Kumaraparvatha - A real trekking Experience.

That is how it all started... A man planned a trek, and all those who did not know how to spell a trek joined in. So 10 people and 3 leaders joined in to forma team to trek Kumaraparvadha. The trek was very tedious, but, I am all out of it. Now I am able to walk and sit and stand and move. So, I am happy writing this blog.

The details, you can get from many blogs. There is a lot of places to see. The peak, the Kal Mandapam, Bheema's rock, Bhattar's home, the Subramanya Temple and so on... I wanted to take you through 21 off the many photographs that I took, during this trek.

First good thing we did was to engage a Jeep to the forest office at Beedhalli. There we signed at the forest office and started our trek. This is the path through which we came in, filled with trees and nothing else. It was so, for a long distance.

This was the place beside the forest office, where we did all our morning duties and started the trek by applying salt all over, fearing leeches. The bridge does not work. I guess it is used only in rainy season when there is a lot of water flowing under there.

Then we were into the forest of leeches. The forest had tall trees and an early morning sunlight. The trees made no noise.

One photograph that I liked. This is one of my photographs that came off so well. I liked it. The light entering the forest at an acute angle, and the trees, receiving it so well.

Then, I wanted to play with the light that came off that morning in that forest. Prabhu was walking and the casual click turned from one to one and came out well... All this while, I was breathing very hard. I was the slowest walker in the group.

The Disadvantages of a slow walker

There is a inequality, that is shown quite well for slow walkers. The fast ones walk very fast and get to a place and rest. As the slow walkers reach the place, they start the walk again. The slow walkers don't get to rest. and remember me, carrying my weight and luggage and the cam. Thanks to the good-hearted-fast-walker who carried my bag some 5 km uphill.

Because of the jeep, we reached the peak at about 02:00 in the noon. We didnot have any idea of what to do. We took a lot of rest. Then, we ascended to the peak just a wink away and reached there. Kumaraparvatha was all below us.

That one you see at the back, red in colour is the tent. Rented from the Bangalore Mountaineering Club.

We then waited for the sunset to come. Waited and waited, while a group was picking up extra twigs to burn for the campers who would come the next week.

The mountains and the sun were great.

The moment the sun set, it started to freeze. We had already pulled on our sweaters and gloves, and it was colder even then. We set fire, made ready-made chappathis hot and swallowed. It was awesome. With all the day long trek, with the pain in the leg, the chappathis were good.

At 08:30, with nothing more to do, we slept. Sleep was like some great hide spot in hell. A hand of mine unknowingly fell out of the sleeping bag. The hand froze. I had to keep it inside the bag for another hour to bring it back to normal.

The sun rose out of the horizon, so beautifully. You have to see it. The sunrise is a phenomenon....

What you see below is what I carried. It was way too heavy for a trek. That was what uninformed packing can do to a trek.

This was the wildest animal we saw in the forest. Astonishingly, it didn't even bark at us. My be it don't know to bark, as it has not seen much of its kind out there...The look in its eyes were pulling me towards him.

There, afterwards, we walked downwards. There was only one uphill climb and that was to Seshaparvatha. There was some beautiful views to be seen here. One of those was clicked and is here. There are lot more.

After taking these photos, I put the camera in my bag and started to walk. Was so tired that could not even take it out of the bag. Walked twelve kilometers down and reached Kukke.

The trek was great,mainly because of the people and the bond. It was better than the place here. This trek will always remain in my heart as a pleasant moment.

Simla-Manali-Delhi Tour - Volume 2 - Simla

So, that is how the first day went... Then we came and slept here in the Chaman Palace - which was not a palace of any kind.

It was a very good hotel. The only problem was that you had to walk the below stairs / slope, for up to 50 metre at an angle of 30 degree, then another 50 metre at an angle of 45 degree, then another 100 metre at 50 degree and then a small distance at 70 degree.

After the breakfast on day 2, we set off to see what Simla has in stock for us. On the way, we had a small break, where people could go to ATMs. But, our tea lover had a great tea at that time.

And thirty minutes from there, we reached Naldehra. You could see the signboard behind Vishnu. He smiled at the photographer, because he was on a horse and he would miss balance any time. If it was a enclosed vehicle, he would have slept in any possible position.

The tour to watch the China Border (350 km away from there), a golf course, a kali temple and the top point on that mountain cost Rs.390 on a horse. So, we all started. My horse's name was Badshah. Badhshah was very strong to carry a 120+ kg thing on his back. I gave him a Rs.100 extra for an oil massage, for the tour was worth it.

Uhhh... Finally you saw me. The man who took over exposed, good for nothing photographs.

In the middle we stopped fora small break, and this is what happened. around six people put that snake around their neck and posed, off which these two smiled at the correct time. The 'thambi, vaaikulla poidaadha' look from Anand and 'nallavangala aandavan kaividamaattaan' look from Vishnu were good. Me clicking at the time when snake's toungue came out, surprised me.

Thus the Naldehra tour ended. Now a small history lesson. Those who don't want  history can skip the next few lines.


History : Lord Curzon built the Golf Course on top of this, which is the most scenic and beautiful Golf course in India. This was a favourite outing spot for Lord Curzon and it is just 22 km from Shimla. Lord Curzon is known for Partition of Bengal in 10th standard History books.
Lord Curzon loved this place so much that he named his third daughter Alexandra Naldehra.

That is a glimpse of 'The Tour Party' returning to the starting point to go to the much talked about Kufri peak.

By that time, I tried some clicks and some proved good too.

On the way to Kufri, we stopped at a place for lunch. The Gulab Jamun there was the best I have ever had in my life. Two guys among smart boys, ordered second plate of Jamuns and ate. I was one among them.


Now that you know two smart boys, I'll tell the name of the other two guys. They are, Prabhu and Siva. Will tell about them later.


A hot soup becomes cold in approximately five minutes or under in that climate. There, snatching from a person who always thought I was getting the soup for drinking, I took the below photograph. A hot bowl of soup in Shimla.

Kufri was a very Bad experience because of the horse ride. This time the roads were even muddier and more than the enjoyment the fear or precaution that we must not fall took over.

There our coordinator and organizer Mr. Muthukumar wore dress of the locals and took a few snaps. 

There was rope sliding, Yaks, a temple and much more we hated to see or do because of the travel upstairs. The roads were mainly waterfed manually and were made muddy, so that trekking could happen only through horse. Incredible India.

Only option left was what you see below!!! 

This Yak is one of my two favorite yaks during the tour. I am not telling about the one above. I'm talking about the one below. It had all equipments for a hunting ride into the forest in cowboy fashion.

Footnote : About the second yak, will tell you on the fifth day of the trip.
Smart boys is no more a secret. But, lots of secrets to get unfolded. Stay tuned...

Simla-Manali-Delhi Tour - Volume 1 - The beginning.

That is how it all started. We all loaded into that Innova and started to the airport.

The aeroplane took off and this being the first time for us, we didn't know how to react. We took some photos. Then we ate some sandwich and drank a lot of water, as water was the only free thing to consume.

On landing at IGIA, we were welcomed by our beloved driver Rajpal, whose vehicle went nowhere. He drove through the Delhi city and....

on the road to Chandigarh...

And reached a restaurant.. The restaurant is what you see in the backdrop, but it withstood because of what you see in front - The lemon and seven chillies...

By the by, it is my pleasure to introduce the people in the tour party. The below is the 'BLADE TRINITY'  [ BT ]who are like the rook, bishop and the queen. It is sure checkmate on any conversation, with they winning.

And people very close to one of the member of BT are the people in the below photograph. The person on the right is Sivaraj and to the left is Ramgji ( he joined the 'Smart Boys' group by the end of the tour. Now the group has four members)

Now you could easily spot the BT in the below picture. The rest are the people who came for the tour, making Mr. Rajpal's 'hamara gaadi nahi chalega' vehicle a 12 seater.

Yes.. You have counted correctly. One more person is missing. And he is the one who is taking all these good for nothing, over exposed, photographs. Well, he is not in the following photographs also.

These are the natives of Shimla. By the time, this photograph was taken, the toll got cleared and I had to go into the van.

On the way to Shimla, we stopped for a coffee/tea (our wish) and I spotted this house, where they parked on the terrace and later found out that all the houses in the mountains did this. And one more lesson is that, if you construct a house like this, there is no use of you buying a car.

Amidst all this nature, Humans have laid concrete posts and are distributing power. I didn't know how to respond - be happy or sad - so took it, as those who interfere don't click.

Don't you want to see our Driver Rajpal???
Here He is...

Photo Courtesy : Revathi Thangavel

                  

Thus ended the first day tour. We went to Shimla, checked in and slept. 

Footnote: About the 'Smart boys' and Kufri tour will be told in the next post

Click on the photos to view real size.