A Trail Inside the Magic Valleys of Munnar

Where else other than Munnar?

From past few days the nostalgia of the place has taken over me. As a counter measure, I thought of putting my experience in a piece of writing. During the month of October 2012, the traveler bug had stung me again. Having spent enough time seeing those mesmerizing pics of valleys of Munnar and doing enough research on Internet, I finally overcame the inertia and planned an itinerary. My itinerary generally goes around finding a holiday around a weekend, ask lazy friends to get off their ass, book tickets and then research fine details around the place. Seeing a window of opportunity in late October around Dussehra, without any hesitation, I did the same.

Day 0:

Our adventure started while departing from Chennai itself. It was pouring heavily during that time. One of my friends Ritukant missed the bus and 4 others Sai, Apurva, Hriday and Bhuvan would have missed it by delta time where delta, as always, tends to zero.

Day 1: 

Madrasi at Anayirankal Dam

Shades of Green

Reaching Bodinayakanur around 8 in the morning, we were wondering how to reach Munnar  which was about 65 km from there.We waited for the bus and meanwhile we looked for other alternatives. Sai got a french beard in the meantime. Finally, we got a Jeep and settled the deal. The driver agreed on stopping at all the viewpoints and places of interests in the route. We started our journey on a high tempo. All I can say about the weather is that it couldn't have been better. Cloudy and mild rain in intervals. Bhuvan occupied the seat right next to driver fulfilling his dream to be seated like a police inspector in the movies. As we ascended, we witnessed spectacular views of the valleys. The driver stopped at a small waterfall , where we stretched ourselves and didn't miss the opportunity to get a few clicks. After moving on, as we reached higher, the vegetation, the view, the landscape everything started changing gradually. The mesmerizing views of tea plantation started  showing up with mountains in the background. While we were enjoying the view, our stomachs started reminding us that we had not eaten anything till that time. Soon we reached a small village Pooppara located among the valley surrounded by tea plantation all around. After having breakfast there, we resumed the journey. The driver stopped at Anayirankal dam and we enjoyed the calmness and the beauty of the place. Moving further we saw a magnificent waterfall known as Power House waterfalls pouring water with a great force. There was a board saying the water was drinkable and I did not miss the opportunity. Enjoying the weather and the spectacular views we reached Munnar and found a hotel. In the evening we spent time in a Spice Garden and Jeep ride in Ghat roads. We spent the night laughing at Bhuvan who kept on loosing by big margins in Least count (a cards game). 

Day 2:

Pranshu, Hriday & Beautiful Folds of Tea Garden

Next day we hired a Jeep and set along the Top Station Direction. Starting with the botanical garden, we moved on the photo point, saw numerous bee hives on a tree, took pics with beautiful tea gardens in the background and ate passion fruits and fresh carrots on the way. Near Matupetty dam, we had rides on elephants  and then enjoyed boating on a speed boat. We sat near the lake for sometime and enjoyed the serenity of the place. Next we shouted like crazy at the echo point. Further, we encountered Kundala lake and lied down on its banks. All this while we were visiting these beautiful places, my mind was thinking of letting ourselves free in mountains. The mountains were to tempting to resist and continuously invited me to come and explore them. All these places were very nice but I wanted to go a place where people generally don't go. Leaving aside that thought, we continued our journey to Top Station, the last view point. The views from this valley are awe inspiring. As we reached there, the whole valley was covered with clouds and nothing was visible. But that was temporary only. Soon the valley was visible in its full splendor. If any word could have described it for me, it was 'magical'. The instantly fell in love with the place. But again the souls was wanting to go and explore the place rather than just watching it from the tourist fencing. After getting lost in the beauty of the valley, we headed back for Munnar. Evening as usual we spent seeing marvels of Bhuvan in card games.

Above the Clouds at Top Station

Day 3:

The Magical Valleys

It was decided the previous night that we are done with touristy spots and wanted to do some trekking and go explore some less walked by paths. But we were quite uncertain which mountain to head to. There were infinite numbers of them around. The only thing in my mind was the valleys around Top Station and I convinced everybody to go there again. After a little scuffle with the hotel guy we started for Top Station. Reaching there, we arranged one guide to take us around for Rs.150 each. The only thing we told him was that we want to go some rarely taken path in the valley and in addition, some waterfalls and streams will be 'sone pe suhaga'. Right after walking for 10 mins. Hriday realized that his 150 rupees had already been paid off. He could have gone back satisfied. Such was the influence of the views. Numerous waterfalls, zig-zag trails, tribal villages and the mountain folds. Yes it was no less than magic for me. We relaxed and enjoyed serenity and calmness of the place. Our guide, a very humble and simple Tamil man introduced us Lemon grass, which he rubbed on his hands and asked us to smell. It smelt exactly like lemon. He showed us Neelkurinji flowers which blooms once in 12 years and the complete valley looks blue during that time. He showed us Magic Mushrooms which cause hallucinations upon consumption. After this we followed a trail to a small abandoned home where they used to pre-process coffee. There we saw big sour lemons which we easily confused for oranges. This abandoned place was situated close to a waterfall. The water was cold enough to make you numb if you stay longer in it. But ignoring that we recharged ourselves under the waterfall. Finishing this we headed back. We followed the same trail. At one point we had a option to climb steep and finish early or follow the long trail back. We voted and decided to follow the steep climb. The expressions on everyone's face were worth noticing while climbing. After reaching the top, we relaxed and enjoyed the mesmerizing views again. 

And the feeling of being 'Blessed'

Day 4:

This was the departing day for us. We planned it in a way that we would visit the viewpoints and trekking trails in Coimbatore direction and from there we'll make an exit to Coimbatore. We first encountered Erivakulam National Park and gave it a 

Anamudi Peak, Highest in Western Ghats

miss seeing a long queue for tickets. We saw the mighty Anamudi peak (the highest non-Himalayan peak in India, also the highest in south India). The view was spectacular to say the least. Peak in the background, a steam rushing from the valley over the rocks, tea gardens on one side and a small cottage on the other. Don't know about others, but this is my definition of 'heaven'. Next we reached Lakkom waterfalls. The crystal clear water was hard to resist. Hriday and me dipped into it. Moving further we witnessed sandalwood forest and noticed how they were tagged to avoid smuggling. Finally we reached Chinnar and hired a trek guide. Through a trail into the jungle, he took us to beautiful Thoovanam waterfall on Pambar river. After reaching there, we relaxed. I preferred a nap over a rock. We returned and caught bus for Coimbatore from Udumalaipettai. This was supposedly the end of trip for us. From Coimbatore we took an overnight bus to reach Chennai next day early morning.

A good company makes it so easy

To say the least the trip was one of the best trips I have ever had. Partly because of great company of friends, partly because of the weather (mild rains) and partly because of the place itself. The place has so much to offer to everyone. There are few images from every trek/trip that keep roaming in my mind. Top station valley's images still linger in my mind, every single day.

Beach Running - Facts and My Experience



Picturesque Thiruvanmiyur Beach

I had the comfort of going at my apartment gym for one year. Having shifted to a new independent home, I was missing that luxury. Initially, I spent 1 or 2 weeks sleeping till late in the morning, recovering from a minor injury. I then realized that it was not the way. I was craving for some action. I live pretty close to beach and wanted to capitalize that opportunity too.  As soon as I felt comfortable with the injury, I tied my shoelaces and set out for run on the beach.

Since then, I have been running on the beach almost consistently (leaving a few on and offs) for past 3 months. I have tried summarizing my experience of beach running and I hope it should be useful for people pondering about or new to beach running. Many of the points are obvious but still I have mentioned them.

 

1. Running on beach is tough. I realized this during my first 10 m stretch when I went running for the first time. You would have walked over sand and felt the need for extra efforts to walk. Believe me. That is nothing compared to running.  It’s damn difficult for the first few times until you get used to it. Your feet just go inside the sand and it takes more energy to pull them out. The obvious reason being loose nature of sand and hence not able to provide enough reaction force necessary for walking/running. A perfect opportunity for those looking challenging workouts.
2. More Calories. As I mentioned above that it requires more efforts for each and every step that you take on sand hence you burns more calories compared to running on a hard surface. Depending on sand types (size of sand particles, water content, compactness etc.) one burns 1.2-1.7 times the calories for same distance on a hard surface. A person of my weight (64kg) will burn nearly 300-400 calories running at a medium pace for half an hour on the road. Imagine burning 450 – 600 calories for the same distance. Certainly good for those looking to cut a few kgs. If it is too hard for you in the beginning try running in wetter sands which will be relatively easy.

   

   Dharmesh sweating out

3. Watch your ankle. One has to be careful while running on the beach not to twist one of your ankles. Generally your feet will go in pretty bizarre manner over the sand and that creates the risk of ankle sprain. The plus side of this is it will make your muscles in ankle strong over the period of time.
4. Stronger muscles. Because of the irregular manner in which your feet go into the sand, it requires excessive use of some important muscles of your leg. Calf muscles are used a lot and hence they become pretty strong. Same goes for muscles that support your ankles as I mentioned above.
5. Lower back pain. I noticed pain in my lower back when I started running over the sands. The pain was identical to the one I had encountered during all of the 3 half-marathons I had run till date. Only difference was the time of onset of the pain. While in half marathons on tar roads, the pain started after running 12-15 km, in contrast, on the sands the pain started merely after initial 2 km. Yeah, but don’t be discouraged by that. It will be gone soon, may be in a week or so. The reason being, since one is running on an uneven surface, the body needs to adjust its posture accordingly which requires extra efforts from some of the lower back muscles. After regular practice, those muscles will become strong too and running will be fun again. Till that stage have patience and keep running.
6. Easier on joints. Running on beach (or in general sands) is of course easier on your knees. The sand acts as an efficient cushion thus giving minimum impacts to your knees. You don’t need those ‘high quality easy on knees’ shoes for beach running. Normal jogging shoes would do.

   

   Myself one fine morning 

7. Fresh air. I live in Chennai and fresh and unpolluted air is certainly extinct here and it comes at a price. Those living in a metropolitan city will realize it easily. Neither a park nor a playground around too. You can expect the dusty unpolluted roads even at 6 in the morning. Beach on the other hand will provide you with fresh air coming from sea and it is totally free. One of the major reasons I preferred beach over roads.
8.  Breeze. Talking about fresh air, it doesn’t come perpendicular to the coastline. It always makes some angle to it. This in turn results in headwind running in one direction and tailwind while running the opposite. Headwind, now she’s a bitch. Cyclists would know that. It gives you tough resistance and drastically reduces your speed while at the same time cooling you down. Tailwind is a friend but it won’t take away your body heat. So there’s a tradeoff in both the cases.
9. Barefoot or not? It depends on the kind of beach you are running. If it attracts lots of tourists or there are locals living around, then chances are there might be some bottles spread around. If it less frequented by people, barefoot running is worth giving a try. Sea shells should not be a worry. They tend to go inside the sand as you step upon them.
10. Sun. This one is pretty obvious. If you prefer running in the morning, you really have to be an early riser. Beaches don’t have shades. The sun might get heavy on you, especially in summers. Evening runs should be cool though I never tried that.

    

    The hide and seek game of sun behind the clouds

11. This one is for guys. Depending on where the beach is located, you might get to see some babes coming for morning fun on the beach and that can be a motivation for some of the guys. That being said, if you are single you might feel jealous seeing a few couples having their own moments on the beach. Someone also posted about bikini clad babes will be a real energy booster for running. Well, take that as a myth. That is not gonna happen in most of Indian beaches, at least.
     

To summarize, beach running is tough, challenging, fun, healthy, non - monotonous and free. I like it for these reasons and hope you’ll enjoy it too. "Keep running, if you are running. Start running, if you are not."

A Couple enjoying sunrise on the beach

An account of an incredible journey - Trek to Kodaikanal

I have been trekking with CTC (Chennai Trekking Club) for some time. As soon as I got an email regarding this Kodaikanal trek, I registered for it. I asked Shishir and Pranshu to register for the same. Rajesh got ready at the last moment but got stuck with some work. So we three, along with other CTCians, departed from Chennai on 17^th Feb 2012, Friday evening. The agenda was to reach Kumbakarai (nearly 70km from Dindigul) early in the morning on Saturday. Then to start trekking from Kumbakarai and hit Vellagavi by the evening. There we would play volleyball, cook food and sleep tight. Next morning we were supposed to start for Dolphin's Nose and from there to Kodaikanal.

The trail which we were going to follow was a historical one. This was used earlier to reach Kodaikanal before the tar roads came into existence. It is a pretty straightforward trail and used mostly by people of Vellagavi village (a small village in the valley) to commute to Kodaikanal.

Our incredible journey started from Kumbakarai at about 9am, Saturday. Kumbakarai is a famous tourist spot with a small waterfall. There’s a forest dept. check post too, where one has to pay a nominal fees for entry. Here we first had idli and vada as our breakfast which we got it packed from Dindigul. Quickly we distributed common gears amongst us like cooking pots, rice, vegetables etc. to carry along. We then crossed the stream and started advancing. A little further we could see the trail breaking into two paths. Those along with us, who had already come here earlier, asked us to take the ‘other path’ than the actual trail. Moving a little further on the ‘other path’, we could see the stream making a natural slide and a small pool at the end of it. Who could resist that (except for Shishir, whom Pranshu and I had to force to come)? We threw our bags immediately and started sliding along the natural slide and landed into the pool ahead. Later Shishir thanked for dragging him along with us. That was an amazing experience. Nobody wanted to stop. But reluctantly, we had to proceed further.

After this refreshing slide and dip in the pool, we started for the tough hike ahead to Vellagavi. We traced back our way to the junction and started moving on the actual trail. The sun was harsh and the climb from here was pretty steep. The trees with their shadows protected us a lot. There were tamarind trees along the way and of course I did not miss the opportunity to grab a few. The hike tested us as we kept on moving. All sweaty and breathing faster. But the weather got better as we moved up. So did the view. Beautiful mountains and amazing viewpoints in between kept us encouraged to move.

Around 1 pm we stopped for lunch. We ate the packed Veg-biryani and raita and rested for some time. We then kept hiking and reached Vellagavi around 5 pm. This was our staying point for the night. Vellagavi is a small tranquil hamlet located in the valley. The villagers are very cordial. They helped in food arrangements and our stay in a school village. You’ll be astonished to see that almost every home here has a TV and a satellite connection. Water runs from taps almost for the entire day. Almost everyone has a dog in their home and that too of various breeds including foreign. Also they have a strange culture of not wearing footwear inside the village and we avoided wearing them too. Later I found out that they consider their village sacred and so they don’t wear footwear. But the thing that surprised me the most was the existence of a volleyball court in the village. There’s valley along all sides of the court. But the shrubs along the slope stop the ball from going down. The Vellagavians are very good volleyball players. You’ll be surprised to see small kids playing amazing volleyball.

As we freshened ourselves with cold water, the first thing we did was to rush towards the volley court. We had match with the Vellagavians and of course we lost 3 straight sets. But the experience of playing volleyball amidst the beautiful valley and magnificent views all around in chill wind was awesome. I wished I could just play there endlessly. It started getting cold with time. With the help of villagers, we cooked food and ate till our tummies were full. I didn’t have a sleeping bag at that time, so I kept shivering through later half of the night.

Next morning was the photoshoot time. People with cameras woke up early in the morning and went to volleyball court to capture the beautiful sunrise through the valleys. It was like sun bestowing its mystical power throughout the valley. The scene was captivating. After this we came back for breakfast and again reached volley court to have our last session of volleyball. Again, I did not want it to end ever.

People from the village had spread their coffee beans in front of their house to dry them. Few of us bought those coffee beans. We then proceeded from there towards Dolphin's Nose. The hike from here is pretty steep and it takes around 3 hours of hardcore trekking to reach Dolphin's nose. We met some villagers on the way who were coming downhill and probably were Vellagavians. The views along this trail are breathtaking. I felt like being blessed to have seen these beautiful valleys. Irrespective of how much tired you are, you’ll find peace and calmness in this serene valley. So alluring, so beautiful, so pure. They say nature heals you. I practically felt it here. Just sit for 2 minutes and enjoy the view and you’ll be charged up again. With the altitude, the vegetation changed and so did the weather.

We could see many people descending down the hill, trekking in the reverse direction. We kept on moving till we reached Dolphin's nose. Dolphin's nose is another view point with a cliff in the shape of Dolphin’s nose. This is a famous tourist spot. Most people who come to Kodaikanal also come here. We had a photo session here and waited for the rest of the group to come. After which we proceeded for Vattakanal. From Vattakanal, there is a tar road that leads to Kodaikanal. We went on our foot and found Pambar waterfalls on our way. Few of us took bath in the chilled water. From there we proceeded towards the main road where our bus was parked. Bus took us to Kodaikanal.

After reaching Kodaikanal, we had our lunch and spent some good time around the ravishing lake in the heart of the city. In the evening, we started for Chennai with lots of pleasant memories to cherish. Like after every other trek I had done, I was just thinking. There’s fun in sweating, there’s fun in exploring, there’s fun in being with nature and there’s fun in sleeping under the stars.

Go out and see places!!!

Mystic Nagalapuram

How exciting it feels to cross a mountain range, right from one end to the other (though a small range)! So it happened, 14 audacious and adventurous souls from Chennai set for a 2 days mission to cross the Nagalapuram range from West to East. The trek, organized on behalf of Chennai Trekking Club (CTC) was meant to be the most exciting and heart thrilling adventure. Nagalapuram is in Chitoor District of Andhra Pradesh and is about 85 km from Chennai, which takes a drive of about 2 hours. Part of Eastern Ghats, these Nagala hills stand tall and depict the scenic beauty at its best. The base of these hills is at about 120m above MSL and the highest peak (southern peak) is at about 900m above MSL. Trekking in Nagala hills involves a mix of adventure activities like hiking, rock climbing, swimming and crossing streams. The forest is noticeably dense and for majority part of the trek there are no proper trails to follow, which pose challenges for trekkers. For these and several other reasons it is called ‘Home of CTC’. For trekking in Nagalapuram, the person should have a good fitness level and should know swimming. If the person doesn’t know swimming, then he/she must carry a water tube/life jacket with him/her.

Day 1

We set off from Chennai at about 4 am, gathering people on the way, and hitting the base of the hills at about 7 am. The sky was cloudy and it was drizzling a bit too. The pouring scared our wit a bit, which we knew would make our trip more difficult. But then the whole trek was meant to be “adventurous”, so why fear the rains!! On reaching there, we quickly distributed common gears and food items among ourselves and started an incredible journey.

We started moving briskly and soon after walking 2 kms through bushes and following a trail, we entered a thick dense forest. And it was as wild a forest you can imagine! The tweaky sounds and the rushing river. I wondered why animals were not there. Amongst this thick forest, the stream showed its way, which we had to cross as our first mission. A thought came of crossing it bare feet, but then banged my head with the thought, “We are amidst flowing water, and wet shoes and clothes are a must!!” Crossing the stream became more of walking on the stream surface, as it was not deep. And here we met the slimy, slippery rocks, which arose due to the heavy pour before our trek. These were really scarecrows as it became dangerous to step up on them. Even the branches of trees kept on breaking if we tried to hold them because the excessive rain had weakened them. This was all the game that “beautiful” rains had played. The only rescue through this unsteady path was the person crossing before the next when, who became each one’s savior!!

The whole funda was to try to avoid these slippery rocks as much as you can by going through the dense forest. Amidst these mind-boggling step stones, there were scenic pools and waterfalls. And this enthralling journey made us land on the 5th pool. Now this called for a funtime!! The pictorial imagination of water flowing from height, and then making its way through rocks, cutting the edges, all happening right in front of my eyes!!  The only thing we did is, plunging ourselves into the water! Had a splendid 45 minutes water play there and refreshed for the journey ahead. Unfortunately, here, the only girl in our team was injured; and with this crashed down our plan of hitting the peak. So we left the western stream and travelled a smaller peak to catch up the eastern stream. There we followed the stream for about half an hour and noticed a steep descent in the stream forward. So in order to avoid that, we followed a faint trail. After sometime we realized that we were moving away from the stream and it was left far away. But then, the sparkling waterfall could be heard, which excited our minds to walk down the steep hills crossing all the bushes and trees on the way. This task was challenging in its own way, but our strong souls managed to get back to the stream and celebrated the moment. Dawn had started falling in its full fury and one of our members was injured. So, instead of reaching the picnic pool, our supposed campsite; we decided to pitch our tents(tamboos) somewhere before that. At the banks of the stream, the very pictorial timber-leaf huts became visible, and that became our campsite. Now was the time to kill the hunger!! Some experienced trekkers could ignite the moist leaves with camphor and cook Maggi!!  We slept peacefully for the night, after filling our tummies with it.
Day 2

Next morning we woke up at about 6am, got fresh and tightened up the belts for journey ahead. After making some difficult maneuvers through rocks and stream and boulders and slippery rocks and what not, we reached the picnic pool. It was a beautiful, spacious place to accommodate large gangs, cooking or laying. We had a nice time splashing water, and moving around calmly. The next destination was Dead end pool. In my journey towards it, I encountered a very difficult situation. On one side, lay the deep stream and on other side lay the rock. There was no way out than to climb the rock.

There was a very small protuberance from the rock where one could keep his foot. I partially transferred my weight there twice just to check if I am slipping or not and both times I slipped. Failing twice, I thought of transferring my complete weight this time. Before that, trying to be funny, I said to my friend Shishir, "Tell my parents that I love them a lot" and then tried again to climb over it and I made through it. Later on Shishir told me that he controlled his laughter that time because it was actually a pretty difficult situation.

Anyways, we kept on moving and we could reach the dead end pool, hunger was at its peak. It was about 4 in the afternoon. We cooked some popcorn and ate whatever was left with us. We proceeded further, where we encountered dead end pool. And as the name says, Dead end pool had no other way to cross it then to swim over it. We swam across the dead end pool and kept moving ahead.

Till this time dawn had fallen completely and it then became a night trek. It was quite different from the morning and afternoon session as we were walking in the dark with LED torches in our hands and we regularly stopped in between to insure no one is missing. For the very first time, we were all going together and it felt safer than morning trek. All gratitude to some experienced people in the group, who guided us through the right way. Finally, came an exit from the T.P. Kota dam at about 9 pm and then moved towards the village where our van was parked.
It was the pretty different experience for me. Walking through the way with no trail, climbing dangerous, stumbling rocks with stream on the other side, zipping through steep hills cutting bushes, jumping over the slippery rocks, crossing the stream giving out the helping hands, swimming across the stream, diving in gorgeous pools, sleeping by the side of the stream and relaxing in the arms of nature. The place was beautiful and so was my experience with it. Jumping, hopping over the slippery rocks we fell many-a-times. During one such time my friend fell and needed a helping hand. Stretching my arms I said, "Dude!!! Don't worry. If you ain't falling, you ain't doing it right."

Go out and see places!!!