Organised by Vishal and Gokul
Writeup by Yashaswini
DAY 1
The morning of
Friday the 18th, saw little groups of highly excited people emerging
sleepy eyed at the station and bus stand of Kozhikode. These motley groups from
Bangalore, Chennai and Coimbatore had come together as the ready and
raring-to-go 18 member Wayanad Trek group.We started off in birdie style.
My first trek
with CTC, I was as anxious and excited to see what the weekend would reveal to
me as I am sure everyone else in the group was. We all met as a group for the
first time at Kalpettta – a little bus ride away from Kozhikode. Cursory
introductions later, the most important task had to be accomplished – a good
sumptuous breakfast. Within an hour, we went from sleepy eyed to well-fed and
re-energised and under the capable leadership of our organisers – Vishal and
Gokul – were ready to embark on the adventure of the weekend.
We were first
faced with the challenge of getting to the forest where the trek starts, in the
only available transport – jeeps manned by drivers who were worse bargainers
than auto drivers in Chennai. So we had to the services of our only Malayali
knowing member to bargain with Jeep drivers. Rishi, the Malayali Interpreter,
knew exactly 4 words in Malayalam which still did not prevent him from using
them with all his energy and gusto to try and beat down the jeep driver’s
prices. Even the non-malayalis joined the fray and tried whatever they could do
negotiate. I think eventually we got jeeps at a good bargain because we managed
o confuse the poor jeep drivers so much!
All set to face
Wayanad, and stuffed in 2 jeeps with some members hanging out of them
dangerously we set out into the forest and towards our trekking trail. A brief
stop at the Forest Office forcefully added a guide to our already large
entourage. Just at the foothill of the peak we were to climb, those Facebook
profile pictures before they got all sweaty with the climb, got a chance at a
watch tower right which offered a lovely view of the forest around us. These
pretty posers were soon rounded up, all
food packets were distributed evenly (somehow everyone’s bags were too full to
take extra chapattis but not too full for 2-3 extra chocolate bars and cake
packets – strange is the physics of bags!!) and the organisers Gokul and Vishal
issued orders to start the march up
hill.
Thus started the awesome Journey up the highest peak of Kerala – Chembra
Peak. A good 2400 Km in height, it was a lovely terrain with lush greenery in
some parts and dry stone and grass in others. Some places the climb was almost a
90 degrees steep stone climb and in others it was slippery sand which was to
prove to be hell while descending. As we huffed and puffed and panted up the
hill we were all sweating buckets but were still never out of breath for
pulling each other’s legs, cracking stupid jokes and for posing for those Kodak
moments.
Along the climb
there was a convenient break at a lake called Hriday-Sagar Lake – A heart
shaped lake – unfortunately our trekking boys had no “Single” female company to
enjoy the heart shaped lake with. I think this is where the organisers decided
that the trekking groups had a very useless ratio of men to women and some
drastic changes were needed in the short listing criteria.... may be an all
woman trek led by these two organisers!
The lake was too
dirty and the sun was too hot and bright for us to really rest there so we all
moved into thick foliage of trees and took a nice leisurely break. The
chocolate bars emerged and so did chapattis and whatever else could be found to
eat by the hungry horde in their bags. While most of us were too tired to do
anything else, some of us chose to climb trees, perform balancing acts and pose
on rocks.
After half an
hour’s rest the guide had to practically beg us to move before we re-started the
journey. More than half the climb was still left so off we went again, some
leading energetically and others dragging their feet at the tail of the group.
The climb got
more difficult from the lake onwards, with steeper rocks and reducing quantities
of water, but it was also more beautiful. Every time we stopped to look around
a breathtaking view awaited us. Tea estates covered the entire mountain side
and the whole area looked like it was carpeted in green. Each time we stopped
to drink in the sheer beauty around us, it made every step we had taken worth
it.
If you looked up
you could see the peak looming large over us, daunting and challenging us to
make it to the top.
Whatever it was
that kept everyone going, one by one the group finally made it to the top and
just crashed there.
As the group rested atop the hill, the remaining food
packets emerged. Battles were fought over the last drop of water left and
whenever anyone from the group arrived at the peak, there was a race for the
contents of their bag and their water bottles. Sorry was the state of those who
came at the end, hardly any food and almost no water was left for them. But
well as the saying goes – early birds get the worm!
While most of us
were resting and feeding, the shutter bugs were busy clicking away at the odd
spider webs, beetles, odd shaped leaves and the most alluring scenery. Soon the
group pics began. There were the regular posed shots with little horns emerging
from people’s heads and then the more “natural” shots where everyone is
supposed to be “candid” but ended up in pics where everyone was pointing
towards something “casually” but still continuing to look at the camera. Moreover,
the poor camera had a challenging task, not only did it have to capture the
dusty, grimy yet elated faces of the trekkers but also the strange shouts and
hoots and animal calls that were being emitted by them. Here’s an idea for all
new gadget inventors – urgently need a camera that can capture images AND
sounds for CTC treks!
The
photographers also got a chance to test out their mettle and capture the magic
of the scenery around us. Looking below we could see how far up we had climbed,
and felt great sense of victory. The
tree and bush covered valley below, the light mist through which other peaks
were visible, the fresh, unpolluted air of nature and the sheer distance from
anything remotely city-like, lent the most peaceful and calming effect to the
summit.
Finally, and once again, at the request of our guide, it was time to
start the journey down. While climbing up, if anyone thought it was going to be
easier on the way down, they were miserably and horribly wrong. I did not think
it possible, but it was even harder than the climb up! The slippery sand and
pebbles with sharp-edged rocks to break your fall ensured a very arduous climb
down. Each of us of course had our own amazing style of descending the peak.
Some of us like Rishi decided it required too much of an effort decided to let
gravity do all the work. A couple of hard tumbles, scraped knees and scratched
hands later, they were already at the bottom of the hill. Others like Vishal
skid on their bathroom chappals as if they were ice skating and would have
reached the bottom before anyone else if they had not stopped to
"Motivate" the slower, cautious and scared movers like me! Then there were the pros, nimbly jumping and
skipping down without a single scratch or fall. Nursing my own bruised knee and
toe and every other aching limb caused by my million falls I continue to be
highly envious of them. But there was one person who made the highest sacrifice
to the mountains - Rohit lost his "sole" somewhere along the way to
the mountain and then fell about 20 times not realising that he had lost it.
Finally and in
one piece, we all made it down the slope and drove back into Meppady. As dusk
set in it was now time for us to look for a camping site. The organisers led
the way and we soon set out towards the Karapuzha reservoir. We took a bus to
Vazhavetta and from there walked up to the reservoir. While the rest of us
lazed about and chilled the organisers hunted for a good camping spot near the reservoir
and we all trooped there to start the process of "setting up camp".
Depending on our innate skills (or the lack of them) there was division of labour!
We split up into different committees - there was the water committee which
went to fill enough water from the village, the food & fire committee to
collect twigs, light the fire and make Maggi & soup (we even had sub committees
- Maggi Masala committee, the fire blower and the Kindee) and the campfire committee to use their super-human
strength to break logs and make a camp-fire.
With such efficient workers and
under the guidance of our able organisers we soon had a roaring fire with some Maggi
boiling inside. There were of course many moments of amusement when some people
almost blew the stones off when they were blowing into the fire and others
tried to talk the fire into burning better.
There was the
usual fight for Maggi once it was made. One poor soul lost his only bowl
because that was the only bowl that could go into the vessel to take out the Maggi.
After Maggi, on popular demand there was some soup made as well. We cooked and cooked until the log of wood
being used as Kindee lost its wooden
bark and the Maggi and soup began tasting more and more of wood! It was finally
time to retire for the day. The comfortable owners of sleeping bags slipped in
while those with mere bed sheets lay sandwiched between 2 tarpaulin sheets and
we all slept away our tired limbs to the sight of the night sky dotted with beautifully
with stars. The Saga of camping can never of course be complete without a
mention of the great Agasthian, the only man part of the garbage committee who diligently
and sincerely ensured that the campsite was un-littered and everything was left
spic and span... so much so that he was spotted cleaning the vessels in the reservoir
early in the morning as well.
DAY 2
The next morning
as we all woke up to a cold and dewy day, we saw our campsite surroundings for
the first time in proper light. We were faced by the most gorgeous sight - a
clear body of water flanked by an imposing peak, the sun just rising through the
clouds to clear the misty morning air and the dew settled on our bed sheets. Some
small birds were making ripples in an otherwise still water body. It was a
sight to slowly drink in and enjoy peacefully as we stood huddled around the
campfire that some of our group's strongmen had already got going.
Soon the morning
laziness had to be shaken off as we had to quickly rush and catch a bus that
would take us back to Meppady from where we were to head to the Suchipara
waterfalls. Post the campsite clear up, we all just about managed to catch a
bus to Vazhavetta from where we got another bus to take us to Meppady and then
to Suchipara falls. Again we had a long trek with many uphill and downhill
trails to reach the waterfall. Our already aching limbs from the previous day's
trek were most certainly not happy with this new onslaught. Finally, at the sound of water, our steps
hastened and at the very first sight of water all bags and shoes were shed and
we all rushed to stick our heads into the waterfall. This was followed by an
hour of fun, screaming and splashing about in the waterfall and the pool below.
Some of us tried some brave under-cave diving stunts while others chose to slip
and fall and splash about in the pool itself. Our shouts and screams drowned
out even the gushing roar of the water fall behind us and we even joined some
complete strangers in their loud celebrations and slogan chanting.
Finally,
drenched, soaked but completely elated we got out of the water and all of us
gradually but very reluctantly started the trek back to the entrance of the
falls. Here we again rested for a bit, had our fill of Lime Sodas and did some
of the important accounting. Our spirits were kept buoyant by some awesome
chapatti and pickle and bhel puri we put together from our left-over food
rations.
It was finally
time for the group to start dispersing and prepare to head back home. Some
unlucky ones who were going to Chennai had to catch a bus as early as 5pm and
so had to rush back to Kalpetta in time to catch a bus to Kozhikode from where
their bus left for Chennai. Even here the spirit of adventure didn’t leave the
group as the bus from Kalpetta to Kozhikode broke down in the middle and the
Chennai goers had to fight against time, find short cuts, hitchhike and somehow
get themselves to board the bus to Chennai. The more lucky ones – heading to
Coimbatore and Bangalore – had till 9 30 in the night and spent a more
leisurely time at the Calicut beach, enjoying the beautiful sunset and debating
the differences between an Ornicopter, an Army Doctor and a Kite (really as
Sheela, Vishal and Ram can expertly explain there are more things similar
between the three than you would think)!
Eventually as
the night wore on, the last of the Wayanad Trekkers boarded their Buses back
home and brought an end to an amazing weekend.
Thus ended my
first experience with CTC – filled with New adventures, Sheer fun, maddening
chaos, unseen horizons, new friends, precious skills (how to cook Maggi in the
wild for instance) and most of all unforgettable memories.
By Yashaswini .
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