"Vedi, Veni, Veci" (I came , I saw, I conquered). this was a phrase introduced to me recently by an enchanted friend of mine. The true depth of these words i didn't realize until i stood at the peak of 'Pushpagiri' being the part of the only triumphant team that made it to the top, with mountain flies buzzing around my head, mist blocking half my vision and a soothing gust of cool wind tingling my warm body.
Off road bonanza.
Amused we were by the sheer confidence of our bus conductor when he told that we will surely wake up before 'Kukke' is reached. We realized the reason behind his staunch belief when we were caught off-guard, off-roading in early morning. jolts of the bus woke us while the vision outside window startled us - we were moving in the water along a riverbed!!!!. The main road had been cut and a cruel 60km deviation was to be taken and thus this experience.
Way to Kumaraparvata.
There we stood, a group of 5 with varied physique and even more varied interests in life at the same spot, who had come together with a single purpose. The conquest of Kumaraparvata had begun. wide road suddenly converged into a narrow steep path leading into the jungle.None of us were new to trekking, but that sight surely intimidated us.
Enter the jungle
The 'Dehydrant' climb.
Jungle was damp and extremely humid. Even though we were protected from the burning rays of the sun by the thick canopy overhead, the heat was unbearable. The jolly attitude buried itself within the first 15 min, the backpacks stated seeming twice as heavy and sweat started to pour out of us in quantities that a municipal tap can never manage. So tired was i that i didn't bother clicking photographs (and that is a rare occurance?!!). The introduction of leeches into the picture suddenly made it more daunting. We climbed these never ending steeps till we managed to reach the grassy uphills and alas! here we had to face the blazing rays of the afternoon sun on our already battered and beaten bodies. 14 liters of water was emptied within the first 4 km climb and we desperately hoped to reach 'Bhattaramane' before we ran out of it all.
The betel-nut trees
Bhattaramane
It is a combi-tile roofed farmhouse with a beautiful garden laden with wild flowers, tall betel nut trees, guava trees and spiky pineapples with interspersed log bridges on the path. It is the heaven for all the trekkers and the only source of food and water for them. Here we were enlightened about the fact that rain god spares none during the night, and promptly abandoned our plans of camping at the summit. Thus, it had to be at the forest-camp. Camp house is set right in front of the mountains we have to climb and gave us the picturesque view of the entanglement of mountains with mist.
Logbridges
Misty Mountains
With clear instructions towards the route ahead we started early morning. Climb was not very rough as most of our luggages were dumped in the camp. Mist played hide and seek with us all the way till the top and spared only few minutes to take pictures.
Mantapa
We reached "Mantapa" our first landmark for the day with ease. It was still 5 km to the top, but it was the beauty envisaging us and the pleasant weather that pumped our spirits as we carried on climb after climb with very little rests.Sheshaparvata was breathtaking and had the true meaning of a peak with unending drop on one side. It is not the highest point though and we were denied of any view with thick mists clouding us all the time.
Sheshaparvata
The leechy forest
The leechy forests
After the exuberance of Sheshaparvata we had to climbdown into this amazing forest. the thickest forest i have stepped into my whole life, with leeches crawling on every inch of it. With every step you manage to pick up one or two of them and by chance you stop to take them off 10 more will be onto you. At that situation your only motto will be - 'Run towards the nearest dry rock'. Thaks to these bloodsuckers you will cover the kilometer long forest very very fast.
The leech
The bite
The ooze
Stream to the top.
The leech territory is somewhat ended by this stream which runs across the path and it is more rocky thereafter. We climbed over the wobbling rocks over this tiny stream-let to reach some sort of rocky landing. After a thorough leech inspection we moved on, only to get lost for a while but finally reached the bushy tunnel through which the stream was originating. This was the only route to the top. This 'Pushpagiri' is not so exciting and is more or less flat topped and had 2 small Shiva temples. The sight and feeling at the top is unimaginable, it was worth the whole trouble which we took to reach there.
Search the Leech
The bush tunnel
Shiva gudi
Down into the downpour.
Climbdown was not an easy part, already with our legs drained out of every ounce of energy. To top it all couple of medical emergencies hit us which delayed us quite a bit. After a quick lunch and short rest at Bhattaramane we headed down only to be caught by the worst downpour of our lives. We were all bone drenched and so were all our stuff which didn't have a plastic cover around it. We had to make it till Bangalore in our damp clothes itself.
Painful memories
At home now my both lower limbs are screaming with pain, even a gentle touch is getting out a yelp from me. Movements are painful forget climbing stairs and this too after 2 days of recovery. Though a painful ending came to a mesmerising experience I'll be ready for one more any day with any one.
Thus ended my conquest of Kumaraparvata. Vedi. Veni. Veci.
For more photos please visit the link
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8501722@N08/sets/72157600243946177/
