Travel Geek: 'Top of the World while trekking'

‘Never say Quit’…Enduro all the way

2011-02-10T05:33:00.000-08:00

5th February, 2011… 1.30 am

I am completely pooped and want to rest my legs desperately. It’s pitch dark at 20:30hrs at Ghisar village- our time check (TC-5) halt. From here we have another 40 odd kms to trek with our cycles to reach Thangaon for our night halt. We grab a small bite and start on our trek.

It’s chilly and we are struggling to find our path. I am wheezing terribly but still not keen on stopping because if I stop I will feel sleepy. So I quietly follow my team mates Ashu da and Kirti. We are in the middle of some huge mountain trying to find our way to Dangi Notch khind..our land mark to find this place is a red light that we can see close by. We are following a corporate group who are also looking to reach the same spot. The idea is to get to this spot get our passage check (PC) stamped and then proceed as fast as we can to Thangaon—that’s where we are supposed to be having our mandatory halt for the night.

As per race rules every team had to pass through all the TC and PC in the prescribed sequence and failing to do so would lead to disqualification.
It’s already very late- 12.30 am. Finally, after much struggle and to and fro trying to find the path we reach the red light. We are told by the marshalls here that Thangaon is probably another two and half hours or more depending on our speed. Damn! I think I rather get some sleep instead of moving ahead. But I find myself alone in this decision so follow the gang quietly.

As we all move forward lugging our cycles along the narrow path we reach a point where we are forced to halt. We are told the entire path is blocked as the teams ahead of us have stopped to rest. So we too decide to park ourselves along the path way. I got into my sleeping liner and covered myself from top to toe, stretched myself completely and slept on the rocks. Kirti got into my sleeping and curled himself like a baby and slept. Ashu Da too caught up with some sleep. I thought it was required as the next day was going to be no mean task.

In the sleep I thought to myself endurance is good and need to be tested at some point in time in life—but did I have to do this to test my endurance? I wasn’t here to prove to anyone how high a bar I could jump, I was here to enjoy myself. Just as I thought I was getting some sleep I was woken up by a team of cyclist who were all headed to Thangaon. It was 05:15 am.. we all had to wake up and follow suit.

I was excited just with the thought of participating in Enduro 3 for the first time ever. I knew of it as an adventure race which includes cycling, trekking and other activities like rifle shooting, river crossing, rappelling etc… I was under the assumption its all fun until the race started and I realized what I had got myself into. Enduro 3 as the name suggests is the ultimate adventure race of India. It's a race which will test your skills in endurance, physical fitness, team spirit, leadership skills, crisis management and the power to make the right decisions.

The pre-race registration began at SP College around 6.30 am. We were staying about 15 minutes away from the college so rode our way on our B Twin Rockrider 5.0 and Raleigh cycles to the college around 8 am. As we reach the grounds, we get to hear music and the signature song of Enduro 3 playing. We were part of the Ameature Mix team. As we reach the registration counter we are asked to wait as the Enduro vests haven’t arrived.

After about 15 minutes the team leaders are requested to report their teams and collect the vests, direction map, route plan book, energy drinks and caps. As we adorn the vests and read through the route map and glance through the Google satellite map, there are still teams cruising into the ground with their Hercules, Atlas, Firefox, Rockriders and Trek’s. There were even many with simple cycles without gears as well. We are now asked to move to the college ground and assemble as per our respective categories. We are told that we are waiting for a political dignitary-Raj Thackeray to flag off the race.

At about 09:45 hrs. Enduro3-11 is given a flag off. It’s a tremendous feeling to witness the swarm of bikes flushing out of the red carpet. Man, You really need to be there to experience it!

We are all headed to Khadakwasla which is about 35 odd kms from SP College. In minutes, Pune roads are taken over by the red brigade (our vests were Red in colour). There is heavy vehicular movement and nobody is stopping for us to move. We just need to follow the traffic movement and rules and pedal away. I was under the impression that our race had already started..but no it hadn’t we reach Khadakwasla at around 11 am and here we are told that the race starts and our time starts now. Here is where our first ‘Time Check’ (TC) begins. So all the 1.5 hours of cycling we did was a warm up ride before the actual race. Our time started at 11.35 am

Prior to the start of this 140 kms race, I thought that 80 percent of the roads that we were supposed to ride on, would be proper tar roads and that ‘dirt tracks’ was only for a short patch. Little did I know, it’s going to be just the opposite. The first few minutes are wonderful ride until the ghat started. We were heading to Khondanpur.

The mercury is rising and along side you are rising equivalently on the saddle. The trail goes on for about two hours and finally we reach a spot from where its downhill. There’s smile on everyone’s face. The very thought of downhill is such a relief but like all good things in life are short lived this is also a short lived happiness. There is a huge uphill…impossible for me to cycle all the way …but I was not alone I was glad to see many of these well built guys doing the same so felt good.

Unlike the last Enduro 3, this time around the entire race was largely cycling. There was equal amount of uphills and downhills and complete dirt track mountain biking. I never expected I could do dirt track cycling but was glad that I had good control over my cycle and thankfully had no mishap with my cycle although I did fall couple of times and bruised myself. My team was lucky as none of us had any cycle issues. The long stretch of dirt track downhill cycling was by far one my best ever. Had never done anything like this before or even imagined to do something like this before. Thoroughly enjoyed the cycling.

As we ride along the tar road we reach TC 4 at around 17:30 hrs and here we are told that its special stage and the task from here is to reach TC-5 in the next half hour. We immediately started off and midway through I think to myself whoever on earth thought we could do this stretch in half hour? It was a real bad stretch with red mud, huge stones and it was sundown and dark.
Amidst all this thinking Ashu Da and I realize that Kirti has way ahead of us. We could find him through the trail. At one point it was only Ashu da, myself, the surrounding eerie silence and our headlamps. Not a single soul or vehicle in sight. We were not even sure we were on the right path but kept going until at one point we see some marshalls. I had a sigh of relief and we now told we have 5 kms more to go. The time was around 19:30hrs.. Now all thorough this route we tried to ride our cycles but it was very difficult as the red mud was blurring the vision and our headlamps had white light which was not helpful either so we walked the entire distance and that took a neat three hours to reach TC5 at a village called Ghisar.

From here we are told we have to head to Thangaon by mid night so that we could get good nights sleep and start the day early tomorrow morning. We started at around 21:30 hrs for Thangaon. It was supposed to be a short trek along with our cycles. We lost our way and had to stay put midway till early morning. We once again set out at around 5.45 am and reached Thangaon around 8.30. At this point I really thought that we would be depositing our cycles here and then start our day two trek. No that’s not what it was we had to once again ride all the way through.

At Thangaon we meet our friends from team Panthara (Kapil, Anita and Sandesh) after having done brilliantly all of the previous day and reaching Thangaon by 22.30hrs they were in for a rude shock in the morning when Sandesh cycle gave away. His tyres were road tyres not at all meant for dirt track biking. While they were busy repairing the puncture we went ahead and completed our two other activities namely river crossing and Kayaking. River crossing only the team leader Ashu da did and kayaking all three were a part. While my fear for water remained I still enjoyed Kayaking. It was a short distance in Panshet lake. After we finished these activities we once again checked our cycles for air and brakes and immediately set out.

At this point there was a slight bit of anxiety amongst us as we were trying to find out where our second team was Odati 2 (KK, Aruna and Dhiraj). We tried to find out from the organisers at Thangaon if they could page and find out where they were. BUt immediately we got no response although we were told that they would try and find out. At Thangaon we also hear that many teams gave up in the night itself. I particularly did not want to believe that they would have given up unless ofcourse something drastically went wrong. We were optimistic and decided that at every TC and PC from here on we would try to find out Odati 2's whereabouts.. There were many teams still reporting at Thangaon. From here we have another 40 to 50 kms more before we end the race.

My only aim now was to finish the race. Kirti’s excitement was reduced on hearing there was more cycling. But we had no trouble motivating him and Yo! We made it …the last four Kms was the best ride ever… complete downhill and that was awesome…..and bang on at 6.15 we completed the race. It took us 32 hours to complete the overall race…Phew!!

All in all, it was a fantastic experience. All's well that ends well. We meet Sandesh at the canteen who tells us that he had to give up teh race mid way and head to Panshet Water Resort as his cycle completely gave away. Kapil though was demoralised with Sandesh's exit and had almost decided to quit, moved on..on seeing Anita's motivation to complete the race. She aimed to completed within the first 10 teams. Infact they did brilliantly. Kapil and Anita completed the race within 23 hours i am told. Unlike us who were freed of the last trek they did the last trek to Koshimbir top as well.

After having completed the race, our foremost agenda was now to locate Odati 2.After having left a word with the organisers we leave the premises to head to Pune with our cycles. Mid way into our journey we get a call from KK saying the team has reached Panshet Water Resort...a sigh of relief in all our faces. As they say 'All's well that Ends well'

My closing remarks: The one thing that Enduro3 has taught me is ‘Never say Quit’! Next year I aim to compete better!!

Route Snashot!
Overall 140 kms race that included dirt track biking , trekking with your cycle, river crossing and Kayaking

Route: SP College-Sinhagad Rd-Khadakwasla-Sinhagad Toll Botth (here is where the competitive race started-Sinhagad toll booth-Kondhanpur-Karanjwane- Khariv-Dhanep Phata-Vihir-Ghisar-(trekking along with our cycles started here )- Thangaon-(here there was river crossing and kayaking)-Tekpole- Koshimbir base- Abhiruchi base- finish at Panshet Water Resorts

My first pinnacle summit: Tel Baila

2011-01-31T03:41:00.000-08:00

250 ft of sheer basalt dykes on the edge of the Western Ghats. Breathtaking views and awesome landscapes that’s how I can describe Tel Baila.. Scaling Telbaila pinnacle is no mean task and it was my second pinnacle attempt.

It was a challenge not only for me but for the regulars as well who had done the pinnacle before. From Lonavala, Telbaila village is 36 kms away. (about 10 km ahead of Amby valley at the edge of the Western Ghats). From here one can see Korigadh on the way. As I understand from the villagers the area is too remote and there is only one ST Bus that plies to this place. The bus starts from Lonavala at around 12.30 pm in the afternoon. And in the morning there is a bus at around 7.30 am from the Telbaila village to Lonavala.

The group comprising of Zenosh, Ritzz, Sneha, Kinnari, Meenaz, myself, Mallik, KD and Jay Sheth set out from Mumbai at 6 am. We had no issues as we got to the village by Car. After unloading our sacks as well as equipment from the car we sorted the equipment and left back few things that were not required in the car.

We set out on the trek at about 10 am. The trek is a pleasant one and in 30 minutes one can reach the col of the two walls of Telbaila. The Left wall is called Telbaila Fort, where in the col a small temple with two water cistern exist. Both the water cisterns did not have drinkable water. We were well aware of this and therefore carried lot of water with us. Also we were confident that since the village is only 30 minutes away we could alwys go and get water from the village. The temple is well maintained by the local villagers. There’s a concretized plane that has been built by the villagers where trekkers and climbers can rest well. In the Fort wall there exists a cave which is where we decided to cook our night meals.

As per our plan we were to climb the first Col near the temple on Saturday and the next day we were to climb the tough route that’s the village route.

Equipment we carried:

We were carrying with us two 60 mts (10.3 mm) dynamic rope (One Edelwise. One Beal), One 8mm static rope (Todi) and one 100m rope. Apart from the ropes we had 25 quick draws, 15 carabiners, 8 belay device, 15 tapes and slings, 8 jumars (ascending device), helmets, harness and climbing shoes.
We started our climb form the temple side. There are bolts & pegs on the way for anchoring. Mallik took the lead & fixed the rope till the first ledge. He was followed by Zebnosh and the others followed one after the other.

By the time I reached the first ledge which was roughly at a height of around 100 feet, Zenosh had already started his lead climb to the summit. Within 20 minutes he summitted. Soon after Zen summitted the rest of us followed. By the time it was 5 we had all summitted and rappelled our way back to the temple. Zen was the last man to rappel down. By the time he came down, our Head cook Mallik was ready with some tea and had already started preparing for the three course dinner.

Next morning we were all up and ready for day two climb from the village route. While some of us stayed back to clear the place, the rest of the gang accompanied Ritzz and Zen for the climb. Ritzz led the climb upto the second leadge. The climb from the village route was a real challenging one. Sneha followed Ritzz and thereafter Zen, Jay and Meenaz followed. By this time I had given up and said I will not climb. But thanks to Meenaz, Farzin, Kinnari and Mallik who encouraged and motivated me. Not having climbed for so long I had no confidence and was not sure if I could climb. I was happy clicking everyone’s pictures at the base.

Then I was told I should climb up till the second ledge which is about 150 feet. So finally I decided yo! I am giving this a shot… but I had to remember the fact that once I stat climbing there is no option but to keep climbing till I reach the second ledge…there was no way I could climb down… I was prepared.

So I too climbed the vertical patch…the rock had excellent friction holds, cracks, pressure holds. I was glad I was getting some good grip..but yeah, the exposure on one side did get the adrenaline ticking faster..at one point I was right on top standing on my two feet with my index finger of my right hand in a finger hold and stretching out my left hand to get a good hand hold that Meenz was directing me to. At this point my legs were shaking..not due to fatigue, but I guess it was more out of fear of the sheer depth below…I finally managed to pull myself up and get on the first ledge where Meenaz was stationed to top belay. Phew.. the climb was indeed thrilling. With Meenaz belaying me I was also rest assured that I ain’t going to fall.

From this point I had a short traverse and then climb on to the second ledge where sneha, jay and Ritzz were stationed. This was a horrible stretch with lots of scree. I somehow managed and as soon as I got up there I self anchored myself, took stalk of my position and settled down in a narrow space. I knew I had to wait there for atleast next two to three hours before we rappell down. I wasn’t going to summit the village route.

The next three hours spent on the second ledge was awesome. I was literary on the cliff with the valley on one side, trees over on the plain before the valley… The only saving grace was the fact that we were in shade. As Ritzz, myself, Meenaz and KD waited at the ledge we heard that Zen had summitted successfully followed by Sneha and Jay. Everyone was elated. We were running out of time and we had a cut off time of 4 pm. It was already 3.30. So we decided we stop here and rappell down.

Unlike my first unnamed pinnacle climb this New Year’s weekend, this was a better climb. There was no climbing actually during the New Year’s climb. I actually did 250 feet of jumaring (ascending with a jumar device) which was a tiring task. Telbaila on the other hand was all about rock climbing. Infact I was told that its well known as the destination for beginners precisely because the rock is so good for gripping and holding. At the same time, there is a certain thrill factor involved because of the vertical nature of the climb … I personally had an excellent time climbing through the village route.

My confidence level has increased a bit now. I am also very thankful to Ritzz, Meenaz and the rest of the gang to take a novice like me on such a climb.

New Year's Virgin Pinnacle Climb! a great high

2011-01-26T22:30:00.000-08:00

It was a new year well spent for me. I had the opportunity to partly scale a virgin pinnacle in the Trimbak region of Nashik. While it was a new beginning for me, for the Bhramanti Group of climbers from Mumbai it was a historic start of 2011. The 4 summitters- Kishor Chavan, Kaivalya, Suhas Shirke and Arun Sawant scaled their fourth virgin pinnacle on 2nd jan, 2011. The other three being Irshal crack, Sunday II virgin route and Bahuli III
It took them 3 full days to scale this 600 feet virgin pinnacle adding yet another feather to their cap. I can imagine the kind of adrenaline rush such a climb can give. For mountaineers and climbers anything that is out of the ordinary and challenging always gives a high. The other support members of the group were Tapan Vaidya, Prashant Sawant, Nitin Devedra, Dr. Narendra Patil, Ravi Bangera, Ritzz, Jay Seth, Meenaz Lala, Anusha (myself) and Sneha Sathe.
The Virgin Piannacle has been named “Rudra” by the Bhramantis, symbolizing hardship of climbing & an unexisting powerful entity. Rudra which is next to Anjneri fort is surrounded by other pinnacles such as Navra Navri, Hanuman, Sunday 1 and Sunday 2. So how was the experience of climbing a virgin pinnacle? Kishor, the lead climber says, “Absolutely challenging and exciting at the same time. We had to battle the cold winds and fixed 800 feet of rope to be able to summit the pinnacle.”
As per the Bhramantis, the virgin pinnacle climb happened by chance. It was not part of the group’s initial plan. The initial plan was to scale the Hanuman pinnacle. When the group reached Pahine, the base village they noticed this virgin pinnacle. When enquired with the villagers, they were told that was not Hanuman and did not know what it was called. The group was also informed that no other group had gone up this virgin pinnacle to climb it. That was enough to get the group excited. Not having the slightest clue of how the climb is likely to be, the group decided this is it and set out.
For Kishor it was the first virgin pinnacle that he was lead climbing. While he says he was a bit apprehensive he was also excited. “In a known pinnacle you are aware of the route and what is required. Moreover there is enough information available about the known pinnacle which you can gather from people who have climbed it before. That’s not the case in a virgin pinnacle you start on a new slate,” says Kishor.
Luckily the group was well equipped as the initial pinnacle Hanuman that they were to climb was a high grade pinnacle. The equipment was carried as per that pinnacle. The virgin pinnacle was attempted over a period of three days. On the first day (30th December) we started the climb at around 1.30 pm in the afternoon and finished by 5 pm before night fall. The first day we basically gauged the difficult and accordingly planned the climb and took the appropriate decisions.
On the second day (31st December’10) we started around 11 am and we stopped the climb at 5.30 pm. Third day we started around 9.30 am and around 3.35 pm I summited the pinnacle. The support team needed to be credited a great deal. If it was not for the support team the summit would not have been possible says Kishor.
It was a 600 feet vertical pinnacle but the route we fixed required more than 800 feet of rope. A group which is looking to attempt this pinnacle will require 3 coils of 100mt rope for the whole pinnacle. The first protection that Kishor had was at 100 ft and little above this point he fixed the first piton. I climbed further fising pitons and went a little more above and reached the first ledge. It was a good ledge to stay put. So the first day we stopped at the first ledge. Kishor was supported by a very strong climbing team that included Kaivalya Varma as the second climber, followed by Arun Sawant and Suhas Shirke.
On the second day Kishor jumared upto the first ledge and started the climb from there. We reached the second ledge and stopped here. The second ledge was at a height of about 250 feet. On the third day, the climbers started at around 9.30 am Kishor jumared till the second ledge and then started the climb once again from here. But he had a battle quite a few cactus growth on the way to be able to climb well.
After the four main climbers had reached quite a distance a decision was taken to let us amateurs climb as well till the second ledge. I was excited as it was my first ever pinnacle attempt. We did not climb but jumared the entire 250 stretch and then rappelled down.
On the third day the climbing team had kept a cut off time of 4 pm. As per the cut off time the climbing team had to stop the climb irrespective of whether they summit or no. It was decided that wherever the lead climber has reached if the clock ticks 4 he would return back from that point itself. But just as I got closer to the summit I could see the summit but it wasn’t easy to reach the summit. It was already 3.15 pm and we had really worked hard to get till there. So Kishor then finally decided that come what may he needs to summit in the next 45 minutes. Fortunately, for Kishor as he started his climb again he reached the summit within the next 15 minutes. It looked difficult but ended up being quite easy. Followng him Kaivalya, Arun Sawant and Suhas Shirke also summited by 4 pm. As they say all well that ends well
A little bit about the Bhramanti Group has been in existence for last couple of years and has been conducting several treks, cycling, rock climbing and mountaineering expeditions in the Sahyadris as well as in the Himalayas. Kailvalya was the group leader
The day finally ended for us at around 11.30 pm in the night. That’s when we reached the village. After reaching the village the biggest task the group had was to sort out the equipment. After having done that we finally left the village at around 1.30 am and I reached home early morning at around 7 am on January 2, 2011. It was indeed a great beginning of a New Year and a weekend well spent.

About Trimbakeshwar:

Now just a bit about Trimbakeshwar. It is a famous pilgrim place. Trimbakeshwar is also the origin of river Godavari. Trimbakeshwar is one of the 12 jyotirlingas (and the eighth one in the series) of Lord Shiva and this one is considered to be the main jyotirlinga. Monday is a scared day here and Shivratri the holy day of Shiva Puja in a year is celebrated here. The Goddess in this temple is called Trimbakeshwari. This temple was constructed by Raju Balaji Baji Rao who ruled Maharashtra. Very near to the temple, Papaharini Theertam is located. People take bath here before visiting the temple which is considered as a holy bath. This place is formed by river Godavari after falling from Brahmagiri. The Temple premesis is called Brahmagiri, also considered as the most sacred place of river Godavari (Brahma Sthalam).

2010-10-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

My NIM experience: My first ascent to Rudugaira Peak (5819 mts)

It’s been three months since I have come back from the Himalaya’s after my Advance course. But, I still like to remember those days as often as I can and feel good. I had not written down anything on my experience as yet until recently, when I remembered my days at NIM (Nehru Institute of Uttarkashi) again. I had just received my Advance Course certificate. Felt good reading it.
My certificate reads: Excellent Leadership Qualities and Team Work and is recommended for High Altitude Mountaineering expeditions and Alpine Camps. Thanks to my instructors for believing in me.
I should tell you a little about Uttarkashi. Uttarkashi (district) in Uttarakhand state is at an altitude of 4000 mts. The streets though are a maze of cobbled lanes. It will take a while before you familiarize yourself to this small town and its lanes. The houses painted in variety of warm hues from Ocher to pinks and cheer Blues make up for quite a palette. If you stand at a height and look at the township you can gaze at an amazingly medley of houses in colours that seem to glow in the warm sunshine. It’s a lovely sight. There is an absolute rainbow of hues, interspersed with lush greenery. The charm of Uttarkashi lies in its people and their hospitality, the small lanes and its busy market. A walk through these narrow lanes in the bazaar is a must. No wonder that I love the place and would like to visit it as often as I could.

My intention to do the NIM course was not for grades but to learn and learn in harsh conditions. The course both Basic and Advance teaches you to deal with harsh environmental conditions, how to work calmly with a team on high altitudes, communicate better in difficult scenarios, be disciplined, have control on your temperament and be mentally strong. These learning I would say have helped in my daily course of life and my professional life too.

The Advance course is tougher than the Basic course in terms of learning new techniques, carrying more loads, preparing an expedition plan etc. Moreover, the advance course students are expected to be role models for the junior Basic Course students. So you are constantly being watched. Your behaviour is under scanner right from day one. Here is a little tip on writing an expedition plan...For expedition planning it is very important that one must pay attention in every lecture and take notes. Also one must start writing a plan during the course unlike me who had left most of the plan to be written on the last day after reaching the hostel. I had to spend a whole sleepless night to write a good plan.

There are few things that are different at the advance course. Unlike in the Basic course, in advance the trainees are put up in camps at Tekhla rocks for advance rock climbing. We pitch our own tents and camp in Tekhla for four days.
Once back at the institute we have artificial climbing sessions, lectures and checking of all equipment and gear before heading to the mountains.

This time around we were taken to Gangotri Glacier instead of Dhokrani Bhamak Glacier. Gangotri is a holy place. It is the origin of the river Ganga and seat of the goddess Ganga and is one of the four sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. Here you find tourists, pilgrims and mountaineers (Indian and Foreigners). This small town is centered around a temple of the goddess Ganga , which was built by the Napalese General, Amar Singh Thapa in the early 18th century. A visit to the temple and the market is a must here. It’s extremely colourful and the roadside restaurants are most often packed during the evenings, thanks to the tourists and the mountaineers.

The course was a daunting task. Steep ascent with 20 kg load on your back, walking on moraines and avalanche prone areas is no mean task. Our first long trek in to the mountains was really long. This started at Gangotri (Camp 1 at 3080 mts) to Nalla Camp (Intermediate camp) which was at 4280 mts- a height gain of straight 1200 mts… that was a huge. Many were tired and frustrated..some even snapped at each other... its natural..but in mountaineering this is what you are not supposed to do and control your temperament. While some of us were slow and were able to do it, most found it difficult. Many fell ill as soon as they reached the campsite. Reason: they were not well acclimatized and got acute Mountain sickness (AMS). Some even got high altitude pulmonary oedema HAPO).

The place was however beautiful. We could see Jogin peak from our camp site and it had a beautiful scenic surrounding. We were at this intermediate camp for two days due to heavy snow fall. We witnessed upto 2 feet of snow on the first night at the intermediate camp. The snow fall practically kept us awake the whole night as we took turns to shed off the snow from our tents. Lest it wet our tents. The porters and our instructors were also helping us in this task.

After two whole days at the intermediate camp, the third day we proceeded to the base camp at (4600 mts). This was also a beautiful picturesque place surrounded by peaks like the Gangotri Massif (Gangotri 1, 2 and 3) and Rudugaira. The trek to the Base Camp wasn't so bad.

While at the Base Camp we were trained on the Glacier and Snow. Training on the glacier wall involved revision of basic techniques, aid climbing, two piton base climbing, tip toe climbing and climbing using double ice axe.
Snow craft included Toe kicking, Side stepping, heel kicking; Glissading; Different types of belaying; Ice axe retrieval; Crevasse crossing; Rescue techniques in crevasse using C pulley and Z pulley; detecting avalanche prone area; lecture on avalanche rescue using a revolutionary system called Tracker Digital Transceiving System (DTS).

Just to explain what is DTS? It is designed to simplify multiple burial situations. Once a signal is found, the Tracker directs the searcher to that signal. If a second transmitter is detected during the search, the Tracker stays on course and continues to guide the user toward the strongest signal. Once the first victim is located and uncovered, the transmitting beacon should be switched off and the search for the next buried individual should begin.

After all the training and taking into account the weather conditions it was decided by our senior instructors that instead of summiting Gangotri-III (6577 mts) we would be sumitting RuduGaira peak (5819 mts). They decided against Gangotri III due to bad weather conditions. Infact even Rudugaira was a big ? but instructirs decided we would trek to the advance base camp and then decide the future course of action.

So day 14 of our training we got ready early to march to the advance base camp (4920 mts). Although the load we were carrying was less the trek was tough. We encountered steep walks, moraines and bad weather to add to it. But finally when we reached our camp site all the tiredness was forgotten. The best part was that the tents were already pitched. Amidst cold wind and bad weather it was extremely soothing sitting inside the kitchen tent and having hot cups of tea and snacks along with all the instructors. After a while we went for an acclimatisation walk which was good. The best part was that all the 19 of us were well acclamatised and raring to go. We couldn't resist the thought of summitting RuduGaira.

Once back at the camp site, each team had to cook their own meal for the night. We were given Maggie packets and few other ingredients that we wanted along with the gas burner and utensils. This was part of our training to cook in the high altitudes.

As I sat outside the tent to cook the Maggie along with my tent mates Indira and Maj Geetanjali, we had a lovely panoramic view of the mountains Manda1, 2, Brighupanth, Jogin on one side and on the other side; we could see the Gangotri massif. It was sunset time and we could see the tip of the peak shining gold. We finished dinner by 7 and were all ready to hit the sack. The next day was a big day for us –‘The Summit Day’ -The summit of Rudragaira peak(..5819 M) ;

The first group headed out at 4 am to open the route. The second group left half hour later. The weather was good but windy. The temperature was sub zero with 2 to 5 feet of snow. I wore 6 layers of clothing – 2 T shirts, 1 light jacket; 1 feather jacket and a wind proof jacket and windproof trouser with gaiters, snow boots, helmet and all technical equipment including ice axe and rope.
I maintained a steady pace all through but walked towards end. It was a steep walk all through and the weather was on our side. But we could not delay and had to summit by 9 as the heat was getting harsh. Once the snow starts getting loose it would be a tough for us to descend.

The first batch summitted almost an hour before the second batch. Nevertheless a few of us kept each other motivated and we all finally made it. Except three girls who mentally gave up towards the end. It was our first all woman Ascent to Rudugaira on June 17, 2010. It was a great sense of achievement for all of us. We spent hardly 2 minutes on the top of the peak and had to immediately start descending.

The descend was killing. After a while we had to put on our crampons as the snow got loose and it was difficult getting a grip to walk down.

But as they say all’ well that end’s well. Each and everyone reached the advance camp safely.

The course has helped me hone my technical skills but as they say no amount of training helps unless and until you continuously practice it. The expedition was one hell of an experience. After you have experienced it, you realize what it takes to be a mountaineer.

Back at NIM !!!!

2010-05-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

The last time when i took a month's leave and said i was going to climb mountains and learn mountaineering my friends and colleagues thought why would you waste one month doing something like this. Would you not rather spend your time in some luxurious holiday. Well i didn't pay heed to that last year and this year again i am back at NIM for my advance course in Mountaineering and so are many others from my previous basic course. It just seems like we all met only few days ago. The weather here is fine currently. Slightly cloudy with pleasant breeze. The afternoons though have been extremely hot. Hopefully the weather will remain pleasant through the night and tomorrow. Watching the girls who have come for their Basic course brings back fond memories of the past. I see the same look and apprehension on their faces which was so starkly visible on my face last year when i was here for the course. Despite having read up all about the course and also having spoken to many of my friends about the course i was still apprehensive about what was in store for me.
This time around what's interesting is the mix of people who have come to do their basic and advance course. There is a Bharat Natyam dancer from Chennai, an architect from Delhi, a Spanish teacher and translator from Mumbai, a graphic designer, a homeopathic doctor and i am sure there would be many more. The one thing that has brought us all together here is the passion for adventure sports.
Right now we are all waiting for the induction programme to begin later this evening when the dos and dont's would be reiterated to us. This year is going to be exciting for us as we are told that we would be going to Gangotri III. Right now i just can't wait for the course to start. It starts tomorrow but the wait seems too long.....

Reporter's Diary from Dantewada

2010-04-30T01:07:00.000-07:00

15.04.10
1600 hrs, Dantewada, Chattisgarh

Right from the time we set out to leave from Mumbai for Vishakapatnama and then to Dantewada in Chattisgarh we were constantly warned of the place and asked to take care. On the surface everything seems normal but deep in the jungles is where all the action is happening.
The journey into the naxals heartland in Chattisgarh involves a 70 to 80km hike, winding through thick jungle over the mineral-rich Bailadila Hills and on through a number of naxal -controlled villages. While, it was obviously difficult for us to capture those dark tales when we were there nevertheless we managed a bit.

Dantewada:

We crossed the borders of three states (Andhar Pradesh, Orissa and Chattisgarh) to finally enter Dantewada. Ever since we stepped into the district –South Bastar area at around 4 pm in the afternoon that the eerie feeling set in. It is one of the most backward regions and district that I had ever been to in this country. It is a mineral rich resource state and if companies are allowed to do business here, it could probably give a fillip to all-round development in the district. But unfortunately, there has been no concrete development in this place for the last 30 years except for roads.

For the main district town-Dantewada has nothing much. The streets look deserted. We got out of our AC car into scorching heat biting in to our skins to find out if all was ok.. have we come on a wrong day, is there a problem.. all sorts of questions was crossing my mind…Finally on enquiring with a local shopkeeper, he tells us that shops are shut because of a weekly off. Strangely it was not hustling district town. We spotted only few locals on the streets. Found out there was only hotel (Madhuban) tucked away in some corner, no petrol pump, no cinema hall or even a children’s park and no auto rickshaws were visible either. There is one district hospital which has just about 22 doctors for the entire town. Manoj, a local shopkeeper tells us if one meets with an accident or is seriously ill he or she will have to be rushed either to Raipur or Visakapatnam both of which are equidistant from Dantewada.

We decide to go meet the district collector. To our surprise we find this young lady IAS Officer Reena Kangle. She has been posted there for a year now. Amidst all the eeriness she came as a breadth of fresh air. I was surprised to note that in a place where no sane person wants to go, here is this young lady who is the district collector and trying to bring some order in to the place.

She tells us the pathetic situation of the South Bastar region. “This is the most backward regions,” says Kangle. When asked about the hospital she says: “32 specialist doctors’ posts are still vacant here. Nobody is willing to come here.”
Of the 1700 schools in Dantewada, 200 have been blown off by the naxalites in the inner villages and the others have few teachers. “Dantewada is the least literate districts in the entire country just about 25 per cent of the 5.5 lakh population are literate,” says Kangle.
I was amazed to find out that a five year old in the villages of Bastar region or in the villages in Dantewada knows how to blow up an ID bomb or a land mine or even make a tiffin bomb, but they do not know how to write their name or count. Tiffin bombs as we understand from the police authorities are Naxalites greatest strength. These bombs come inside a steel tiffin box and is enough to blow up a jeep.

Moving freely in Dantewada or Kirundul and Bacheli which is about 40 kms from Dantewada main town gathering information was a difficult task. Kirundul and Bacheli is where the iron ore mines are situated.

The silence speaks volumes of intimidation and fear perhaps more from the naxals. The locals are not willing to talk. They do not want to be seen talking to strangers in their town as they would not want to be considered as any kind of informers out of fear of being tortured and killed by the Naxals. Somehow we found our own way to tackle the situation.

Naxals may not be visible to us or even the locals but they make their presence felt by blowing up schools or call for a bandh and disrupt services in the district. They run their own parallel economy and so called government.
The schools are blown up thinking they could become good fortresses for the police forces. In the last year alone they have blown up 12 residential schools building in the central and Southern parts of Dantewada. These are schools for the tribal children in the villages.

What’s surprising is that despite all their atrocities, there are sympathetic voices for these naxalites from educated and well-informed people, who deliberately seem to be ignoring the real menace.

Who are these Naxalites?

A chance meeting with Mahesh Babu (name changed), a surrendered naxalite and who is now a SPO (Special Police Officer) with the state police force brought to the fore the point that the under the garb of alleviating the suffering of the tribal people, their only mission is to loot the rich to buy expensive sophisticated weapons to run their parallel government. None of the money that is being extorted in the name of tax from the local villagers and businessmen is being used for development of the tribals. They are not doing it and they do not want the government to do it either.
“They have their own political agenda. The tribal people’s cause is a façade to cover their evil desires. Most of these naxalite leaders’ kids are studying outside whereas they do not want us tribals to get basic education as well,” Babu says.
From a village in the Bastar region, Babu joined the ranks of the naxalites when he was just 12 years old.
His family comprised of his peasant father, mother, brothers and sister. Babu was brain washed and inducted into the naxal movement in 1993 when the naxalites had come into their hostel building in Dronapal to propagate their movement. They spoke of their ideology by saying that “You cannot end the world’s injustices without stirring a revolution and no revolution happens without bloodying your hands. We are fighting a people’s war – a protracted people’s war.”
Flown by their ideology Babu joined the movement. Like other rebels, he was offered no salary, only the promise of liberation. There were many others like him at the jungle hideout including girls.
He spent three months at a Maoist camp. He was given all the necessary arms training like bow and arrow training, handling of the 12 bore 303 rifle, guerilla tactics; learned how to make and plant bombs, ambush police patrols and attack police posts etc.
By the fourth month, he was ready to embrace the gun and die for the movement. He also rose to the rank of deputy commander and was based in the jungles of Orissa within a year.
“Initially when I got inducted the ideology was to stop the atrocities that the local rich people committed on the adivasi community but later on I realised that the ideology was just a farce. They were actually keen on looting people for their own benefit. Their ideology is wrong. Most work for them including the villagers as they fear for their lives. The Naxalite leaders say they have no desire for money, then why do they themselves run away with the money? What are they struggling for then?
They say this struggle is for establishing their own government. They say they will wipe out the police and set up their own government. That our lives will improve, but I knew that this is untrue. It will never happen.
I then decided to run away and get out of the shackles of the naxalites. In 1996, I got that opportune moment I was waiting for and ran away,” Babu says.

Since that day Babu has been living in constant fear of being killed. His father and two younger brothers have already been killed by the naxalites. And in the recent past Babu himself has been attacked several times. His body is full of cuts and wounds. Babu now tries to save himself and his mother and younger sister. But he says life is better now than what it was in the jungles. He now works for the Chattisgarh police as a Special Police Officer (SPO) and is paid around Rs 3500 a month. He hopes that some day he will be roped in as a permanent employee in the state police force.

These surrendered boys and girls are roped in as special police officer as they are well informed on how these naxalites operate and also know the jungle routes etc.

Mahesh’s account of what the training process entails

We used to wake up at 4 am for PT and drill, followed by breakfast and then the leaders would talk to us about the teachings of Mao and their way of life. After this we would have lunch and two hours rest followed by PT, drill, training and tea.
In the night after dinner we went to the jungle for night training. Later we were sent to a larger camp for training, here we were taught how to draw maps of police stations, how to gherao police posts, how to snatch a rifle from a constable. We were trained by military commanders. On an average 4 to 5 batches get trained there. The routine at all these camps are the same. We are also trained in self defense in case we came under attack.
Everything that these naxals do is much planned. In the camp they give orders and tell you that today you have to kill. If they order you to kill, you have to do so. They allocate the duties during roll-call, you can't be scared, you have to carry out what they tell you.
They don't even give any money for the work they make us do. The commanders keep all the money and sometimes run away with it. Even if you ask them to give you some money they don’t. They get crores of rupees. The leaders don't fight on the ground as we do. All they do is brain wash the tribals and loot the rich villagers and kill all those who oppose them and hold meetings.

Current Situation in Dantewada:

The police authorities along with the district authorities are doing their best to restore peace in the region and also doing their bit to educate the tribal children. There are several ashrams being run for the children who have been orphaned by the naxalites.
One such ashram in the main district town of Dantewada is the state-run Astha Gurukul School which houses 150 kids. Most kids here have seen their parents being killed brutally before their own eyes and they now want to avenge their parents death and for spreading bloodbath in their State.
“We want to get the 6 to 18 year olds out of the clutches of the naxals and educate them,” says Kangle. DSP Sanjay Sharma says
“How to inject an achievement drive in this region is an issue we are trying to tackle,” says SP Amresh Mishra.
Currently, all efforts are currently on to restore peace, law and order in the district town.

Alangad Trek

2010-03-30T00:41:00.000-07:00

This trek took place on Feb 13-14. But sorry could not post earlier as I was caught up terribly at work…But it’s never too late

IT was an eventful night journey in a Qualis, stopping by at the middle of the night at a roadside dabbha for dinner and chai. After a sumptuous dinner we headed straight for the base village Ambewadi. We reached Ambewadi at 3.30 am. Like always we decided to catch few hours of sleep in the courtyard of one of the villager’s home. Our group comprised of Jayesh, Laldev, Myself, Sridhar, Vardhan, Anupama, Shalini, Dr Pritam (who later was known by the name surgeongad), Ashu da (Ashish Deewane), Naveen,
Ashok Hegde, Ashutosh and Yogita.
Morning as we wake up I find the location of the base village is directly amidst the mountains. You wake up to the typical Sahyadri vista-High, rocky cliffs and yellow dried grasses of the winter.
After having tea and biscuits we started our trek around 8.30 am. Our target was to reach the top of Alangad by mid afternoon that day and stay for a while and then proceed to Madangad. The initial route to Alangad is a normal trail through deciduous vegetation and dry grass.
After around 3 hours of walking, we reached a 15 feet rock patch. We find some climbers climbing this small patch. So we wait. The rock patch was small but nevertheless we had to rope up to climb this patch. Soon after this short climb there is a flight of steep stairs which leads us to the main rock patch which is around 50 ft.
We wait for about half hour to climb this small patch. The time is already 1.30 pm. Once all of us our done, we climb up the flight of stairs and get to the next rock patch –the main one. We see the same set of four climbers roping up. Considering the fact that they would take a while to climb up we decide to take a break in the adjoining caves and have our lunch as it is already 2.30 pm. This cave could easily accommodate 7-8 people. The cave became our pit stop while we waited for the climbers ahead of us to finish. We spent our time laughing, joking, just looking around in the valley and clicking pictures.
It was a long wait almost 2 hours. Soon after they finished Laldev is given the task to set up the system. He climbs like a spider before we realize he is already at the top setting up the system for the others to follow. He is amazingly flexible and fearless!! Jayesh is the next to climb and was all set to give belay to the rest of us who were to Jumar and go up this tough rock patch. Jumaring wasn’t easy as well. We had to brace ourselves against the rock face and pull our body up. It was difficult as it was a long stretch and hands gave up at many places but we all still managed to go up. While on one rope we were Jumaring, we had another rope running parallel to pull up our ruck sacks.
We reach the top and there is a wide ledge at the top of this patch where the anchors are set up and adjoining the ledge is a cave. We rested here for a while as it took considerable time till the last person of the group reached the top.
The journey hadn’t ended yet. We still had to climb up some steep steps before we finally reached the plateau where the caves were situated. These were deep cut stairs and had an exposure on one side, which makes the climb a little scary; especially if you are carrying a back pack. It had got dark but, we managed well to go up without a rope. The sheer exposure gives you a thrill and you get the opportunity to negotiate tricky patches on very few treks.
Alang top is a huge plateau with caves in the middle. The remnants of the fort are on a small hillock on the top of the caves. The fort walls are intact and the view from top is mind blowing…
As we reach the caves we find this huge atleast (5000sq ft) cave which we occupy. The earlier group ahead of us occupied the same cave. We got terribly late to reach the caves and therefore missed the sunset.
The walk and the climb at the end of it all were brilliant. Despite the fact that we had several first timers with us in the group who had never rock climbed or knew what jumaring was they all climbed very well. That’s also because Odati Adventures team is well known to adhere to safety measures. There was no room for error. Priority was obviously safety rather than speed.
Everybody reached the caves by 8 pm. The cave was hot owing to the lack of wind. Laldev and I started preparing for dinner. We made some soup, Khichdi and khadi and ended the meal with some tasty sonpapdi.
By now everyone was ready to crash out. The tiredness was setting in. Since the cave was hot, I didn’t have to use my sleeping bag. I used it as my bedding instead. Most of the group did the same.
Day 2: I woke up really early. Nobody was up then & I took the advantage of darkness to finish the morning routine. It’s become a habit for me now in the outdoors I either wake up really early in the morning while it’s still dark or in the middle of the night to answer nature’s call. (Believe me, getting up early in the mountain has its own benifits. You don’t get the toilet area already used up. So u don’t have to go far to find yourself a suitable bush or a boulder to hide behind.. hahah .:).
Since I had woken up early I thought I would catch the sunrise but unfortunately decided against it. I just spent some time sitting alone & idling away on the plateau, looking around and breathing in the cold air. On the West, one could see Ghatghar backwater and Ratangad fort. On the East- Avandha and Patta forts are visible and so is Kalsubai peak.
Soon I realize Vardhan, Ashu da, Deepak, Ashutosh are up. Laldev and myself got down to preparing breakfast and tea, the others helped with the pack up.
When Jayesh and gang came back after almost two hours of spending time in the fort above the caves, I realized what I missed. I heard from the gang that the place was a photographer’s delight. Mountains always look wonderful in the rising and the setting sun and the light conditions are ideal for clicking pictures.
We started the descent at 10 am but lost quite a lot of time climbing down the stairs.
As per the earlier plan we had Madan fort on the itinerary as well but we took a call against on the previous day itself as we had got very delayed.
So we decided to head straight back to the base village. The climb down was difficult as always. Climb down involved scrambling through a lot of loose rock and stones. It was quite tricky and our minds had to be on the alert mode all the while.
At the end of the long trek back, I must say it was very satisfying. The exhaustion was indeed detoxifying. As we reached the road point near Ambewadi, Jayesh who had reached much before us was waiting for us to be picked up.
All in all, an excellent trek. Its tough in terms of stamina. Even though it’s better to be technically trained, the climb is made possible for the novices by the technical people in the group. The mountains are majestic..I have been around Sahyadri before but I liked this trek a lot. The shape of the mountain on this side are just vertical and in your face.
This trek is recommended for all those who want a thrill in life.

26/11……time to grieve or celebrate

2009-11-24T01:05:00.000-08:00

With the happening around me and the hype created all around the 26/11 attacks it seems to me this is not an event to grieve but an event to celebrate. Business has continued as usual in Mumbai but making a business out of 26/11 in the name of showing solidarity is a little too much.
TV channels, newspapers and above all the Government is all gung ho suddenly remembering the 26/11 attacks. There are films that have been made, there is a music video made, news channels are doing special programmes surrounding the dreadful event.
Why? Why hasn’t there been continuous follow up by either of these agencies on what has happened to the families of the dead, what has happened to the ones who have survived, have they got compensation, have they got what they have been promised? No authority or media has gone about covering this incident way after the attacks happened. Like always everybody wakes up to the event when the anniversary is closing in on us….
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Home Minster R R Patil run away from a press conference evading questions on what has been done so far by the Government ……R R Patil made a blunder then during the attacks and was forced to resign from his post and today again he is no good ….but sits firm in his chair as the Home Minister….
What the government has certainly done is come out with a fancy booklet called ‘Mumbai Shapath’ to commemorate the event. I still have no idea what’s the purpose of this booklet. The booklet is glossy with excellent printing quality… by far the best and very good for Government standards
The attacks have been made in to a ‘Tamasha’ to cash in on. I wonder if so much hype was created when the serial train blasts took place in Mumbai where more people died. The so called Mumbaiites never came out and protested on the streets .. did not point fingers at authorities concerned…
I did not see the spirit of Mumbai while I covered the attacks and I do not see any spirit even now. Life is continuing for each one of us as usual… nothing has changed in this city…. And nothing will…..

My Parting remarks and few Observations on NIM

2009-08-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

The entire course, though very tough, was unique but loads of fun too. From living in tents for 18 days, laughing and crying with team mates at the same time, to putting up with people’s egos and tantrums! It all makes me think that to experience adventure and beauty you have to experience extremes.
My asthma never posed a problem all through the course. Infact, the higher I went I had stopped wheezing as well. The doctor had given me a clean chit of being fit. I did not have problems of acclimatizing while some others did.
Infact what was surprising is that some girls who came across as physically fit actually ended up with breathing attacks on high altitudes.
But what disappoints me is that finally I have been graded on the basis of my Asthma. I have been given a B grade because I am an asthmatic and not because i did not perform well.
While some others, who were ill during the course, did not complete height gain due to their illness have managed to get an A Grade…. I wonder how and on what basis?
But let me conclude by saying that a B Grade is not going to stop me from scaling more heights year after year.

Three Phases of Traning at NIM

2009-08-23T04:18:00.000-07:00

href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jSU11JmLg7s/SpOazA66uuI/AAAAAAAABHo/OtS5GHTBtWg/s1600-h/032+climbing.JPG">

The first phase of our training begins....

it invovled Rock Craft, for which we walked the entire stretch of 11 km from the NIM campus to Tekhla, the rock climbing zone. The most adventurous aspect of this phase was climbing up 40m high rocks and then rappelling down the same. Climbing also included artificial wall climbing within the premises of the institute. The institute has an international climbing wall. The first Asian sport climbing competition was held here at the NIM institute.

This was followed by the most memorable part of the course: the 18 day trek!
We left from the NIM campus on June 3 and our journey literally took us across many mountains and rivers, forests and glaciers! Here were 63 basic course mountaineering trainees (208 Basic Course.. that’s what we were addressed as when in a group), with 20 kg ruck-sacks on our backs, working purely on the directions of their instructors. Initially one feels like a porter, but slowly as you get into the groove of training you realize what fun all this is.

Our journey took us from NIM (4,300 feet) to Bukhi Road head to Tel Camp(8,200 feet), Jungle camp, Gujjar Hut camp and finally Base Camp (12,300 feet) and then Advance base Camp (13400ft) and then finally a height gain of 16000 ft to Camp 1of ‘Draupadi Ka Danda Peak’.
It sounds like a great achievement now, but at that moment we were all humbled by the beauty of the places we passed by, with beautiful rhododendrons, buttercups, marshmarygolds and other colourful flowers inviting us to their humble abode.

Walking through valleys of flowers, with snow carpeted mountains, crossing crystal clear streams and hearing the gurgling waters, was such a pleasure, it compensated for the tough journey and heavy luggage, giving us all a sense of calm and contentment. It was all worth it!

Second Phase of Training
The day after reaching base camp, we took off for the second phase of our course: Ice Craft:.
We would trek to the Dokriani Bamak glacier, which was a black glacier- a mountainous area of pure ice covered with rubbles and morraines. We were all anxious at first, since the climb to the place itself made us slip and fall a dozen times and then the ice craft was even more grueling. We were taught techniques of ascending and descending on ice slopes, glaciers and crevasses with the help of ice axe, pitons, wearing heavy ice boots and crampons (spikes attached to the base of the boots for grip on ice). But by the end of the 5 day training in this area, I was confident enough to walk up and down the ice slopes and enjoy!
During our lecture sessions at base camp, we were instructed on the various aspects related to mountaineering. It included lectures on avalanches, glaciers, flora and fauna, important medical information about the effect of high altitudes on mountains, importance of different types of food on the mountains and we were also shown mountaineering films on Mount Everest expeditons, Jamling Norgay’s narration of his father Tenzing Norgay’s expeditions and his like for Everest and not to miss Hollywood films such as Vertical Limit and Into Thin Air!
Some highlights of the Course
Many of our instructors gave us detailed stories of their experiences on the various peaks they had climbed such as Everest, Chowkhamba and many other peaks in the Garhwal Himalayas. We were fortunate to have with us on our trip Colonel Balwant Sandhu, ex principal of the institute and his wife Helga.
The first time when he introduced himself to us he said he was a mountaineer and that had climbed several peaks and had done several expeditions. To his credit also lies the fact that he climbed Changabang, as leader of an Indo-British expedition. The peak is also called ‘the sharks tooth’ because of its extreme steep feature. After his succesful summit to this peak no one till date has climbed this peak. He ended his introdution by telling us “ I have climbed several peaks but i have not climbed the Everest”. I was kicked by that statement. At a time when every single mountaineer you come across their only am in life is to climb ‘The Everest’ and here was this experienced climber who has no qualms about saying that he has not climbed the Everest.
When asked him why he had never though of climbing the Everest he simply told me “ I did not want to pt myself through so much torture.I climb because i love the mountains and not to prove something or break some record.” I quite shared his thoughts. I am also asked by a lot of my friends if i have done EBC (Everest Base Camp) trek and when i tell them i have not they look at me with this expresson what mountaineer are you? You have not done EBC? Well you never know i might do it someday but so far it was not on my agenda .
The experience Col Sandhu shared with us was priceless and awe inspiring. His German wife Helga shared her thoughts with us on Flora and fauna. Col Sandhu also gave us lot of insights into the environmental hazards that has gripped the Himalayas such as receding glacier problems.

An important point that Col Sandhu once told me during the entire trip was about how you cannot take the mountains for granted and that even though the mountains can be very beautiful, they can also be very ruthless!

Last Phase of Training
From Base camp we proceeded to Advance Base Camp, at a height of 13,400 feet and this was also third and last phase of our course: Snow Craft. Here we learnt the techniques of ascending on soft snow with the help of ice axe and ropes. I really enjoyed this part of the training. Thereafter my most enjoyable part of training was the final height gain from Advance Base Camp to Camp 1 of Draupadi Ka Danda peak at 16000 ft.
I enjoyed this bit the most, as I walked effortlessly amidst the snow. At time there were slight whiteouts but overall the feeling was so fantastic at the end of the climb and very enriching.
At the end of snow craft training and our height gain, we returned back to base camp. We revised Map reading and navigaton techniques was taught to us with the use of a compass and service protractor and the next day we were sent on a treasure hunt! based on the map reading and navigation skills that we had learnt.
As all serious courses do, this one too had a test at the end. Hence, on the last day after he treasure hunt.. everyone could be seen sitting with book in hand trying to memorise all the notes given to us during the lectures. For the last couple of years NIM had made it compulsory for all trainees to get atleast 40 percent marks in theory. This would also help in getng an A Grade.
It’s only when you get an A Grade that you are allowed to seek admission for an Advance course.
The day arrived when we were to return back to the NIM campus. We walked from Base Camp to Tel, which took us 9 hours, with just few breaks in bettween.
The next day was our final trek to Bukhi road head from where we were driven back to the NIM campus. The euphoria on everyone’s faces on seeing the buses, a sign of civilization after 18 days of living like nomads, was worth seeing!

On arrival at the Campus:

2009-08-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

We arrive at the campus on 26th. There is chaos as usual. So many girls there is bound to be chaos. We then hear a loud stern voice asking us to shut up. It is one of the senior instructors of the Institute. We are then asked to fall in a line and each one of us is asked to enter our name, address and place of birth in a register after which we are allotted a room for the first day. I was allotted room no.2. It’s a bunker system room with six comfortable beds. I unload my back pack and occupy one of the cupboards. Then two others girls come in and do the same.
Along with me in the same room were Roopa from Delhi, Banarasi (Babu) from MP-Chattisgarh an NCC Cadet, Shreyanka from Bangalore, Kanchan from Mumbai and Janhvi from Ahmedabad.
Jhanvi was the youngest amongst us .. she was all of 17 and she was doing this course inspired by her father who had just summitted Mount Everest with the Indian Police Expedition. Shreyanka, a Yoga specialist was doing the course because it was suggested to her by her aunt who goes climbing with Bachendri Pal – the first Indian woman to summit Everest. She had no clue what trekking is or what she was going to do over the next 28 days. Banarasi had come through NCC and Kanchan was sponsored by an NGO called Saathi in Mumbai..which has interests in adventure sports.
After introducing ourselves, the restlessness of sitting idle doing nothing was getting to me. So I decide to go for a short walk around the lush green campus. Shreyanka joins me for the walk.
It’s strange but you meet some people for the first time and it seems like you have known the person for long. I must honestly confess here that I never expected to make so many friends at the Institute but by the end of the course I had made so many friends. And hopefully they are all there to stay.
As I go around the campus I see that the campus has a Himalayan Museum, Indoor and Outdoor climbing wall, a library, a temple, cafeteria, Green House, Himalayan Flora and Fauna, equipments and medical room, souvenir shop etc … But one cannot just walk into these places. There are specific timings to visit these places. First day everything seems strange.. one really wonders why am I doing this? But eventually you realize it is worth it…..
Around 7 pm the entire 208 Basic Course is summoned to the lecture hall for a pep Talk that was to be delivered by C Norbu one the senior most instructors at the Institute. At the pep talk we were told about the course, mountaineering, the certain dos and donts within the Campus and and rules to follow. A gist of the 28 days course and what is expected of us.
After a nice long walk…we step into the cafeteria and gorge on some Momos and Maggie Noodles….as we knew that from day 2 onwards training will start and we will be confide to Mess Food….(which I must again confess was very good).
After dinner I once again took a short walk but not too far away from the eyes of the instructors. We are all asked to get back to our rooms by 8.30 and 9.30 lights go off.
Day two was going to be an early day…..we are told

It's been a wonderful experience!!!

2009-08-12T05:50:00.000-07:00

So what have I been doing in the last few months…why have I not updated my blog ? Well no particular reason for not updating my blog.. But now I would like to start off my update with my trip to Nehru Institute of Mountaineering for my Basic Mountaineering Course. I promise I will be regular from now on

Wonderful Experience !!

In a world where most are consumed by endless commitments and routine, dreams often take a back seat. As a fairly successful journalist, I believe I have been able to effectively leverage my climbing experiences to prove that one can successfully marry work and outdoor passion to achieve something remarkable for ones own self.
That’s probably one reason that I sought admission to the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Asia’s premier institute of mountaineering to do my Basic course in Mountaineering, a course that teaches you everything from walking in the hills, to packing your back pack to rock climbing to Ice climbing in the glacier, snow craft, lecture sessions on mountaineering and Himalayas and much more..
When I told this to my friends who are far from being trekkers or mountaineers they thought I had kind of lost it. “One month of concentration camp” (well that’s what they thought it was when I gave them a brief on what I had enrolled for) you must be nuts….
Not their fault .. as they associate a month long holiday with a stay in a resort where one could chill and have a good time with all the comforts of life. And mine was a holiday that was a complete contrast of what a holiday should be.
But nothing stops me. And so I set out for Uttarkashi from Mumbai on May 25, 2009 as I had to report at the Institute on 26th.
I reached Uttarkashi main market on 26th afternoon from where the NIM bus would be picking up all the trainees to take them to the Institute. As I landed in the main market from Dehradun, I realise I am not alone. There were several other girls from various parts of the country with their loaded backpacks all set to for the course. I couldn’t wait to get to the institute. I was sitting at the window seat and gaping outside as though i had never been to the mountains before. And then as the bus entered the gates of the sacred Institution my happiness knew no bounds...I realised I was sheepishly grinning to myself and suddenly i notice one of the girls staring at me.
I wasn't a novice to the course. I had heard such a lot from my friends who had done the course that it had half prepared me for the course and i was ready for all eventualities. But, there were several others who had absolutely no clue what they were going to be doing. Most girls I spoke to thought it was going to be an adventure camp and therefore a lot of fun for the next 28 days. Little did they know we were far from having fun.
The Institute demands that you are fit both physically, mentally and medically for the course. So a little amount of training prior to the course is always good. Especially practicing walking with load for at least 2 hours daily.
I being a chronic asthmatic, took more efforts to be fit. I was not sure in the first place if my application would be accepted. But when they did i decided i would give my best shot at this course.
Apart from this being a long standing dream, I also wanted to do the course to break the myth that asthmatics are physically and medically not fit to do mountaineering. I want to be an example to all those asthmatics out there who constantly live in this fear that they cannot do outdoors and therefore deprive themselves of all the fun by living a very restricted and boring life.
But let me tell you no amount of training is enough. I realized that nothing would have prepared me for what I was to face in the coming 28 days. Wake-up at 4.30 in the morning, assemble for physical training at 6.30 am and thereafter have a hectic schedule for the entire day filled with lecture sessions, artificial wall and natural rock climbing training, tent pitching, long treks, etc!
Initially everyone was fine but later on slowly the physical stress and fatigue started to set in. The course is designed in such a manner that the moment you realize you are free for sometime…. The whistle would suddenly blow and it would be time for a fall in…phew…
The instructors well made sure that not a single trainee was sitting idle. There would always be something or the other to do…For many of us city bred individuals sleeping in bunk beds and living a disciplined lifestyle was new.
Girls were aghast to know that we could not even walk in our slippers in the hostel. At all given times one had to make sure that she was wearing shoes when she stepped out of her room. But that’s a reality that we had to live with for one month…..

So what’s a Basic Course?
In this course, beginners are taught the basic techniques of movement on rock, snow and ice. This is achieved through practical training and theoretical knowledge about the various aspects of mountaineering, including conservation of Himalayan environment, preserving health in the mountains, toughen the body by increasing resistance to cold, hunger and fatigue.
The trainees of the Basic course spend initial four to six days at Uttarkashi and Tekhla, where they undergo physical conditioning, toughening up exercises, long walks and extensive rock climbing training. Thereafter, they spend the next 18 days in the mountains; the journey towards base camp involves tow to three intermediate camps, which help the trainees acclimatize. During their stay in the mountains, students are trained in the basic techniques of snow craft and ice craft that help in climbing at high altitudes. On completion of training, basic course students are taken for a height gain, up to altitudes ranging between 16,000 and 19,000 feet.

Since the course was for one whole month and there is so much to share I will be adding to this piece every day from tomorrow.. so watch this space for more……

Across the Countryside on two wheels

2009-02-10T22:20:00.000-08:00

People in Mumbai avoid cycling to avoid the traffic and human rush. But have you thought of escaping into the countryside with your cycle? Not too far just about 80 kms away from busy Mumbai. Believe me it's not a bad idea at all. Its fun though of a different sort- like sweating like a pig in the hot sun, gasping for breath, cramps and pains midway. But it also means clear blue skies, verdant mountains, friendly village folks, lush paddy fields, lots of goodness and a tremendous sense of achievement at the end of it all.
In the outskirts of Mumbai cycling can take you past some of the most beautiful locations and above all it's a great way to de-stress for all the Mumbaikars. I also think it is a great way to explore the local areas which otherwise most city dwellers never get a chance. Cycling through those little villages, lush green paddy fields surrounded on all sides by mountains and at times riding through the busy village markets and bus stands is a great way to know the place. Cycling gives you a different thrill as opposed to driving and is definitely is a refreshing change for one day from the mundane city life.
Last Sunday I went cycling in the Karjat region of the Sahyadri ranges. I was part of the Odati team which was conducting the cycling trip for Mojo Eye-Wear promoted by Yogi (Yogesh) Shah of the Backpackers Co. fame. I call it the Mojo Bike ride. There were in all 25 participants. Our ride was to start at Hal Junction and end at Tata Power's hydro-electricity generator plant situated near Bhivpuri dam.
After our breakfast at the famous Shree Dutt we drove 25kms aead of Panvel to Hal Junction. After a short briefing session by Jayesh we began the ride at around 9 am from Hal Junction on NH4.
Karjat is an extended suburb of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. It is located on Bhor Ghat, Sahyadri Western Ghats as well as at the end of coastal plains of Konkan region near Deccan and lies on the banks of the Ulhas river. Bhor Ghat was an ancient trade route connecting the ports at Choul, Revdanda, Panvel, etc. on the Konkan coast and the hinterland on the Deccan plateau.
As we rode from Hal junction we passed through Palasdari village and lake, heading straight to Karjat. On the way we passed through model and actor Perizad Zorabia's famed Zorabian Chick farms and also many farm houses. Few years back the place had a couple of farm houses and today there are lot many. More and more people are buying plots in this part to build their weekend homes. I was told that Karjat has got one of the largest chain of Farm Houses in Asia. Now that's interesting to note.
Another point to be note is the number of new hotels that have sprung up in the last two or three years. I remember when we used to come trekking to Karjat some years back there used to be two or three dhabbas where you had to make do with chai and biscuits and vada pavs. But Karjat has flourished now with lot more hotels and many of whom have put up boards to start their operations soon. Karjat also has an advanced bio-tech institute which has been developing patented hybrid varieties of rice of international repute, apart from other crops and techniques. As you go into the interior you come across paddy fields. Another landmark of Karjat is art director Nitin Desai's "ND Studio". This studio has become a tourist attraction. Currently, Raja Chattrapati Shivaji is being shot here for Star Pravah.
It was a beautiful ride from Palasdari to Karjat (approximately 15 km) but slowly the heat was getting on to us. Nevertheless we continued passing through some busy and some quaint villages like Dahivili, Vinegaon, Vadap and Jhambivili. The most beautiful aspect of the ride was the long stretch of ride from Dahivili to the final destination Tata Power station. The roads were beautiful without any bumps or pot holes and completely clear of traffic. As we rode along we cut an unusual sight. But the response from the locals was always warm.People were so welcoming.They would see us on the cylce and inform us of how far we are from our final destination or if we stopped and asked for water they would immediately get water for us. Kids were excited to see us on cycles and some even asked us for a ride which we did not mind. Many would look at us astonishingly and ask us where are you coming from? and when we would say we are from Mumbai they would raise their eyebrows and give this look of why on earth would you want to cycle all the way from Mumbai to Karjat and probably think we are mad cycling in the hot sun.
If not for the heat the ride would have been much pleasant I thought. Throughout the ride we experienced extreme heat. The only consolation was the breeze was cool. Constantly sipping water while taking on the blazing heat most of us had finished water in our hydrapacks and bottles half way through.
Due to the heat some gave up the ride at Dahivili just after Karjat and decided to follow some of us who were keen on riding in the Qualis. The total ride one way was about 35km. We halted at the Tata Power station along the banks of a river and had some local lunch that we had ordered from a nearby village. This is something most city dwellers miss… the local food –Zunka Bhakri along with some rice, dal , sabzi..and sheera....
After an experience of this sort many were sad that teh day was coming to an end and that we had to head back to the mundane city and the busy life again.
Many decided to head back home right after lunch and few crazy decided to cycle back to Hal Junction. Given a choice I would never want to get off my cycle…..

Picture courtesy: Google Images

On the soils of Ladakh

2009-02-03T03:46:00.000-08:00

Precipitous Mountain tracks to beautiful ancient and medieval Buddhist monasteries; high desert plateaus facing magnficient snow peaks …no photograph, no travelogue can ever do justice to the beautiful landscapes of Ladakh. I found it to be a land of stark contrasts – barren desert mountains rear over lush fields in the Indus valley during summers and in Winters the landscape is totally different with just snow capped mountains and dry brown landscape. However; Buddhist prayer flags and colourful monasteries throw splashes of colour on miles of mountainous terrain .

The last time I wrote about Ladakh was last year after I came back from my Nubra valley trek during the summer in August. Then I had written about the socio economic changes that I saw in Leh-Ladakh. (To read the previous post on Ladakh scroll down). In summer, visitors throng Leh. People from all over the world and India come to soak up the cool dry air. Buddhists from all over Asia come to explore and to pray at the region's Tibetan-Buddhist monasteries called Gompas. Western and Indian trekkers come to trek across some of the best hiking terrain in the world.
It was during that trip that I had decided I would like to definitely come back to Leh in winter when I could witness the real lifestyle of the locals. Winters in Leh-Ladakh are so fierce that they enforce isolation. Snow normally closes the roads to the outside world for six months. Infact we were told that many of the locals too shift residence for almost four to six months. They relocate themselves in either Jammu or in Delhi.
I wasn’t alone for this visit. Five friends- Jayesh, Ashish and his wife Shubhangi, Pushkar, Sridhar and myself (all trekkers) were equally crazy to do this trip. We were in Ladakh during the Republic day long weekend (January 24 to January 27).
We landed in Leh on January 24 in the afternoon at about 2 pm after a six hour long wait at the Delhi airport. Generally the flights are either cancelled or delayed during winter from Delhi to Leh due to the weather conditions but one more reason for our flight to get delayed was the Delhi air strip was closed from 7.30 am to 12.30 pm for R-Day Parade practice. We had a Canadian Team company at the Delhi airport. They were going to Leh to play the Indo-Canadian Friendly Ice Hockey Match on 25th and 26th.
On landing in Leh the temperature was below freezing at about 4 degree centigrade. We headed straight to our guest House ‘Kalam Guest House’. The guest house was attached to a nice cozy Ladakhi home. We were given a warm welcome by the lady of the house Mrs Ahmed and her little son Abid. After serving us a hot cup of tea we were escorted to our respective rooms. Luckily none of us were hit by high altitude sickness. After settling into our rooms and parking ourselves in front to the gas heater we decided we would go on a short walk along the streets of Leh Market.
We stepped out at 5 pm and the streets were deserted. The market was shut and the locals were indoors. It was totally a different experience from summers where the markets are crowded and the shops are open till about 10-11 pm at night. We roamed for a while. Did a little bit of nick-nack shopping and got back to our guest house where dinner was waiting for us. Mrs Ahmed had cooked some delicious vegetarian meal for us. Sitting in the warmth of the ‘bukhari’ placed in the centre of the room we relished the food.

Day 2
The previous night was cold. The temperature outside our rooms in the night was around -12 degree centigrade. The temperature inside our rooms was 1.4 degree centigrade. I was getting used to it. We did have a heater on but could not keep it on all night as it was a gas heater. But despite the cold I slept well the first night. I guess because I was tired and had not slept the previous night at Delhi airport like the others did. It was a pleasant Sunday morning. I woke up bright and chirpy and was rearing to step out. The view outside our windows was marvelous. We could see that it had snowed a bit at night.
We were picked up by Qayoom at around 9 am from the guest house. We first headed straight to Karzoo Ice Skating Ring in Leh to watch the Indo-Canadian friendly Ice Hockey match. But unfortunately it had not started. So we decided to drive down to Shati Stupa, located on a ridge about 1km from Leh. The drive is through the village of Changspa. It was built by a Japanese Buddhist organization, known as 'The Japanese for World Peace'. The aim behind the construction of the stupa was to commemorate 2500 years of Buddhism and to promote World Peace. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama inaugurated the Shanti Stupa in the year 1985. The magnificent white-dome structure is a beautiful monument decorated with colourful paintings and enshrines large statues of Buddha. It has a wonderful view over Leh and the Indus valley especially during sunrise and sunset during the summer season.
After a photography session we drive back to the Ice Hockey venue.
The match had begun and the entire Leh town –kids, oldies, men and women gathered at the ground to watch the locals play the Canadians. Just as you have seen people sit on trees to watch a Cricket match it was the same level of excitement to watch an Ice Hockey match. It was my first experience of witnessing Ice Hockey up and so close. The Canadians were leading by 1 goal and finally won the match 4-2.
The match happens every winter and is organized by the Leh Winter Sports Club. It was fun. I was told that the Lakadakh Winter Sports Club was established in 1995 by a group of local hockey fans (some sort of hockey has been played in Ladakh for more than 30 years). Most of the players were gathered from the Army teams who plays hockey in the Winter. The club couldn't afford any equipment, but the locals improvised and made hockey sticks and pucks carved out of army ammo boot heels and using handmade blades screwed to the soles of heavy army boots. The skates were provided to them by tourists. In 2002, the NHL Player Association stepped in and equipped the team with 50 sets of hockey equipment.
After the Ice Hockey match we proceeded to Neha Snacks for some delicious hot Chole-Batura and Samosa Chole. It was just ideal for the climate. After a sumptuous meal we proceeded to Thiksey monastery. The drive along the snow filled roads surrounded by snow capped mountains on all sides was amazing.
The most attractive feature of the landscape of Ladakh are the Buddhist monasteries situated on the isolated hillock in the vicinity of villages, these aesthetically pleasing, architecturally interesting monasteries provide the focus for the faith of the highly religious Buddhist people.
Situated at an altitude of 3600 m above sea level and located about 20 km away from Leh Town, Thiksey Monastery is an outstanding specimen of Ladakhi architecture. It’s part of Gelukpa order in Buddhism and is beautifully located in the picturesque top of a hillock. It encloses numerous stupas, Thangkas, statues, swords, wonderful wall paintings and a large pillar carved with Buddha’s ideas and preaching, all in a mammoth 12 storied building complex. The monastery houses one of the largest Buddhist statues, the 15 metre tall Champa, the Buddha of Future and located strategically.

Day 3
It was republic day morning and our plan for the day was to visit a village so as to be able to see the Ladakhi houses and experience the local lifestyle. We want to go on a cultural tour so to say. After that we were to go to Lamayuru, one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh and if possible to Alchi monastery as well on our way back. It was a clear day with bright sun showing up and no snow fall. We started the day with our drive to Lamayuru and on the way we stopped at Sas Pol, a quaint little village. As we entered the village, we find all the locals both young and old and kids proceeding for the R-Day celebrations in the centre of the village.
The men and women (the older generation) were all dressed in the local Ladakhi attire called Goncha.
Goncha is a voluminous robe of thick woollen cloth with a colourful cummerbund tied at the waist, is the most common Ladakhi dress; loose pyjamas, a top hat and long felt boots complete the ensemble. Slight dress variations exist for men and women. Buddhists mainly wear brick red robes but the nomads of Chang Thang and the Kargil Muslims wear undyed clothes with the latter also using the round knitted Balti cap with a rolled brim.
Bhuddists Ladakhi women wear an attractive headgear called perak, made of black lamb skin studded with semi precious turquoise stones, covering the head like a cobra's hood and tapering to a thin tail reaching down the back. For ceremonial purposes, colourful robes in silk and brocade are worn. There was one old lady we found wearing the Perak and I just could not get my eyes off her.
There was so much excitement around with the celebrations of Republic Day. It was such a pleasure watching them. I wondered are we in the same country and same State of J&K where in certain parts of the State there are terrorists striking and killing people every second day and the other place is Ladakh where the Muslims and Buddhists co-exist so beautifully.
The entire village had gathered around for the celebrations and they were waiting for a senior district official to come and start the proceedings. Unfortunately we couldn't stay till the celebrations began as we were getting late to go to Lamayuru. We had to reach Lamayuru by afternoon. It was a long way ahead.
Driving along the picturesque landscape of Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road we reached Khaltse by 1 pm in the afternoon and decided to park ourselves here for sometime to have lunch. Soon after lunch we proceeded straight to Lamayuru. On the way we encountered several Icy mountains where we hopped off to get some pictures.
The Lamayuru monastery is located on a high rocky outcrop, which overlooks a valley and the village of Lamayuru, 125 Km west of Leh. It is also called the Yung Drung or Swastika monastery and its stunning location makes this monastery a must visit on a tour to Ladakh.
As the legend goes, Lamayuru was a lake. It was blessed by a Lama after which the water of the lake receded up to the mountains leaving place for the monastery to be built. In the 11th century the Mahasiddha Naropa came to this place and the cave where he resided and meditated is still seen today. The monastery today is house to 300 monks of the Red Hat sect of Buddhism. In this monastery there are various shrines to be seen, including thangkas and wall paintings.
From Lamayuru we proceeded to Alchi. Unfortunately the monastery was closed . Nevertheless we went around Alchi Monastery and saw whatever we could. Alchi Choskor is the large and most famous of all the monasteries in Ladakh. Alchi is situated at a distance of 67 Kms west of Leh, founded by Rinchen Zangpo, translator, in 1000 AD.
An interesting aspect of these monasteries is the fact that the approach to the monasteries is lined with mane walls and Chortens. Mane walls are made of votive stones on which prayers and holy figures are inscribed, while Chortens are semi religious shrines or reliquaries, containing relics of holy people or scripts. Finally we ended the day at around 7 pm and headed straight to the guest house.

Day 4
When I got up that morning the weather seemed a little dull. It was a cloudy morning and very cold but around 8.30 the sky cleared up. All of us were very keen that we visit a Ladakhi village and then if possible visit a local’s home and understand from them about the culture of Ladakh. So as per plan we headed straight to Saboo- the model village of Leh.
Saboo is a small village that lies on the outskirts of Leh. It was like stepping back into time. We parked the car and walked to the homestead down narrow passageways and climbing over makeshift stonewalls.
I personally realized few things. There are interesting facts about Ladakhi homes. Almost every Ladakhi knows how to build one, and they obviously don’t use architectural plans.
The homes are usually very large to accommodate several generations of family members. Most of the homes have lots of windows, but no central heat. In winters they have a ‘Bukhari’ that is strategically placed in one of the central rooms which is usually used to entertain guests and eat. Most have electricity, but the ones in the country side depend a lot on solar for their basic needs. I found the homes to be very beautiful. We started our interaction with the local population with making use of the term ‘juley’, the local way of salutation. After trying to find out which home we could visit as we were roaming around in the village. I was lucky to spot one villager in his backyard feeding his cattle. I went up to him and requested him if we could come inside and see his house and talk to him. At first he was reluctant but later agreed. He was a Buddhist and his house was a small and very cozy. As we entered his home his father who was 76 years old was praying. We nearly spent about half hour in the villager’s home to experience the life style of Ladakhis. On the instance of the villager we also allowed ourselves to be conducted to a Ladakhi kitchen where we tasted Ladakhi ‘gurgur’ tea. "I enjoyed it", it was much better than the one I had tasted in Arunachal Pradesh made out of Yak Butter.
He then took us upstairs and was kind enough to show us the temple he had in his little home. It was beautiful. Finally it was time for us to leave and get back to Leh.
Back in Leh we did what every tourists do--- ‘Shop’. After shopping we once again went to neha snacks for a sumptuous lunch and headed straight home. It was our last day in Leh and all of us had to pack and take some rest. While four of us sridhar, pushkar, shbhangi and myself were leaving for Mumbai, jayesh and Ashish were geting ready and packing for their Chaader trek. This is a trek that takes places on the stretch of the frozen Zanskar river.

This is was one of my most memorable trips. I witnessed the Ladakhi culture which I thought I had missed when I went there in summers.

Spirit of Mumbai….????

2008-12-05T23:05:00.000-08:00

Nothing has changed in this country and this city and never will. I did not write about the attacks all this while as the TV channels were anyway giving a minute by minute account of the entire disaster. They only fell short of going in and being a part of the operation along with the NSG Commandos. It was getting on to me now. So i decided to pen down my views.

The four days that I was on field covering the attacks in this city, I for a minute never felt that a serious terror attack had struck the city and that the brave NSG commandos and few of our brave local police had put their life on line to eliminate these terrorists. With so many people out on the streets it all seemed like it was a film shooting. And the one thing that local police authorities could not do is control the Mumbai public while the operation was still on.
I get off the train at CST station early on Thrusday morning and i find the place absolutely normal. I did not seem like 50 people had died due to terrorists indiscriminately firing at the innocent people. The tragic attack had not left any traces.Trains were plying as usual. there were no barricades.. policemen were seen sitting lazily as usual and taxi's were running normal right inside the gates of CST. Yes but i must say that photographers of all those policemen and railway staff who had died in the attacks were put up but sadly the sacrifices of these people were camouflaged with the deaths of more influential and high-profiled policemen.
On thursday monring as i proceed towards Taj, my first halt, i find that public were on the streets as early as 9 am in the morning on Thursday outside Taj to get a first hand experience of what was happening. I found the same enthusiam outside Oberoi/Trident as well.. But at Oberoi and Trident the media as well as Public were kept far way at Air India signal and therefore nothing much was visible.
Finally not to miss the locals around Nariman House who had parked themselves on the terrace of their respective buildings to catch a glimpse of what was happening 24X7.
Alongside media there was public who was rubbing shoulders with journalists and camera man. At one point I could not figure out between news photographers and cameraman and the common man as the common man was out there with his handycam and their own cameras trying to capture the action.
To add to the confusion there were some celebrity journalists who had made their way from Delhi to cover the attacks.
Here is what I came across on Thursday night after I had surveyed all the three spots and finally came back to my office at Nariman Point (right next to the Oberoi Hotel).
I was waiting outside like every other journalist and cameraman on the road in anticipation that now this could be an end. But alas! No we were told there were two terrorists inside and several guests who were trapped inside and the NSG’s task was to first get the survivors out safely while they simultaneously tackle the terrorists. It was a long wait as we really had no clue where all this was going and what was actually happening.
Amidst all this action and distressed wait for many of us, I see this couple alighting out of their swank Honda City car. After parking the car I see them walking towards me. They come straight to me and with some authority ask me .so what’s the situation? I politely ask them who they were and they excitedly tell me oh well we have just come to see what’s happening”? The man’s reply completely cheesed me off and I told him he was being stupid to come all the way to risk his and his wife’s life. Then he tells me the other reason for him to be there was to actually see “Barkha Dutt”…we want to take her autograph. I was completely dumbstruck and boiling with anger from within . I had a good mind to slap that guy I just held myself back. The jerk then had the audacity to ask me to escort him to great Miss Dutt since I had a press card and that would make it easy for him get an autograph. All I did was just walked away from that man. I found many such idiots who had come into to town as though some kind of film shoot was taking place.
Is this the spirit of Mumbai? where people come all the way to be get photographed with celebrity journalists or take their autographs while there were people dying inside because some bloody terrorists had entered randomly and gunning down people.
I thought the next day things would be in control …but no it was even worse. There were more people on the street. I had a strange encounter with one guy outside the Air India Building where the survivor’ list from Oberoi and Trident was put up. He was a friend of a guy who was stuck inside the Oberoi on that fateful night. But he was lucky I was told that he had survived. While that friend who was stuck will never forget his ordeal.. here was this guy who was trying to get in one minute fame on TV. All he was doing standing outside the Air-India building was to figure out how many TV channels were there and who he could speak to in order to get that one minute of fame. He first came up to me and asked if I was from a TV channel and I said "Sorry to disappoint you.. no I am not from a TV channel". He then got his one minute fame with one of the hindi news channels and later had found out I was from India Today and came up again to talk to me to tell me about his friend and I categorically refused to speak to him. I mean imagine here is a guy who has probably miraculously escaped and on the other hand there is this friend of his who is trying to get mileage out of his dreadful plight. Is this the Spirit of Mumbai?
The worst was on the same day evening at Nariman House. The operations had not even ended that the locals from the area had gathered on the street cheering the commandos as though we had won a cricket match and not a war. They were shouting slogans and a huge mob had crowded. The best of this place was that while the local police was seen simply standing or waltzing around with their lathis with absolutely no agenda. They just could not control the mob. And when asked to control them one of them turns around and tell me ‘Jaane do na madam. Sab Khush hai’ aap apna Kaam karo na’. How was I supposed to do my work when I was almost being pushed around by the mob with no proper designated place to stand for media, we had a terrible time. To top it all were the TV journalists and their cameraman…( most who had come from Delhi) just as they see the DG General of NSG coming towards us everybody rushes towards him to get a byte as though it was an exclusive.. there was absolutely no self discipline amongst my fraternity.. as well..I am sure you would have all seen it on TV….I would have definitely died in a stampede if I had not moved out in at the right time.
Is this is the Spirit of Mumbai we are talking about? Where the general public had gone ballistic. It’s nice to see all these petitions and campaigns against Media. I am not saying the media was right …but the public and local authorities were no less as well. They added to the confusion to make matters worse. Anyone and everyone at each of these three location where I was covering the disaster had something or the other to say.
Finally on Saturday, the Mumbai public took the cake. Thanks to the TV media,which was giving minute by minute account of the entire operation. Just as when media had got an indication that the operation is more or less coming to end….it was announced on the TV channels and that was it..the public were out there at Gateway of India. The so called affluent and intelligent public of Colaba was out there as well trying to catch a glimpse of the last bit of operation in action.
Is this the spirit of Mumbai? I am not sure.. what’s the spirit of Mumbai as I have seen the worst of the Mumbai Public during the four days I covered the attacks. I am completely disappointed with the Mumbaikars at large. It’s all nice to have these peace marches and protests and raise our voices… against injustice… better late than never… But finally we lack self discipline and that according to me is a habit that will never die.

Why is everybody out on the streets protesting now?
As i see it.. it's because this time around the terrorists have gone into the so called second homes of the affluent class and hurt them. That's why the protests, rallies and all that jazz....
If the attacks would have once again been only on CST and Cama Hospital would we have seen so many people out on the streets protesting or raising their voices against terror. Would there have been such a public outrage? No... i don't think so...
Where was everybody when 300 people died in the Churchgate train blasts. Did people raise their voice or come out on the streets when people died in Ahmedabad and Jaipur? Five blasts in the country since May 2008 and it did not affect anyone.The attitude was life goes on. But when it happened to them (the elites in Five star hotels) the scare has set in.
Aam admi can die and no one cares..I hope all this activism was shown when the first blast took place in the country in Jaipur in May 2008. And hope the elite activism and committment is shown towards other public and civic issues in the city

Leh: Lost in Commercialisation

2008-12-05T21:57:00.000-08:00

hi
I know it's been a while that i have nit written about my trips. I have not even written about my Ladakh Trek. I have decided i will write about all my trips as a year ender piece and i promise to be more regular in the coming year.
With regard to my Ladakh trip, the only thing i have penned down about my trips is my experience at Leh and how i felt the culture of Ladakh was lost somewhere in teh commericalisation of the place.

here is my experience

16th August, Fort Road, Leh
11.30 am
After having read Andrew Harvey’s Journeys in Ladakh and Helena Norberg-Hodge’s book Ancient Futures: Learnings from Ladakh my curiosity on the region had increased tremendously. I could not wait to be there and experience the beauty and culture of Ladakh. While I was expecting to see a whole lot of foreign tourists in the place, I was also kicked by the feeling that I could witness a whole lot of tradition and Buddhist culture in Ladakh. But when in Ladakh, a region bound by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Karakoram in the north and the Great Himalaya in the south for almost ten days, the one thing that I noticed starkly was the influx of tourists and more so the foreign tourists into the region had led the traditional Buddhist Ladakh to modifying its cultures and traditions. The beautiful traditional Palaces and Monastries in and around Leh are camouflaged with numerous construction activities to boost tourism.
The streets of Leh are awash with Coke stands, German bakeries, Pizzerias, numerous Trekking agencies, Internet cafes and antique shops. Surprisingly, what I noticed was that except for the trekking agencies and few antique shops most of the shops are owned by non-Ladakhis. You find more of the Rajasthan and Kashmir artefacts shop than to the Ladakhi antique shops. The glamour struck youth dressed in brands like Adidas and Nike flaunt their mobile phones, motor bikes, SUVs and cars, while crumbling tradition comes face to face with forces of modernity. Leh looked a replica of Goa to me. Things have changed rapidly since the government opened Ladakh for adventure tourism in mid 1970s. There has been a sudden influx of money, 'modernity', and government-led initiatives that sought to 'develop' the area.
Although change is inevitable and no community wishes to preserve itself as a museum of backwardness, it is the rapid pace of change and a lack of understanding of the nature of change, which a society is unable to control, or direct that touches a cord of concern. The development of tourism accelerates this process of change and rapidly pushes traditional societies into the global economy totally ill-equipped.
Abdul Qayoom, proprietor of a trekking agency called Plan Himalayas and a Ladakhi from Nubra Valley says: “Leh has changed a lot in the last five years. With so many foreigners here we have also got modernized. Several guest houses and hotels have come here. Ladakhi youngsters are aping the foreigners and have altered their lifestyles to appear in sync with times.”
As is understood from the locals, lot of changes in Ladakh have also come about due to the Military deployment in the region as it is a highly sensitive region. Earlier unreachable today, Ladakh is connected by routes from Srinagar in the west and Manali in the north of Himachal Pradesh. The airport at Leh which is largely a military airport has three private airlines namely Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Kingfisher Red erstwhile Simply Deccan flying into Leh every day. The Military deployment in the area has led to the creation of a parallel economy in Ladakh. The airport in a way has also fuelled economic activity, creating more opportunities for Ladakhis
The influx of foreign tourist has engineered the change in Ladakh and fuelled the demand and supply of consumer goods. The tourist potential of Leh has more than doubled since 1974 thereby creating employment opportunities for the locals, according to tourism officials. Nasir Hussain, deputy director of Tourism in Leh says: “Last year we had a total of 51,000 tourists (domestic and foreign) arrivals into Ladakh and this year our data shows that till end August we have already crossed over 60,000 tourist arrivals. We expect that by end of December we would have crossed over 80,000 tourist arrivals into the region.”
To handle the rush, an infrastructure of hotels, restaurants and guest houses has come up in Leh. “When the region was opened for adventure tourism in 1974 there was not a single guest house or hotel in and around Leh. But today, there are 8000 beds all over Leh to cater to tourists,” explains Hussain. The youths of Ladakh are employed during the tourism season as trekking guides. The one good thing that local trekking agencies say is that no outside trekking or adventure tour companies can operate directly in Ladakh. They have to tie up with a local Ladakhi agency.
Qayoom says apart from having trekking agencies from Delhi and Mumbai contact him to organise treks for their clients he also gets a lot of walk in clients on a daily basis during the tourist season for whom he organises trips.
With tourism and adventure tourism being promoted in a big way in Ladakh, the main source of income for the Ladakhis come from running guest houses. The attraction of Leh's dollar-fuelled tourist economy has unleashed a village-to-town migration of farmers, who want to make money during the tourist season between June and September. There are opportunities for being cooks, guides and horsemen. Between June and September, well trained trekking guides (guides who have climbed 6000-7000 meter peaks, peaks can earn anywhere upto Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 including tips. A new guide who has just stepped into the trekking arena could earn half that amount. The horsemen, most of whom are Tibetans charge a huge sum. In a good season they could charge about Rs 500 per horse per day and the treks could range from anywhere from 5 days to 15 days. Cooks are another league of people who come at a premium during the trekking season. Some of the trekking guides after the season ends also end up being high altitude porters for the Indian defence in Siachen Glacier.
Abdul Gafoor and Tashi are two such trekking guides who are also deployed in Siachen Glacier for six months from December to June. On an average Gafoor Says he earns about Rs 50,000 incuding tips during the four trekking months and thereafter he gets paid a monthly salary of Rs 13000 to be a high altitude porter.
In the bargain, the Ladakhi model of cooperative farming is disappearing. Further traditional crops are being replaced with high-yielding varieties fit for export.
While, modernisation and globalisation has helped urban Leh to see the future, the interior and remote villages of Ladakh are still facing troubles. They still have to await the benefits of more water, electricity, fresh vegetables and medical facilities. At staggering heights like 10, 000 to 14,000 feet, people still wash their utensils in roadside streams; children still feign pleasure after journeying on mules. People have to come down all the way to city to get medical facilities or they simply wait for the trekkers to pass by and give them some medicines. It is more the trekkers and the adventure-tourists who are spending directly in the villages and thereby profiting the local population.
Tourism development has not been integrated with the overall development of the region and the local people have not been part of this journey from the planning stage.
Now, it is understood that the in order to help the remote villages benefit out of tourism, the State Department of Tourism has come up with schemes wherein they would give 30 per cent subsidy (with a ceiling of upto Rs 30 Lakh) to individuals who are keen on building hotels with minimum capacity of 30 beds. The department has also decided to provide 40 per cent subsidy to villagers who are ready to convert their residences into guest houses. In border villages where infrastructural development is difficult due to the hostile terrain, traditional agriculture still exists. Economically also what one realises is that self sufficiency has been gradually replaced by economic dependence on the outside world. One will have to wait and watch until all these changes accrue benefits to the region as a whole.
eom

Thrills of Waterfall Rappelling

2008-07-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

Waterfall Rappelling is one of the ultimate adventure sports that can be practiced in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra during the Monsoons when the mountains are lush green and the waterfalls are gushing down in full force.
Waterfall Rappelling means rappelling down a waterfall through the water using techniques. One can't imagine how much fun it is? It knocks you off your feet and the water falls over your head like rocks. It gives you a complete adrenaline rush.
The activity as a whole involves hiking through the small hills and forests to the waterfall and then the rappels descend the breathtaking waterfalls. It's a thrill for all ages and for all those who want to do something different. And above all what else could be a better way of spending a Sunday with your group of friends rappelling down a waterfall that is around 55-60 feet.
I was excited as it was definitely going to be an adventure Sunday. We started our journey in the morning at 6.45 am from Mumbai and reached the base village at around 9.30 am. In between we stopped for some tea at our usual spot Shree Dutt. Once we reached the base village Nivali our journey to the waterfall began. It was a short trek up the lush green mountains for about half hour to 40 minutes to the waterfall. There are two waterfalls here, one which is at a lower level but was a more dangerous one and the other slightly above which is where we chose to do the rappelling. As we were climbing up we were gaping at the waterfall. The technical team led by Prashant Patil and Yogita Shirke.
By the time we reached the falls, Prashant and his team was ready to start. Unlike the earlier Bhivpuri waterfall, this waterfall was in two stages. First one had to walk along for almost five to six steps and then it was a straight drop where you actually start rappelling. The weather was pleasant. We have seen the rain many a times, got wet many times, but this time as we stood at the edge of the valley we could see the rain in the valley, while we stood clear. And then, the wind shifted, and the sheet of rain raced to us, we thought it would rain heavily but it was just a passing shower that stopped after a while and thereafter there were slight drizzles on and off but practically for most time of the activity, the weather was good to rappel.
Seated close to the place where we were to start rappelling, the group got a short safety and instruction talk on rappelling by Prashant and myself.
The participants are provided with all safety gears such as the harness, caribiner and the figure of eight, which holds the rope through the harness that is tied to the participants waist. We also provide with helmet as a part of the safety gear.
Atif was the first participant to go rappelling down. It was his first time. There is certainly an element of fear and more so when you are doing the activity for the very first time. Prashant and myself were guiding him and asking him to move backwards. Imagine walking down backwards on a slippery moss covered rock and water flowing down at fast pace from underneath your legs. Even as you take the first few steps once you get down the first step on the straight drop a thick jet of water hits you in the face. The first few steps are on a rocky patch at exactly an angle of 90 degrees that quite gives one an idea what they are going in for.
Many have rappelled before but never amidst a waterfall. My personal thoughts after having done this activity several times are that the waterfall adds a thrilling element to conventional rappelling. Apart from the safety gears that you are wearing, you are fitted with two ropes– a rappelling rope with which you descend down the rope and a belay rope (a backup rope), which is controlled by a 'belayer' at the top. Most reasonably fit people with a good sense of balance can do rappelling. The latter ensures that even if you lose your footing, you don't hurtle down the mountain.
Everyone followed the instructions that Prashant and me were giving from the top. But there is only upto a point that one can hear us and after that you have to remember the instructions well so as to avoid any accident. The one most important instruction is to look at your foot and not up at the rope lest you meet with an accident.
As I watched everyone rappel down I realized they were comfortable releasing the rope and descending down. As one landed down there was Govind at the base of the waterfall who helped the participant remove the gears in the right manner and also seeing to it that the equipments are handled with great care.
This is not climbing the apple tree in your back yard! Safety is taken very seriously here, we only use top of the line imported equipments kept in good condition and used properly. Conscientious instruction and guiding will provide you with a safe and comfortable experience. All of them successfully finished rappelling once and then everyone was excited to do it once more. We now took a break for lunch before we started the second session of rappelling. We all hogged into the delicious Theplas with Chatni and dahi and to top it all ended our delicious meal with some Sonpapdi (a sweet dish).
After a sumptuous meal everyone was getting ready for the second session. By now the fear factor had disappeared and all of them had gained more confidence.
Finally after being completely satisfied it was around 5 pm when we decided to pack up. We packed our bags, pack our equipments and ropes and then left the site at around 5.30 p.m. to head back to Mumbai after having spent a wonderful and fruitful adventurous Sunday with friends.

Group members: Aditya Singh Chauhan, Atif, Sateesh, Irina, Caspar, Nicholas, Pravar, Piysh and Sugandha

Trek to Naneghat

2008-06-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

Naneghat:

1. Destination Name: Naneghat
2. Direction of Travel: Malshej Ghat
3. Nearby town / city / village—Kalyan/Murbad/Junnar
4. Approx distance in Kms from Mumbai (Dadar / Bandra)----82 kms
5. Approx distance in Time from Mumbai (Dadar / Bandra)— 2 hours
6. Approx time we will take to reach the top (Trek/ hike Time)- 3 hours
7. Recommended- (2 days)
8. Expected level of difficulty- Easy
9. Altitude: 2700 ft

Finally, the monsoon have arrived in full force and so has Odati Adventures with its awesome trekking itinerary for the monsoons. Naneghat on June 22nd being our frist trek for the monssons. The response was amazing. We were in all 17 of us for this trek. What can i say about Naneghat. Infact i can go on and on about this place for Naneghat was one among the initial treks that I did when I started trekking regularly during my college days with a group called Mystiques. All that i was told about this place was that it was a famous pass and the name suggests it too.
Constructed during the Satvahan dynasty, Naneghat is a historical pass and enjoyed great importance as it was the trade route that bridged the ports of Kalyan and Sopara with Junnar.
To get to Naneghat base is not very difficult. From Mumbai one can take the Eastern Express Highway and get to Kalyan and then to Murbad. From Murbad you have to get to the base village Vaishakhare. On the route one needs to look for a milestone that says ‘Kalyan-60 km’ and on the other side the milestone is marked ‘Otur-64 km’. Here is where you need to tell the bus driver to stop and alight. From the base Vaishakare you walk for about 2 kms and a diversion towards Naneghat originates. That’s our trail that forks off to the mountain. It’s an amazing 2 km walk on a straight tar road from Vaishakhare and as you look around you can spot the point ‘Nanacha Angtha’ (Nana’s thumb), the thumb shaped cliff that is the top most point of Naneghat. From Nanacha Angtha sun rise and sun set are beautiful views that should not be missed.
The trek upwards is pleasant and is recommended for first timers. The fact that it is a historical pass and that it was well traversed is true to date. Even today, this route is well used by the locals of Junnar and the nearby villages. As you walk up, the wide spread plateau of Naneghat is lovely. An easy, but relentlessly upward route takes us to the main cave at the pass o¬n the right of our trail in 2-3 hours. On the left of the plateau one can spot a huge stone jar. It is said that this stone jar was used in the earlier days for collecting toll to cross the pass. As we climb we reach the main cave andsee that alongside there are some more caves. O¬ne of these houses an old idol of Lord Ganesha.
The main cave on top contains inscription (in the Brahmi script) informing us of the pass, the Satvahan dynasty and their achievements. However, you will find that these scripts are slowly fading away due to lack of maintenance. Alongside these caves are cisterns filled with water which are used by locals and the trekkers alike for drinking water. Trekers can peacefully spend the night in the caves.
For regulars Naneghat is also an excellent place to do some rappelling. For the more adventurous types who want to explore more, there are other laces to explore nearby as well. There is another fort called ‘Jivdhan’. To get to Jivdhan, one walks on the backside of the Naneghat caves along the plateau in the direction of ‘Vanarlingi’ pinnacle, which is also known as ‘Khada Parsi’ as it resembles an aged Parsi man standing.
So all those who are keen to start their trekking career why not start with Naneghat?

Pedal Away around South Mumbai

2008-06-24T22:52:00.000-07:00

Summer has long gone i am aware but i never got the time to talk about my Mumbai Cycle Ride experience.The last of our South Mumbai Cycle rides was on June 15th. I am a complete cycle enthusiast and even today if I have to go anywhere close to my place I prefer to ride on my cycle. I wish I could ride to work as well. I am in a way thankful to Jayesh from Odati Adventures who has given this lovely opportunity to be a part of his team and conduct the South Mumbai cycle rides. Over the last few cycle trips that I have done along with Jayesh, I have realized there are so many people who love to cycle but for lack of proper information on where and how one can go cycling had stopped cycling. Mumbai is such a lovely city and especially South Mumbai offers a lot for cyclists. Odati Adventures was introduced to this lovely activity by a friend Ashwini Kapila who is an avid cyclist. Odati now conducts this activity to connect largely with other like minded cyclists who along with Odati are interested in the history of this amazing city Mumbai and learn more about it’s architecture and heritage monuments.
While we do not claim to know a lot about Mumbai and its heritage saga but we try to impart as much information as we can based on what we have gathered largely by reading books and by visiting these heritage monuments ourselves. It is sad to note that many of the Mumbaiites who are born here are themselves not aware of our city’s history.
Our trips ore only on Sundays when South Mumbai is free of all the maddness that it witnesses on weekdays. MY last trip was in the end of March.We started in the morning at 7 am at Eros Theatre. This time around my 14 year old nephew Karan was along with me. He loves cycling as much as he loves cars.
We begin the session with a short talk on the history of Mumbai. It would be surprising to note that many Mumbaiites themselves are not aware of the many places in South Mumbai forget the interiors of Mumbai. Mumbai is regarded as the city of dreams since the time it opened its shores to welcome native and foreign traders.
The seven islands of Mumbai were gifted to Britain by Portugal when Charles II married Catherine, the Portuguese princess in 1661. The Portuguese rulers had built forts in these islands for trading. Remnants of these forts can be seen even today at Sion, Mahim, Bandra (Castella De Aguada) and Versova.
Our ride starts from Eros Theatre and we pedal along the many of the magnificent Gothic buildings which one can see in this area and come around the Oval Maidan cross the Old Scretariat building and halt at the magnificient clock tower ‘Rajabai Tower’ or the Bombay University. Right next to the High Court, Rajabai Tower is a beautiful structure, ornamented with oriental figures. Its history reveals that it was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, who was an English architect. Rajabai Tower was built on the lines of Big Ben, the clock tower in London. Elevated to the height of 85 m (280 ft), the tower took around 9 years to get constructed (1869 -1878). Premchand Roychand, a successful broker who founded the Bombay Stock Exchange, financed the entire cost of construction that was Rs 200,000. The clock tower owes its name to Rajabai - mother of the generous broker who was blind and a staunch follower of Jainism. Thanks to the bell of this tower, she didn't require anyone's help to know the time and she could herself take her dinner before evening, on the word of her religion.
From here we ride along the main road pass the Central Telegraph office which is next to Churchgate station.
Did you know the distance between two places is measured between their head Post Offices? Did you know that the real Church Gate stood close to where Flora Fountain stands today? We learnt about such trivia and exchange stories and notes about Mumbai’s heritage and rich culture while we pedaled along the streets of South Mumbai.
Our next halt is Flora Fountain. Inspired from Flora - the Roman Goddess of Flowers, Flora Fountain is a stone fountain located at the centre of the Fort business district, the splendid fountain was built in 1864. In 1960, the square where the fountain stands, was formally christened as ‘Hutatma Chowk’ or Martyr's Square. From here we pedal along towards Kala Ghoda. We halt at the centre of Kala Ghoda opposite the Jehangir Art Gallery. Kala Ghoda is the name given to the crescent that stretches from the Regal circle to the south and the University to the north. It is a hub of cultural activity, containing the National Gallery of Modern Art, the Prince of Wales Museum, the Bombay Natural History Society, the David Sassoon Library and the famous Watson Hotel. Our cycle trip then carries along to the Town Hall, Horniman Circle, Ballard Pier, CST Station, Metro, Marine Drive, NCPA, and finally end at Colaba at Gateway of India. We then head straight to Mondi’s or Mondegar Café for lunch. It was indeed a wonderful cycle ride I have had.
So if you want to see and hear all of the above and many more stories including the one of the Hornby’s Vellard and others about Bombay’s past, wait for Odati Adventures to come back with their announcement of Mumbai Cycle Ride once the winter sets in.

Walk in the Wilderness

2008-01-21T23:25:00.000-08:00

Adventure sports and trekking in India is taking some wild turns with number of accidents having been reported lately. The most recent ones have been from Mumbai where a girl Shanti Shenoy fell to her death at Ajoba hills while trekking with her group of friends. Prior to this a young boy in his teens succumbed to his death due to high altitude sickness in the Himalayas. It was reported that his organizers from Mumbai were not well equipped to handle the situation. Also there was a paragliding accident at Kamshet where one person lost his life after he collided in mid air with another glider. All these accidents hopefully make the authorities take notice and come up with some rules and regulations for the adventure sports in the country and for the respective states which are active in Adventure Tourism and Sports.
Recently Jayesh from Odati Adventures and Myself were quoted in an article in Sunday HT‘s (dated December 30, 2007) Grey Matter/City Limits section in a story on Mumbai’s trekking scene, how safe is it and what precautions should be taken to make your trekking experience successful.
The article talked about how this industry was unorganized and that there are no registrations guidelines for companies and there is no one single regulatory body to regulate this industry and bring in safety norms. Most companies like Odati follow their own internal rules and regulations and safety norms which they have chalked out for themselves and follow them strictly.
Jayesh Morvankar of Odati Adventures is quoted in the article as saying: “Proper guidelines need to be put in place for this industry to be successful”. Suresh Shetty, Minister of State for tourism, says the Government is thinking about setting up such an agency specifically after Shenoy accident. Time will only tell if this will happen. We professional trekkers can only hope for the best and in the meantime continue to follow our own internal regulations and standards of safety that we have set for ourselves. And you make sure you follow the following do's and dont's listed below.

Some Do’s and Don’ts (as listed by us for HT’s article)

Before departure or registration

• Check the credibility and experience of the group/organizers/club that you are going with
• Enquire about the other participants’ experience too
• Check how long it will be- short (1-2 horus), moderate ( 2-4 hours) or long (4-6 hours) trek
• Check if the walk involves obstacles like exposed rock-patches, ridges, steep climbs, etc and whether you can handle them
• Check if the group/organizers is carrying a well equipped first-aid kit and if they have the experience to handle emergencies
• Make sure you’re medically fit for the trip and keep the organizers informed about your medical history if any
• Wear the right kind of clothes and shoes: loose track pants or cargos/cotton trousers and tee-shirt. Avoid jeans. Most importantly, wear a good pair of trekking shoes which has a good sole and grip. Avoid fancy shoes and leather formal shoes. Always carry a pair of extra floaters with you.

On the Trek

• Always ask all your questions before you begin walking
• Be informed about all the approaches and exits to the nearest habitations en route
• Discuss the dangers of walking/hiking in the wilderness ( animals, terrain, weather, locals etc)
• Never, repeat, never wander away from the group without the consent of the group/leader
• Never venture into the darkness alone
• If you are not experienced enough do not venture on trails that you are new to
• Even if confident, let the group know where you intend to go
• Never venture in the darkness alone
• If inexperienced, always take someone along when you attend to Nature’s call s
• Make sure you have the right gear to handle a trek you have registered for.

300 feet Rappelling at Malshej Ghat and New Year’s at Salher Fort

2008-01-20T23:37:00.000-08:00

I know it’s been a while since I have gone to my blog and penned down experiences. I have caught up at work and never found the time to write. After my Nandadevi experience, one of the most interesting things I did was to rappel down a 300 feet rock face at Malshej Ghat and then scale up the second highest peak in Maharashtra –‘Salher Fort’ during the New Year weekend. My new year as usual like last year was spent high up in the mountains and believe me what an experience it was.
Rappelling down the 300 feet rock face was amazing. I was scared initially but once I was down five steps I started enjoying rappelling down. It was definitely a strain on the hands and as your rappelling down you can actually hear the sound that the rope (kuch kuch-----) makes as it is sliding through the descender. It’s scary but definitely fun. We were in all 19 of us. Check the photos onhttp://picasaweb.google.com/subanusha/NewYearTrekToSalherSalota?authkey=OIfVApDkZY0
Except for Yogita, myself and Jayesh the remaining 16 had either never rappelled or were rappelling down the 300 feet rock face for the first time. Everyone was excited and scared as well but all of them did it brilliantly. It was amazing to note that while most were rappelling down for the first time they did it very well and with precision. That was commendable…After our rappelling exercise we headed to Nashik for Salher Fort. We ushered in our new year at Salher Fort.
Salher is one of the most beautiful places I have been to in the Sahyadri’s. Situated in a wonderful Baglan district of Nashik at the border of Maharashtra and Gujrat,Salher takes a pride of the highest fort in Maharashtra and the second highest peak (after Kalasubai)in Maharashtra. The Dholbari range in which Salher is situated and Selbari range is the northernmost part of the Sahyadri. Salher is a historic fort and a place where lord Parshuram did his Tapashcharya. There is a temple on top of the fort as well. As history goes, Salher is also one of the forts which Chattrapati Shivaji conquered in 1671 and a year later the Moghuls attacked the fort and took away the lives of almost 10,000 soldiers. Finally Chattrapati Shivaji won the battle. In the 18th century the Peshwas occupied this ofrt and thereafter the Britishers. As we all got to know of the history we just wanted to get there. We left Malshhej Ghat at around 7 pm. It was a long journey. We headed first to Nashik had our dinner and from here we had to get to Satana and from here we had to head to the base village …..of Salher Fort. We reached in the wee hours of the morning at around 4 am on 31st morning. We slept in the verandah of the village headman’s house. Everyone got about fours of good sleep and we had ‘Poha’ (made out of Puffed Rice) for late breakfast and left for Salher fort by about 2.30 pm. The route to the fort is very exposed and the view is brilliant. Before heading to the caves where there is a water resource in the form of a man made lake we have to climb for half hour a stretch of rock cut steps. We reach the top by 6 pm and head straight to the caves. The caves are huge and there is good water resource. We stay below at the caves and our plan was to climb to the top most point where the temple is situated the next morning before we headback to the base village. We start preparing for our dinner. Since it was new year’s eve we had decided on Pasta for dinner. The group was excited. We had Pasta and got to playing Antakshiri as we all waited for the clock to strike ‘12’….and then the clock struck 12 and we cut cake opened a small wine bottle had one sip each among the eight of us and ushered in 2008.
The next morning was a pleasant morning. As we trek up to Parshuram Temple one can see Mangi-Tungi Pinacle which stand like guards of Sahayadri. From top it's one of the breath taking view, one can see all peaks & fort standing all around. Unfortunately we had to come to terms with the fact that we had to head back as soon as possible to the base village and leave for Mumbai to get back to the big bad and boring corporate world. Nevertheless it was a memorable New Year.

The group Members:
Jayesh, Yogita, Anindya, Sriram and Sheetal, Sanjay and Madhavi, Nupur, Sourabh and Shuchi, Hetal, Ambika, Farzana, janaki, Ashith, Indu, Khushboo, Yukti and Myself.

Backpacking with the Hill Shepherds

2007-12-12T22:38:00.000-08:00

On a trek in the Garhwal Himalayas, I came back with lessons in micro-financing and community-owned tourism

It started off as my much-awaited trek in the Garhwal Himalayas and turned into an impressive first-hand account of a small, yet smart, initiative. The setting: Nanda Devi Sanctuary Trek against the backdrop of the spectacular 7,816-metre (25,643 feet) Nanda Devi peak, the second highest peak in the Indian Himalayan range.
But first, a peek into the history of this trek that has a direct bearing on the present. The Nanda Devi Sanctuary Trek retraces the pioneering steps of mountaineers Eric Shipton and H. W. Tilman through the Garhwal Himalayas in 1934. It's their exploration of the inner sanctuary that set the stage for all subsequent mountaineering expeditions. Till 1982, when the entire region around Nanda Devi was declared a national park and all human activity banned inside the inner sanctuary. The well-meaning conservation efforts had a devastating impact on the local economy.
In this backdrop, the Nanda Devi Campaign, led by (the locals) was launched in 1990s. After a long struggle, in 2003 the region saw the opening of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) for limited ecotourism activities. The people of Nanda Devi, however, faced the daunting prospect of managing a community-based tourism trade with few of the resources, experience, and expertise enjoyed by the big tourist agencies.
This struggle has now moved into its decisive phase. And the big challenge? Capacity building and training of local youth---to ensure that the gains of this labour are not lost on the community.
Taking up this challenge is Mountain Shepherds, a cooperative initiative that was borne out of the Nanda Devi Campaign. To begin with, Mountain Shepherds has taken upon itself to train the local youth from Uttarakhand Himalayas at the prestigious Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) at Uttarkashi to become local guides, porters and technical experts in search and rescue operations during trekking expeditions in the Garhwal Himalayas.
Leader of this initiative Dr Sunil Dutt Kainthola, says: “We are trying to evolve a model of community-owned tourism where the community is not a mere beneficiary but among the main stakeholders in the tourism enterprise of the region.”
To this end, Mountain Shepherds also directly plans treks to the sanctuary and takes care of your trip right from the time you land in Delhi. Thus our trip to the sanctuary was also ensured in association with Mumbai-based Odati Adventures.
From our first halt at Rishikesh, we are driven to Joshimath where Mountain Shepherds has a home stay facility. Here, we get introduced to our trek manager Mangal and his team of three main leaders Lakhpath, Hookie and Govind. These local boys were among the first batch of 38 boys to get trained at the prestigious NIM, through Mountain Shepherds initiative. The trained boys have pledged that they will develop tourism as envisaged in the Nanda Devi Declaration, which chalked out the biodiversity conservation and eco-tourism guidelines in 2001. Says Kainthola: “The boys who currently operate under Mountain Shepherds, which is headquartered at Lata village in Chamoli district, will eventually become partners in Mountain Shepherds”.
During the trekking season (June to October), the local boys earn about Rs 20,000-25,000 through portage. Their families earn similar amounts through selling carpets and about Rs 10,000 through home stays. Of this, Mountain Shepherds--which will soon be converted into a private limited company--earns a minimal profit which it then gives back to the locals in the form of micro-financing.
One such local boy, Mukesh, drove us from Rishikesh to Joshimath and thereafter to Lata Village in his own vehicle which he had bought through micro-financing.
After an overnight stay at Joshimath, we were driven 25 kms to Lata winter village. The road here is in good condition and along some curves we snatch views of great mountains like Dronagiri, Hathi Parbat, Bethartoli, Mrigthuni and Nanda Devi. The drive follows the Dhauli Ganga upstream.
We reach Lata Winter village, a small dainty village alongside the road, in the Dhauli Ganga valley. Most women here are seen cleaning rajma (kidney beans) one of the agricultural cash crop that is grown in this region. At Lata we also meet our 15 member porter team. Among these are experienced expedition porters like Kundan Singh who has walked with the renowned author Bill Aitken (who wrote ‘NandaDevi Affair’) and trained local boys like Sandeep, Gautam, Sidhu who accompany us on the trek.
We immediately organise our backpacks and do a short trek of 1.5 km to Lata Summer village situated at 2317 M / 7646 feet, the traditional gateway to the Nanda Devi trek.
Interestingly, Lata and its neighbouring village Reni is where the Chipko movement and thereafter Nanda Devi's ‘Jhapto-Cheeno’ campaign under the leadership of Dhan Singh Rana took shape. Unfortunately we were unable to meet Dhan Singh Rana but were fortunate to meet his mother Gwanchi Devi who still practices traditional medicine and his brother Raghuveer Singh Rana. Before we set off on our trek we pay a visit to the Nanda Devi temple and seek her blessings. After getting a taste of the village hospitality, we head into the forest above, frequently snatching views of the now diminishing village below. We reach our first camp at Kanuk at 10,640 feet.
As I walk with the porters, I realize for 17 year old Gautam and 14 year old Sidhu, trekking up and down from their home village Lata is a child's play. It's just a way for them to spend diwali vacations and in the process also earn some money through portrage. “Our school reopens on 12 th and so we decided to come along on this trek,” Says Gautam Rana who is currently in class 12.
Very few like Gautam and Sidhu are fortunate to continue with school. Some like 20 year old Sandeep have had to drop out of school after Class 8 and take up portrage or do agriculture of cash crops like Rajma, peas or potato to support his family. But, Sandeep says he is not sad of dropping out of school as he is now armed with an NIM certificate that will help him move forward. Most of these local boys have also learnt to speak little bit of English, as many of them have been with foreigners on expeditions. As they say you learn better when on job… it's true of these locals. The boys are well versed with their land and their history and most of them are able to converse well with the trekkers. While on one end they prefer the hills, they are also keen on knowing what is happening in the cities and especially more keen to know about Bollywood from us.
After a good night stay, we leave Kanuk early next morning and take a steep walk uphill towards Lata Kharak (Kharak also spelt Khark means a meadow in Garhwali) situated at 3689 M/ 12174 FT. We reach the top after a four hour steep ascent walk and only happy to spot a long log hut and we end our day's walk here resting. After lunch we decide we have lots of time to explore and decide to walk around Lata Kharak. From our log hut we can see the Chaukhamba range, Neelkanth Peak and Nar /Narayan Peak, Mana range, Hathi Ghodi Parvat, Barhmal peak and the Kuari pass area.
The boys then walk us up to the view point 'Saini Kharak' which is about an hour of walk from our log hut. As we climb up to the view point, the peaks of Dronagiri, Bethartoli, Nanda Ghunti, Trisul, Devisthan, etc. begin coming into view. The Rishi Ganga gorge below is one of the most formidable gorges in the Himalayas. We keep walking along the ridge over broken boulders. This is the most trying stretch of the trek. After short walk over here, we can see Nanda Dvei in its full glory. Peaks of Nanda Ghunti and Bethartoli Himal look like they are a stone's throw away, but the Rishi Ganga Gorge reminds us of the toil that one may have to endure to get there.
After a good night's sleep with temperature below freezing, the next morning we set off for Dharansi Pass which is at an altitude of 4250 M / 14025 feet. One hour away from the pass and the weather turns wicked and we are forced to return back to our camp Lata Kharak.
The next day we take a steep descent towards Kadvi Chaun through thick forests of Birch and Fir fighting our way through a heavy snow fall to our last camp Tolma, a small village on the slopes of the valley. Tolma is also our porter Govind's hometown and he has organised one-day home stay for us, thus ensuring that Tolma's locals have an equal opportunity to earn through tourism. The lessons of community tourism have been learnt well, surely.

You can check out my photographers click on the link below :

http://picasaweb.google.com/subanusha/NandadeviSanctuaryTrekNov2007?authkey=rwO4TyN8k0E

Been There, Done That

2007-08-24T08:10:00.001-07:00

In a world where most bridges have been crossed, most roads have been traversed and many mountains have been conquered, there are still new challenges out there for adventure travelers. Chamsher Kangri, was one such peak in Ladakh that was a challenge for my mountaineer friends Jayesh and Sridhar Iyer. They attempted to summit this peak twice but due to unavoidable circumstances had to return back. This year finally on August 9, 2007 they attempted the peak for the third time and were successful in summiting it.
‘Chamsher Kangri’ Peak, one of the three highest peaks in Ladakh stands tall at 21,500 ft (6620 mts).
Infact, they have also got a t-shirt made for themselves that says Chamsher Kangi Peak 21,500 ft---been there done that. I am equally elated and proud of my friends like they are.
Ladakh is a mountaineer’s delight with numerous mountain ranges all across the region.
Chamsher Kangri lies about 240 kilometres from Leh in the Rupshu Valley around the Tso Moriri Lake. It is near the Tibetan border in Ladakh.
To know more about Jayesh and Sridhar’s experience you would have to wait like I am doing. I do not know how long that would be.

(The above pictures are of Jayesh and Sridhar at the summit-Chamsher Kangri Peak, Jayesh and Sridhar along with their guide and lastly Sridhar showing off at the summit with his GPS reading 6503 mts)

The magnificent and enchanting Harishchandragad

2007-08-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

Many times life becomes boring, so routine and aimless. This is the time one feels like running towards the edge. In the movies people find love on the edge, while avid trekkers like me find life on the edge. Talking of edge, the one trek that really takes you towards the edge is Harishchandragad. So when I got to know that Jayesh had Harishchandragad on his itinerary, I was excited. I was going to be doing it after almost two years.
For the locals it is a pilgrimage while for the trekkers it is the magnificence that gets the adrenaline flowing. Equidistant from Mumbai and Pune, this location could be reached from Kalyan. In all we were 15 of us. We had hired cars and we took off from Mumbai at around 6.45 am from Bandra and on the Eastern Express Highway. From Kalyan, the drive was along the Ahmednagar-Kalyan road. The road traverses through the beautiful Malshej ghat. And during the monsoons the experience is most astounding. You drive along the waterfall that’s pouring from the rocks on to the roofs of the vehicles passing by. Harishchandragad guards the left edge of Malshej ghat.
As we drover along the Kalyan road we stopped for breakfast at one of our regular joints ‘Prajyot’. Everybody hogged on some tasty bhurji and omlette pav along with some tea. After breakfast we continued our journey towards the base village Kireshwar via Khubhi Phata.
Although I had been to Harishchandragad four times, this was the first time that I was doing it in the monsoons. The best part of this trek is that each time you go here it seems different. Harishchandragad is a long trek and in the monsoons it is also slightly difficult. The difficulty arises in the rock patch that one needs to traverse to get to the top point.
Considering I had not been to ‘Harish’ for so long I realized the place had changed drastically. I remember the first time around I had come to ‘Harish’ we had traveled by train to Kalyan and had to take an ST bus to Khubi-Phata and from Kubhi-Phata we had walked all the way to Kireshwar-the base village. But now there was a good road built from Khubi -Phata to Kireshwar and we could drive all the way that saved us of almost 45 minutes of walk to the base village. This village is at 4 km from the foothills of the fort.
We reached the base village around 11 am. We parked the cars and carried only the essentials for the overnight trek.
We took some rest at the base village and took off on the trek at around 12.30 pm. We had assumed we would take atleast 6-7 hours to reach the top. ‘Harish’ is a tiring trek but fun. The best part of this trek was that the weather was pleasant and it was drizzling when we took off for the fort. Mid way into the trek it started to pour. Our first halt was Tolar Kind where we stopped for lunch. We had a wet lunch that consisted of Theplas, Khakras and Rosgulla. After lunch we immediately took off. Walking few minutes from Tolar Khind, we come across a rock-patch on which railings are fixed. This is the most difficult aspect of the trek for the first timers. Despite the railings fixed there is some amount of fear that everyone goes through. The fear of slipping down and if you do then it is a straight drop. We had no such problems we managed very well on the rocks.
After ascending the railings, we come to the plateau region on which less dense forests are seen. From here, we walked for another to 2 hours and reached the temple of Harishchandreshwar- the temple of Lord Shiva. It was slightly difficult to spot the temple as the entire place of foggy and we could not see beyond a distance. Then suddenly we spotted a villager who led us to the caves.
Note: On this way, many arrows help in indicating the way.
As against our assumption of six-seven hours we actually made it to the top in five hours flat. While some from our group had already reached the caves with Jayesh, Yogit and Myself along with a few others reached about half hour later.
The cave was a blessing in disguise we were lucky to have got one large cave for ourselves as there were other trekkers too.
Once inside the cave everybody changed into dry clothes to feel warm and better. We relaxed by playing dumb-charades, singing and general chit-chat. For all the first time trekkers, the experience of traversing the rock patch and reaching the top and staying inside a cave was an exciting feeling and a completely different experience.
After relaxing for a while… Yogita and myself along with Jayesh got ready to prepare dinner for the gang. The menu was soup and dal kichidi along with some garlic chutney and masala papads. The sweet dish was Kaju Katri barfis. It was awesome!! Once after dinner we sang for a while and once the sleeping bags were given out nobody could wait to get into the cosy bag and doze off. The next thing I remembered was waking up at 6 am. I called for some tea from the ‘local mama’ who had parked himself in the next cave. The local mama actually provides for tea and also can get food prepared for you if you want.
Slowly and steadily everyone woke up by about 7 am and we once again got ready to prepare breakfast. It was Poha for the morning. Shuchi volunteered to make the morning breakfast and she made some tasty poha that left everyone licking their fingers.
By the time we finished breakfast it was around 9.30 and we decided it was time to pack up and start our journey back to the base village. On the way we had planned to stop at the Harishchandreshwar temple and take a good look at the historical temple and then proceed to climb down.
We set out from the cave at around 11 am and headed straight to the temple. The temple is marvelous example of the fine art of carving sculptures out of stones that existed in ancient India. Around this temple there a few caves & ancient water tanks. The river Mangal Ganga is said to originate from one of the tanks located close to the temple. There are three main caves near the temple. The cisterns near the temple provide drinking water. A short distance away, there is another Shiva temple. The fascinating thing about this temple is that it has been carved out from a single huge rock. Along side there is a huge cave filled with water and there is a ‘Shiv Ling’ in the centre. This cave stands on two and half pillars. The water it is said is filled through the 365 days of the year and is ice cold and never dries up.
The other interesting spot that one must visit on a trek to Harishchandragad is Konkan Kada. But this is possible only when you trek in the winters. Konkada according to me is India’s answer to the Grand Canyon. From Konkan Kada one can get a breathtaking view of the surrounding region and the setting sun. This cliff is a 900 ft vertical fall shaped in a sort of semi-circular edge. The wind tends to be very heavy here and due to the obstruction by the cliffs, it sweeps up vertically against the wall. It is said that a rainbow as a circle can sometimes be seen from here. That is known as the Broken Spectre... It can be seen only when there is a bit of mist in the valley, and the sun is right behind the person facing the valley. After a complete tour of the temple we quickly proceeded to descend the hill. The rock patch wasn’t a problem for us, we tackled it carefully and quite comfortably. It hadn't rained much during our whole trek down.
We were at the base village by 5 pm and completely famished as we had not eaten anything after breakfast. We ordered for good sumptuous lunch that comprised of dal, chaval, chapati, sabzi and achar and hogged it as though there was no tomorrow. Once we were done with our food. We were all ready to head back home. Many of them changed into their fresh clothes and got into the cars and we headed back to Mumbai.
All in all it was a great group and a memorable experience for me.

History of Harishchandragad
Let me now briefly take you through the history of Harishchandragad. The fort is quite ancient. Research indicates that remnants of Microlithic man have been discovered here. The various Puranas (ancient scriptures) like Matsyapurana, Agnipurana and Skandapurana include many references about Harishchandragad. Its origin is said to have been in 6th century, during the rule of Kalchuri dynasty. The citadel was built during this era. The various caves probably have been carved out in the 11th century. In these caves are idols of Lord Vishnu. There are two peaks atop the caves these are Taramati and Rohidas.
Great sage Changdev (one who created the epic “Tatvasaar”), used to meditate here in 14th century. The caves are from the same period. The various constructions on the fort and those existing the surrounding region point to the existence of diverse cultures here. The carvings on the temples of Nageshwar (in Khireshwar village), in the Harishchandreshwar temple and in the cave of Kedareshwar indicate that the fort belongs to the medieval period, since it is related to Shaiva, Shakta or Naath. Later the fort was under the control of Moguls. The Marathas captured it in 1747.
(Source Wikipedia)

Team of 15:
Nitin, Shuchi, Anindya, Myra, Vinod, Ashutosh, Kawaljeet, Manasi, Vikat, Samidha, Zen, Shweta, Jayesh, Yogita and myself –Anusha.

2007-07-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

Monsoon trek to Prabalgad

Last Sunday we trekked up to Prabalgad in the Matheran range. It was truly our first monsoon trek as it was pouring. Until Saturday evening we were not sure if the trek would be happening as the weather had taken a turn and city of Mumbai and interiors of Maharashtra was witnessing very heavy rains.
Although Jayesh was sure that the situation would ease by the evening and as decided we would be going on the trek, there was still some amount of apprehension. Hence we gave ourselves time till Saturday 6 pm to take a call. 25 people had booked the trek with Odati Adventures but, surprisingly none of them even called to check if the trek was called off. We were expecting that. All the same we were pleasantly surprised when nobody called. Atleast we were assured that all of them wanted to definitely go on a trek. God was kind and the rains subsided and our plan stood firm as usual.
As decided we met up at Bandra Station (west). We were in all 25 of us and there were four cars. It was a mixed group of bankers, consultants, entrepreneurs, social activist just to name a few.
We left Bandra at the said time 6.45 am. As usual our first stop was at 'Shree Dutt' at Panvel for some hot mouthwatering Maharashtrian breakfast like Poha, sabudhana khichdi, vada pav, sheera and misal pav. We halted for about 45 minutes finished with breakfast and immediately headed to Poinje, from where we had to take a left to Prabalgad.
The Weather was still pleasant and it wasn't raining. It was indeed a good weather to do this trek.
Prabalgad is a nice spot closer to Mumbai. A distant cousin of Matheran, Parabalgad has all the ingredients for making of a hills station; Forest on top of the hill; at 2300 feet above sea level; quite nice weather round the year; chirpy birds all around; but what's missing is a resident water source on top. I like Prabalgad especially for its forest. It is an amazing trek through the forest.
Prabalgad can't be missed if you are traveling via Mumbai to Pune cruising through the national highway, the gigantic V-Shaped to the west of fort is visible. The gigantic fort is not alone; next to it stands its smaller cousin Irsalgad. This fort has a canoe shaped crown. Prabalgad can also be seen from Matheran's Sunset point.
To get to Prabalgad by road one has to take a turn at the Poinje Phata. This road branches out from the Panvel road, just six kilometers short of the Panvel crossing. From Poinje, we got to the base village called Thakarwadi. Considering the fact that twice before despite knowing the route we have managed to get lost. So we hired a guide from the village thinking he would be better than us. Unfortunately we were mistaken they were worse than us. But you know what? I think getting lost on a route is what provides the fodder for excitement.
Before proceeding on our trek we applied Odomos as there are horse flies and once they get you they can really suck your blood out. Jayesh our trek leader had warned us of the same. Just as we were ready and started on our trek light showers began. It was good weather.
Except for Jayesh and myself everybody else was trekking up to Prabalgad for the first time. But everybody walked so well. We trekked up slowly and the best part of the trek was all 25 of us were in one group walking together. The pace was good enough lest some people deviated and were left all by themselves.
I forgot to mention there was Ali with us a 10 year old enthusiastic kid. At first I was not sure he would walk all the way up with us though his parents were there. But he surprised me totally, he did not crib once and enjoyed the trek to the fullest. He told me stories of his various trips. He was a pleasurable company indeed.
As we trekked up the rains got heavy. It was fun. We had to cross two streams. As we got up close to the fort and had another half hour 45 minute to get the fort the weather had turned bad and unfortunately the path to the fort also got washed way. We had to take a call whether to reach up the fort through an another slippery path or no. It was going to be difficult. Therefore Jayesh took a call it would not be worth taking that risk and we decides to walk back the same route.
The fort has some ruins of stone walls and ramparts. There is a small water tank and a Ganesh temple.
There is not much of a history on this fort. Except that in 1826, freedom fighter, Umaji Naik, along with his companions, had made Prabalgad his home for a brief period.
On our way back we stopped for a wet lunch at the plateau. Everyone was so hungry that they did not mind having a wet lunch. But one can't complaint, the lunch was awesome. It comprised for some homemade 'Theplas' (a gujrathi dish), with some excellent coconut chutney and curds. There were also kachoris, chaklis, and 'Nankatai' biscuits and last but not the least we also had 'Rosogullas'. After a sumptuous meal we had to quickly start trekking down. It was already 3 pm in the afternoon and rain had not stopped. Our fear was that the streams would swell up and then crossing the stream would be a difficult task. We were right. Our fear was almost coming true. When we reached the first stream it was frightening. The water was gushing through. We had no choice but to cross the stream. Expression on everybody's face was one of fear but no one actually spelled it out. Not even little Ali. He seemed only too excited to cross the stream. After deliberating on how are we going to manage, Jayesh took a call that we would form a human chain and cross it. Precisely, what we did. We formed a chain –one girl-one guy- and holding each others upper arm tightly. The only thing we had to remember was not to let loose even one arm. We followed the instructions right and the next we knew was all of us were on the other side of the stream. We had crossed it easily.
But that was not the end. We had one more stream to cross. This was slightly bigger and the distance was slightly more than the previous one. We used the same tactics and it worked very well. In not less than ten minutes we had cross the second stream as well. All fears put to rest we continued our walk leisurely to singing along the way to the village. We reached the village at 6 pm. I managed to get a room in one of the village houses for the women to change our wet clothes. The men managed to change at village gym. I also managed to get some tea made for all of us. Having got into our dry clothes and sipping hot tea was an absolutely blissful experience. We were now ready to get back home to the big bad city life… did we have a choice …well no… but what a way to end the week..amazing.. it certainly has left most of us I am sure with happy memories of adventure.

Pictures by Jayesh Morvankar

Everest-The Hard Way: a Chat with Sir Chris Bonington

2007-06-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

It’s every mountaineers dream to be on the World’s highest peak-Mount Everest. Mine too! I was therefore excited when I was invited for a lecture by Sir Chris Bonington in Mumbai. I am late in my posting on Sir Bonington. I met him almost three weeks ago.
He is one of the world’s greatest living and most successful expedition leaders in the history of mountaineering. He has several firsts in his life. In 1970 he led the expedition that climbed the South Face of Annapurna and in 1975 achieved success on Everest - the Hard Way, up its huge South West Face. Four strong expeditions had tried and failed. He reached the summit of Everest in 1985 at the age of fifty but the challenges that now attract him are the few exciting unclimbed peaks that are left in the World's further ranges he says.
He has established himself as an outstanding motivational speaker. More recently, he was invited by the Himalayan Club of India and High Places Management to deliver a lecture on his experiences. Listening to Sir Chris Bonington talk about his long career as a climber was encouraging and delightful. At 73 he still is so fit and gets as excited as any of us mountaineers get with the idea of climbing. He now spends part of his time passing on many of the lessons he's learned on the world's highest and hardest climbs and the rest half is spent climbing.
According to him the climbing principles and business principles are all identical. What's interesting about his lectures is that he largely uses his own expeditions as examples to talk about motivation, leadership, decision making, obstacle tackling etc. For most he prefers using the his 1975 Everest expedition as a case study and a model as according to him that's the expedition where he was the expedition team leader had to overcome several challenges to be successful. While using the 1975 expedition as a n example he actually takes the audience through the expedition. Setting clear objectives, risk management, delegation and a democratic style of leadership are all elements of the approach, which he presents to audiences of climbers or business people alike.
Considering the fact that today increasingly Indian companies are looking at outbound management as an important learning technique for their employees. Most companies callot two of three days in a year wherein they take them on a offsite and through adventure activities try and achieve team building and leadership motives. That explains why there were quite a few corporate executives apart from ofcourse mountaineers at this gathering.
A successful; climber does not fight his environment. He or she must become attuned to it, interpreting the signs and taking appropriate action. He needs to adapt his strategies to the changing realities of the elements, the terrain and the capabilities of the other team members. Indeed climbing provides a strong metaphor for many, at times traumatic changes that today are taking place throughout work place. Bonington through his talks underlines the lessons to be learnt and to help build a strategy for life-not just to survive-but to succeed and prosper.
When I asked Bonington how did it all start for him he said that his own objectives were set at the age of 16, when mountains first excited his imagination. “The pattern of lichen on rock, a few blades of grass, the dark, still shape of a lake below, the form of the hills and clouds above might be the same view seen by the passenger on a mountain railway, but transported to his viewpoint among a crowd, he cannot see what I, the climber, can. This is not an elitist ethic, but rather the deeper sensuous involvement that the climber has with mountains around him, a feeling heightened by the stimulus of risk.” I could quite relate to what he was saying as most of my friends who are not mountaineers or even remotely would not think of walking even 15 minutes think that I am crazy when they see that at a drop of a hat I could drop everything and just go climbing.
But is it really worth all the hardship, pain and grief? Some ask. Bonington says: “ I myself ask this question to myself sometimes. And I realize I've got to be realistic. An awful lot of my friends have died in the mountains and I've had lots of narrow escapes myself, but at the end of it all I'm prepared to take that risk for the sheer quality of the life I lead. Maybe it's a very selfish approach, but I think it's probably the one of most extreme adventurers.” I truly agree.
Having said that, Bonington is quick to point out that risk management is extremely important. “It's not a matter of doing something dangerous dangerously, it's a matter of going into a potential high-risk situation and using all your skill, your knowledge, your experience to neutralize the danger element and come through it. Climbing is an evolutionary process. The wise put in their apprenticeship.” Bonington's apprenticeship was served first on the hills of Britain, but within a few years he was earning a reputation for difficult ascents in the Alps, the traditional training ground for the world's best.
With regard to leadership one valid point that he made and which I felt is true to all professions is the fact that being a leader does not mean authoritative or dominating on your peers but that person is a true leader who consults his team gets their opinions on issues. He says: “When you are a leader you are dependent on the respect that your team has for you. And this is true of all jobs. Simultaneously the team members also need to feel consulted and feel their opinions are respected”.
According to him leadership is about caring for every individual member of your team and not about only achieving your final goal. Infact in the 1975 expedition Sir Bonington towards the end decided to pull his name out of the summit. Although he was the expedition leader he did not summit the Everest in that expedition. He says: “When I chose to pull my name out of the summit. It was very easy for me to do it because for me at that point in time it was important to have a harmonious achievement rather than fulfill my personal ambition.”
Sir Bonington’s style of presentation is very good. He says” describing and telling a story has all lessons and experience within it.” “Leadership is all about working as a team to achieve a common goal. This is precisely what he did as a leader of the group in the 1975 expedition.”
He actually took us on his ascent of the South West Face of Everest in 1975. He mentioned that it was the largest and most complex expedition ever to leave Britain, tackling what is arguably the most daunting challenge in the history of climbing – ‘Everest the Hard Way’. Five strong expeditions had already tried and failed.
He first took us through the planning process and then on to the climb itself, setting the scene, giving all the relevant information but then asking the participants for their solutions to the problems involved. Later he would explain how he solved the problem. The questions examined are ones of leadership and dealing with people rather than climbing tactics. He used many of the powerful images of his expedition that were interesting.
During the course of the discussion he brought the participants back to their own work day challenges and encouraged them to compare these with the issues that we explore on the mountain. This approach I found got all the participants in the hall excited and involved. I realized that for all of us it seemed like we were also part of the expedition and that were climbing as well, exploring different ways to deal with issues as they occur in the course of the expedition.
Exploration of the unknown is a theme he returns to again and again in Quest for Adventure. This expression of personal exploration is also a theme that carries weight in a business setting. Bonington aims to inspire others to tap their hidden potential in other walks of life. It's not just motivating for the audience: “The best stories are not just for telling the world, they're also stories you savour yourself as a bit of your own personal life's experience.”
Despite the risks, and the high price he has paid though the loss of dear friends, Bonington's appetite for climbing remains. There's certainly no shortage of challenges left. Bonington's best guess is that "there's enough pioneering climbing to last another 50, 60, 100 years.

Wheeling Charms: A Cycling Travelogue

2007-06-21T04:01:00.001-07:00

Cycling along Madh Island-Manori-Gorai-Uttan

This Sunday I had an awesome time cycling along Northern Mumbai coast line Madh-Manori-Gorai-Uttan. I can still re-live the thrill, excitement and the exhaustion of the trip.
Cycling is a blissful activity. I recently read in some newspaper that cycling should become mandatory and people should use more of cycles thereby help keep the environment and the traffic congestion at bay. I completely endorse this view. I wish all of us could use cycles for short distance rather than just hop into our cars and drive down to the market which is just ten minutes away from home.
The cycling trip last Sunday was organized by Odati Adventures. This was the first of the cycling trip that Odati organized in the beginning of this monsoon. Odati is known for its Mumbai Heritage Cycle rides for local history buffs on weekends. Here’s where the story of the city’s evolution unravels though it’s buildings. The ride starts at Eros Cinema, around Oval Maidan, Kala Ghoda, Ballard Estate, CST, Marine Drive and Colaba. These rides are organized in Winter and Summers only.
On this latest cycling trip to Madh Island-Manori-Uttan we were a bunch of 12 enthusiastic men and women. It was a mixed group comprising pf people from all walks of life. There were social activists, bankers, stock market specialist, tech geek etc.
Our first meeting point was Andheri station at 7 am in the morning and from here we headed to Jayesh’s place at Yari Road to pick the bikes. Jayesh owns and runs Odati Adventures.
After having selected our bikes, we tried them out and got all the minor adjustments like raising the seats, lowering the seat etc etc done. We were now ready to set off on our day long cycling expedition. Expedition sounds like a very important assignment right…but it was, as most of them in the group were going to be cycling long distance after a very long time and without any regular exercises. So you can imagine the strain that most of us are going to be putting ourselves through. But luckily nobody was even thinking of things like will I be able to do it? What if I give up half way? etc. Everybody was excited and wanted to chill out and get away for a while from the daily rut.
We started at around 8 am for Versova Jetty which was 3 kms from Jayesh’s place. It was quite an amazing ride passing through the fisherman’s colony at Versova. You could smell the fresh sea breeze as you ride along. At the jetty we got our bikes on to the boat and reached Madh Island. From here we biked across all the way to Marve
By now we were all famished. Many of us had not even had a cup of tea in the morning. So we decided to halt for breakfast at a decent joint called Mantra Hotel before we reached Gorai Jetty. After searching all along the way we were lucky to find one decent joint. As we waited for our breakfast to arrive Jayesh narrated some of his amazing Himalayan trek experiences. We all got talking and were trying to get to know each other better. Finally the breakfast arrived we gorged on some Egg Bhurji, Omlettes and Vegetable Sandwiches and tea and fresh lime juice. After a nice sumptuous breakfast we headed straight to Marve-Gorai Jetty.
The dark black tar road and tall trees on both sides was welcoming. The ride was enjoyable as there wasn’t enough traffic as well. The weather was pleasant. We covered quite a distance (almost 10 kms) before we reached Marve-Gorai Jetty. People on the streets couldn’t get their eyes off us as they saw one after the other cyclists zooming past them. As we passed some fishermen’s village kids were excited to see us and were running alongside waving at us.
Once at Marve-Gorai Jetty we now had to load the bikes once again on to a boat and get to Manori. As we waited for the boat to arrive we spent time relaxing on the sand and enjoying the sea breeze. The boat arrived in about 20 minutes. Getting the cycles up the boat and getting it off was quite an experience. And mind you one had to do it on his/her own. There was no time waiting for the boat men to come and help you load the cycles on to the boat or get it off the boat as there was a huge rush of people wanting to get in and get off the boat.
It was a 10-15 minute boat ride. We alighted at Manori Jetty and decided we would ride upto Uttan Village in Thane District. The drive down the Manori-Gorai-Uttan belt is remarkable. The place was familiar as one is so used to driving down in a car during weekends here. We passed the famous ManoriBel and Dominica Resorts.
Gorai is known for its beaches and East Indian population, though in recent times the beaches have become polluted. Till the 1980s Gorai was known for its clean beaches and palm trees. Gorai has a large East Indian population. As your drive down the road towards Uttan you come across many houses. The one thing I noticed on the gates of most of these houses is ‘We Oppose SEZ’.
This serene Gorai – Uttan belt, the Mumbaikar’s ideal spot for picnics could be the next Nandigram in Maharashtra. The lush green countryside, an abode of over 1.25 lakh Catholic farmers and fishermen, is caught in the net of the SEZ Act and is in the process of being handed over by the State Government to Pan India Paryatan Limited (PIPL), the group that owns Essel World and Water Kingdom, to be developed into a Recreation and Tourism Special Economic Zone. The locals are beginning to realize the impact this development is going to have on their lives and are planning to fight tooth and nail against its implementation. The Bombay East Indian Association is spearheading the opposition to this proposed SEZ.
The weather was pleasant and it was also drizzling. While most of the ride was smooth at one spot there was quite a climb which took a toll on most of us. Nevertheless we all did it without a huff.
We rode almost 27 kms one way upto Uttan. Uttan village is a quaint place and has a lot of resemblance to Old Goa villages. Uttan situated on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea is about about 90 kms from Mumbai.
We reached Uttan at around 1.30 pm. We halted at the end of the beach for a while. As we parked ourselves on the cemented bench each one of us realised how difficult it was to sit down as our backsides were aching terribly and we yet had another 28 kms to get back to where we started from. I almost thought my butt had disowned me. The pain was unbearable as I sat down. But then it was camouflaged with our jokes and talks. After resting for about 20 minutes we decided to head back. By now we were all famished and just wanted to have some good lunch. Luckily we found a small time hotel. We immediately halted here and ordered for our lunch. After a sumptuous meal we headed straight to Manori jetty which was just 20 minutes away.
Our journey back was the same route. The only difference this time around was that we had to be extremely careful while riding as there was tremendous traffic on the road and the roads were wet as well. Nevertheless it was good and thankfully none of us had any injury or accidents. We reached Versova Jetty precisely at 6 and were at Jayesh’s place at about 6.15 pm where we had to drop our cycles and head back home to get back to work the next day….that was certainly a sad feeling. But nevertheless we were all rejuvenated thoroughly after having ridden 57 kms in one day.

Team-mates: Jayesh, Ashok, Aara, Anusha (myself), Gautam, Salil, Farheen, Shweta, Jay and Vikram, Pooja and Uday.

Pictures By Jayesh Morvankar- Odati Adventures

Come along Cycling this weekend

2007-06-12T03:22:00.000-07:00

Watch out what you could do this Weekend and the Weekend after that

Hey the monsoon are about to set in and we at Odati Adventures gear ourselves up for some monsoon adventure. This year we are beginning with a Cycling trip. If you have little time to visit Goa and want to experience its relaxed air, cycle in Madh – Manori islands. With great roads, little traffic and the constant companionship of the sea, this ride will make your day’s worth.

Date of Cycling Trip: June 17
Departure from Andheri Station West sharp at 7 am
Confirm by Friday June 15th
Cost: 825 per head (inclusive of food and cycles and transportation)
Level of Difficulty: Easy

First Trek of the Season
Monsoons in India, especially the West is a breath taking phenomenon. To experience this truth there is nothing better than get drenched in the first showers and soak in the spirit of outdoors. With the monsoons knocking at the doors, this is the best time to hit the terrain. The grass has just sprouted and dust cleared of all the foliage. The fresh smell of soil lingers in your head much after going back to the urban life. Welcome to our first trek for this season begins with Ghangad / Dhangad in Lonavala Region.

Date: 23-24 June
Cost: 1425 per head (inclusive of transportation, food and stay)
Confirm before : June 20
Level of Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Scaling the Rocks

2007-06-05T01:01:00.000-07:00

It was the end of summer and as usual I ended my summer by hitting the rocks at Manori, a beach site in the far flung western suburbs of Mumbai last Sunday. Wondering what I was doing well I went Rock Climbing with a couple of friends most of whom were going to be climbing for the first time. I was as good as a first timer because I was going climbing after a very long time (almost a year) and I felt I had lost confidence and would have to start all over again.
We couldn't wait to feel the air below us and the sheer rock above. We started at 7 am in the morning from Malad station and headed straight to Malad jetty from where we had to take a ferry to Manori. Not a tough task on a Sunday morning to get to Manori. Every ten minutes there is a ferry to Manori. From Manori you could take a rickshaw or bus and ask for Ambedkar stop. After you alight here it’s a 20 minute walk to the rocks. It’s an amazingly isolated place with the rocks to us. Jayesh from Odati Adventures was our leader.
A trained mountaineer from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttaranchal, Jayesh is a regular climber although he says he is nit as regular as he would like to be. It was a nice 20 minutes walk to the climbing site which is away from the main beach site.
Just as Jayesh was fixing the ropes for climbing, we settled ourselves comfortably on the rocks watching him and the equipments that are used for climbing.
As a hobby rock climbing first came to Mumbai in 1970s, but not many were interested. It caught on in the 80s with many people sitting up and taking notice of this sport. Now lot many people are coming into this adventure sport. There are accountants, ad-men, corporate executives and students among them, all charmed by the unique thrill and challenges of the sport. It is said that If you do not have enough of mental strength to complement physical fitness, rock climbing may not be your cup of tea. Once the lead climber is on the way up, suspended a few hundred feet above the empty space, he needs to have total concentration to make split second decisions. The decisions made on top of the steep rocks add to the excitement and adventure, since each climb is unique.
One must take care of a few important things before climbing. The best attire for climbing is a T-Shirt tucked into track pants and proper climbing shoes. Most outdoor activities company that conduct rock climbing do provide with climbing shoes.
Jayesh provided us with the gear such as helmet and climbing shoes. He gave us the necessary instructions and also talked to us about a few climbing techniques that are currently prevalent. Well the climbing techniques vary from rock to rock. While rock climbing there has to be a balance and rhythm in ones movements. The first and foremost requirement for a climber is balance. If at any point of time while climbing, the climber has to pull out his climbing equipment on the way up, he should be able to do with ease.
We were told that there is something called Bouldering.
Bouldering is supposed to be the purest form of climbing, since no climbing equipment are used here. Although hands and feet do most of the work, safety equipment like ropes and body harnesses are mandatory in rock climbing. It is physically exhausting, and the climber has to keep this in mind before deciding on the route. The lead climber's calculation about the route and the duration of the climb has to be perfect.
We were to climb a 30 feet rock. Jayesh first demonstrated to us how to climb. He climbed like a lizard. It was absolutely effortless climb and climbing seemed so easy. It’s only when you attempt it yourself that you realize how tough it is. I made three attempts but unfortunately could not go climb right to the top. I missed shot of five feet. But nevertheless an attempt at climbing after a year was an enchanting experience for me and for the entire group.
One thing i must mention here is that while i had climbed rocks earlier but during this climb Narayan Iyer, a banker climbed brilliantly. he was the only one who reached the top point and climbed the complete 30 ft rock. And who says bankers are boring. Well out of our group of six three were bankers and one was a lawyer and it was a fun trip.
Rock climbing has also given rise to artificial wall climbing, otherwise known as sport climbing. This is an attempt to re-create the rock climbing experience in a controlled environment. There is one artificial wall constructed at the Dadaji Kondeo Stadium at Thane (West) to train climbers for competitions.
Climbing walls also provides a year round alternative to ourdoor rock climbing. It also offers a training facility to climbers, introducing beginners to rock climbing in the safest possible environment. These walls offer an excellent way to improve fitness and provide a feel of adventure. Sport climbing is, in a way a better alternative for those who are scared to climb the actual rocks. Climbing walls have moveable holds attached to the climbing surface. These can be adjusted to varying degrees of difficulty of the route. During rock climbing, one has to learn how to avoid accidents. There could be two types of accidents, one, which is natural and unavoidable and two the man made accidents. These can be caused because of over confidence, lack of concentration and wrong decisions, lack of knowledge of equipments lack of experience etc etc. While climbing presence of mind is the most important and a cool temperature are very much essential and the lead climber should have these qualities.
Rock climbing is slowly and steadily gaining prominence in our country. Artificial wall climbing has contributed to increase awareness about it.

Terminology in Rock Climbing:
Anchor Point: The point of protection for the lead climber

Anchor: Protection that secures the team to rock.

Ascenders: Mechanical cramming devices that grip the rope. They slid in one direction and grab in the other.

Belay: To secure the climb with the rope.

Coll: A method of packaging a rope in order to carry it.

Crux: The most difficult move or section of the climb.

Edging: A technique in which, one places the edge of the boot in such a way that allows them to share the load.

Face Climbing: Climbing on face holds

Free Climbing: To make progress without placing any weight on rope systems or artificial protections.

Grade: A rating of the overall difficulty of a climb.

Jam: A camming action performed by climbers, using body parts to gain purchase in the cracks.

Jug: A huge face hold.

Lead Climbers: The person leading or going first, lead climbers climb above the belay.

Rack: A compliment of climbing protection carried by a climber.

Rappel: To slide down on the rope, controlling with friction.

Top Rope: A belay which is above the climber.

Essential Equipments:

The climbers are totally dependent on this to secure them to the rock. All equipments is tested to at least half in strength before it comes to the market. In case of technical equipment, the weakest link is tested at two tonne. The equipment from Indian manufacturers are not tested to any strength.

Climbing rope: Made of nylon fibres, and has a sheath and a core area. It comes in length from 45 m to 60 m. A 50 m length usually suffices of most climbs.

Harness: A belt made of nylon tape which is wrapped around the thighs and the waist of the climber. It is the connection between the climber and the rope. In case of a falt, it distributes the impact over the thighs and the waist.

Shoes: Smooth high friction, rubber soled, skintight shoes. For beginners attempting easy climbs, normal tight fitting P T shoes with flexible rubber soles would do.

Chalk Bag: A small pouch tied to the waist of the climber, contining Magnesium Carbonate. When applied to the hands, it absorbs the sweat, making it comfortable for the climber to grip small holds. Rs 250 each.

Crabiners: Metal safetycatches, they work like large size safety pins, with the gate spring loaded for easy opening and automatic shutting. There are two types: Screw locking and plain.

Descender/Belay Device: A climber has a choice of many kind of descender and belay devices in the market. These are friction devices which absorb the shock of the falling climber. They also impart friction while descending.

Tape slings: Nylon tapes which are either stirched or tied together with a knot, they can be made of various sizes, they are used for jamming in the rock crevices.

Friends: Camming devices, which contract on the pull of the trigger and expand as they go into crack. They come in various sizes.

Helmet: A climbing helmet is an absolute.

Major Climbing Areas around Mumbai:

Mumbai: There are innumerable climbing areas in the western ghats and many exciting climbs on the pinnacles around Mumbai. The following areas provide convenient and safe climbing. Kanheri Caves. Borivili National Park--The boulders in the Borivili National Park offers some interesting in dvariety climbing.

Mumbra Boulders : It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the base of the Mumbra boulders which lie above the town on the right hand end. The nursery boulders have some interesting problems to offer and are ideal for a beginner.

Manori Rocks: Between the Manori beach and Gorai beach. The main stack is called the 'camel'. The rocks are between four and 10 m high. They are of good quality and have something to offer to everyone.

Trekking is not tough…………if you know how to walk right

2007-05-14T23:35:00.000-07:00

Hiking or Trekking? There is a vast difference between hiking and trekking. Hiking applies to shorter route and plain walks while trekking applies to more rigorous walking along different terrains and altitudes. But trekking is not tough as one thinks it to be. If you know to walk then you can trek as well. Walking along a trail around with a backpack does not require exceptional skill but does require certain amount of physical fitness,planning, the right clothes, shoes and above all old common sense.

A first time trekker should start with easy effortless trails of one hour or so and then work your way up to longer, more difficult treks.The difficulty of any trek or walk depends on the hilliness of the terrain, and altitude. Most walking trips, tailored for moderately active people, cover gentle terrain at low altitudes, and many have optional shorter routes. One can also take breaks along the trails. This applies to treks in Maharashtra or anywhere in South India.

Himalayan treks where the altitude is over 8000 feet and can extend upto 18,000 feet needs mental conditioning and excellent physical fitness. Most professional outfits organizing these treks can assess your fitness levels. If in doubt, be conservative, especially when it comes to the dizziness and shortness of breath associated with high altitudes. At high altitudes, altitude sickness is one of the first and foremost things that one needs to take care of. I would recommend further reading on altitude sickness and one can also contact your organizer for the same before going on a long trek.

Essential Skills
Skills needed for trekking apply to any outdoor sport. A course in basic first aid wouldn’t hurt, but the least you can know is how to bandage a wound and detect the signs of dehydration and heatstroke. Learn to understand the weather conditions of the day.

Gear UpThis is the basic that an individual should understand while trekking. The right backpack is a must. Have a backpack which fits well on your back and does not ‘hang’. Therefore choose a backpack with multiple pockets, padded shoulder straps, and large zipper closure. And make sure it’s the right size: When properly adjusted, the base should sit on your hips and the top should be at least one hand-width below the base of your neck. A fit backpack on your back is half the battle won while trekking.

The rest half of the battle is won with the right clothes and shoes. Wear loose clothes like tracks or cotton slacks or trousers with a loose T-Shirt. Avoid wearing denims especially during monsoons. If it gets wet it gets very heavy thus making it difficult for you to walk. On a Himalayan Trek a multipurpose jacket which can take the cold as well as the wind is a must.

While on a Himalayan trek it is recommended that you wear woollen or synthetic blend socks designed to wick moisture away from the feet, as wet feet is the primary cause of blisters.

Footwear designed specifically for trekking offers better support and traction. Choose a pair that’s a half-size larger than your street shoes to allow for some swelling as you walk and to accommodate slightly heavy hiking or a towel socks.
That little tingle of friction you feel on your foot before you get a blister. Don’t ignore the feeling: Take off your boot and wrap your foot with a light cloth before that tingling evolves into a full-fledged blister.

Some things to keep in your day pack: first-aid kit; water bottle; Swiss Army knife; topographic map; compass and sweater or a jacket. Jacket is advisable while trekking in the monsoons in Maharashtra and ofcourse it is a must while on a Himalayan Trek.
On any trek avoid carrying electronic gadgets like walkman or the likes. These require ample batteries and they amount to lot of weight. This is very essential to note on a Himalayan Trek. Many electronics refuse to work below freezing or in cold conditions. Cold electronics gadgets consume more battery and hence you will have to carry extra batteries and hence extra load. Each pencil cell battery will weigh about 50Gms and if you plan to carry even five extra pairs that add 500Gms, besides the problem of disposing them. Used batteries are considered to be one of the biggest environmental hazards. These also attract the attention of locals / porters and may induce them into theft. Protecting your electronics from the elements may pose another challenge.

Carry batteries only for your camera. Carry the essential amount. The rule is always that know what you want and only click those that will also save you from wasting rolls (incase you are not using a digital camera).

Some basics to bear in mind:

• Walk straight and when at slopes never sit and climb down it will get more painful.
• When tired please avoid sitting down on the trail. This will only increase the tiredness further and make it difficult for you start walking again
• Always carry salt and sugar with you and mix it with your water. An easier option is to have Electoral or Glucose mixed with your bottle of water.
• Never gulp water when you halt to take a break only sip water.
• Whenever you feel uneasy immediately make it a point to tell your trek leader or your organizer. So that things do not get out of hand.
• It’s always nice to keep a small notepad with you to jot down your experiences and also details on the place.

Pls Note: While most of these apply to a normal local treks, there are few specifics for Himalaya Treks. In this note I have jotted some most important things for the Himalayan Treks

Happy Trekking……………..

Escape to Rajghad

2007-05-12T00:20:00.000-07:00

It was going to be yet another boring weekend and after undergoing perpetual stress at work I as usual wanted to get away from Mumbai. I ganged up with eight other friends who had a mutual feeling. Just as Shivaji escaped from custody of Aurangzeb at Agra to come back to Rajgad his mountain capital, we too decided to escape to Rajgad.

So as planned we set off from Mumbai at 7 am on Saturday morning. Speeding past the ExpressWay way we wanted to reach the base village Gunjavane by 11. We had a stopover before we reached the base village. Most of us were famished and therefore we stopped for breakfast and a cuppa tea at one of the food courts on the ExpressWay. We munched on some light breakfast and quickly proceeded on our journey towards the base village Gunjavane, a small village at base of the fort.

Rajgadh as the name suggests is the 'King of all Forts'. About 85 kms from Pune, this fort has great historical relevance, as it was Shivaji's favourite fort and is first mountain capital. At the base village we parked ourselves at 'Shivteerth Rajgadh Pratishton' a nice homely hotel kind of place. Most trekkers stop here to park their bikes and vehicles and have a quick bite. We received a warm welcome from Balu Pawar who works here. We made our selves comfortable. I had carried enough lunch for all of us but we decided we to have a light lunch as we wanted to trek up feeling light. So we ordered for some 'Poha' and tea. While, we were waiting for our order we noticed the complete model of the 'Rajgadh fort' that has been built by the locals. One can get a complete view of how the fort is structured and which are the various places to visit when atop the fort.

Pawar gave us a complete rundown on the history of the fort and explained each and very place in the fort. There is also a small museum that the locals have built in this hotel. It houses photographs of Rajgad and few memorabilias of Shivaji's times which the locals keep finding when they get on a cleaning spree. In the meantime lunch had arrived we had lunch and rested for about half hour before we started on our trek.

There are several routes to get up to the fort. If you want to really do it the easy way you can travel by bus for two hours to Wazheghar, Bhutonda or Pali from Pune and the it will take you right to the foothills of this legendary fort. The adventurous freaks that we are, we decided to trek through the most difficult route that is the 'Chor Darwaza' route (it is also the most preferred route for trekkers), otherwise there is an easier route through Pali, which while being a cakewalk is a longer one too.

We started our trek at 1 pm leading to the Chor Darwaja of the fort. This route represents a good trek. It is shorter but slightly tough. You will realize it when you climb but it is fun at every stage.

We reached a plateau in one hour and climbed some shorter hills on the way and suddenly came to a steep rock patch. This is where the actual climb starts. Steps have been cut into the rocks and also protected by railings. Imagine what would it be like if the railings are not there!!! and Finally after all that fun climbing along the steep rock patch, we reached the Padmavati Machi in two hours.

Rajgad fort, which is 1350 mts in height consists of three long ridges leading from the central 'Bale Killa' (the central place), which is almost 500 feet high and really difficult to climb. Then you have the Padmavati machi/ridge towards the south is where the main temple and water tank is situated. It offers a good place to stay! Then there is the Sanjivani Machi ,Suvela Machi. TheSuvela Machi is one of the strongest places on the fort. The third machi - Sanjivani is very beautiful too.

We parked ourselves at one of the temples as few other trekkers occupied the other two temples. It was around 3 pm and we had enough time on our hands to take some rest and explore the fort. The view of the sunset from Rajgad is really awe inspiring as the sun sets behing Torna fort surrounding the entire ridge and valley between Rajgad and Torna with a orange halo for a brief period that seems like eternity. Rajgad connects to Torna vide a ridge and this is a complete day’s trekking taking about 6 -7 hours of trek.

After sunset we prepared a good sumptuous dinner which included ‘Theplas, Jeera Rice and the typical Maharashtrian ‘Usal’- made of sprouts. We had candle light dinner and after dinner decided to step out into the open and sleep under the open skies. At rajgad, You lie down and look up at the skies you see so many stars, a rare treat for city living Mumbaiites. We ended up doing a little bit of stargazing. trying to inform each other as much as we could. At around 11 pm the tiredness of the day’s activity set in and we slept wonderfully amidst a natural surrounding with the wind playing it’s night song on an otherwise silent dark night.Like everyone else, I just had to get into my sleeping bag and within minutes was fast a sleep.

Next morning (Sunday) we were up by 6.30 am. Prepared tea and decided to set off to for Balle Killa, which is a 45 minute climb from Padmavati Machi. It is very difficult to climb. However railing on the way up help to make the climb possible. Once you have reached the ancient Gates that mark entrance to Bale Killa, the sense of achievement is universal as one glimpses into a beautiful view of the lake from the top. We spent time talking about the place clicking photographs. One can see the whole of Sahyadri’s from the top of this fort. The vision includes Torana, Raireshwar, Mahabaleshwar, Pratapgad, Raigad, Lingana, Bhatghar, Tung, Visapur and Sinhagad.

We could not explore Sanjivini Machi and Suvela Machi as we did not have so much time. All of us had to get back to our jobs, which mainly provides our daily bread and butter and there was no shying away from that fact. Having got a good reason to come back yet again, we started descending at around 11.30 and by 1.30 we were at Pawar’s hotel where lunch was waiting for us. We all had a quick wash and gorged on the great authentic Maharashtrian lunch. At 3.30 we took leave from Pawar and back to our Qualis to head back to our houses in Mumbai.

Rajgad is truly a place to visit and remember the greatest Maratha King. One must visit the fort and enjoy the nature and the beauty of the great fort.

How to get there

* When in Pune, get to Swargate and take a bus to Welle and alight at Margasani stop and then proceed to Gunjavane, which is 4-5 km walk-Local transport can be available

* From Mumbai take a bus or train to Pune and get to Swargate from here take a bus going towards Wellhe and alight at Margasani. Alternatively if you are fortunate you can take a bus directly to base village Gunjavane or Vajheghar.

The buses to Wellhe are frequent.

Visapur: Easy and Relaxing Trek

2007-05-09T04:40:00.000-07:00

I had not trekked for almost three weeks and I had to do something this Sunday. I therefore decided to go to Visapur in the Lonavala region for a trek with another friend. I was told it is simple and relaxing.
Visapur is one trek I had always wanted to do but never did for a long time, although I had trekked Lohaghad-the sister fort of Visapur several times. This Sunday we decided to take off to Visapur.
Visapur is near Bhaje Caves and adjacent to Lohaghad. Both Lohaghad and Visapur have great historic importance as they played a leading role in guarding the ancient trade routes and have been saviors of Bhaje caves. While a lot is known about Lohaghad there was very little I gathered initially about Visapur. Despite the fact that it is a very large fort with the presence of a large plateau, very little is written and talked about Visapur. It is only when we reached the top that I realized the vast expanse of this fort land.
At the base of Visapur is Bhaje caves. Thee caves have been carved out in the same mountain as Visapur. It is a stretch of 18 caves and are amongst the oldest monasteries excavated by monks of the Hinayana order
To be precise Visapur lies in the Nane Maval region, which was under Nizamshahi after the dissolution of Bahmani rule. It went into the hands of Mughals in the treaty of Mahuli, between ShahajiRaje and Mughals. Then Shivaji captured almost all forts here till 1660.
The walk up to Visapur is lovely. An ideal trek for a fresher, getting to Visapur is not a difficult task. By train one needs to alight at Malavali station. A local guide from here is a good help.
If you travel by a Car, the vehicle can be taken right upto the base of Visapur. From the parking lot you walk a few distances and then you will find large steps going upwards these steps leads one to Bhaje Caves. Mid-way through the steps there is a diversion to the right and that will lead you to Visapur. We pass initially through the thickets and then climb up. We pass few huts in between and a small village that house three or four huts only. Once can see the fortification of the Vispaur fort from here. As we climb up further we come across a stream. As we cross the stream and climb up further we reach the crumbled fortress.
As we pass this fortress we sight a hillock on the left.
We sight some caves on the hillock and one of these caves has a cistern filled with water. As we walk ahead keeping this hillock on the left we sight another hillock on the right. Walking in between these two hillocks and walking straight ahead until we come across some rock-cut steps. As we climb up further we come reach the huge plateau of the fort and the fortification around it is amazing.
What’s even more amazing is the clear geometric shaped fort walls that are yet so intact. The main characteristics of this fort is the strong fortification that has been built and the vast plateau that it has. During Shivaji’s time this fort was considered one of the strongest forts. As we walk along the fortification and we glance our sight to the left we spot a huge big carving of Hanuman on a one of the walls. The image is chiseled out of rock. Caves lie nearby this image.
The total climb from the base to the fort is about 1.5 hours. However, once on the top of the fort there is lot to explore. It took us almost two hours to explore the entire length and breadth of the fort.

Wondering why so late???????

2007-05-09T04:37:00.000-07:00

Well you would be wondering why I am writing about my experiences so late. To tell you the truth I have wanted to write about it for so long but just that I have never had enough time to ponder on my experiences and then put it down in words. Finally I decided to do that now. I
Amongst my best experiences, Arunachal is one trek I will never forget for various reasons such as a) not many people would ever think of going to Arunachal, b) Being a chronic asthmatic I am happy to have succeeded in completing my trek without any fears.
I am a chronic asthmatic and have always avoided high altitude treks. I always kept avoiding Ladhak out of fear that I will never be able to do it. However, when I was told about Arunachal by my friend Jayesh who runs the company Odati adventures I was excited. I was definite that come what may I will do this trek. I had made up my mind that worse case scenario if I am not able to even do the acclimatization trek then I would get back.
It was a challenge I had taken up. As precautionary measure I had taken with me four Asthaline Inhalers and also strips of Deryphyline Tablets. To my utter amazement I did not use even one inhaler and also did not have to take any tablets. I was hale and hearty going up to 14,500 feet.
That’s when I realized it is not about physical strength but all about mental strength and confidence in yourself. All my fears of high altitude are gone.
To be very honest being an Asthmatic has not stopped me from leading a normal life. Adventure sports like trekking, rock climbing and rappelling has kept me fit and in turn these have also reduced my attacks. Finally, now that I have done Arunachal I am definitely hoping to do Ladhak this July.
Look forward for lot of my other travelogues on my blog.But also remember travelogues are not all that i am going to write about. There would be other things to read on my blog as well.

see ya ..............have a great day

The land of the Rising Sun: Arunachal Pradesh

2007-05-09T04:36:00.000-07:00

view of Kameng River and braving it out in the snow on our way to the Indo-Bhutan border

For a Mumbaikar attempting a great escape into the splendid isolation of Arunachal Pradesh, it was a bit disconcerting to come across a lake named after Madhuri Dixit. Because for the locals, the Sangestar Lake is now Madhuri Lake, thanks to a song from the film Koyla that was picturised there.
It was also annoying (though sometimes sweet), to have to keep explaining to the locals that the mere fact that I live in Mumbai does not make me Shah Rukh Khan’s close personal friend. And finally, Arunachal’s No. 1 hit song drove me straight up the wall. It is by Himesh Reshammiya.
Fortunately, these – and the Maratha Regiment at the Bum-La Pass that I was only too happy to keep happy by exchanging notes on ‘back home’ – were the only reminders of the crowded, congested city on the other side of the subcontinent that I call home. For two glorious weeks, I was in a fresh, cool, unspoilt environment that is Arunachal Pradesh. And I will never forget the experience.

Adventure : Arunachal

Situated on the north-eastern tip of India, with Bhutan on the west, China on the north, Myanmar on the east and the states of the seven sisters on the south, Arunachal Pradesh is our very own land of the rising sun.
It is not easy to get there – especially the West Kameng district where I went trekking. You must fly to Guwahati first, and then drive along the River Bhramaputra to Tezpur from where, after an overnight break, you continue to Bhalupong, a town on the Arunachal border. Before you go, however, you must apply for an Inner Line Permit – essential for a sensitive border state like Arunachal.
Documentation done, our adventure began with a climb to Jamiri, en route to the Dirang Valley, wandering past the Kameng River as it meandered down the mountainous terrain, fed by umpteen streams and waterfalls. About four km from Bhalukpong we stopped at Tipi, which hosts the Orchid Research Centre. The Orchidarium features more 500 species of orchids – Arunachal is the orchid capital of India, and scientists at Tipi have created several new hybrid species.

Onward & Upward
Onward from Tipi, clouds gathered at eye level, and the road twisted against the mountains. For someone fresh from the congestion of Mumbai, the journey was like a benediction: fresh, clean air, and a long distant view. Never mind that it was a long trip to Dirang, we loved every metre of it.
After a trip to the Dirang Zhong (fort) and a night at the tourist bungalow, we detoured slightly to visit India’s only yak farm before climbing up Tom Hill, which, at 9,545 feet able sea level, gave us our first view of the snowcapped mountains on the border. This was our acclimatisation trek: the plan was to trek to Sania on the Bhutanese border (13,500 feet).

Snow Trek

The trek was an awesome experience. The weather was strange. Three kms in to our trek and the weather takes a complete turn. It starts snowing. It was a completely new but frightening experience. But, thank to our guide and Tashi and the other porters who kept our spirits high and did not let us get de-motivated. Three hours into the trek and the entire group had split. The idea of being together all the while had been lost. The weather further got worse and finally our trek leader Jayesh in consultation with our guide took the decision to wait at a Goat hut at ‘Dhonk Chi Phu’. From our hut the ‘Pemakoksum’ range of Bhutan was clearly visible. We were only three hours away from our summit point Sania (Bhutan Border) but we could not proceed as the weather was bad. It took us all of six hours to reach the goat hut (13,255 ft). Nevertheless everyone was happy that we atleast made it to the goat hut.

After the snowtrek as we were warming ourselves in the small goat hut, Jayesh our trek leader announced the change in plans. We realised that the weather conditions had led us to alter the plans a bit. The plan was to trek back the same route to Naga-Jiji (our base camp) and then from here trek down to a small village called Lubrang

Patriotism Unlimited

Lubrang, a village on the Indo-Bhutan border, had precisely 10 houses and a gompa (monastery), and that was all. Right ahead of us was the massive Gorichen group of peaks, standing guard over the border, and right next to us were the hospitable residents of the village, offering us their extremely potent local drink, ‘rakshi’.
The locals of this area belong to the Monpa tribe and, in their traditional attire – long, striped wraparound skirts and boots for women, trousers and jackets made of yak skin for men – did not look at all Indian.
After two nights in Lubrang, we began phase two of our trek, this time to Sela Pass and Tawang. Sela Pass, the second-highest pass in the world, is 14,500 feet above sea level and runs through a ridge along the Paradise Lake. Snow lined the road as we drove up to this pass where, in the 1962 war with China, our soldiers fought valiantly to keep the invading forces out. Tales of heroism filled our ears and we trekked to the nearby Jaswant Garh War Memorial, raised in memory of Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, Lance Niak Trilok Singh Negi and Rifleman Gopal Singh Gusain, of 4 Battalion Garhwal Rifles. For their bravery, their unit was bestowed with the battle honour ‘Nuranang’, the only Indian army unit to receive such an honour in the 1962 war.
Behind the memorial, on a clear day, there is a panoramic view of mountain peaks, including Bum La. Take it from me: this view is best enjoyed to the accompaniment of piping hot samosas and dosas from the stall manned by Army jawans.

The Great Escape

Downward from Jaswant Garh, the terrain changes. Green begins to take over. Do not, under any circumstance, miss Jung village and its waterfall on your way to Tawang. It can uplift the most jaded soul.
Tawang, seems to have a bit of an identity crisis. It is also known as Mon Tawang, Tawang Shyo, Towang, T’a-wan and Tang Shyo. This is where Bollywood begins to make its presence felt, but fortunately, I could escape to the Pankang Thang Tso (Tso meaning lake). The drive there is steep and often snowbound, but words cannot describe how beautiful it is.
We got to peek into China from here – though the border was infinitely less interesting than the gorgeous lakes and marvellous mountains. And on our way back, we stopped at the world famous Tawang Galden Namgyal Lhatse (meaning celestial paradise), better known as Tawang Monastery. One of the oldest and largest Buddhist monasteries in Asia, it can accommodates over 700 monks.
Unfortunately, like all holidays, mine had to end. But I will never forget the dawn-lit mountains, remote hamlets, sleepy villages, magical gompas, tranquil lakes and beautiful orchids of Arunachal Pradesh.

Exploring the Sahyadris

2007-05-09T04:28:00.000-07:00

hey!! come weekends and I am always on the look out to get out of this city to explore the hill forts of Maharashtra or go cycling along the Westren Ghats in the Sahyadris (The Deccan Plateau of Maharashtra). It amazes me to note that there are so many people i know in Mumbai who are not aware of the Sahyadris and the places around Mumbai to go trekking or for any outdoor activity during the weekends.
The Sahyadri, with its rugged topography, rocky mountains, pinnacles, great historic hill forts (most of which were conquered by Shivaji), huge lakes and rivers and extencive forest region are a virtual paradise for trekking, climbing, rappelling, Cycling ( Its great on the ghats and fun) and camping. This range preceds the Himalayas by a 100 million years. The caves and forts are great places of visit here. Some of the caves have paintings that dates back to times BC. The Monsoon especially is a great time to trek in the Sahyadris.
It is its most beautiful during this time of the year with its numerous waterfalls cascading down the slopes. A great time to do waterfall rappelling. Thus, monsoons add a special charm to your whole trip. So if you are an outdoor person and adventurous too then go exploring the Sahyadris. believe me you will not regret it.
read along my experiences in the Sahyadris.and other trips in my travelogues............