Chamarajanagar Trek (Dec 22 -23)

December 22

Even though I knew that I would be trekking 22, 23, there was nothing done towards this cause till the afternoon before. Discovered that my sleeping bag (Borrowed- so technically not mine) would not fit into any of my backpacks. In fact it was so bad that I looked like the hunch back of noterdam with a huge cushion jutting out of nowhere. Even after I got myself some decent travel gear, I was debating whether to leave the sleeping bag behind, but ended up lugging it along, A decision I would and wouldn’t regret…! We set off at 5:30 and after breakfast at Kamat, we finally reached Bedaguli at around 2:00. The Bumpy journey aggravated by an extra passenger who had to be accommodated in Mysore left us tired and Hungry.


Our Picteresque Lunch Spot



Just before the trek..

After lunch in a picturesque spot we were handed out food for the entire journey, each trekker for himself!! We also had to carry a mat (lightweight but adding to the bulk) which was fastened to each of our backpacks. This was followed by a ritual of applying a mixture of snuff and coconut oil - The leech repellent. Results proved that it was indeed very effective

We are off..

On our Way..

Backpack and all, we were finally on our way, quite literally an uphill task at first. In spite of the nagging weight the scenery along the way made it really enjoyable. The area we are trekking was once the lair of the notorious sandalwood smuggler Verappan. The trail 'Verappan Trails'  takes its name after him. In his heyday he had killed close to 184 people mostly policemen and forest officials and had held several people hostage for ransom. India is a land of great social inequality and Verappan saw himself as Robinhood, stealing from the rich and turning protector to the poor and needy. He had a lot of sympathisers among the local population in the surrounding villages.He was finally killed in 2004 by the special task force. But his death remains embroiled in conspiracy theories

On our way..

As we wound our way through , we finally found ourselves in this open expanse of land. Jodigere was out final stop. Perched right there was the place where we would stay for the night. I was a little dumbstruck by the bare surroundings and the abandoned look of the building. It was quite literally nothing but a roof over our heads. I could imagine what conditions the forest guards lived in.

We get there..The first few trekkers silhouted against the setting sun..

Took this snap against the sun and got this wonderful picture . Some of the first three trekkers who reached base silhouetted against the evening sun

Tired after the long trek, we sipped on hot coffee. Of course the kitchen was a small enclosure. Firewood logs fuelled the flames on which we were to cook our food for the night.

Coffee..

Utensils were washed outside. A solitary pipe brought water from a nearby source and hat was all. We had water, but only just;It was hard to imagine subsistence amidst this barer than minimum facilities

The View from our kitchen..

Spent some time clicking pictures . The rock seen featuring here was to serve as some sort of enclosure for our camp fire.

Time to relax..

Our Stay for the Night

After the hot drink, we setoff on a small nature trail to spot animals. Had the chance to witness one of the most spectacular sunsets. Something about a sunset always leaves you in awe. The colors changing aginst Natures Canvas

The Sun Sets..

The moon was out too today. She was out to outdo the sun. oh and did she..

Wondering if we can spot any animals..?

Lovely night to be out on a walk..



Our Camp Fire..

 Dinner by a camp fire (which refused to stay up and retired earlier than all of us). Once done We spread out our sleeping bags and called it a day. It had gotten extremely chilly. The room was devoid of electricity. This was one place where Natures calls were Natures calls.


The Day Begins..

 During the time we stayed there we did not see a single piece of plastic in sight. We on our part ensured that all traces of our stay were erased. Plastics, paper or anything that would normally be discarded were put into one big garbage bag . Morning Dawned. Hot coffee and breakfast and we were off.

The Entire Group..

..And one for the album!

We set off once again..

Climbing Down..Much Trickier than climbing up..

Antelopes..

Taking a break..

Lunch..

A well earned lunch very near the end...!

Finally we reached our destination- Bylore. My hands and legs felt like

they would come off any moment. After the commute back to Bangalore I have to admit that I was happy to be home. I thoroughly enjoyed the trek. It taught me something new and got me thinking on how the first men ever survived in a hostile environment. Some of the insights I will have to put aside to write, for another day.

-Meena

Sunset

Was standing by my kitchen window, A cup of hot steaming tea - regular companion of my introspective self.

Making myself a second cup I looked out of the window when this breathtaking sunset caught my eye.

The colours changed rapidly and in less than five minutes i was staring into darkness....

-Meena Venkataraman

Sikkim Diaries..

A family vacation in Sikkim.. This right in the middle of a project proceeding at breakneck speed. Well, though it seemed impossible I did what I should have been doing all along. Just took off!!! .. And was it worth it.We flew from Bangalore -> Calcutta ->Bagdogra.

A Train puffs its way up the hills.

A Toyota Innova took us comfortably to Darjeeling. The ride took us along small winding roads. Narrow Tracks and small trains chugging along in the pretty mountain air. We stopped at 'Ghum' , which is a UNESCO certified heritage site. Tea and biscuits by the roadside and we were on our way to Darjeeling.

The Tracks are soo close to Human settlements. If Someone were to reachout from their  window they could almost touch the passing train..

The British Raj turned to Darjeeling to escape the heat of the plains in Summer and this led to its development as a hill station. Peace and Quiet are just one side of her personality. She was also the epicenter of the demand of a separate Gorkha Land. We stayed at 'Rurdra Bhavan', the owner of which had an illustrious lineage interlinked with the political thinkers of the state.
Apr 16

Breakfast of Tibetian Momos and Hot Parathas

We breakfast at a little place and leave for the days sight seeing. The place serves traditional Tibetian Momos and hot Parathas. Pipping hot tea follows.

Our First stop, we try our hand at Rock climbing. What fun minus the scrapped knees :)

We try our hand at Rock climbing..

We visit the local zoo. Get to see ' The Red Panda' , the state animal of Sikkim. It is native to the Himalayan region. the Loss of habitat in recent years has made it an endangered mammal.
We stop at a Tea Plantation. Tea contributes to the economy of this hill state. We try our hand at elementary rock climbing.

We reach the top..

The view from our Room..

The people here have the same gentleness and mildness of manner that you see in most people from the hill. They are just Nice to put it in the simplest of way. Having been on the Bangalore Roads for several years now am used to people pushing each other off the edge and to me that had become an accepted part of Survival in the Bangalore Jungle . I was pleasantly surprised to see people stop and let others go here up in the hills. Life here is a study in Contrasts. It seems unhurried on the surface and yet these folks go by the clock and are more punctual than most people I know. The place suffers from acute water shortage and we were told about the need of thrift in usage.

River Testa

Apr 17
We leave for Gangtok which is the capital of Sikkim.
We stop by the wayside to take pictures of the river Teesta which originates in the Cholamu lake and finally joins the mighty Bhramaputra in Bangladesh. We were warned that the innocuous looking river had lured many unsuspecting travellers to its fatal embrace.
We reach at around 3:00 PM and walk around a bit. The Place is city like and bustling with activity. We spot a few restaurants and call it a day early.
Apr 18

On our way to NathuLa

The days plan is to visit Nathula, the pass that takes you across the Himalayas to China. Nathu means "listening ears" and La means "pass" in Tibetan. It is located on the Indo–China border connecting the Indian state of Sikkim with the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. In retrospect this was one of the most interesting rides that I've been part of .

Some sights on our way to NathuLa

Along the way we got rare glimpses into the life of those chosen to defend the borders. It kept getting colder as our Tata Sumo climbed the Mountain. We stopped to get permits and passes and at each stop we rushed to capture a few frames..

The final leg of the journey was a climb up a fleet of steep steps (thats what i choose to call it)..

Nathula

It was snowing and ice cold when we got there.

An Honour to meet the Indian Jawans..

It was wonderful to meet soldiers from all over India. Most people who made it to this point were in awe. The excitement was tangible. We spent some time talking to the handsome men in uniform. There were times when I wished I knew more Hindi.

The Chinese Border..

Subu got a message on his Airtel Phone , welcoming him to the China Network.There it was right across the border. We were warned not to give our cameras to those across the border as they were known to walk away with goods on many occasions.

Strinking a pose .. With Chinese Soldiers from across the border. If you notice theres a barbed fence seperating the two of us..

We did get pictures with the soldiers from across the broder. You can't tell from the snap that the two of us are on different sides of the fence. Nathula was quiet an experience. There are few things which will ever leave you with such an amazing feeling of contentment.

One of the many snowfed Lakes along the way..

And then the drive back..The Scenary was brathtaking. Ice cold blasts of wind, Numb Fingers , the Absence of Sunlight.. and the Invigorating mountain air. Along the way , frozen lakes and white snow stood out on the Barren Brown Mountains

Himalayan Peaks..

High Altitude Loos :)

The Lovely Hillsides

We were lucky to catch the snow fall. We wound our way along the Rustic Way side nad stopped for pictures. They were never enough of them anyway :)..Finally it got too Cold and we were all too hungry to hold on...

We were taken to a small place for lunch.
We devoured the noodles and rice .

A walk in the clouds..

The Menu..

This is how the menu read at the little place we stopped by to grab lunch..

Where we had Lunch..

Elfy with the Yaks..

When we got back that day, exhausted , it all  felt so great that I wasn't sure if it was in a dream..
Who would have thought we would trek all the way to China :)

Entrance to Rumtek

We visit the Rumtek monastry the next day the largest in Sikkim and the seat of the 16th Karmapa in exile. Forced to flee Tibet beucause of the Chinese occupation the 16th Karmapa arrived in Sikkim in 1959. He undertook the task of rebuilding the monastry which had been constructed by the 9th Karmapa in the 16th century and which was in ruins then. Monetary support from the Sikkim royal family saw his efforts bear fruit after four long years.

Buddhist Monks..

Catch them young..

And the very Old..

Sharing a lighter moment..

The Football Stadium - Gangtok Sikkim

The hotel overlooks an football stadium. One of the prettiest sights I've seen, - The stadium perched above the clouds and majestic mountains in its backdrop. Morning sees little blue and red specks racing along the lush green field doing their routine practise seeions. In this part of India Football and not cricket is the most popular sport

The Buddha..

Testa

View from the Winch..

We take a ride on the Winch and see the city ..

From the winch..

At the Level Way Crossing..

A little bit of shopping and walking around the place was all we had time for before we headed back home. The next time I visit Sikkim I would definitely like to trek more. The mountain sides seem to have cast their spell on me and its hard to resist the lure. But for now I have to be content with this week in the life and times of Sikkim!

-Meena Venkataraman