[Write-up by Venkat]
It all Started when peter was checking the Trail for his Marathon Mission of completing the entire stretch of Nagala Mountain from Nagala to Tada 47 KM. During this trail mapping in Google earth Peter noticed a straight line running through Nagala Mountain from East to West. He suspected that it can't be a naturally formed thing (nature never uses straight lines) so he suspected something made by humankind. So here comes the very tough Nagada Historical Mission with High difficulty level.
It had selection in Chennai Pallavaram hills and he selected the members for this very tough mission.
So on, Nov 5th 2011 @ 3.00PM we started to the base camp(TP Kotta) and we reached TP Kotta by 9.00 AM due to delay in picking up 4 Bangalore participants from Puttur.
We had our back packs packed with the foods and clothes for this 3 day mission it certainly become slightly heavy. We started our trekking towards 600 M peak. We proceed in the initial jeep trail which is straight towards the 600 M Peak and it was missing the trail here and there and then we reached the base of the 600M Peak were we took a small break and started the steep climb.
The climb was very steep and we were taking couple breaks before reaching the complete 600M. Here many of us were breathless and completely taken by this steep climb. But on completing this peak the view of the surroundings was amazing and very scenic. After the steep climb we moved ahead to the opposite side to find a water point a 600M Stream on top. Then we were asked to follow the stream. Stream is covered with green rocks and bushes it had huge bouldering and climb downs after that we reached a beautiful falls and scenic point near to the falls.
We were asked to complete our Lunch at this point. Later we were asked to climb up on the sideways to the peak adjacent to the falls. We started our and completed from here we were climbing up and downs and walking along the trails and it was dark we were in the lookout for water point. Later we found a water trickle and stopped the group near a place which is flat. And Peter, Prem and Ramjan took the bottles of the entire group to water trickle and filled up the water. With that we cooked the soup and noodles. Some of them slept even before soup and noodles and most of us took the yummy soup and noodles and rested ourselves in the tarpaulin. Later that night we had many drizzles even after that most of us rested with nice sleep.
Day2:
After tea and picking up the water from the water trickle we proceed along the ridges/trails. Soon we reached the ridge in Western valley for climbing down. It was full with lot of loose rocks and steep climb down. It was amazing how the nature can give us a challenge of climb down so steep and with loose rocks. After a struggle we finally climbed down the peak. Then we found traces of jeep trails and found it’s still used by the villagers and Peter showed the same for reaching a village in 2 hrs. 4 Trekkers left the trek through this route.
We proceeded towards a peak for steeply climb up it was quite challenging for us to complete this very steep climb and later it was flat for a while. Then we reached a place where we discovered local huts used by locals for some purpose which is still unknown. Later proceeded towards and trails and ridges for few time and we discovered the ancient temple (present on old Soviet map). Later we found a stream and just following it for few seconds we found a pool with falls. Wow amazing place it was two step pool. One slightly deep and 1 not so deep pool here many of us dipped in and had a nice jumps and dives in the pool and refreshed and rejuvenated in the small falls later we took lunch and proceeded towards the stream. Just after 15 – 30 Mins we reached a huge and beautiful waterfall. Here again some 2-3 people reached the waterfall took the gasp.
Later climbed the sideways of the waterfall and proceeded. Later we discovered the jeep trail which proceeded towards the outpost. We followed it for hours and finally reached old stone building and marking said it was built in 1913. We found 2 wells must have been used during that age. Later Peter and few more persons without informing us left for looking out discoveries and unintentionally they reached the 773M Peak and found the Outpost and Watch tower while we were resting ourselves near the well and outpost in the 735MPeak. They returned and told it was amazing discovery and the time they returned was just 30 – 1 hr to dark. So we decided to go look out for water and a camp site we followed the jeep trail while peter was looking out in his GPS for Water. Later he found and we proceeded the ridge and found the Stream full of water. Now we want to find a good camp site while many of us wanted the campsite where were resting.
But Peter, Vipin and Sudhakar decided to find a different camp site and they crossed the stream. Vipin found a campsite and took us to the camp site. Wow it was amazing. It had water nearby, Its Flat and it had lot of dry woods and what else is required so we rolled the tarpaulin sheet and started to cook soup and noodles. We took soupy noodles and noodles. We still had the fire on for a camp fire. So, Peter and Ramjan pulled most of us for a midnight bath in the stream nearby. The water was ice cold when we dipped in and had water fight and we started shivering due to icecold water. We came back to the camp fire and still our body needed more heat. So we made a huge camp fire and rested our body near the fire and Peter learnt many techniques with his new camera by capturing the fire. We started sleeping for the night.
Day 3:
Morning after tea and rusk we came back to the jeep trail and we climbed to the eastern edge for the view point this was amazing overlooking the pulicat lake and tada gorges. Later after sometime we descended to the jeep trail and followed it for a while after some time we proceeded towards pool3 on top of the tada falls. This pool is deep and with falls forcing us to get away if we try to reach them. Many of us dived in near the falls and we were forcefully moved to the sides of the pool. Water was so fresh and falls is full of water. We spent lot of time diving in the pool and jumping in from the top and enjoying this pool to his maximum extent. Which nature has given us. Superb pool with Falls. We took video and lot of snapshots. We didn’t liked to leave the place. However we have to move on. So went up the viewpoint of the Tada and we felt very proud of taking bath at source of the Tada Falls where this water will go to the tada falls for the normal people. We are different and we know how to reach the source and enjoy where no other people wouldn’t have imagined.
We walked along the ridge and reached the Tada Fort on top and again we were blemished with superb viewpoints and later we walked along the trail and reached the Tada fort overlooking the tadafalls. We took a long break and we rested near a shade on top of Tada. After sometime we climbed down the tada and we decided to visit the actual tada falls while again many of rested near the entry most of us proceeded towards the tada stream. Here we were running to reach the Tada falls. Later upon reaching the tada falls many of them were very quick and disappeared into the Tada falls stream. Later it started turning dark none of us had a torch light. 4 person reached the Pool above the tada falls and 5 people missed the trail and went to a different trails. While 2 people stopped near the tada fall and returned early. We were waiting for all 9 persons to reach the entry.
It was pitch dark. Then the group of 4 went till the pool and 100M falls returned. However the group of 5 people which lost the trail still stuck in the falls with no torch. Later Peter asked the drivers to pick up the vehicles from the TP Kotta and went to rescue the people struck. They rescued the group and all 5 people came back. Quickly after that we moved towards the Tada Parking area. We then moved to the checkpost and no forest guards and we rested ourselves near the pre Check post. Here the breeze was very chill and we started shivering in this cold breeze. So again made a huge camp fire and decided to talk about the experience of the trek until all the vehicles reach us. Later all the vehicles reached Tada and we stuffed all the luggages and ourselves in the car and proceeded towards the Daba and finished our dinner. Dinner was amazing as usual and later we reached Chennai around 2PM.
All of us are lucky to witness this adventure, Nature and Beauty of the Nagala Mountains. This will be our Amazing and most memorable trek of the lifetime.
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