Dear Chennai Trekking Club,
Last Saturday, July 25th, I was lucky enough to be drop in with the Chennai Trekking Club for the difficult trek to Nagala East. For someone from the United States, just visiting Chennai for a month for work, this was a wonderful and unexpected experience! I will not soon forget what a great day we had.
An early morning, a stop for delicious steaming idly in Uthukottai, and we were ready to set off.
The hike started with the group meandering along a stream as we made our way to up the river to a series of pools, taking a few rests under the shade of mango trees along the way.
The first pool came just in time when it was starting to get warm, and the refreshing swim was just what we needed. All of us enjoyed climbing the rocks and working together to get all the trekkers, bags and equipment across the pool safe and dry. I was very impressed with the inner tube and life jacket strategy for safely transporting all of our shoes and bags! Of all the pictures I took during the hike, I think this is my favorite because it truly shows the teamwork that came into play to get everyone safely and happily through the trek. It really was a cooperative, helpful, and fun group!
We continued along the path, crisscrossing the stream and balancing on rocks, making our way to the second pool where we would take some time cooling off in the water, enjoying a delicious lunch of lemon rice, and catching up on a moment of sleep.
It was hard to get moving after this restful stop, but once we did, we were treated to a fun and challenging climb to the viewpoint. This was well worth it, since we got a great view of “central peak” (I think that is what it was called).
After this, we made our way down to the slide and magic pools. At the magic pool we spent some time jumping off the rocks into the pool, relaxing, and getting ready to enjoy the final kilometers of the trek. I jumped off what I thought was a high rock into the magic, until I saw some of you jumping from twice or three times as high. Fearless! I am sure that it was thrilling to jump from such heights, it sure was fun to watch!
We took a quick stop in Uthukottai for snacks and tea, then made our way back to Chennai. I arrived back home tired, happy, and refreshed from a fun day in nature with a great group. Most of all, I want to say a big thank you to the whole group for welcoming me for the day. It was a fun hike with great company and beautiful scenery along the way. I enjoyed getting to know each of you during the hike as we talked! Thank you for a memorable day!
Cheers,
Madeline Duhon
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