Great Hyderabad Adventure Club

Well Done 'EBC Trek' Brave Hearts

2010-05-27T20:12:00.001+05:30

An Extreme Love for Adventure and a passion to face challenges is what
made 11 adventurers from The Great Hyderabad Adventure Club (GHAC) to
undertake the Seductive and Unforgiving Trek to the Everest Base Camp
and to summit the Kalapathar Peak from 09 to 21 May 2010.

The Adventurers who undertook the challenge are

Ali Razvi ( Organiser)
Padmaja Pullabhatla (Asst Organiser)
Kanchuki
Swetha Balla
Sachin Ratan
Ramesh
Abhishek Banerjee
Satish K Cheekala
Aditya Marella
Javed Razack
Sudhir Rao

The team went deep into the mountains trekking through the Solukumbu
valley and homelands of the Sherpa people, among their villages and
monasteries, Learning about the cultural and religious traditions of
the Himalayan range with magnificent views of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse
and Ama Dablam peaks. The route to Everest Base Camp is very scenic
with varied fauna and flora. The trek route is via the small Nepali
townships of Lukla, Phakding, Namche Bazaar, the ancient monastery at
Tengboche, Pangboche, the Dingboche glacier, Lobuche and Gorakshep and
finally to the Everest Base Camp at 17500 feet above sea level.

Everest Base Camp Trek which is one of the top 10 things to be done in
ones life, is also a tough and grueling trek, with numerous challenges
along the way, including the mountainous trail, the altitude, the
bitter cold, and altitude sickness due to reduced oxygen, but the team
remained determined to complete their goal. I would like to say a huge
well done to all GHAC trekkers "YOU MADE US PROUD" for supporting each
other and completing this incredible challenge together as a Team.

I hope this journey has brought out the best in every GHACian that
undertook this Incredible and unforgettable Journey. I am sure after
undertaking this journey each of them is more determined, confident of
their abilities and courageous enough to face any difficulties in
life. I salute these Brave hearts for taking up this unforgettable
Challenge to the Everest Base Camp and Kalapathar Peak.

Many dream of making such risky and challenging journey but it is only
few who make the attempt in reality. The Next Trip is scheduled in
October 2010 and May 2011. Are you going to be Next Brave Heart?

A session with the EBC team will be shortly announced once they are
out of the Jet Lag and come back to insanity of urban city life, after
living 2 weeks in the serene Himalayas.

Regards

Diyanat Ali
Chief Organiser
GHAC
http://meetup.ghac.in

Summer Night Camping

2010-04-28T21:36:00.004+05:30

This write-up, on Summer Night Camping , is written by Bharat Reddy. Thank you for the write up on the experience, Bharat! Very well written.

This write-up is originally posted here:

http://bharathreddyt.in/2010/04/26/my-first-night-camping-trip/

I just came back from what was my first ever night camping trip. I’m perhaps completely exhausted right now with the amount of physical activity I’ve been through on an April Summer day. But I want to write about it before the excitement sinks in and I fall trap to the regularities of a frustrating IT life.

I joined the Great Hyderabad Adventure Club (aka GHAC) a few weeks ago and went on the Moulali Trek (see my blog post here). That experience was so very exciting that I feel like going on every one of the adventures/trips/treks GHAC organizes.

I signed up on this Night Camping and Adventure trip (RSVPd as folks at meetup call it!) and along came Vijay, Karteek, Pranshu and Puja. Shradda who co-organized the trip called us to meet at the pick-up point, Yatri Nivas near Paradise, Secunderabad. We were to meet a few more GHACians there and were to car-pool and head to the adventure destination.

All that was in store!

That’s where we met LakshmiPathi. We five hopped on to his Bolero to meet a few more GHACians in Nanal nagar which was the other pick-up point. Soon as we introduced ourselves to LakshmiPathi, he asked us to call him Pathy instead. So did we! And more interestingly we came to know, Pathi is a Scientist working with Dow Chemicals. Me being a techie, rarely do I get a chance to meet people with careers completely different from mine. Luckily for me, I meet these amazing people from both GHAC and Toastmasters.

As we reached Morine Bakers just by the Nanal Nagar junction, we saw so many more GHACians all decked up for the trip. While I expected some hi-hellos there, Sharadda was rather busy ticking out the attendees and noting which car would each of us travel in.

Bonfire, cave, wild flowers, beer bottle chimes, tents and more

So where were we headed? We were to reach a place called ‘Trails’ by the Anantagiri hills near Vikarabad, some 55Km from Nanal Nagar. Did we know the route? Nay, none in our car did! But fortunately for us, Shradda gave us the GHAC stickers to be stuck to the rears of our seven odd cars. So, we could follow any of those other cars. This was fun, trying to follow. We only had people following us lost-souls, but not one car for us to follow!

We were to stop by at this Tawakkal Family Dhaba for dinner. Less did we know that many had other plans and stopped by at a different place. While we figured out what to do, Srini joined us and more GHACians came soon. Tawakkal Dhaba had this lush lawn (of course sans the grass!) where they clubbed tables for eleven. While we ordered food and waited, we had quite some time for intros, well actually three rounds of them!

First round was sort of an ice-breaker where every one would intro their names and what they did for a living. We thought the food would come by then. It didn’t. So we thought we’d know more. To somehow match the context, each of us shared about places we’d traveled to. That was done. The food did not come yet. So there was another round of talk, and here, each of us would share some thing of their personal lives. Most talked about their life partners, would-be s. One interesting part of that chat was Puja, who assumed the head-of-the-family position at the table and the only girl in the current gang. Obviously, she was asked to talk first, each time!

Finally the food came. Let me tell you, the food was good. Even the cats at Tawakkal Dhaba knew it, for, Puja shared almost half of her rotis with cats and kittens that came greeting us visitors.

By the time we finished dinner, we came to know one IT consultant, a chemical Scientist, four TCSers of which I was one, three IBMers of which one was a Bengali another was a mallu born and bought up in north India and who thinks IT guys don’t really have a personal life, one entrepreneur who owns a Castro Bike Zone franchise, one Oracleian who hopped eight companies in his twelve year IT career, been to the Everest base-camp twice and traveled the length and breadth of India, one Satyam Ventures automobile designer, and what not.

After what I call one-hell-of-a-dinner, we were headed towards Trails. On the way there, we checked out a three meter long viper, dead, apparently killed by a few people. While we thought we’d be one of the first that would reach the venue, as irony would have it, we were the last but one!

We were shown the place where we’d erect our tents and camp for the night. It was a matter of minutes and the tents were there. A small one, an Igloo style tent, a looking-like-a-cave tent etc.

Shradda arranged for an intro for us thirty two member camping enthusiasts. And as would it obviously be, at least 25 were IT guys. Not again!

When we were trying to figure out what to do, a bonfire was lit and we joined for some talking. Okay, I cant miss telling you that we had one Mr. Neeraj, the Guitarist. Neeraj started by saying he is not much of a guitarist and not a good singer. And as a matter of fact, for some reason, not many of us knew most the songs he sang. So every time he said he was missing a line or not playing the guitar well, we all repeated in chorus ‘we wouldn’t know, so keep playing’. But to end this ordeal, Neeraj played John Denver – Leaving on a Jet Plane, and proved that he is not at all a bad singer, and that he could actually play the guitar!

An antyakshari of sorts ensued soon later as the bonfire cooled down. It was bed time. It was more than bedtime but we went on a small little trek on which Puja told us ghost stories (ha, she does that, you know!). The story inspired us to click this.

We reached the tents at around midnight and contrary to the usual expectation, most of us slept outside the tents, thanks to the summer heat! Puja thought it was unfair to tell the Ghost story to the select few on the trek. So she repeated it again to all that were already struggling to catch some sleep. Good night was that?

After a few hours of sleep-of-sorts, Jitendra who was co-organizing the trip, woke us up at a ghostly 0530hrs and said “lets get going guys”. We stood in queues at the one and only toilet and freshened up soon as we could, went out to a morning trek into the wild. I had been through such walks before as a kid but this one felt different. Well, it seemed to me as though a bunch of us got lost, and I thought it was fun to be lost in a jungle. But as fate would have it, we eventually were back at the camp. It seems the other groups (who were apparently not lost) spotted rabbit, deer, peacock and wild boar. We could only spot the most peculiar species on planet earth, the humans, us! My camera spotted a little more.

beautiful sunrise, (clock wise) ant hills, wild plants, burnt grass and don't-know-who's shit!

We came back and talked and talked as waited for breakfast. Waiting for food has never been so much fun! There was a host of other activities lined up for the rest of the day. So, we were split into two groups headed by Shradda and Jitendra each. I thought that it would be easy on me if I put the camera and phone in Vijay’s bag and be care free. But what I miss now is the snaps for what I’d talk here on!

Okay, so people, it was rock-climbing time! This was much like the simulated rock climbing we see in Prasads cineplex. What I realized however was that it takes quite some energy and stamina. Thanks to a sleep-deprived night, a jungle walk and puri for breakfast, my batteries were at the lowest to start with. I could manage rock climbing, of course clinging on to a harness, a helmet and someone holding you tight up with the ropes. But I could not manage Zoomering, which is climbing up ropes using a device called zoomer. It requires quite a bit of your arm-strength.

After that, we did Earthquake. Well not actually quaking the earth, but crossing a host of wooden swings, while still wearing a harness! These activities were more than just exciting oneself with the adventure, physical and psychological challenge. It was loads and heaps of fun with the group who tease, appreciate, make fun of and encourage each other. I came to know more of each of them in my little group, we almost became friends! I’m sure if we meet again somewhere in the real world, it’d bring us back these wonderful memories.

Shortly after that, we valley crossed clinging again to a harness on ropes and pulleys. While that was not too exciting, it was sure fun to watch everyones’ expressions!

The feeling was exhaustion and what would come tomorrow would be body pains. Shradda said these would be ’sweet pains ‘.

After so much activity, which we would usually not do in our lazy lives, we were mighty hungry. We washed fast (and some even asked ‘haath dhona zaroori hai kya?’) and jumped to eat some yummy lunch. The food was good, especially the jalebi.

It was time for a group photo and then a game in the shade. My photo doesn’t capture all of them, but believe me, there were thirty two of us! Soon after, we reluctantly joined for a group game. The game was something like this – I choose a partner, and my partner responds to questions I’m asked, and that too quick. If he/she could not, he becomes the questioner. That kept us all completely alert!

Then Shradda and Jitendra did some accounting, and we tried our hand at Archery.

L to R - Me, Pranshu, Puja, Karteek, Pathi, Vijay

It was parting time and we did the bye byes quick!

The resort ‘Trails’ was a litter free and well maintained place, not too many arrangements and not any less. The staff were friendly and ready to help. Good food and great ambiance.

All in all this was one hell of a camping trip, thanks to the diligent organizing by Shradda, Jitendra and all those who assisted them. And thanks to all the thirty two who attended, and made it memorable.

I would look forward to more such trips. The spirit that you see amongst GHACians is unparalleled.

Guess I wrote too long a post. I’d so much to say, what do? The trip was worth it!

Please share your views in the comments section. I would like to know how you’d appraise my writing skill as well.

PS: On any of these trips GHACians follow one basic rule – No booze, No litter!

Wonderful fellows eh!

Dandeli Adventure Weekend.

2010-04-28T20:47:00.003+05:30

This write-up, on Dandeli Adventure Weeked , is given by Prasad Kothe. Thank you for the write up on the dandeli experience, Prasad!

This write up was originally posted here:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/prasad-kothe/dandeli-adventure-weekend-17-18-april-2010/111932988842559

"Big jump with water around going thru a cave.”

We reached hubli sometime in the morning @ 7.30 AM and travelled to Dandeli via a bus and reached the outskirts of the
sanctuary from where the jeeps of the resort took us into the wildlife. It reminded me of Jurassic park and I am very happy that the dinosaurs are extinct. We had some poha(good start when u r hungry) and left for pitching the tents and had lunch after our introduction and this helped as I now know at least 4 of 30 people by name. It was now afternoon and we had the excitement of water rafting blown away as there was rain the earlier day due to which the dams gates cannot be opened as it could drown the village. You see government thinks about the people, . Since village was more important than our rafting, we moved to plan B of doing the Big Jump while Rappelling for the remaining part of the day and hoped we could do rafting the next day. Suddenly, for some strange reason the gates were opened by the authorities and everyone jumped out of joy except those who still could not have their rappelling fun for now. “The water cannot wait but the rocks can” so we moved to the shore of river kali and had fun like kids where we welcomed everyone into water with splashes of water. I did not know swimming and so I made sure I had someone who knew it beside me and that was good. Finally the boats(air filled water floating material called rafting boats) came and we had now divided into 4 teams( 8 , 8, 8, 5) and had started getting into river by round 6pm which was the time when the rafting would normally end as it gets dark. since GHAC is the greatest we were given a chance and we enjoyed the fun. This was a good team of people who did not see each other until 20 hrs back but still able to go in the dark on the river. The water trek was an 8 km of drive with water around and the possibility of being alive if we fall into water was feeble as there are no lights and the sun did not care to wait for us. But after 2.5 hrs of rafting in the wonderful weather and peaceful wildlife sanctuary under the moon(nelavanka) we reached some place where the jeep had its lights on indicating we still are on earth. I believe this is an example of team work where everyone collaborated perfectly even
with a stranger. Finally we called it a day of outing and had dinner at the resort and in the campfire some had exhibited /demonstrated skills of singing (good for singers like me, others cannot escape and I can have my full course vocal meal ).The music by Kranti on his guitar was very nice while others sang nice songs in melody that people fell asleep(also could be due to getting exhausted). Next day we got up at 5.00 and left for the cavala caves by 5.30 and reached a spot from where we had walked for about 4 kms to reach a curvy stairs of 500 steps which ended at the entrance of the cavala caves. The guide had taken everyone in a set of 10 people thru the cave where we had seen the lord Shiva formed by water drops from the cave. Nature can design wonderfully even in dark caves, and we just still can’t agree that nature is better than us. We did enjoy the dark caves and as per the guide there is a route from the cave to haridwar(I don’t know if I can try it). We started back but this time the jeeps were there at the end of the 500 steps and boy that was good as I had some issues with my knee and this was a relief (at least for me) which took us back to the resort. Enroute we stopped at a kirana store and had some soft drinks and played volleyball before getting on the jeep and going back to the resort. On the way back we feared poha so much for breakfast that we branded Poha(poha , poha juice, poha pickle, poha shirts, poha media company and others).But thank god, it was upma , ha ha ha. Now, I wanted to sleep for a while as others were going for either rapelling(due from y’day) and for swimming(I did not know swimming). We finally started back to the Hubli Bus stand by taxi/jeep and took bus to Hyderabad and reached home in time to leave to office for monitor check(after all we keep seeing monitors so much that everyone of us can become an expert in monitor quality check).
Thanks to Sishir, Prashant Pai and everyone for the pains in organizing this, and being a sport. I had fun time.
I am waiting for my next fun time, are you?

Kids and juniors summer outdoor adventure

2010-04-04T02:50:00.006+05:30

This write-up, on Kids adventure , is given by Vibha Naik. Thank you for the article, Vibha. So, GHAC adventurer and organizer Vibha, on the first ever GHAC kids adventure...........

Most kids got up and reached the pickup points on time - they were surely very excited about this trek. Processed with rituals like disclaimers and some queries that some parents had, we were off on the bus. Keku took care of the kids in the bus, got them mingled up, played games and put them in the picnic mode.
On reaching there, everyone was very excited to see all the adventure activities that was awaiting. Some jumped onto the swings, some perched on the natural log benches, some watched the quacking birds.

They served us a welcome drink - neembu pudinah and that cleared our throats for a round of introduction. All from different schools and different grades (some in the school of life) were excited to know about each other. Some kids discovered that they belonged to the same school, same class but did not know each other (as they were in different divisions) and some discovered that they stayed in the same apartment complex, same floor but unaware that they all were coming. Pleasant surprises! Then came the breakfast - idli chutney sambhar and we stuffed in some calories before the exhaustive day began.

A brief warming exercise conducted by Keku and Ranjanji helped stretch the body and muscles, preparing for the upcoming feat. The groups divided into 2 groups - one for valley crossing and the other for vertical surface climbing. After dressing up with the safety gear and guided by commandos, the activities commenced. The bold kids were the first to jump and others slowly made up their minds as they saw others perform. The kids were having a fab time - some wanted to repeat them as well.

Then came up enthusiastic parents giving a try and to their surprise, they did much better than what they expected themselves to perform. Water with glucose, vitamins and electrolytes (read Tang) was made available in ample quantities to avoid dehydration.

Then we took a short break for snacks and then started with rope walking and the burma bridge. Burma bridge was really hard and it was surprising to see many young kids perform the feat of course with all the safety gadgets. Some parents followed too.

And we were hungry to the core again. The lunch tasted so good - was it the preparation or just the fact that we were terribly hungry? And some parents were tired and sleepy, so caught up on the commando nets to swing and feel the cool breeze for a short nap. But kids, they wanted more.....And we began activities in the shade. First 'Housie' was conducted by Jaee and gathered so much excitement in kids and all. Then Ranjanji has an interesting game for kids convincing the importance of concentration in all the activities that we do. Venky then impromptuously conducted a concentration game which everybody so enjoyed. Then Keku began an innovative game for kids which helped them develop speaking skills and promptness. And yet the game was so much fun.

Then we were ready for some outdoor activities again - Adults tried their hand on archery while the kids were sent for river crossing. And then came the hot samosa and tea. As the sun started setting, we were ready for the guided jungle trek. Kids found this really interesting as we walked through the thorny bushes, posed for pics, spotted some wild boars at a distance and made some eerie sounds. We were back after the sunset on the ramp that gave us a beautiful view of the forest that we trekked.

Yes., All were tired and after a brief vote of thanks, we climbed up the bus on our journey back. Most kids as well as adults slept on the way back, but some super active kids were still enjoying the fun. Back in Hyderabad, all dispersed as they shared their contact numbers and hoping to keep in touch as they shared a memorable day out together.

Dandeli Adventure Trek.

2010-03-18T01:14:00.005+05:30

How many times do you get to have fun with a group of people you have just met? Answer: Not always. But dandeli, sure, was one such expedition that had a fun loving group and the ‘dolly gang’ was the result of the friendship and fun.

The travel began from M.G.B.S and after a good 12 hr ride we were in Dharwad. From dharwad, it was a 2 hr journey to dandeli. The game of ‘dumb charades’ dominated this segment of journey i.e from dharwad to dandeli. Everyone was involved and I’m sure everyone was happy being part of it. Stanley farm was our place to stay. We pitched in our tents for our stay. The first day involved river crossing and river rafting.

The river rafting was the highlight of the entire travel. The clear waters of kali river was simply watchable! Personally, swimming in that water was the best part. I was LOST, if you know what I mean. The river gave 1 good rapid and the rest were of the moderate nature. The rafting instructors were good and friendly. The campfire was prepared for the evening and people gathered around for an introduction and it was dinner time.

The second day was scheduled for rappelling. We left early morning to the rappelling point, which was an hour’s drive from the farm. Since, the weather was sunny, it was decided to finish off the activity as soon as possible. The rappelling was good. Few were good at it and few tried their best and completed it. I’m sure they loved it more than the guy who did it perfectly!

The afternoon plan involved exploring syntheri rocks. The place was beautiful and with the water around it added to the pleasantness. Few people chose to stay while the rest decided to go ahead and explore and ti was worth it! I wish we had more time so that more time could be spent there. :-(

The third and final day involved Kavala caves. We had to climb down 500 odd steps to get to the caves and view the place offered was a mind pleasing one.

A fantastic 3 day travel which, personally, climbs the chart of best treks I’ve had so far. Wait, did I tell you we played holi on the last day and then jumped into the river for a good cooling time!

Photo Album: http://meetup.ghac.in/photos/all_photos/?photoAlbumId=843209

Introducing Rappelling in Hyderabad

2010-03-10T02:03:00.002+05:30

About 35 People showed up at the Maulali Rock Climbing Trek. We climbed the usual 450 steps and after a good warmup went down and up the steep hills few times till the legs burned with the pain which was followed by stretching to remove the lactic acid build. Then we went around the dome rock trying to find some good surface to do bouldering and Deepam was busy setting up the rope for rappelling across a 30 feet vertical drop.

Deepam was the first to do rappelling and few other brave hearts tried their luck and inspired the remaining to try rappelling. About 20 members did rappelling and come out confident.

Rappelling or abseiling brings a powerful sense of accomplishment and is a vital resource in bringing about the realization that not every perceived risk is insurmountable. It was my turn to do rappelling and being the organiser people look up to you and you have to lead by example. There is no excuse or escape

I had done rappelling few times before at the Dandeli Trek with the full equipment and a safety rope in the instructor's hand. but Rappelling at Maulali looked rather daunting to stand on the edge of a cliff and looking down and knowing that we will soon be going down with only a rope for safety. But the technique was rather easy to learn and the real difficulty was only in convincing the mind. It felt natural after the first couple of steps and then the feeling of suspension over the expanse below was thrilling.

I stopped at the edge locking the rope with the right hand grip and leaning back against the wall and posed for some photos and yes I felt powerful to stand against the gravity and walk on a vertical wall.

Immediately after the descent followed a tremendous sense of achievement and a boosted confidence. It brought the realization that not every seemingly difficult objective is actually so. This was the first ever time that we did rappelling at Maulali with just a Rope and Hand gloves using the classic rappelling technique as taught by Deepam who has done such feats earlier in the shayadri range.

Classic Rapelling Technique

Most of the first timers tried rappelling and came out more confident then before - read the comments at http://meetup.ghac.in/calendar/12663666/

GHAC now plans to purchase full Rock Climbing and Rapelling Equipment along with Safety Gear to enable more members to try this exciting sport within the Hyderabad city.

GHAC thanks all the following members who donated cash towards purchase of Equipment at Maulali Trek on 07 March 2010. All the money GHAC receives from members will be accounted for and utilized for purchase of Equipment for the benefit of members only.

If you want to donate towards purchase of equipment or sponsor some equipment please get in touch with the organizers.

Regards

Diyanat

www.ghac.in

Night Camp - Vikarabad

2010-02-25T23:06:00.002+05:30

Twenty One people, headed to ananthgiri hills for a night camp. What followed was a good time and a good time which was dominated by singers!

Ananthgiri hills is around 80 kms from hyderabad and offers a good place for camping. We found one such place for setting up our camp. From here, a good view of vikarabad could be had. The twilight brought out some good views of the place but we were late, as usual and we had to get to work!

6 cars with 21 people reached the place around 6 in the evening. People got out of the car and got down to work, realizing that the fading sun would offer light only for sometime. So, the girls took care of the cooking department while the guys took care of setting up the tents and collecting firewoods. Few knew how to set a tent and i was not one of them, sad. but the better part? i learnt something about it! There was no light, how could we continue our work? The cars came to the rescue.

What's cooking?
The girls were quick in getting everything ready, that was required for their cooking. Few got down to cut/peel the vegetables while others were sorting ingredients out. Few guys volunteered to hold the torch and throw light! With all the hard work, finally there was rice, dal and a curry, waiting to be served.
One person was busy piercing chicken into the sticks. The chicken-pierced-sticks were handed out to guys and were asked to roast it over the fire, which was created.

After the meal was prepared, a quick round of introduction was done around the campfire. Then, it was time to eat. There was light shower, accompanied by a gushing wind, when we commenced our food. Few of us had to rush to save the tents, which were not grounded. The water drops were for a little time. Post dinner, it was singing all the way. 3 teams were formed and a good number of songs played. Well into the night, the singing carried on and at some point it was decided that the group will go out for a night walk. A good walk and the singing began....again! We found a place downhill which offered a beautiful view of the lit city far away with the starry sky. The moon with its beautiful crescent was a watch. We sat down and people sang few good numbers. One of them suggested complete silence and enjoy the view. I liked this part. A sense, which is hard to describe, set in. Imagine in a surrounding - A cool breeze hitting your face, on a place which had a picturesque view, under the star-filled-sky. So, that was it! It was time and we decided to return. The singing went on! and when we reached back it was time to play cards. A good time with cards. I learnt something, for i knew nothing about playing cards.

What's with the toothpaste?
The maha-idea of one/two of the members, to apply toothpaste on the face of sleeping humans. I'm sure they had a lot of fun doing so and in the process being 'called' by a person on whose face they tried to apply. The best part was the explanation of what 'actually' people thought that paste was [LOL as i think of it!]

The next day, we had a short walk to catch the first rays of sunlight but unfortunately we couldn't see as the clouds has blocked the view. So, had to return, slightly disappointed. We reached our base, packed stuff and left the place with a pretty long ride back home, with of course, fun memories placed in the brain!

Thank you Ranjitha, for all the cooking and Anitha, Shraddha for supporting the cooking department. Thank you monty, srikanth, prasanna and nataraj for holding the torchlight for sooo long and assisting the chefs!
Thank you, shwetha, for the wonderful chicken [i think the left over marination paste was applied on someone's face! oh no. he thought so!!!]
Thank you everyone for the humor and fun.

Save Our Tigers.

2010-02-15T14:24:00.001+05:30

According to the recent survey of India it is noted that the population of tigers in India have reduced to 1,411 from 40,000 (last century). Tigers are facing major population loss and extinction and are killed for sport, skins & body parts. There are only about 3,500 tigers left around the world out of which 1,411 are from India.

The main cause of the decline of Tigers is poaching for tigers fur, bones and other tiger products and loss of their natural habitat due to changing climate and human activities like logging, farming and encroachment of forests area's.

To know more about how to save the Tiger please visit http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/tiger_wildlife/how_save_tiger/

You can assist in "Save Our Tigers" by speaking up about it to your family, friends, colleagues, posting Online and blogging about it.

You can also donate money to NGOs working for the cause, like WWF-India at http://www.wwfindia.org/help/donate/.

If we fail to act today the future generation may read about Tigers and know about them as extinguished animals.

Take the step now and show your concern - join the ROAR -

http://www.saveourtigers.com/JoinTheRoar.php

Thumburu Valley Trek.

2010-02-10T21:23:00.003+05:30

Deepika Ratan shares her experience on the THUMBURU VALLEY trek. Thank you Deepika for the writing. It's descriptive and as mentioned by you - It's your perception. We appreciate you time and writing.

So, in Deepika's own words.....

To describe the trek in simple words is seriously cumbersome but to start with ……WOW!!!! what a trek!!!! what a group to be with!!!! The 2 days passed just like a beautiful breeze….nature was at its best…..group of strangers became friends….all the differences were shunned…..few falls, many helping hands and lots and lots of masti, mazak and laughter!!!...

The train was scheduled at 6.30pm and we were asked to report by 6.30pm…and everyone was on time. The first person I came across was swapna…a lean figured, highly spirited and flamboyant person!!!by the end of the trek I realized that she is caring too…u were rocking swapnaJ…

Next to come were Mr.ranjan sood!!!frankly speaking my first impression was”will he be able to do it?” but I had to take my words back!!coz of all he was the most charged person on the trek..always leading from the front, inspiring us by his narrations, beautifully posing for our cameras………truly a magnanimous personality…I was completely spellbound by his intellect and charm!!! ranjanji U R THE BEST …!!!

And then the “youngest of all” girl…sruti stepped in…cute,bubbly and yes! adorable too….

by now the train was on its wheels….everyone settled …aur ab baari hai aliji ki…initially I was little bit intimidated by him….coz he is “the organizer”…but let me tell u .. he is the coolest person one could have ever met!!!when he opens his humour ka pitara…laughter riot breaks out…and u cannot help..but find urselves rolling on the floor!!!....a specialist in leg pulling, his humor lingers like smell and whenever you recall …I bet u smile!!:) jokes apart he is a lively and lovely human being…and of course a great Organizer….

by now the train was at its full speed and the roller coaster ride started!!we played dumb charades and our acting skills popped out…Here we met our fantastic 4…shiva,anusha,niranjana and sunder…2 beautiful couples,apni duniya mein mast and a great company to have!!!during the game we met almost all the members…and WE HAD A BLAST!!!!.kittu earned the title “expressive guy”,swapna proved to be an expert in English movies,”dim dim” shiva struggled through “gupt” and sunder beautifully enacted “born free”…(sorry guys I couldn’t remember completely!!!)….and finally it was time to bed!!

Next day morning around 6.30am we got down at tirupati and had nice hot dosas…soon we were joined by other groups from banglore and tirupati… and also our annadata for xt few hrs ….Mr.balu and his team of cooks…. …and then finally we left for tirumala by bus….the hills covered by lush green forest,the Upin roads cutting through them,the fog filling the spaces between the hills, the sun’s rays making its way through it…aah!!!!were breathtakingly beautiful and divine… from tirumala we took a bus to papavinasanam which was our both starting and ending point.we had our breakfast againJthis time idlis….after buying bottles we were given final instructions and then our trek started…..

Once into the jungle some of our’s animal instincts were out!!!few climbed gooseberry trees and few echoed tarzan shoutsJ (srinivas by reddy was perfectly mimicking it….)we halted for introductory session..and there we had the opportunity to know each other…here we met an another inspiring and interesting person..Mr.nagesh…..who is married to trekking and star gazing…his age and enthusiasm easily outruns even an youngster’s vigour!!!.....after a brief intro…we continued our trek…..and on the way we were greeted by red sandlers,varied flora and fauna ,high hills,deep gorges ,water streams,high lying rocks and songs of birds!!!!our first encounter with water made us go crazy!!!walking parallel to the gorge, descending down the hill we finally reached the stream!!!!everyone hurriedly opened their shoes and got into the water…..we had a nice pedicure in the cool waterJ….the sight was spectacular and the feel was incredibly soothing!!!refreshments,chess,photography,playing with water…time literally swung between our childhood and present….aah!!!!b-e-a-utiful!!!but we had to make a move….now that was the toughest part for me…to climb up the rocks…I was panting and perspiring but on the whole a great learning experience…(I seriously need to do more treks..)..all credits to my bro and karthik-the missile guy…for the next few hours he was our(my bro and me) guide….few conversations with him I realized him to be smart,unique and ofcourse a wonderful helping hand!!......finally we made it to the top to descend again…it was almost evening and slowly chalte,chalte we reached our base camp!!!and guess what???the only thing we could have asked for….food was ready and hot served…sambar,rasam,pakodi…..hmm just mouthwatering!!!all thanks to baalugaru and his phenomenal team!!!!

Our rest place..a huge cave called makkamamba cave …one has to see it to believe its grandeur!!! enormously beautiful, profoundly spacious and miraculously elegant!!! we got rid off our backpacks and headed towards a water pool…once into the water…..jaadoo….all the pains and strains were gone!!!!guess the water had a healing touch….though not everyone went into the water,most of them were present enjoying the humour filling the air!!!!it was getting darker…so had to leave the pool and by the time we reached the cave…garma garam chai ki pyali was waiting!!!just imagine…..tired body—cool water bath----hot tea…can anything match this combo….damn it!!!no!!

By the time everyone was fresh ..the campfire was lit…the warmth,the natkhat jokesJ…srikanth’s beautiful melody….aah!!!we had a raw fun!!!next …dinner time…pooris,laddu,bajjis…!!!another brilliant stroke by balugaru and co..!!!

It seems it was an auspicious full moon day and the moon was several thousands of kms closer to earth….looking through the dark trees…peeping and posing the moon was magnificently stunning….ranjanji started with “yeh chaand sa roshan chehra” and soon shammi kappor joined us in our songs!!!a great way to end our hectic day!!!

We had to wakeup by 6.00am coz we had a train to catch at 5.00pm…everyone were on their foot…packing bags,enjoying the sunrise….truly a wonderful morning!!!all our senses were refreshed!!!after tea we were led to the exact thumburu valley spot…..a striking canyon rising approximately 200m high with flowing water and centuries old rocks…believed to be the abode of many rishis….right from its entrance to it dead end every inch of it was mesmerizing…a testimony to god’s patience!!!absolutely brilliant making,unmatched by any of man’s best creations!!!few enjoyed the waterfalls and few in the small pools..there were 1 or 2 temples showcasing our rich traditions… little tussles with kittu,my slip,superstitious stone arrangements and the humour attached to it are all memorable…

soon we reached our base camp…had breakfast with salads,bread,jam,and upma……our trek resumed and bidding goodbye to the cave started our 2^nd day trek….

Second day trek was more musical!!!kishore da,rafi saab..accompanied us…”chalte chalte,hum hain rahi pyaar ke,kadam kadam badhaye ja,chal chal mere haathi”…and other wonderful songs reverberated through the jungle!!!of all I was the lone slowcoach!!!but thanks to the team they waited at every halt and encouraged me….cheers to the group!!!and that’s the spirit of GHAC!!!a special mention must be made of srikanth …he involved me in talks and the walk was easier!!!he was not only a good singer but also probably sincere and a fun loving guy!!!next ranjanji was with me and finally I could make it to the end…a brief halt and we all posed for a group pic…..next we headed towards our last destination…there again we found few temples,pandits ,singing sadhu and lunch!!!and what a desert!!!

Finally we had to start and bid adieu to the fascinating valley !!!15 minutes on and we were at the papavinasanam dam….though our hearts were wishing for more the trek came to an end!!!every good thing must come to an end!!!buses took us from papavinasanam to tirumala and then to tirupati…thankfully we were ahead of our schedule and had refreshments at a nearby hotel..sitting in the train we recalled all the funny moments which again brought smiles on our faces…..night and morning were as usual punctual and by 7.ooa.m on feb1st we were in Hyderabad!!everyone said goodbye of course with heavy hearts and satisfied minds…. hoping to see each other in some other trek!!!sincerely it was an amazing trek!!!thanx to GHAC and its members for making the trek possible !!not an exaggeration but the organization was absolutely flawless….right from booking,food,services,etc…everything was well organized….

a point to be specifically mentioned is that out of the 21 members 17 were first timers and all of them showed their mighty spirits….kudos to each and everyone ….and my hearty regards to all those whom I couldn’t mention.what ever I have presented hear is solely my perception and holds no biases!!!

Once again I thank GHAC for organizing such a wonderful trek…and giving me a chance to share my experiences!!!!

A look back at Gandikota trek.

2010-02-08T00:02:00.004+05:30

Thank you Kranthi for the short write up on gandikota travel.

From the awesome two day trek to gandikota. This trek was a physically challenging and emotionally satisfying one. The location is a mix of Hampi and the Grand Canyon..

The locals tell us that not many people come there for camping. Infact, the first question that any villager asked us was.. "Did you come here for film shooting ?" :)

so in a way diyanat and GHAC have unearthed a great location... we even got interviewed by ABN news :)

Sleepless night in in a train with a philosphical discussion on objectivism.
Hanging behind autos filled with luggage and people.
Glorious Gandikota fort in a gorgeous natural scenery.
Filling drinking water from an age old walk-through well..
Carrying backpacks, rope, tent, fire wood, rice, vegetables, utensils, stove and a tray of eggs...
Deciding to climb down a 30 metre high wall using a knotted rope... only to find out a secret passage through the 10 metre thick wall...
Too many cooks spoil the soup... but one head-cook and lot of helpers can make yummy rice, dal and curry on fire wood... and omlettes on a chotu cylinder..
Group of five singers... classical, bollywood and western... singing all the way...
Sentry duty in the night... the most beautiful night sky ever... lots of shooting stars and wishes to come true.
The wake-up call... "Guys... wakeup and packup" :)
Gorging down on recooked rice, crumbled bread with cheese spread and raw tomatoes for breakfast.
Exploring the gandikota fort... Penna river flowing between 200m high mountain walls.. Grand Canyon of India.
Exhausting rock climbing through thorny bushes... lots of bruises and thorns as souvenirs.
Getting interviewed by ABN news.
Checking out a temple, mosque and a granary built in 13th century.
Back to childhood... sucking ice candies, munching nallis and playing gilli danda
Lunching on scrambled eggs.. 2 packets of maggi for 18 people.. and some fresh coconut.
Bus ride to mylavaram dam sitting on the backseat singing aloud "mere angane me tumhara kya kaam hai".
Splashing in the river water and watching the sunset.
Converting the railway waiting room into a dining hall.

Interesting Information on Gandikota fort.

2010-02-07T23:43:00.006+05:30

The information published on gandikota in this post has been sent by VijayPavan. Thank you very much vijay, for the information you have provided.

I did visit Gandikota several times before while practicing as architect in Hyderabad. Me along with a team of architects explored the place five years ago as part of a project to develop tourism related facilities (includes adventure) under APTDC. The project was pushed by the then CM Dr.YSR. I led the team under the supervision of principal conservation architect of Kshetra Architects, Hyderabad. Our job was to identify and document the components for tourism in the Gandikota fort and village and prepare guidelines for the same. Based on our report only further development took place and is still continuing now (The newly built accommodation facilities out side the fort).

The place has great significance in terms of geology (quartzite stone in sedimentary form & Gorge), archaeology, architecture (Vijayanagara and Quli qutb style), sculpture, irrigation (earthen pipes connecting several water bodies - built 500 years ago), culture, language ...etc.
Taking advantage of the gorge on three sides fort wall was constructed on other sides......it was almost unconquerable. First layer of construction was in 12th century.. exact date was..... Jan 9th, 1123 AD by Architects Gurikandlu and Arikandlu of certain cheif Kakaraja. (This info was authentified by some documents provided by Govt...) Incidentally the resurrection of the place was also started exactly on the same day after 800 years i.e., Jan 9th, 2005 by the visit of two other architects (Me and principal architect of Kshetra)... ...We came to know about this coincidence only later during our research. ;-)
After 12th century many kings and their reigns showed interest towards the place right from Western Chalukyans to Vijayanagara kings (Sri Krishna deva raya) to Hyderabadi muslim rulers (Quli qutbs) to Tippu sultan to British. The reasons for not knowing this could be attributed to the remote location and Gandikota was never a primary capital, it was most of the time a secondary or a tertiary one.

The entire fort wall has a perimeter of five miles (makes it one of the largest forts in India) and the length of the gorge is about 4km and depth upto 700 feet at certain locations. Few villagers have ancestral links to the original occupiers of the fort. The language, dialect and the kind of dresses they wear bear the original footprint of the place. Villagers have a very distinctive style of sports and games (typical to Rayalaseema) which can be witnessed during annual ritual happens after Ugadi every year. The names to the several places within the fort (Veerabhadra banam, Rama banam, Soodigundu) give an idea about linguistics development in the region.

Along with two big temples and masjid, there are many structures unexplored on the site. There are few secret paths to the valley through caves, one of them can be observed near the western edge of the fort. There were many interesting ways in which the people used to catch leopards and other animals moving around. You could even see now, some of those traps built with stones.

Another village Kottalapalle, southwest to Gandikota offers a breathtaking view of the fort and the surroundings. The banks of Penna in the environs of Gandikota were excavated long ago by Britishers and ASI, only to find out that there was human habitation in the region even during Paleolithic ages. My apologies if the info I gave here is like bits and pieces. It has been long since I read and wrote about the place.Each time I visit the place I end up identifying some new edge of the fort with the help of villagers. I feel there is definitely some mystic about the place in terms of the positioning of structures and the silent valley. There is still a lot to unearth about the place. 1960's Telugu movie title "Gandikota Rahasyam" reinforces this belief.... :-))

ASI employees there in the site have few pictures and maps. They and villagers are quite helpful to guide throughout and offer insightful & hilarious (sometimes not authentic) info.

We thought of conducting an exhibition at Hyderabad with the pictures of the place but back tracked later only to prevent misuse of the place till the Govt. facilitates the tourist's requirements there. Any way, I am happy to share this now!

December Photo Sharing Meet

2010-01-10T23:17:00.002+05:30

We do have one meetup with all the rules relaxed. Tts called the photo sharing meetup of the month. Only members who participated in the treks and their guests can attend. A typical photo sharing meetup is where you relive the trek moments, meet fellow participants and exchange photos. Not to forget the Awesome Fun and Food.

on 10 Jan 2010 About 20 (expected 40) GHAC members attended the Photo sharing meet for the treks done in December 2009 which included Medak, Srisailam, Coorg and Kuremukh. what was witnessed was 3 full hours (actually 2 hours - 1 hour went in waiting) of fun time with Food, Drinks and Photos

We also had a competition for best presentation and best photo's and The Results are

Best presentation

First - Vibha Powerpoint & Co - Medak Trek
Runner Up - Sreenath Flash & Co - Kudremukh Trek
Second Runner UP - Diyanat Picasa & Co - Coorg Trek

Best Pictures

First- Mithun/ Ksree - Coorg Trek
Runner Up - Sreenath & Co - Kudremukh Trek
2nd Runner Up - Vibha & Co - Medak Trip

Most Food and Most Drinks
First and Only - Mr J. (hint- looks like Kamala hasan)
No Runner Up

The Prize
Well everyone got a cup full of Ice cream

Car and Bike ride to vikarabad.

2010-01-08T21:15:00.005+05:30

It was wee hours of Sunday morning. A chilling morning with the riders and drivers set to go on a ride/drive to vikarabad. 3 cars and 5 bikes with 21 people on the vehicles drove their way for a trek followed by a lake side relax.

People assembled at the cross roads as mentioned in the trip schedule. The wait was for around 15 minutes, for others to assemble, after which, it was time and the riders had to bite the cold morning while the car occupants had a pleasant ride!

The morning brought with it the rays of sun and a picturesque view that was 'simply' beautiful. The ride was a good one with me changing speeds for the fun of riding. The intention of having bikes on the go was to have the fun of riding. The ride was close to 80 kms, single way. We had to make stops in between to ensure no one was far behind or left out. We had a good breakfast at a restaurant in Chevalla. After the good breakfast, the group headed forward to ananthgiri hills, the prime destination of the trip.

It was around 0900 hrs, by the time, we reached ananthgiri hills. A quick round of introduction was done and then the trek began. Ananthgiri hills is an easy - moderate trek. Few parts of the hills are totally covered with dried plants and the surfaces do not have rocks for balance. oh oh! It makes it a little difficult but with care it shouldn't be a difficult one. We had few people with bruises as the slopes with soil made it difficult to balance and bruises were inevitable. Precisely, the reason why long sleeve shirts are advised. The trek was concluded at 12oo hrs. The weather was against a second trek as the plan was to head to the lake at around 0200 hrs for a good lunch and a jump in the water. But then the weather prompted us to make it to the lake early and we left the hills at 1215 hrs.

It was around 1230 when we reached Nagasamudram lake. People plunged into water and there was hardly any slack time from the moment we reached the lake till the jump into the water. So, you now know how the weather was. eh? Nonetheless, few people had a good time in water, few chose to rest by the lake and few [including me] decided for a small walk around the lake. Looking for new ways in getting to the other side lake. On return, food was waiting and had a good amount of it, after which there was a lot of time to relax and have a small chat with others on varying topics. Since, there was nothing else to do, it was decided that we head back and at 0330 hrs we started back to hyderabad, with a stop for tea at the same place where we had our breakfast.

The return ride was tiring [for me] but overall it was a good ride and i realized one thing when i reached home, it was my first long distance ride and i had pushed my bike to the limit!

The Last Day of the Year Gone By.

2010-01-07T22:03:00.006+05:30

and i spent the night next to a quiet lake, which sure was to be disturbed by a kayak!

We started out, 28 in total, towards vikarabad where the entire evening or rather say morning was to be spent next to Nagasamudram lake. The car drive was around 80 kms from hyderabad, one way and I should admit that I never realized the distance. Thanks to a good company of people who kept me in loop of their conversation. Nice talk, connected topics, willingness to listen and be 'listened' are few things that help you take away the distance. This was precise, in the car i was traveling. Can't say about the rest. Waiting to hear from them.

So, it was around 2345 hrs, by the time we reached the lake. Darkness and silence greeted people, albeit a pleasant one. A wide stretch of water pictured far away and we were walking towards the start of the water-line after parking our cars, carrying various utensils and baggages for the 'light' dinner which was supposed to commence..err...at sometime. The night began with a campfire close to the lake. Couple of people who were supposed to be good at doing it, got into business and set it up. I had the impression that the campfire was supposed to be the center around which people would dance and sing as the night progressed but the thought was shattered as it's true purpose was unveiled later!

So, the time was approaching. 0000hrs. We had a yummy cake opened with 3 candles on top of it [still figuring out the significance of 3] to celebrate the new year and the honors were made. A
delight for cake-lovers. The cake slicing was followed by chai - precisely for which the fire was made. Post chai-time, it was time for dance and 'aao twist kare' segment. We had the woofers blowing out music and someone presented the idea of a circle of people with one person in the center trying to create dance steps while others followed it. It was a recreational exercise. Nothing more than that. A nice thought put in place. Apart from this, people had an option to go for a round of kayak in the water or take a walk under a moonlit night. From moonlit night, it strikes me that around 0025 hrs, the lunar eclipse had begun. It was a partial, no, a minuscule shadow placed on the surface of the moon. Few of them, took time to use a binocular to view the event.

A closing hours ended with eating and people still waiting for a round of kayak - which included me as well. A nice short walk around the lake was a pleasant one as well. We wound up the event close to 0300 hrs and started back to hyderabad.

It was 0500 hrs by the time we got back to hyderabad. Lucky, the next day was a holiday for me. Spent the entire day lying down.

A Poem on the experience at Kesargutta

2009-12-29T00:19:00.004+05:30

The poem you are about to read has been penned down by Siddhartha.

Thank you Siddhartha for the forward.

My trip to kesargutta

My trip to kesargutta though was very wild,

I thought that it very mild.

I felt the cool breeze brush past my cheek,

with the engine touching it's peak.

when diyant put on the the brake,

I felt that it was about time to give the bike a decent break.

I knew that who ever organised this trek,

had a brain without dust even to the amount of a single speck.

as there was no sun,

the rock climbing was real fun.

it was enjoyable to climb down the boulders,

altough we felt like we were carrying the world on our shoulders.

Dandeli: Car ride.

2009-12-11T23:39:00.000+05:30

This write-up, on Dandeli, is written by Naveen Mehta. The write-up is also on his wordpress blog - http://naveenmehta2001.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/dandeli-day-1/

Thank you for the blog, Naveen.

NOTE:
If you have traveled with GHAC and want to post an article on the travel in this space, then send your articles or blogs to HACAdventurer@gmail.com or send the link of the site where you have posted the article. We will post your write-up as a blog in our blog site with credits to you and provide the link to the original article site.

So, GHAC Adventurer - Naveen Mehta, on his car ride to Dandeli. Read on.......

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”
– Jawaharlal Nehru

I have heard a lot about this place ‘Dandeli’ from my friend and of course blogs and wanted to go, but couldn’t set off. So one fine day, I was just checking on GHAC about upcoming treks and was thrilled to see ‘Dandeli trek’ but my excitement dipped instantly after checking that no spots are left anymore. But as it was supposed to be, I got into the list and got the chance to go on my first trek with GHAC. So after drop-outs and drop-ins, 18 people decided to start this adventurous excursion of 3 days toward “Dandeli” on morning of 13th November. Time of departure was set to 5:45 am from JNTU.

About this fantastic place: Dandeli
“Dandeli” is located in Northern Karnataka, near to Goa, a mixture of Adventure, Nature and Wildlife. This is a picture perfect place. It is home to some rare animals and birds. This is an unspoilt and unexplored treasure of wildlife, far away from the hustle bustle of the city life. You will wake up to sounds of chirping birds. If you are adventurous, you can do water sports, trekking, rappelling and many more such stuff. Or you can just take a walk on roadside and realize the pleasure of life in doing the simple things. This trip will surely leave you spellbound. This place has something to offer in every season, so anytime is good time. But the best time to enjoy all the things, which this place has to offer, would be November to March. The best way to reach there will to go by a car (or any other personal vehicle), you can make pit stops to take a walk in farm fields or take a picture along river side or enjoy the highway ride…

Get Set Go …………. DAY-1

On D-day, we all met at JNTU and met with other members. Although I have never met with anyone before, yet soon we were not stranger anymore. When people come together with similar interests, there is nothing missing anymore. This is one of the things which I loved about the GHAC group.

As it happens with anything, which involves a big group, we also got delayed from our schedule time, and embarked on this exciting trip at 6.30 am in 4 cars. I was in Swift with Anoop, Prashali, Sandeep (techies from Microsoft and Google) and Prashanth (a hard-core entrepreneur). On the way The conversation started with some driving tips from Prashanth and later became a technical discussion, I opted for audience role, because these guys were doing the discussion in a better way and without spectator the discussion looks incomplete. Our stop for lunch was some 20kms after Solapur. Lunch was good (Good should be taken in proper prospective) and soon after we resumed our journey.

The journey of 700 kms didn’t look long now, with scenic sight along the roadside, cool breeze brushing past our face and giving a refreshing feeling. Also the weather, which was also on vacations with us, never made journey tiring. The journey offered us all kinds of Indian roads. Smooth highways where we were driving at 150 KMPH (like flying) and the bumpy roads where no matter how much effort you put to avoid potholes, you will definitely get into the one or other. Better press accelerator…. (Not much, but enough). After some 50 kms of bumpy ride, we reached to Dandeli, the 20 kms ride into the forest, that too in New moon night, it was FUN!!!

Around 10.30 pm we reached to ‘Stanley Farm house’, our home for next 2 days, an ideally located place. Right amidst the dense forest, best place for camping in forest. The people, who manage the farm, were very welcoming, accommodating and always ready to show us around in forest (morning or night, anytime). We had our dinner and set the tents. So after setting up all things, we started camp fire and then the music masti session started, with our guitarist, Kranthi, who amused us with his melody tunes. Superb bro..!!!

We got to see team efforts also, having fun together.

Of Treks and Rolls-Royce .

2009-11-21T22:50:00.006+05:30

This post is a general writing. It is not related, in particular, to any of the adventures from GHAC. It is merely an observation that has taken the form of an article, an interesting one though.

Thank you, Jagan GVS, for the write-up.

So read on what jagan has to say about roll-royce and treks. You see any connection? Well, you just might.........

A trek is similar to Rolls-Royce, not that I know much about cars but something about why a Rolls-Royce should cost so much more than a Ford car. The answer is not far from your guess: It is simply because there are so many more of the Ford cars than Rolls-Royce!

Ask again, why are there so few treks? Seven out of every ten people I invited to a trek during college days had a counter proposal; to help them clean their rooms for a tidy sum of money!

After all, one must be nuts to pay so much and torture their legs and backs. If you don’t trust me try asking your neighbour to join you for a trek to a remote jungle where one needs to walk about 10-20kms and feast on sandwiches and fruits just for a day or two! I can’t blame people who don’t invite me on weekends or for coffee.

You have a right to question the idiosyncrasies of my comparison; so many people do treks after all, aren’t there so many treks too? My answer is that there are fewer treks in comparison with other affordable means of outing: tours, pleasure trips and pilgrimages.

Given that there are always going to be fewer people willing to willingly commit the blunder of volunteering for a trek, there are fewer businesses which can make great profits out of a trek. Imagine someone making a fortune by serving food in the remote foot hills and wilderness as opposed to pilgrimage centres which witness thousands of footfalls.

You might want to call my notions daft and propose to increase the number of people per trek and reduce the fixed portion of the cost. I would urge you to differentiate between ‘bringing treks to the masses’ and ‘amassing people on treks’. Here is the silver lining: more and more pilgrims are visiting Amarnath (most of them on foot) and would you need a guess as to why the ice-linga is shrinking every year? The lord of the holy wilderness seems to be seeking an escape sooner as the devotees increase year on year.

There is always going to be a cost, there are no free lunches in the universe and trekking is no exception. I can hear you swearing off, and I would be worried if you dint!

Some might press me on how the commercial trekking organisations can take more than 35 people on treks which involve camping for days. And, some more, might ask as to how does it matter at all?

a) We need to consider the Eco-foot print a very large group generates, any large becomes tough to manage in terms of the restraint and discipline needed to keep the habitat intact for the flora and fauna to continue the life in an un-interrupted sense.

b) The large number of foot falls, and the extent of habitat damage due to the occupation of land for camping, cooking, bathing and defecating.

Then how do commercial trekking organisations manage?

Let’s understand why commercial trekking clubs need so many people. They have a fixed target of getting a certain amount of X Rs to cover their profit margins. You could spread this cost on 15 people as well but the cost per person goes up. This is the issue at hand; we are NOT willing to pay what could be good environmentally. We may prefer to opt for lower MATERIAL costs, ignoring the impact that a huge gathering has on the environment.

The answer from Economics to the dwindling fisheries worldwide is simple – nobody pays anything to go fish in the oceans, so fishing happened beyond the sustainable ecological levels (whaling for instance).

Habitats are Common Resources. We are not taxed for fishing, only for profits on fishing. Similarly, we are not taxed for trekking in any manner. Only commercial trekking organisations have to pay, and I wonder how many really do.

Allow me to share as to what happened at Mallelateertham, 160kms from here. My first visit to the place was in 1999, and the canopy was so dense that the ground underneath used to be dimly lit even at noon. I used to organise treks in groups of 10 once in 3 months to the few places around Srisailam. By 2003, there were people camping in large groups for days and almost living there. They were good people who wanted to be one with nature for a while but soon, the 100 feet long mango trees, the lush canopy was all but lost. Ignorance about the impact of their actions turned good people into decimators of the habitat. The last I visited the place was in 2004 when I took Diyanat and some friends; the place seemed like the bombed out town of Guernica which now only exists in Picasso’s painting.

A trek is a matter of quality; it is not a conquest but a pilgrimage into the nature. If you loved the blossoms you would know not to sever the blooming buds. The Buddha is not the summit of the mountain but every step regardless of the summit. It is to delicately step into the nature and experience the sublime with minimal disturbance to ‘what it once was’.

In my very limited opinion organisers and members of GHAC identify and empathise with the above sentiments, by and large, if not square and even.

Hyderabad 10k Run & Half Marathon

2009-11-16T01:04:00.010+05:30

Hyderabad 10K Run and Half Marathon (21.1 KM) will be held for the 7th time on November 22nd 2009 on the Necklace Road starting from 6.30 a.m. The half marathon race too be will be held simultaneously and will begin at 5.30 a.m.

The Hyderabad 10k Run is a foundation born out of passion for the city with a vision to make Hyderabad one of the finest cities in the world and a mission to involve every single Hyderabadi in this drive.

What: 10K Run & Half Marathon (21.1 KM):
When: 22 November 2009
Where: Venue:People's Plaza, Necklace Road

*10KRun(10KM)starting time:6:30AM
*10KRun Reporting time: 6:00 AM
* Half Marathon(21.1 KM) starting time: 5:30 AM
* Half Marathon Reporting time: 5:00 AM

Both events are open to all categories with assurance of support services all along the route. The event which also attracts handsome Rs. 15 lakh prize money is also likely to feature some runners from Ethiopia. Actors Anushka and Arjun are the brand ambassadors for the event

All GHAC members are encouraged to participate in the 10 K run. Please register yourself either online or offline by paying Rs 50 (BIB only) or Rs 150 (BIB+T-Shirt) and collect your kit from the 10k run organisers directly

Online Registrations:
http://www.hyderabad10k.com/10kruns_registration.php

Offline Registration:
Offline Registrations can be done any of the following locations
All Apollo Pharmacies
GVK One
MPM Mall Abids
Cinemax
Prasad Imax
Ofen , B-Hills, Road No.10
All Dinaz's Fitness Studio
Medwin Hospital
Hyderabad Central
Pantaloons Begumpet
Gopichand Academy Gachibowli

Note: Please carry a valid ID card to register and collect your BIB

10k Run Route Details:

* Starting Point: People's Plaza, Necklace Road
* Sanjeevaiah Park
* Sailing Club
* Tank Bund
* Ambedkar Statue
* Secretariat
* Finish Point: People's Plaza, Necklace Road

Route Maps:
* Google Map click here
* Directional Map click here

Half Marathon Route Map Route Details:

* Starting Point: People's Plaza, Necklace Road
* Sanjeevaiah Park
* Sailing Club
* Tank Bund
* Basheer bagh
* Abids
* Nampally
* Charminar
* Nampally
* Abids
* Basheer bagh
* Ambedkar Statue
* Secretariat
* Finish Point: People's Plaza, Necklace Road

Route Maps:
* Google Map click here
* Directional Map click here

Kondaveedu Fort and Guthikonda Caves Trek - Guntur

2009-11-09T22:45:00.003+05:30

This write-up, on Kondaveedu Fort and Guthikonda Caves Trek - Guntur, is forwarded by Pavithra Joshi. The write-up is also on her blog - http://ouchyinmymouth.blogspot.com/2009/11/one-week-later.html

Thank you for the blog, Pavithra.

NOTE:
If you have traveled with GHAC and want to post an article on the travel in this space, then send your articles or blogs to HACAdventurer@gmail.com or send the link of the site where you have posted the article. We will post your write-up as a blog in our blog site with credits to you and provide the link to the original article site.

So, GHAC Adventurer - Pavithra Joshi, on her trek in Guntur. Read on.......

It's been a whole week since we went on this fabulous journey, but I'm pretty sure its memories are still fresh in the minds of the 19 people who got together as a group, became fast friends and hopefully will remain so :)

It started off at the Secunderabad Railway station on a Friday night. I reached way ahead of time, since I left for the place directly from office. I was ditched by my +1 just that morning (Nitin you have no idea what you missed!). One by one the trekkers started coming in, some familiar faces and most new ones. The train was conveniently late for those strictly following INDIAN Standard Time (:P), but nevertheless that gave us some extra time for introductions. After getting acquainted with one another we got on the train to Guntur.

When you put a group of fun loving people together in the bogie of a train, you should learn never to put a crappy, almost insane TC in the same one! (Lots of respect to those guys, but seriously the kids just wanted to have some fun!) We survived through that, caught a little sleep and reached Guntur a little ahead of schedule.

Our next stop was Phirangipuram, whose streets are lined up with churches. The place is apparently the earliest centre of Roman Catholicism in Andhra (Wiki rocks :D). The breakfast we had there was absolutely indescribable! I don't think any of us will ever forget those delicious dosas and idlis :) Most of us would probably walk back for some more of those! The organizers had some talks with the local Police and finally got permission for us to stay back at the fort for the night. We then headed over to Narsaraopeta, our starting point of the trek.

The trek itself was comparatively less tiring. We got to the top in what I estimate is 2 hours, clicking LOTS of pics on our way up ;) The base camp set up was in an amazing place, ruins below and an open roof above (Perfect setting for a candlelight dinner maybe, if you wanna carry a table up there ;)). The most noticeable thing on the trek: the monkey menace! We set out to explore the rest of the peaks, food and water in hand. In all our excitement to climb up one of the difficult terrains, we didn't consider the safety of the food too seriously. And by the time we got back, half the stuff was stolen by those less evolved ancestors of ours!

After all of us climbed down was the first moment of panic of the trek. We could see the base camp and noticed a couple of people heading towards it. Half of us ran back to protect our oh-so-precious belongings! Then it was decided that some of us would stay back while the rest could explore the other places. But it turned out that everyone opted to (some were forced to ;)) stay back and rest. And the sleep I had that afternoon was one of the best ever, even though I had to sleep on that rocky ground with just one flimsy bedspread between the floor and me ;)

At around 4 PM the group was split into three. One group went down the fort to Narsaraopeta and consequently to Phirangipuram to make arrangements for our dinner and some life-saving water! (Eternally grateful to this group :)). Another team of two stayed back at base camp to watch over the belongings. The third (lucky) group got to explore one of the peaks :) The climb up was great as usual, more pics and an amazing view of the sunset! We reached base camp around half an hour before group one, had an early dinner around 7 PM and got to the roof after a round of some AWESOME jokes (pun intended!) by a certain Doc on the trek :P

Then came our second moment of panic. The area surrounding the fort is supposed to be famous for Naxalite activities. Lots of talking was heard. We were totally helpless, as we had no idea whether it was the good guys or the bad ones approaching us, and we would probably have been in trouble either way! After that cooled down started the heart-to-heart session as some would call it :) It's stupefying to see how people start relating to each other's life by just listening to their stories! One of the best things of meeting new people is to know that you're not the only ones going through rough patches, and talking about it to someone, anyone for that matter, makes you feel better :)

The next morning started out great! An early morning alarm to wake up and start that day's plan was paused by this amazing event that we experienced. Just out of nowhere a huge cloud arose and started moving towards us! The feeling is incredible. See it for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qAgHGbFJy8

After we got down, we had our first meal for the day and headed back to Phirangipuram. From there we made our way to Macharla. We were lucky enough to meet a man on the bus who turned out was from the ashram at the Guthikonda caves. At Macharla we picked up some vegetables for our noon's meal and headed up to the caves in what I can describe as one of the most awesome rides I've had! An open top auto, one of those in which furniture and goats are transported :D

Once we got there we put all our luggages in a room and headed for the caves. And this experience I guess I'll never have again, unless I go back to the same place! The caves were breathtaking (literally too, with meager amount of Oxygen :P). The mini lakes in there had stunningly clear water, holy dips in which gave all of us super powers :P (Guess mine is writing excruciatingly long blogs :D). After getting back was another round of deep, refreshing sleep for most of us! We then started back to Guntur, refueled on the way and finally headed back to Hyderabad, carrying with us two whole days of absolutely awesome memories :)

Kallem Village Excursion.

2009-10-22T20:36:00.032+05:30

Kallem Village Trek - Warangal District.

This write-up, more in the form of images, on Kallem Village Trek, is given by Upasana who is a smart girl of 10 years. Thank you for the article, Upasana.

So, GHAC adventurer Upasana, on Kallem Village Excursion.....

I am going to tell you how we spent, In a quiet little village, the last weekend.

Greeted us Aishu (the cow) and little Muffin, Her new-born calf with choco-velvet skin

Eagerly waiting for his journey to begin At the very first sight our hearts he did win

Uncle Ram, donned in cowboy hat His favourite horses he continued to pat

Nameless little flowers and bright gay birds, Their beauty is beyond any words

Though we did not see peacocks there Their vibrant feathers were strewn everywhere

We climbed the rocks through bushes : very spiny From the top of the hillock the lake looked shiny

Lazing on warm rocks looking up at the sky With winking little stars we played ‘I spy’

(By the time we got down …)The sun retired; but Oh! What a sight! Handmade dia’s made the place look bright

After dinner we took a leisurely stroll Spotting twinkling fireflies on patrol. By trial and error we put up the tent. A good night’s sleep we got as present

To think how quickly we all became friends My joy and wonder knows no ends.

NOTE: If you have traveled with GHAC and want to post an article on the travel in this space, then send your articles or blogs to HACAdventurer@gmail.com or send the link of the site where you have posted the article. We will post your write-up as a blog in our blog site with credits to you and provide the link to the original article site.

Masanagudi Jungle Trek -2

2009-10-19T23:55:00.001+05:30

Masanagudi Trek-2 was great fun, We started on 1 Oct 2009 at MGBS at 6 pm from Hyderabad in KSRTC Volvo bus to Mysore, everyone was on time and were in the bus before the wheels moved, on the way the bus stopped at Jadcherla for dinner, we had some hot spicy food at hotel munawar, the bus moved slowly via Kurnool as the roads were all flooded and the downpour was heavy, looking out of the windows we could see the water overflowing all over the roads, we were lucky to pass Kurnool but were delayed by 3 hours and we reached Mysore at 10:00 am, had our breakfast and boarded the mini bus on the way to Masanagudi, another 3 hours drive took us via Bandipur and Madhumalai forest where we could spot some tuskers and deer.

We reached Masanagudi at about 1:30 PM on 02 Oct Afternoon and were received by our hosts Suresh and Padmini who have converted their ancestral home into a resort with 4 large rooms that can accommodate 5 persons each comfortably and we adjusted ourselves in 3 large rooms, Divyani who was the only girl shared a different room with Padmini and her daughter, The resort is surrounded by 100’s of coconut trees and green grass about 100 meters all around, there is a river flowing about 200 meters from the resort where animals usually come to drink.

After a long journey from Hyderabad we were all hungry and had some good vegetarian food as it was Gandhi Jayanti so no non veg was cooked, After lunch we went to the river opposite the resort, in the evening we went to a nearby water stream and spent about 2 hours watching the water flow, the birds sing and occasional visits by the languor who were amused at seeing their distant cousins. we came back had our dinner and did some masti at the bon fire sharing jokes, singing songs and playing some games, midnight and we went to sleep.

Next day Saturday 03 October we got up early to witness heavy rain till 9:30 AM, We had out breakfast of idlis and puris and packed our lunch of boiled eggs, bread and curd and lemon rice, Suresh our host insisted that we plan some other event like going to ooty instead of trekking as it was raining, even the guides were reluctant to take us in the forest, I was adamant on going ahead and said there is no Murphy in GHAC club, that’s called taking executive decision, the guides were called in and we went ahead and after it stopped raining by 10 AM

The weather rest of the afternoon was mostly cloudy with a slight drizzle now and then, the cool breeze continued blowing hand in hand with the drizzle, as if it has some kind of arrangement with the clouds, it rained heavily after 3 PM, but that couldn’t stop us from trekking, we went ahead and faced it all, the path was muddy and slippery and steep, we had to traverse over stones, rocks and boulders, since it started raining heavily we moved away from the rocky paths, safety is priority in GHAC, we take calculated risks that are fun and helps one overcome fears and inhibitions, there were minor injuries that were treated instantly with first aid on the spot.

we had close encounters with wildlife during the trek and night safari, some of us witnessed, languor’s, bears, deer’s, antelopes, bison, elephants, stag and variety of birds and flora and fauna, we found the head with horns of an antelope which might have killed by a tiger or leopard. We plucked fresh amla from the trees to quench our thirst and the red flower of the cactus plant was sweet and delicious.

The Call of the wild made us keep in a close group together, we had heard stories from Suresh of how wild animals like the hyenas isolate and attack so we kept together, only recently was a French lady trampled upon by a elephant, As we moved a Stag deer suddenly rushed out of a bush and startled all of us, I was also doing the head count now and then to make sure none was picked by any wild predator.

we spotted the paw print of the leopard which was fresh as if it just went by us, suddenly panic calls from the deer’s and other animals got our attention, the guide whispered it could be the leopard or the tiger hunting for food, we all went pin drop silence and froze looking in all directions to catch a glimpse of the leopard or the tiger, as we moved we could hear the trumpet of the elephants, with dread and trepidation we moved among the dense jungle and reached the hill with steep slope down to the river, the river is where most of the wildlife come to quench their thirst, looking down the valley made our heart throb faster and a chill was felt in the spine. How on earth could we make it down there was the first question that came to everyone’s mind, then it was decided that we move sideways down the hill taking zig zag paths and it worked out well.

The hill was not only steep but slippery due to the rain drizzle, half the way some of the trekkers stayed back and rest of us continued downwards making our own paths, slipping falling and tripling over stones, it was tremendous to see everyone who tried their best from kunal who was the youngest to nagesh who was young at heart, all of them showed courage, Sanjay despite having injury on his feet, was the foremost among all, We went down near the river almost and it started raining, we had to go down over a rocky and slippery plateau, myself and Jagan tried going down and found it very slippery and came back advising others to take a different route, it was about 4 PM and we have to move back before it gets dark and we get lost in the jungle

While coming up we took a different hill, and both the groups were divided now, we continued our journey upwards and found a heavy breathing sound far away, on going closer we found a herd of wild buffaloes, all staring and ready to charge at us and all of us stood there motionless without any movement thinking what will happen next and without much thought the guide made a hand movement to change our direction and as we moved a little far we were relaxed to escape the wild buffaloes.

The other group which stayed back on the hill started making panic calls to me, saying they lost they way and they guide with them doesn’t know the way out, to add to the panic the group also found the fresh leopard marks on the route, fortunately they had a compass and we tried coordinating the directions to meet each other but in vain, finally it was decided to take different ways of the jungle and I was glad to get a call they reached a nearby village ahead of us, I know how it feels to get lost in a jungle full of wild animals and wait for the night to appear, it scary and wildest thing that can happen to anyone, when asked how the trek was they group which was lost said they were very glad to make it back and that was the best thing in life. And we all laughed at it enjoying the pleasure that comes after you get out safe from a dangerous situation.

Night 9:30 PM dinner was ready for us and after a long trek of 10-12 kilometers in the jungle were feeling hungry, the menu was chicken 65, chicken masala, chapatti and rice for the non vegs and gobi 65 and veg curry for the vegetarians, the non vegs made best of the both worlds, I could hear the veggies saying finish it off before the non vegs attack their food, we had some sweet vermicelli and mysore pak as deserts, after dinner we all assembled at the bon fire and discussed the journey back home, we were keeping track of the news on the Kurnool floods, We called the KSRTC office to find out that the bus was cancelled and we had to make alternative arrangements for return journey back home.

Getting back home from the trek became a concern and a problem due to the floods as all buses and trains were cancelled, the air tickets sky rocketed in prices but we managed to plan it out together and everyone had made their own arrangement of reaching back home by flight or buses taking a alternative route

On 4th October 2009 we started early morning 7 am, had out breakfast and got into the minibus and went on the way to ooty, there are 36 hair pin bends on the ooty Ghats and the scenery was amazing, we could feel the pressure dropped as we moved up, we stopped on the way at bison view point only to find monkeys chase us to snatch the apples we were carrying, somehow we managed to give a slip to our ancestors, we have evolved to be smarter then them, we also stopped at kumaraja river which was very beautiful, we witnessed some wild horses grazing around and we took pictures keeping some distance from them and at the same time checking for safety and looking at the camera, we went to pykara water falls and spent an hour there, hour later we said adios to each other we were split in 2 groups, one group that went to ooty and the other that went to Mysore.

The Few of us who went to ooty and visited the botanical gardens and the next day trekked to thondapetta peak in the reserve forest behind the botanical garden which was wild, dense and untouched, full of varied flora and fauna, we found different species of mushroom which were red in color, we also went to the doddabeta peak, it was chill weather and we ended buying some warm clothes and caps for cheap

The wild is still calling, who else is going to answer it next?

Narsapur Forest Trek

2009-10-19T23:21:00.002+05:30

An entire Saturday lost in the jungle! Good to lose it. A close-to-Hyderabad trek was planned by GHAC, The Narsapur Forest Trek. This meetup, as usual, found an early response. The mode of transportation to this destination was car. Cars were arranged and the itinerary was prepared and we hit the road. Now, onto the journey. This trek was attended by 17 people. Although more people were expected, they did not turn up.

We started around 8 AM in the morning for narsapur, took the route via Ameerpet - Balanagar - Jeedimatla - Medak Road, we stopped inbetween to buy some bananas and water as there are no known hotels near the forest stretch, We knew we were on the narsapur forest stretch the moment we saw our ancestors a.k.a monkeys, and hoards of them just waiting and looking around for people to throw some food, we saw the hanuman temple on the right with more monkeys around it, lord Hanuman's Army, we stopped about 2 Kms ahead of the hanuman temple just near the aayapa swamy temple which comes on the left and parked our vehicles there, picked up our lunch boxes,water and had a quick round of introductions to know each other which is more of a customary practice with every trek.

All the members were shuffled and 3 teams were formed with everyone being new to each other, except one couple who were allowed to stick together, a leader was selected for each group and was given the responsibilty to take care of the group, it was decided that we would go into different directions and assemble back by 2 pm at the same spot we parked our cars, our trek started at around 10 and lasted till 2 in the afternoon.

I lead a group deep into the forest, This step was taken intentionally, trying the trek in a different dimension. The trek was good. The forest had a good vegetation, the sun was bright and blazing, the clouds covered the sun occasionally to give us some relief, we took shelter quite often under the trees around to escape the heat. as we went inside we stopped in between and heard some noises, only to see a farmer grazing his cows, we shared some refreshments with him to gain his confidence, we enquired with him if there are hills or water ponds ahead to which he replied negatively and he tried to scare us that a police party was roaming around the jungle as if we were naxals around, we had to lie to him that we have permission to trek the forest.

We got some calls from the other groups and tried giving out our location, but it was all green trees around, we tried making noises but no help, we thought the other groups are lost for good, on our way back we came across a large herd of cows which were grazing and we walked pass them only to realize that the biggest OX with big horns was furious to see us and was about to charge at us, respecting his territory we retreated and changed our direction, we found a banyan tree and a boulder beneath it, we all climbed it and had another round of refreshments, the shade was cool and the wind was blowing softly, it was about 12:30 and we decided to start back to reach in time.

The overall trek was easy, there were small steep elevations to climb which were easy, we found lot of small water streams around the jungle and . we started walking back and after quite a distance we could hear the noise of traffic, we came out on the road and were glad to be back into civilization, but we didn't knew which direction to take to reach the place where our cars were parked and we stopped passersby to ask where the hanuman temple is and different people showed different directions, there is no dearth of hanuman temples in this area, we were confused and called the other trekkers to come to our rescue but they couldn't locate us, we used the GPS phone and figured out that we were on some different road altogether which was about 8 kms away, we saw a bus coming and we boarded it to land at narsapur town.

All the other groups joined us at narsapur town and we went ahead to narsapur lake and spent sometime strolling and doing some recreational games. we started for Hyderabad had tea on the way and reached by 7 in the evening. Sometimes its good to venture and get lost in a small forest, just follow the sun and listen for the nearest traffic noise and you will come out on some road.

Photo Sharing Session at 10DS.

2009-10-14T20:41:00.004+05:30

An afternoon spent with friends, families and trekkers, primarily, everyone was a trekker. Remember! it's the trekkers' photo sharing session. A nice venue opted for an event - 1o Downing Street, shortly called 10DS.

The thought behind holding the session was to reminisce the Tirupathi Bandalu Trek. The session included watching the images captured by various trekkers and relive the experience of being there. Again! The enthusiasm was evident. The funny moments captured gave everyone their share of laughter. The images acted like a window to the past experience. It helped trekkers remember the events leading up to the photo capture. The ideas were embedded in the photos, so was the fun which they had. I thought it best to join others and watch the slide show over a drink. The slide show was like a marathon with images from almost every camera running at its pace for display. I, personally, got to learn a little bit in the way to capture a good image. Few did inspire me.

The event also had a surprise, which ....err..was a surprise to many! The surprise was the 'prizes ceremony'. The prizes were sponsored by Mr. Ranjan Sood, a very enthusiastic trekker and very-kind-at-heart man. He has been an inspirational figure for many in GHAC and adds to the enthusiasm in the group. Not to forget, adds to the humor as well. It's very gracious of him to sponsor the prizes.

Well, now to the categories and prize winners of this surprise event.

This trek has youngsters. When i said youngsters, i meant kids, who participated in the trek and left the elderly surprised with the energy they displayed during the course of the travel. At 10DS, the only thing i saw them doing was run around and give their parents a moment to frown! However, kids forget everything that's around them when they are told - "You just won a prize!" The same here, they forgot the running and collected their prize.
The youngest trekker awardees were - Jaee and Naik and Raza Razvi.

There were 3 more awards that were given away;
The oldest trekker award was given to Dr.Sushma Patange.
The most helpful trekker was given to Nandakishore Upadhay a.k.a Sab ka Bandhu.
and The most entertaining trekker award given to Narendra Vadlamudi a.k.a Filmy.

Furthermore, an icing on the cake. There was an actual cake! Tiny tot Zainab celebrated her birthday by cutting the chocolate cake.

All in all, a good sunday afternoon spent amidst people who loved their travel and shared their experience and images with fellow trekkers and never missed a chance of humor.

Tirupathi Arimanu Bandalu Trek. Second Blog Entry.

2009-10-13T23:41:00.005+05:30

This write-up, on Tirupathi Arimanu Bandalu Trek, is written by Chaya Naidu.

Thank you for the write-up, Chaya.

NOTE: If you have traveled with GHAC and want to post an article on the travel in this space, then send your articles or blogs to HACAdventurer@gmail.com or send the link of the site where you have posted the article. We will post your write-up as a blog in our blog site with credits to you and provide the link to the original article site.

So, GHAC adventurer Chaya, on Tirupathi Arimanu Bandalu Trek? Read on.

A FEELING CROPS, A THOUGHT FLASHED,

AN IDEA STRIKES, THE EFFORTS FLOW,

AND THE RESULT BOY IS A "GIFT"

MOMENTS WOVEN AS SUCH, THANK U SO MUCH

FOR TIRUPATHI ARIMANU BANDALU TREK.

Nine thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine…..!!??!!

Gosh!! Frowned on myself.., am I fine……!!?

That I count the stars in the day,

And laugh for the unexpected in a way.

25 exuberant Enthusiasts from various walks of life have waved off to hyd, for a kick-ass journey to the much awaited trip to Tirupathi. Except for few repeaters, most of them were new; we exchanged greetings, and in few seconds got acquainted with each other, a very refreshing start for the trip. Some feelings were new, some wishes were born, some eyes filled with enthu, some were naïve, some were vibrant, some were terrific and so with so many mixed emotions we began our journey. Is it a magic wand of a fellow unknown trekker or the natures enigma encrusted on our way, it’s a mystery that we all had completed the trek without heavy downpour and hurdles in the return journey. More twists as u you go……

Announcement – Housefull:

Now folks!!! Here comes the "limited akshaya paatra", ahhaaa. What am i referring to? The right side "part" of the website ---- RSVP-ing is thoroughly a "ticket counter" as you see for a newly released movie!!! Movie buffs crazy corner (for tickets). Imagine guys, you are right in front of the system -- site open -- spots available --- waaoow, now blink your eyes, get lazy, do some whispers and stuff. In just minutes the spots were filled up. Yes fellas, it happened. The same with this trek, all the spots filled up soon. Hmm this "wiinnnggggg" is always HOUSEFULL, 365 days, yearlong. Oh dude, man, bro, mamu or whatever, wish I could do something for this wing hehehe. I had first voted for Masinagudi, later skipped it for this trek, as Arimanu Bandalu sounded good!! Actually this trek has been a lifetime memory for me as it was the first ever "trek" in my life, but it took soooo long that accidentally I happened to go to chennai and went for a trek there.

Preparation/Walking & KBR Park:

For first timers, without any walking or preparation, it’s gonna be tough time for sure others will have to face the breathing trouble, as I had. Walking for an hour in an up and down the terrain fills the gap and hence the place chosen by Vibha for the preparation in KBR is nevertheless perfect and a boost for all, though if and only if its near. It’s far for me. By following organizers’ instructions, one can really enjoy the trip. Firstly, Walking and secondly, wear old used shoes. For my first trek, I regretted wearing my new shoes. With every step, my feet ached a lot. Third, is restricting your bag size -- to lightweight. So first timers got to follow instructions and beware.

The Journey – The Moving Train:

Platform number 3, Couch number S12 was all abuzz only with us, as ours happened to be the biggest group there. Clock struck 8pm. The train’s time was at 8pm, still I see everyone happily talking in the platform. Cant help it as our trains are reliable enough! The next four hours were blessed for complete fun Uninterrupted. After settling down, we chilled up with dumb charades game with giggling, rib-tickling comedy, tiny acts for winning and not to forget for the pangs of guffaws -- yep the most loudest laughs…wowwee. Ever would have anyone dreamt of such lengthy laughing compartment in the train with guffaws hitting the train rooftop!!! Imaginations of the guys soared soo high, reaching its peak, to give a 'bingo' guess -- as if it’s a doa(dead or alive) series. Animesh was the guy, best fit for any guess. Jaee too enacted well. So far so good, the journey to reach was a KICK-ASS BLAST.

British Bungalow – The Trek Starts:

It was morning, reached Tirupathi watching the distant hills covered with fog and dew, passing thru many fields, sipping train-bed tea , half refreshed. We were received by Mr.Balu there and from there in a minibus, we went to the British Bunglow. Its said to be the oldest building there, constructed way back in 1920's as a tiny hill resort for Britishers. Must say, after seeing the location, they did have a penchant for the coolest places on our land. Now fully refreshed, after breakfast, it’s the time to start trekking. It kickstarted with some pics. Funnily at start we remained group, and slowly split to one, two, three as many as groups on the way. Unmindfully regrouping and breaking went on and on. Its just begun and I could see the Spark, the Glitter in everyone's eyes which reverberated in tandem to the valleys gentle silence.. filled up with tiny bushes along our trial. Everyone started emptying water bottles like a tusker from its trunk.

Day 1 – Discovering Waterfalls:

Curiosity bound, we enquired for places up to see, pat came the answer, the waterfalls, which was some 300mtr trek. Good. Our pathway soon shaped up to be a scenic grandiose, initially with a motor way like path leading to a very tiny route inside to the dense thick jungle where the Sun could hardly shine. The group pioneered by little cutie jaee went on crossing, rocks, shrubs, thorny bushes, trees, merrily taking breaks on and off listening to naughtiest crackles by the most dreaded our very own yakku joker.(kindly lead all ur pointers to the same guy pl) It was around 1pm when all were stepping up a hill, half way done & the view was explicably spell bound. Farthest visible railway track, the huge cedars, circled valley, cool breeze, rocks in hues - its all here. It was as if we were cascading into many different worlds driven by iota of passion only to see this fury of nature. Then we reached rocky terrain where the rocks seemed handcrafted in formations. As if for ages, their stint of existence impressed all. Its was around 3pm now and all hungry stopped for break. Curd rice was equally divided, spiced up with kranthi's pickles, sudhansu's peanuts sitting around tiny water pools. Jaee/raza went busy with ball, n others wid pics. From here team had to move further to our campsite and we still were searching for waterfall. Alas, we reached our campsite by 4pm and our discovery of a waterfall went on to be a damp squib due to scanty rains. Still had a gala time in the nearby pool , esp guys frenzied on pulling over others actual required garments stuck inside waters. O God behold us!!!!! mighty women.

Night Halt – Bonfire – Animalzzz:

The magical magnanimity of the darkness has arrived bringing along little stories strewn to its vast wings. My wildest of dreams too hadn't cover this night yet. Yesz, a night to be spent deep inside the jungle, between a tent/bonfire, to the side of a stream in its own lilting music of splashing waters, gaze stars underneath cloudy skies shoving off time n again making pathway for stars to be seen, sleep amongst the jungle noises as soothing as lullabies was euphoric. Ohh Man this is not less than a poets paradise. Longing enough, ever dreamt, provoked thoughts for it, and yes the day did come. Once silent, the resonant eccentric forest noises are music. Some slept inside tent and some outside, around the bonfire. Ali had made us do an Introduction part which was simply out of the world experience and yeaaa summing up, aamir's and padmaja's thundering blues from the glorious past made a perfect combo to the environs. They both just went on and on singing a song full. Woweee.!!! A thumping feel. Harnessed together in front of the fire, listening to them until midnight was something too unique, irreplaceable. Ohh.What a pity who missed n sleepin inside the tent! Some even came out from tent to our noise but jubilantly joined us singing those in tunes of seeking alms as beggars. Ahh that was a shocking reaction. Ultimate thrills. And know what, meanwhile, suddenly somebody spotted wild beasts it seems, in the torchlights, the shining eyes flashed but at a distance. That was really goosebump ride. Well around 4am, while some guarded us, we dozed off to sleep. The laughter freak was when Ali sir, n others in the morning gave feedback of the nite n songs.hahahaha the feathers in the caps. Come wht may, shivanksha had slept full.

Day 2 – Caves – Swimming:

The following morning opened up with much zeal and gusto among members. After relishing our breakfast which was cooked in the firewood of jungle, which tasted like heaven, we were set for the trek to ancient Caves deep inside the jungle. A discount here for our backpacks that we did not have to carry them all along till the Caves structures. This made our trek more pleasurable than with a rucksack of more than 5plus kgs. How wonderful. Passing through the rock formations, holding shrubs was amazing to the core. Meanwhile we collected water from the streams for drinking, which was undeniably chilled and good. Adding Glucose on breaks in the water really saved everyone from dehydration. And many had brought energy bars and other supplements for energy which kept us on move. So moving helter skelter, we reached the Cave. The hillock is all in its mighty pink armour. We had to step into the middle of it to check inside the cave. Ali had warned not to go inside cave, as the attack bats might attack us.

That was nice. Well whatever on white n black, they are the ones who feel more responsible and caring enough. The Cave mountain was in its impeccable glow rich in its own shape. Everyone from nandhu, jaga, vibha, ganesh, aamir had all taken nice snaps here. After this, we returned to our campsite, had quick sumptuous lunch, then we headed with our backpacks for further trekking. Its was nearing 4pm, and we crossed many a good boulders. At last, we reached the waterfall and the much required pool. Within minutes, all gathered in the pool with their best bathing attires. We cooled off like thirsty mongers for water. Ahh, man after a long trek, chilling water had really refreshed us to the hilt. Some swam topsyturvy, some played ball game. Two hours of water frenzy still felt had fallen less. All game for swimmers, anywayz. The weirdest of all was ofcourse VIBHA who stopped the waterfall by

climbing up and sashaying on those flowing waters. Sudden change and everyones brows raised then the laughter followed. :Yoooman such a twist and a cry heard, for tea n banana pakodas made the moments more livelier.

Moonlit Night – Animals on the Move:

By the side of the waterfalls, on a rock bed terrain, our tent was fitted. It was getting dark. In few seconds it would be completely dark, and here comes our teams’ Grand Master Mr Ranjan, who made all our wicked gang stung to him with his chutkules, gags, tales of raunchy tidbits!!!! Slowly the moonlit milieu hugged the darkness and all eyes, plus that of bespectacled too, turned to witness the moon emerging out from the hills. Ho!boy!eyes fall short to behold the grandeur, it’s a sight to watch for dude!!! Bound to take the nectar of life in this way, that’s lucky. For a while it was like a dream song in the background. The calm going in a lot - animesh, srimanta, gauhar, glued to it unruffled. Now whose heart wudnt rave about these earthly moments of treasure trove, whose minds wudnt have made a spark to moods, yet to know..haha.

Dinner time fast approached when females stuck to sum girlie talks, fellas wid gags, n others chatting wid ali sir. Finished yet another lavish platter of meal and all gatherd for chat. The group was split, the once tranquil forest was now abuzzz with our noise and somebody now noticed again some animals at a considerable distance. Some anxious bunch got curious to watch, some switched on their torches, keenly observing the movements. Ahh!!! Gosh, spotted one eyes splashing like Orbit white Ad of tv. Oops. What if they wud come near, fear! Shudder ! Quivers --- to some! Five to six were glued like a bunch of fanatic cricket fans glued to tv on hyd roads. Ooooo. Well yelled good night last for this pristine glory of the forest, loaded with memoirs in our rucksacks for the next morning for return trip.

Photosessions – Ghandhiji ki Dhoti:

Just rendering the "unknown mind speak" of some fellas of our group like -- naren, jaga, moulik, ram, ganesh, aamir, ksree, related to taking pics. Here-mixed lingo..

Jaga: nalla irkiya, romba spot -- onnu snap fast.,

Naren: abbe ruk ruk goggle to lagane de, mera image ka kabada banayga.,

Moulik: wait a bit , chal yahan se le , le diya phoz , lagraha hun na dude abhi , chal nikal,

Ram: I face north, u face south, then that’s a gud shot..,

Ganesh: arre mamu main ich lerun tera, mera teri gf legi kya., mera to khinch le do char.,

Aamir: abhi ek sec mein pani mein bheektaun phir le.,

Ksree: no noise, only clicks.

Again Naren: yaar bas ekkkk kona aur bachgaya waha pe jaatun.,Haaaahaha.

Dear all this was the photography session kirkiri for you. Hmm though with the group these fellas made a point not to miss any scenic corner for a snap. Their batteries mite stop charging but they didn’t!!!. Most obsessive shot was -- at the time of the dusk, on a rock, five guys were ready for shot and as effervescent lively mr.ranjan and gang asked to remove the shirts and give a pose. And truly smitten by the cries of us, they did!!!!, they did thrust open their shirt for the bare bodeeeez hahaha. That was a tru sporty luk. Ready with the backpacks for return journey, group had a read out passage on " gandhiji ki dhoti " sounded wildly abnormal.

Hotseat:

Hot seat is a game zeroed in on a person shooting "any" questions, which can be actually called ragging to bits. Questions may be asked immaterial of whether its personal or professional. And its in shooting the questions, lies the fun. Woww. All did their die hard bit to pull each others strings yeaaa !!!!!!! , and the best two questions bang came from abhimanyu, and of course our very sweet mamiko…!! Oooo… yess. Oh welll the girls were spared here, for some were sleeping and some missed the game. Else definitely pointers would have been raised to disclose the most absolute geek of the trip or the most handsome guy on the trip hahahaha……This was the fun in the night zone and yeah concluded here heaving a sigh of relief -- for a weekend spent substantially well , taking sweet memoirs back home to treasure.

Masinagudi - Call of the Wild - 2

2009-10-11T19:58:00.004+05:30

This write-up, on Masinagudi trek, is written by Jagan GVS.

Thank you for the article, Jagan.

NOTE: If you have traveled with GHAC and want to post an article on the travel in this space, then send your articles or blogs to HACAdventurer@gmail.com or send the link of the site where you have posted the article. We will post your write-up as a blog in our blog site with credits to you and provide the link to the original article site.

So, what does, GHAC adventurer Jagan, has to say on Masinagudi Trek? Read on.

Ooty treks have been a wonderful experience. I have not encountered such climatic odds and yet such determination and resilience despite the remarkable diversity in the age and fitness profiles. I found much inspiration in the un-relenting efforts of Mr. Nagesh and Master Kunaal who kept stride with the group and smiled past the arduous terrains.

Ownership and responsibility of a group lie with each individual and not just the organizers; this sentiment was well reflected in Diyanat's idea of arranging the group into three teams. Equally gratifying was Mr. Suresh and Ms Padmini's hospitality and their subsequent help and wishes during the Ooty trek which followed.

Day 0

We reached Masinagudi a little late due to the floods which caused much havoc and misery off late. Although, our thoughts were occupied for the safety of the loved ones and the people who were affected by the floods everybody soon got down adjusting themselves to the situation and marched down to the banks of rivulet which flowed less than half a kilometer from the Whispering Windows. After the tour of the rivulet we visited a lush patch of the jungle nearby with a small stream when a mild torrent chanced upon us and added just the missing element in the fun. Dinner, camp fire and conversation soon slipped everyone into the dreamy depths of drowsiness unknown to the rabid existence of the cities.

Day 1

Seemed like a lost battle with the rain gods pouring their hearts out. Just when I thought the day was going to be a cottage bound, card playing and lazing, Diyanat and Suresh managed to move the guides into action and bring the group onto a flank attack in the marshy terrain with a bleak overcast. However, this was soon dispelled when we reached a check-dam where we could see tracks made in the water by a large mammal. With the day getting sunnier we were soon favored by a couple of herds of spotted deer, bear (few of us saw them) and many picturesque landscapes. Towards the afternoon we started on an ambitious steep descent into a river valley. Despite our best efforts we could not reach the bottom of the valley due to continual drizzle, slippery marshy soil and equally wet rock faces. Returning to the cottage we warmly received with tea and hot pakoda soon to be followed by camp fire and enjoyable conversation.

Day 2

Before the tide of excitement of the first day ebbed on the group, we left the lush banks of Masinagudi for the panoramic heights of Ooty. First to a pine forest en-route Pykara falls and then to the falls itself, we sighted a herd of spotted deer crossing the road. Pykara falls was the parting time – one group left for Mysore and another comprising Devyani, Diyanat, Nilesh, Vineet and myself to Ooty for a trek. The parting shots brought the curtains down on the trek which in no respect was less than an adventure.

Reaching Ooty we met Mr. Suresh again who guided us find a fine place (Hotel Durga). The botanical gardens were a floral extravaganza and added an aesthetic dimension to the extended trek.

Day 3

The following morning we visited Mr. Suresh and Ms. Padmini’s place (who run a school also) for tea. We trekked to the Thondabetta peak and visited Doddabetta (highest peak in South India) and saw some fascinating landscapes, flora and fauna. Soon we were on our way to Bangalore ending an unlikely to be repeated collage of experiences.