoes at the foothill temple of Alagar Koil when i was in my 5th standard...that was a family trip and we thought we had to leave our footwear down and then walk up...we dint know that we could wear them all the way to the top...and it wasnt anywhere being close to tough...but then i thought that since it was a software company the ppl here are really "soft" and this would be tuff in them...;)
i just wanted to go somewhere and thought this mite be good...but then....it was excellent
there was two teams - one from the Chennai office and the other from the Bangalore(or Bengaluru) office...there were 17 ppl from Chennai and we were 5 from Bangalore...there were 2 more guys who joined us who were the friends of the organiser and 4 guides...and here is were the fun begins...
we were asked to come to Madurai and then there would be a vehicle to take us to Rajapalayam...why do we have to go to Rajapalayam to go to Alagar Hills? well but we dint have too much time to ask questions...so we went to Madurai and there was a Qualis which took us to Rajapalayam...we were taken to a very good house...this belonged to one of the organisers...and as we get down he comes and after saying hi...asks us to get ready soon...infact there was no time for bathing...so we had to just brush our teeth and had a quick breakfast (it was prepared for close to 30 ppl)...and was a real variety...we had poori, idly, semiya, and some more dishes whose names i dint know...took some in each, ate and then picked up our lunch packs and boarded the vehicles...there was two...a van and the Qualis...i got into the Qualis...
we were taken to the foothills...and it dint resemble a little bit to the Alagar hills...so i ask wats the name of the hills...they say its Ayyanaar Hills...well....there was the first adventure...we dint know where we were going...
then the organisers get the permission from the Forest officials and then we leave for the forest...we were going to an estate some distance (no one told us the exact distance) it was always...u cross that hill and you walk along the top u get a temple and then down to the other side u would get the estate guest house...
and this is were the fun begins...our guides take us along...we travel a certain distance and lose the marks...its very thick forest mind you...so they cut the shrubs and grass and make way for us and we move ahead...we come to a very steep hill...mite be steeper than 60 degrees and we all literally crawling up with all the four limbs on the ground...there were some really big ppl in the group and also they had never trekked in their life...it was a little tuff...and we would have crawled some 5kms...we started at 12pm and now it was 2pm...then the guides search the whole place for the markings and find none....they now blaming each other and then after a lot of "discussion" they decide that this is a wrong route and would have to go down and take another route...well wat the $%&K...but then we could do nothing...we came down again...and by the time we were back...some ppl were totally out....nothing left in them...there were actually 2...then we find some route and we see some marking...this was an hour after descending...and again we move up..but in another direction...i was up in the front with one of the guides...there another in the middle and the other two were at the last...
two guys were so tired that they couldnt move and wanted to go back...and good that they left...otherwise they could have got stuck at a point of no return where they could neither move up or down...so one of the guides left with them and we moved forward...we dint know wat was to come ahead...
we were searching all the way for some red markings made on the rocks and moved ahead...the guides by now where the target of severe criticism by the team...every move they made was asked some hundred questions before moving ahead...and their only line of defence was that the grass had covered the path and that there was a temple near by just on the other side of the mountain...so we kept moving ahead...it was slowly getting a little dark and we hadnt had our lunch either...it was at 10.30am when we had our breakfast and it was now close to 3.30pm...we moved ahead and then atlast came to one of the most said places...a waterfall...there we sat and had our lunch...then by the time we left that place it was already 5.00pm...
now we started moving ahead and then after an hour we came to place called "sothu parai" its the place where you have ur food and rest for sometime either way...so we sit there for sometime waiting for the slow movers to join us...and now it was really dark...it was arnd 6.30pm and was real dark...the guides had a few cycle tyres with them...they lighted them up ( they really burn good...but with a lot of smoke...i have never seen rubber burning like this) now this is our torch...so the first guy and the last guy had two halves burnt and carried it along...it was also used for scaring away the wild animals if they were to come...
by now most were very tired...and it was getting very slow...and ppl when "provoked"(asked to move a little fast) would start shouting at the guides for having lead them the wrong direction earlier...s0 we keep moving ahead not knowing if we are really in the right direction...luckily we get signals in our mobile fones and the ppl call up the city informing abt the situation...but the city ppl were already contacted by the ppl who left down...and there was someone who knew the route was coming up to help us...so there was a little confidence arnd now...but we still kept moving...
after moving across the bare rocks...we again come to a very thick forest...and it was real dark inside...but now we had the route marked...there as not too much grass growing here and here the path was visible...but now the thing was how far are we gonna walk?
its at this thick forest that the new guy comes...he is called "saami"...since he is going to Sabari Mala...and having seen the saami...the guys get confident...the saami has been through the path a lot of times and he could make it to where we were from the bottom in 1 hr while it took us close to 7 hrs ;) now we start moving ahead and the route becomes a little steeper...and ppl start shouting of pain and the now the movement becomes slow...but at last we find the temple and we rest there for sometime...its 10.30pm then...we had some snacks and chicken curry and some potato fries left...i dint feel like eating anything...wasnt a little bit hungry...so just had some "muruku" and peanuts and lied down for sometime...
we started somewhere arnd 11pm and saami told us that if we could walk a little faster the we would be able to make it to the estate by 1 - 2am...otherwise there were some other estates in between and we could stay in one of them...ppl started walking with new vigour for some distance and then the same thing starts...they start complaining of pain in the legs...one gets a sprain...and again everything slows down...
me being with the saami in the front was feeling very irritated with this slowness...it was like we are stuck in the middle of nowhere and these ppl couldnt understand the danger...if there was a herd of elephants attacking there was no place to run and we had just to get trampled...but then it was always understandable...when in pain nothing else shows up...
and then saami makes up a thing...says that he feels that the elephants were there arnd...and just then we come across a small and very muddy pond...now i and another guy start endorsing this and this acts a motivation to move the guys ahead...there was even a fight with the saami...some guy was shouting at him asking if he knew the route...there was a little panick starting in the group and i shouted back at them to shut up and move ahead...and a person wouldnt risk it coming alone to help a group if he dint know the route...the thing settles down for sometime and we start moving ahead...and then at a point saami says that we wont be able to make it to the original estate planned for and would have to stay in one closer....so we find one on the way and wake up the ppl...there were two families staying there...or rather 2 couples...thanks to them...they gave us good tea...and the time was 1.30am...they got the store room ready for us to spend the nite and then we had more tea...it was excellent...there was this jaggery put into it...and it tasted so sweet...we felt so very refreshed...
then the storeroom of the estate was given to us for the night's sleep...luckily it was a little warm inside though a little dirty and in normal days no one would think of lying down there...we were all so tired that it dint bother...
woke up in the morning...and the funniest part was...i had some problem with my stomach the whole of the previous day and was just hoping that the estate wud come soon so that wud run to the toilet first...but sadly things dint turn out like that...and when we reached this place they told us not to go out as its a little dangerous....so sad me...had to hold it till the morning...luckily dint eat anything too much so there was not much strain to the stomach ;) it could hold till the morning...and as soon as i woke up...first thing was to search for the brush, the soap and then the drinking water bottle...which was empty now...ran out...and into the forest (no toilets arnd.... :( ) and just as i was abt to sit down....there was something running arnd behind me...got up and ran to the path thru which i had come....and then i see another guy coming for his call....and then i felt a little confident and searched for a decent hideout and was blessed...was such a relief...
we again got the jagerry tea and were waiting for the ppl from the original estate to come with the food but then they were not to be seen....some guys had gone with the saami to call those guys...and they returned saying that we were to move and the ppl from the estate would prepare food for us and then join us on the way...
so we started moving at arnd 11 am and then we could see the beauty of the place....was so good...so untouched...all virgin lands not touched by the human feet or very few to move arnd...such an excellent view and scenic beauty...it got us all into the photographer mode...everyone was out with their cameras but then we moved a little faster and wat took us nearly 4hrs the previous nite took us only 1 hr on the return...
me and another person were very fast...we couldnt hold back our legs...we moved so fast that one of the guides had to run down shouting at us to wait...as the ppl behind were scolding him saying anything happening to us would be his responsibility...poor chap was so scared that he literally ran the whole path to catch on us...and then we halt for the others to join us at the place call "sothu paarai" remember...we waited there when we came up....but sadly the place where we sat when walking up was not the original sothu paarai...
then these guys join us...and we decide to reach the falls and halt for the ppl with food to come...and again me and the other guy start running down...this time there was one more person with us...so we 3 reach the falls and rest for a while while having the rest of the peanuts and then other reach us after 1/2hr and so do the food ppl....we gooble up watever was available...wasnt very hungry...and then its announced that the Bangalore ppl would have to leave early and thus as soon as we finish our food we run down with saami leading us....and mid way we get some wild "nellikas" (dont know the English equivalent) and then there is this heavy downpour...it was very heavy rains but we dint stop...we kept walking and reached the foothills by 4.30pm...luckily i had brought some extra clothes....but unluckily my bag was open when i was in the rain and it got all wet...:(
when we reached the foothills the Qualis was waiting for us and we left to Rajapalayam to the house of the person who had arranged the trip...thanks to his parents and him...we washed and then after some hot coffee...we left for Madurai and then we planned to go the Temple but were not able to...had our dinner at Madurai and left to the busstand...
we reach Bangalore at 8 am and i dint want to lie down else would sleep and be not able to wake up...dint want to take a leave too...so went to office early...then in the evening heard from ppl that the most of the Chennai guys dint go to office that day...
well that was one eventful trip...
Host of the Jungle !!! the one who received us at the foot hills
ppl who gave us good jaggery tea at 1.30am and for many ppl hope ;)
this was the falls were we had our food...
this was a place close to the one called "sothu paarai"
