Trekking is a great fitness sport combined with adventure and excitement of the unknown.
My trek to Nandi Hills on a sunny Saturday of 20th Aug’ 05 proved to be an invaluable note of how teamwork occurs.
At 7 in the morning, about 29 people - members of Bangalore Mountaineering Club ( http://www.BmcIndia.org) gathered to commit their day to sun, sweat, adventure and challenge.
The dress of an average trekker would consists of a bandana or a cap with sun goggles, cotton t-shirts or jackets (full sleeve preferrably) and jeans or trekking pants with good grip (well used) shoes housing the legs protected by thick layer of socks.
We hit the road at about 7.45 am to Kolar District (North of Bangalore) where Nandi Hills is located. I travelled along with a group of fun loving, jovial people with Raphaet (yes, a girl) at the helm of the driving seat expertly negotiating the traffic on the sun baked road leading us the base of Nandi Hills
We reached the base of a hill (about 800 - 900 feet high) at around 10 am. With vehicles parked and all trekkers rearing to go with their kits - bags with mineral water, energy drinks, chocolates, food, camera, raincoat, towel and tissue papers.
The trek led through a rough road leading to the feet of Chinnaswamy giri hills (running parallel to Nandi Hills). Out energetic guide / trekker - Vikram - pointed us to a set of rocks way above on the hills as the first challenge to be conquered. I stared at nothing but rocks, shrubs, thorny branches and unknown dangers that faced us. It was in a metaphorical sense the challenges we face in life as we try to accomplish our goals.
The best thing about trekkers is that in their diversity of opinions and mental constitutions - some always jovial, some sceptical, some locaquacious, some quiet and a lot many other subtle behaviorisms - runs a common thread of desire to acheive something.
We set into the grassy slopes of the hills negotiating small rocks and at times muddy terrain filled with thorny bushes. The first real challenge came when we climbed about 50 feet only to meet a whole plethora of thick greenery, steep rocks and poor visibility ahead. To add more caviar, a trekker always finds comfort in as much visibility ahead as possible. So we had initiative driven guys going in 3-4 different directions trying to find the best way to negotiate the challenge.
Being an amateur trekker, I found this piece of trek tough and as a vindication - fell hard on my bum as I tried to change my direction to trek another incline. For extra fun, I got a cut on the face of my right hand with thorns. As the blood oozed out, a hot sensation with pain - my determination to handle this grew strong with the support and strength of the 28 trekkers determined to have their way and reach the peak.
After about half hour of struggle, we finally managed to climb up the steep rocks and carefully trekking further up through loose blackened mud and snake holes.
The Bangalore Moutaineering club members finally reached halfway point at about 12.30 in the afternoon. After some chat and rest, there was some talk about having lunch and going back. But a few determined souls thought otherwise and saw up at the tip of the hills as the goal they had come to conquer. Leaving no option, few of them went ahead trying to find the best route to climb upwards. Other trekkers, including myself, followed quickly as the tiring sensation began to grow with mental strains beginning to show for the physical pain puts all force to make you feel the pain, exhaustion of heavy physical activity making you wanna give up at times with only the source of hope being the desire to push further ahead - only a few hundred feet more and acheive in a sense - an orgasm of success as the smile comes across your face and you rejoice at having finally conquered the hills against the wishes of your body.
The peak of this hills is uneven but wide enough to allow you to stroll on it and feel a sense of accomplishment as you look down far below, on every side - the ant sized roads, vehicles and houses and as you stretch your vision far across to see the lakes, ponds, farmlands, hills - as far away as your eye can take you - to the point where the sky merges with the land in a light bluish color.
Lunch finally relieved us of the strain and cool sips of water & energy drinks made us feel rejuvenated to climb down the hills and go back home with strains in the body but a quieter mind that follows a sense of closure.
The climb down was filled with uncertainty as we saw nothing but steep cliffs and dense trees & shrubs imposing a solid border between us and civilization below. This was a part of the hill that led us directly down to the base where we had parked our vehicles. A few brave souls climbed down about 20 feet of steep slippery rocks to cut off some thorny branches and stamp out the grass and see through the trees to find a way out.
After a lot of doubt, uncertainy and desperation to reach down - everyone finally started to climb down that part of hill.
The climb down was equally tough with loose rock boulders and very slippery grassy terrain making us tread very carefully. The trek became even tougher as the sun started to set down the other end of the hill - a sort of a pump priming us to finish our journey quickly, else lie stranded in the middle of the hill with snakes, insects and other fauna life as your hosts.
About an hour and half of hard and slow trekking, a clearing slowing started to emerge - with a 45 degree slope filled with loose rocks and mud. But the clearing of the visibility encouraged us a great dealt as we increased our climb down. The trek followed an almost winding path as the line straight downwards that we had taken was too steep and we needed to wind our way for some time till we found a less steeper and slippery ground to climb down. The strong trees around us helped us a great deal in balancing ourselves while going down.
Evening time - about 6 pm - one by one - a long thin line of us trekkers finally made the base camp with hurried feet as we got nearer our goal.
Note: The one mistake that almost everyone did was not take enough water with them. Always, carry enough water - more than you anticipate. Almost all of our drinking water was over during our lunch. So when we climbed down - about 3 hours of duration ... plenty of us started to feel dehydrated.
Reaching the base, most of us rushed to the temple nearby to drink the cool water that the poojari (temple priest) had to offer.
A great teamwork and camaraderie finally ended with everyone shaking hands, exchanging contact numbers and promises to return again to embrace the arms of Mother nature again and feel the emotions of pain, joy and victory on the unchartered terrains that trekking can take you to.
Trekking is fun but should also be taken seriously. Never go out alone in a place you’re not aware of. Try researching as much about the place you’re about to visit - reducing the chances of unpleasant suprises and equipping yourself with enough tools to deal with the problems you are almost sure to get along your journey.
Reflecting back, I feel a sense of happiness and the tingle run across my spine as I think back of the adventure that I had with groups of people I never met - yet so close to me for the open heartedness displayed and the commonality of goals with which we came together for that brief moment.
I guess that’s what life is all about :)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Pictures of our trek:
https://flickr.com/photos/95988812@N00/