29/12/2012
Packed my backpack with all items listed by YHAI for
my first trek Kodaikanal - Munnar Nature Trek 30/12/2012 to 05/01/2013
Got a lift upto Kaloor and bus was waiting for Munnar
my route was Cochin -Adimali – Poopara – Bodi – Theni reached Theni at 3 pm got a room for Rs 200 a single room with bed, bed bugs and
attached toilet it was very near to Theni bus stand. Had a good shover and took
a small nap and wake up at about 7.30 pm
Theni is a busy town with buses to all places Palani,
Madurai
30/01/2012
Wake up early in the morning had a shower and got
ready, got the information that Palani, Dindigul buses pass thru a place called
Vathalakundu where we get bus to Kodai.
A bus was parked in the stand and
it was thru Vathalakundu got a back seat and reached Vathalakundu at about 10
am when I reached there a bus just left it was for Kodai but no seats as it was
a 2 hrs journey I waited for the next bus.
I saw a group of girls(the Pune girls ) with ruck sacks seems to be for
the trek I guessed right and they were at the base camp.
Reached Kodai at about
1pm and got the directions to Green Land Hotel the base camp and found the camp
lots of fog it was very cool we had 3
rooms with bunk beds. Trekkers was
pouring in for reporting, I just moved to Kodai lake and got a cycle and had a
round trip of the lake returned to base camp. Tea time with black chana, dinner with chappati & rice and last
horlicks and camp fire without fire all had a game of hindi songs, at about
2130pm went to bed Dombivili group was
started their mobile stations with all sorts of songs playing non stop at last
“ kadam “ at what time ?????
31/1/2012
Kodaikanal to Vellagavi
I didnt got a good sleep, at about 5,54 am someone
was knocking at our door and said that bison has come somebody opened the door
and moved out to see the bison, two bisons was there on the lawn infront of our camp very near about
10-15 feet, I rushed inside and took the torch
to had a good look at the bisons and someone came with the camera and
took snaps. I also took some snaps but
not good because of low light. I was
waiting for the sunrise to view the magnicient views on the mountains and with
a prize bisons in the backgroud, got a good pic one of my best pic. Most of the early wakers got a view of the
bisons and sunrise in the background.
At about 7am got the morning tea with foggy mountains
was a nice view quite refreshing in the morning at about 730 am the camp leader
call all of us for the morning exercise, stretching and a slice of yoga from
Kaki , for all body parts getting ready for the downhill & uphill
treks. Morning breakfast was served with
Iddli & sambar and after some time we got the packed lunch, our guide was
Pradeep who is from Vellagavi our next camp we can see this place from our base
camp
So all are geared up for the starting of the trek our
team leader was Mr Ajay who has the voice in all occassions started moving thru
the road near our camp and reached a church all had a group photo infront it on
the way we got a waterfalls all got down had a view of the same and took pics
and again on the trail on the way it was foggy wind and rain droplets in some places
On the way we moved along Dolphin nose point
on the way half all settled for the packed lunch biriyani & egg &
seera all had their lunch Kaka with a
song and Kaki also added something to it so we moved again and we reached Vellagavi
village at about 3,30 pm we sat near a temple and near it our kitchen was
making our evening Tea with roasted groundnut taste good
Vellagavi is a old village with strange customs no
one is allowed to use footwears inside the village and no toilets, government
have built toilets but all were demolished by the villagers, back to basics, girls camp was inside the village pakka rooms
and boys were little far on open ground a volley ball court pitched with tents
on the side with surrounding views of the mountain and our base camp Kids from Vellagavi was roaming around our
tent and offered oranges 3 for Rs 10 were nice oranges and after some time
Volley ball court was alive with local and some of us also joined to play a
match for Rs 10 bet and we lost
Meanwhile there was serious discussions going on for
the dinner as most of them are not willing to move to village border were
dinner will be served because as we came in the evening without footwears they
way was so unhygenic to walk, so all wanted the dinner to be served at the camp
site and the camp leader was not agreeing for that, and we were allowed to put
slippers and move thru the village for the dinner chappathi & rice and last
with custard Reached our tent and
serious discussions about new year it was 31/12/2012 and a new year under a
stary sky with a mountain view and dotted lighted villages far away, some jokes
from all and back to tent
01/01/2013 ( New year )
Vellgavi to Kunthal
The new year started with the call for the morning
tea at about 6am the reason for this was as we were the last group the tents
are to be removed Most of the members
were early to wake in the morning to find a place for the natures call and
almost all found some places and few hold for a better place than this We have a good view of the sunrise and foggy
mountain groups surrounding our camp and at about we moved back the village
border for our break fast
Break fast noodles and tomatoe chutney and packed
lunch and after that we started our 2nd days trek all were eager
to hear the level of trek hard, easy and
all got the good news that it was downhill our next camp was Kunthal it was
easy trek mostly thru private farms and few places thru forest and we had our lunch break bread butter, egg
& a bottle of mango drink and moved on to reach a mango farm where our van
was waiting it was 1 hr ride to the camp all cramped in and two of them got a
bike ride and stopped for tea on the way and reached Kunthal our camp
It was
private park with no visitors 3 swimming pools and a view of the mountains got
tea with bonda Everyone was moving to
have a shower Vellagavi was without toilets and this camp with toilets but some
exceptions no doors for some and no lock
for some !!! but all experiences in a trek
Tent accomodation for all dinner with rice chappati
sambar and bhendi masala and last badam after two days trek all was little bit
tired and moved to tents early
02/01/2013
Kunthal to Kurangini
Day 3 of the trek usual tea breakast Poga masala
packed lunch started our trek our next camp was
Kurangini today trek was uphill trek mostly thru private farms mango and
silk cotton trees and we got a small river crossing seems its made for crossing
tractors which was used to haul the silk cotton trees used for match sticks we
had our lunch chappati, masala & egg
at this crossing and few had a
nice time in the water and Doctor took a fall it was very hot and not
much shade got a shade near a temple in the evening and moved again to our next
camp on the way I got a small waterfall reached our tents camp was surrounded
by arecanut trees and wind blowing from all sides and we can hear the wind Tea with biscuits and temporary toilets no
provision for shower in the morning we got the information from the guide Bala
that we can take bath in the stream nearby which was very safe
In this camp we was provided with petrol max ( a lamp
run with kerosene with good light ) I
took some snaps in this light and got
some nice pics dinner with chappati & pulav and moved to tent for sleep
03/01/2013
Kurangini to Central Station
Day 4 of the trek tea time after that all had slice
of exercise yoga all sorts warm up for the next trek it was uphill for the day
and all had some sort of exercise breakfast with uppama masala packed lunch
Today it was also uphill one of the toughest day always steep climb under the
harsh sun most of them with sun screen lotions, it was real trek on the
mountains and the every step we had great
real trek on the mountains Our lunch break was very early as informed by
our guide there will be no shade on the way up so stopped near a school with a
banyan tree this school was in the film Mynaa the tamil movie so had our lunch
and moved again thru the mountains by about 4pm we reached a small shop selling
all types of local snacks and the special nanary sarbat all had the taste of
the sarbat, actually our guide took a long way to reach this shop, may be the
guides may get some thing for the sales, because Kushal had lost his was on the
way and reached a water tank, and we saw this water tank actually it was a
short cut on the way
We reached the Central Station at about 1630 pm and usually tent accommodation and
pakka rooms for girls, but girls haggled with the camp leaders and got the
tents, We had a tough for a shower YHAI
are willing but the caretaker was not allowing us to take shower seems shower
only for girls, but few had a quick shower under the overflowing water tank
outside the camp all in a days trek
Some in the camp told that there was a view point
near the camp and all moved fast there to have the scenic views and all
gathered there for photo sessions back
to camp dinner chappathi & riceactually there is a notice board on all camps listing
the timings of bed coffee, breakfast, packed lunch , evening tea, dinner &
lights off in this camp the time was extended for about 2 hrs because there was
a performance round almost everyone exceptionally performed one the star
attraction was Kushal & and the soft spoken Parag K, even Parag & Mamta
had a salsa ??? This place was also was
located in a valley surrounded by trees and coffee plantations the night was
breezy and the wind was moving thru the woods had a nice sleep
04/01/2013
Central Station to Top Station
Day 5 of the trek usually morning tea and
some of them went to the view point and had a nice views the valleys and
mountains, Kolukkumala, Meesapuli mala and some without names back to camp had
the breakfast (dont remember) it was the last day of trekking so Parag K took
the initiative to update the contact info of all trek mates for sharing and keep in touch
Today trek also steep climb but not so
hard as the two day because most the route was mud with jeep tracks and mostly
thru private farms mostly under the harsh sun by about we reached Top station
and had lunch at a hotel bought hot tea & coffee
Our jeeps was waiting us to take the
promised sight seeing didnt raised upto our expectations, on the way we stopped
at the 1st point Echo point had some photo shoots, nariyal pani and
Mattupetty dam all lazed on the dam, moved to the next location the honey point
nothing much just honey combs on the trees, we asked for a nice location to see
the tea estate and the driver obliged for the same, and last he stopped for the
flower nursery and some of them had a view of the exotic flowers some just
stayed back and we were off to our camp
on the way the driver had an offer for 1000 bucks he will take to the waterfall
but nobody falled for this offer, so reached our camp, it was at Devikulam,
Adventure Training camp bunk beds and falling false ceilings compromised all in
a days trek
All went to nearby town and made some
purchases and views me stayed back to look after the gadgets laptop
mobiles because the transferring of pics
from cameras was going on, all came back
by about 1 hr So all gather to chill out
for the last day we celebrated New Year
Dinner with rice sambar, but celebrations cut short by the missing
person and we all had a tough time decision making for the search YHAI was helpful and understanding and take
out the vehicle for search and on the way we got the call she had reached the
camp the diesel cost for the search was
reimbursed to the YHAI
The last day seems all went to sleep early
except few and all had viewed some performances especially doctor with his
class and all had a gr8 time enjoying the briefing
Parag & Mamta left early morning to
catch the train from Palakkad, and most of the girls group also moved early
morning seems they also moved for the back water cruise, Bhavani aunty to
Dindigul Tirupathi, Ambika aunty cochin-mysore,
Kaka & team to cochin, Kale & Suhas to Cochin, Doctor also to
Cochin, so left back the Dombivili group and me they had their train booked for
9th of January so had about 4 days, so I planned to stay back for
one more day in Munnar
end of trek
