I'm writing this post some 1 hour of reaching my place after this grueling trek. I hope I do justice to it!
It all started with me registering for a trek organized by the Chennai Trekkers club finally, after weeks of delay and I was actually thinking of showing up. This guy called Mr Chandrasekhar and me organized a cab with 4 other people from Chromepet, that's the area where I live to the pick up point at Guindy.
So off I went at 3AM marching along deserted streets with curious dogs keeping me company. I had to really talk to myself to remain calm and make sure the dogs didnt pick up anything. I made it to the meeting point just in time with Chandrasekhar as we waited for the other guys to come. They were late of course. This guy then tells me that he is retired, and he looks like it (despite looking fitter than me). This 60+ year old man tells me he is aiming to reach level 4.
What's level 4? To explain that I must first give you a brief introduction to CTC. It's a voluntary organization founded by a Belgian man called Peter Van Geith. He looks a lot like Rorschach in Watchmen(the movie). They have treks organized in the weekends which serve as being recreational as well as inspirational to young people from Chennai looking for a cause. The volunteers are usually experienced trekkers who plan logistics and spread the word of CTC.
So they have a blog page and a google groups. When a trek's announced, there is a registration link given out to members. CTC then estimates how much it would cost per person and intimate it by email. A lot of email and phone reminders later, the members mobilize in 4 standard pickup points in Chennai and wait for transport. As Nagala was just 100km from Chennai, it was going to be a road trip. So members with cars car pooled and the rest of us went by vans hired to make up for any shortage.
There was a shortage here, because this trek was huge. It had 4 levels which summarized into: Easy, Medium, Hard and very hard. All these options meant that around 320 people registered for it, although the actual turnout was close to 160. The trek itself was us following this stream of water as it poured from somewhere near the top along the mountain cutting through it. Every now and then the stream would fall from a height and bore a hole in the ground which formed pools which we used as camp sites and dipped in every opportunity we could get.
Seven of us reached Nagala in Aravind's Xylo. Accompanying us were Pankaj, Gopi, Karthik, Vivek and Vadivel. After having a quick breakfast organized by the club and taking a few pictures, we were rearing to go. Gopi and Pankaj wanted to set out for Level 4, I always had level 2 in mind but was willing to see how much I could push myself. So I set out optimistic and focused aiming for level 3. Acco in But then slowly, I felt that I was making such good pace that I decided to for level 4. So we set out and I was really storming ahead in the flat and slightly elevated areas before the hill. I made a lot of mistakes there, like not drinking too much water, following the wrong set of people etc but the worst was when I decided to dive in a pool at the final stop for the level 1 folks. I had lost a lot of salts in the water and when I was trying to jump out of the pool onto a rock, I pulled a muscle. Although I managed to make the jump somehow, I wasn't done. I jumped into the water again and this time when I tried to come out, I slipped and fell into the water with the sharp stone edge cutting into my torso. To top it up, I had terrible cramps in my leg and I was carried by others in the pool into safety.
I was so disoriented that time, because of all the pain and not having my glasses on. I somehow put my clothes on and proceeded to leave from this place. There was one brilliant cliff hanging moment just coming out of the pool area and into our route. We had to rock climb a few meters using tips of our feet and fingers, with back packs on. Any mistake surely meant a long and painful fall.
I made it and went on. At the next stop I over ate :(. These guys had given us packets of rice and bread and I finished half of my rations. My idea was that I had to reduce the weight in my backpack, but obviously I underestimated the trek.
Because what followed was a real long series of 80 degree climbs using all fours grabbing on to edges of rocks or bushes. What made it hard was that everything was loose and slushy. Rocks gave away on numerous occasions and crashed down threatening to take away few of us with them as they cascaded down. Although a lot of this is in the mind as Peter and gang would suddenly appear walking up the slope without using their arms and the very sight of them made all of us go that much faster.
However my friends, you must understand when I say that it was a hard climb please take into account that I couldnt put my weight on my legs because of the cramps. I had to make do with my arms. So every kick, every jump meant that I had to transfer a lot of my power to my arms which pulled me up. Although I finally had to use my legs and as you all know, you cramp once and it doesnt really go away no matter how much you stretch. So I dropped again and one of the volunteers helped me out by spraying my legs with some pain killers. Although these things dont really work against cramps, but the sting of the alcohol spray going through my bruised legs gave me sufficient kick to go on further. I even had some of the Isotonic drink when Pankaj passed me by. Just a few minutes later, as I was going by a stream I slipped and landed on my head. My shin hit a rock in the fall and was swollen and bleeding, while my head really hurt and luckily I got away with just a bump. The hit left me reeling and I somehow limped to level 2 at around 4PM. Peter and the others were about to leave for level 3 and he advised me to stay back. I wanted to go on but it didnt make sense for me to go like this hardly being able to walk. So I stayed back and we set up camp at level 2 waiting for others to arise.
The next set of people came an hour and a half later and I had to tell them that Peter and others had left a long while ago. Some were dejected while some relieved. A group of people decided to go after level 3 and set out while others camped around me. Out of these was one french girl who was horrified at the idea of sleeping next to the stream in case there were flash floods or something. All in all she was perhaps expecting a smoother climb and not going right through the jungle as we did here. We found out later that this group settled a few meters above on an other clearing they found 15 minutes away.
I slept. I tried to walk in between and it hurt really bad. At around 8PM the actual level 2 folks arrived and although it got really crowded, it was a fun camp site with lots of singing around the camp fire. I slept like a log and it apparently drizzled in the evening and I was too sleepy to notice.
The next morning I was up and active again. Filled up my water bottles and headed out to find myself a lonely spot. That turned out to be a mini trek on its own, I found my own path and came pretty close to the peak of the mini hill we were on. On my way back at the stream I slipped again. I was in such a mess due to the fall arms and legs twisted in weird angles, it was a miracle that I hadn't dislocated anything. I was really weak that day, so I ate a bun and lots of biscuits and drank lots of water. We then played in the small waterfall near our campsite for quite a while and then set out to go back.
Travelling with the level 2 guys was much easier as they didnt set a hard pace and I didnt have to put too much pressure on my leg. We also took a break were I had more pickles, salted snacks and drank lots of water. This guy Amey I met along the way who works for mu-sigma was with me for most of the stretch. After resting there for a while, I headed out leading the group as we set out and this was good. We set the pace for others and then came up to the cliff hanging route we took on our way up I mentioned before.
So we reached the head of the waterfall which led to the pool where I had my first cramps. There we jumped over the stream and went on the other side. This was tough. then we went along the head of the waterfall gripping every inch of the wall with our fingers and lowered ourselves down. A mistake would mean as I mentioned before a long and painful fall. I wouldnt usually be scared. But with hurting feet and a history of slipping so often, I was petrified. But one deep breath was all that was needed and although I clung on to the rocks a bit harder than was needed, I made across fairly comfortably. I even stayed back and helped a few of the others get down.
Now I was back at the pool and no pressure to get anywhere quick, I jumped in to the water. Having taken proper care to rehydrate myself and eaten some salty food, it was real fun to jump in and swim around. I was relaxed so I didn't splash around uneccesarily. I was floating on demand as one would say, trying various strokes, going on my back and even using the floating mat. That's when Pankaj joined and told me that he had reached level 4. Must have been pretty awesome. Although I kept wishing I was there, I was glad that I wasn't completely destroyed and was able to enjoy myself so much in the pool. I was also glad of the fact that I made it so far despite getting hurt so much. Soon Peter and some others joined and they started diving around. Peter did some real crazy dives including one where he cartwheeled off the edge into the water.
That reminds me, I need to get my eyesight fixed permanently. Swimming with lenses is a hassle and I'm practically blind without wearing anything on. I would never be able to try these fancy things these guys do.
As the rest of the level 2 folks assembled, they set out to the next pool. I found a new set of people, we formed a team and we headed towards them. This pool was shallow in most places, so a lot of people I know joined in and hence was much more fun. I swam again for an hour or so. It was still deep right under the fall. Standing on a rock under the waterfall and jumping into the water was one of the best feelings ever.
Then we got dressed quick and set out. The pace was so much quicker then as I rushed to the head of the group. I was so much better at this stage of the route, my legs weren't hurting and I was literally hopping my way out of the obstacles. On my way back we met Aravind and some of the level 4 folks returning and walked with them until we got out of the jungle and reached the reservoir beside the mountain.
We stopped by and took lots of pictures. I had a dairy milk bar I had saved for the return. We took so many group pictures then that Pankaj was tired of it. The cars were parked at a nearby village and we mistakenly walked towards it instead of taking the vans that were set up to take people there. So it meant another 20 minutes of brisk walking in the fear of Aravind, whose car we came in, driving off without us.
Pankaj and me made it to see that no one really had left. Aravind was one of the last people to arrive. We said goodbyes, I made a phone call and we left. One boring car ride through traffic later, we reached Guindy. Pankaj dropped me at Chromepet and I somehow made it one step at a time back to my guesthouse. The time was 11PM. The same dogs from saturday morning watching me return.
So what did I like about this trek? Getting my ass kicked. Thinking logically and swimming on the next day without getting freaked out by the first day incidents. Meeting some very interesting like minded people. The good trekkers who pushed hard and picked themselves up each time they fell. The not so good trekkers who still pushed hard and kept their spirits up throughout the trip. The organizers did great. Although some of them were braggers, they bragged only to those who would listen. There was no spoon feeding and they kept the enthusiasm up during all the right moments.
Can't wait for the next one ...
