Of sunny peaks and frigid pools - Nagala Central peak

Another month, another trek, same Nagala, same me, different group. 'Nagala Hills' as marked on Google maps, is a discontinuous range of mountains along the Eastern coast of India. Situated on the border of TamilNadu and Andhra Pradesh, it is abutted by the Tada and Nagari hill ranges. Don't let its small size on Google maps fool you; its been 7 years and I still have loads of hidden gems to discover inside this paradise.





This time our plan was to explore the hills and ridges below the highest peak of Nagala, the central peak.

It was Friday and I had arrived at the base to sleep over for the night and receive the others next morning. It was a place that consisted a temple, another building that was meant to be a shop but used as a house, parking space, and a stream flowing adjacent to it. It was a starry night, the weather was salubrious and perfect for camping without the need for a campfire. So it was just me on the terrace with my sleeping bag, the whole universe on display above, the howling of the wind, and hooting of the owls. Being surrounded by forest on all sides, and enveloped in its ambience, the only thing that kept disturbing my primeval reverie every 20 minutes or so, were aeroplanes that kept whizzing by overhead, and we have Nagala's proximity to Tirupati airport to thank for that.

I stargazed so much that my eyes started closing automatically, and I didn't know when I actually dozed off. I was awakened by the loud noise of my phone's ringtone; quite startling I must say in a tranquil environment. I picked up the call, and at the same time heard the sound of an approaching car on the trail below. The group had arrived. After cutting the call, I checked the phone to see that it was just 5 in the morning, well before their ETA.  Since they were also terribly sleepy after driving all night and I having slept for just half the night, without any introductions we swiftly went about arranging the tarpaulin sheet on the roof along with the other sleeping bags.

Room at the billion star hotel

Day 1

We woke up to the clatter of pots and pans in the bedroom-cum-kitchen downstairs where breakfast was being prepared. I unzipped my sleeping bag, went down and got to know that the food was ready. Harsha and I quickly started packing up the stuff and told the others to complete their morning ablutions quickly as we wanted an early start. It was still chilly and sitting beside a woodfired stove, eating hot idlis in the breeze was pure nirvana.

Despite all our efforts to get an early start, it was 8.30 by the time we distributed all the food items, packed our bags and started for the dam.

Route to the dam

Quite a late start

It took us around 5 hours to get to the peak, just in time for lunch from this viewpoint:

Hows that for a lunch point !

The dam can be seen in the distance

With lunch wrapped up in 20 minutes along with a few photo sessions, we careened on the rocky, bushy, trail-less terrain towards the water point where we had left our bags as we had to return via the same route.

 Water point and baggage counter ;-)

Good enough, after a days climb

Being a strong, fit group, none of us were tired, and we did a bit of exploring before we caught up with the original trail that led back to the main stream in the valley. By the time we got down, it was dusk with just a tiny bit of light remaining owing to the presence of the canopy and we still had around 40 minutes of trekking to do in order to reach our intended campsite. One of our guys had a tough time descending due to certain issues with his right knee but once back on the stream, he was fine, albeit much slower than before. Due to this, Harsha and I decided that it would be prudent to proceed as a single group rather than separately, as it was getting dark and there were quite a few diversions coming up en route our campsite. With darkness already having set in, the torches came out, and so did the evening snacks and without any further delay we started for the sliding pool campsite.

View from the sliding pool campsite

We comfortably reached the campsite at around 8 and immediately got on with preparing hot soup and noodles. It had gotten chill by now, but I was still snug in my sleeveless dry-fit tee. The sky was starlit like the night before and the mountains provided a perfect backdrop for the moon and stars on display. Planes kept whizzing by as usual, with engine noise piercing the exceedingly quiet surroundings of the jungle. Since airplane lights are identical to stars, they looked other-worldly while leisurely floating above among the constellations.

It became savagely cold later in the night. Barring Harsha and me, everyone had 10 degree sleeping bags in which they were snug and warm. Even Harsha had a jacket on his tee, over which he draped the top layer of his sleeping bag. So in the end, it was just me who shivered all through the night 😁

 

 

Day 2

We woke up to melodious birdsong and the faint tune of the sliding pool waterfall in the distance. It was barely 50 meters away from the campsite and it served as our water point the previous night too. We were absolutely ecstatic as the first thing on our agenda for the day was two hours of frolicking around in both the magic and sliding pools. 😀

Some photos from our exploits at magic pool:

Thats me !

We decided to first start our recreation at sliding pool since it was above magic pool. So in we went one by one. I was the first one to go as only then others would get some motivaton to take the plunge. The slide into the pool wasnt very long but nonetheless, its always reassuring to see someone try it first before you yourself go for it, thats what one of the participants said. So in I went as the first one, and then brimming with joy as I got out of the water beckoning them to give it a go. They started rolling in one after another and we even took second and third rounds as the adrenaline rush kicked in.

With around 3 rounds done for most of us, we decided that it was time to get into magic pool. With another hour to go for breakfast, we had as much fun as we could here, as one could dive from even 20 ft high; this pool was known for its high diving boards (or should I say rocks). After 30 minutes of diving and swimming with the others, I left for the campsite to prepare breakfast, which was again Maggi with a variety of other ready to eat stuff like bread, Chapathis (Indian bread), Khakra (Dry Chapathis), mixture, chikkis, and other snacks and savories.

We still had loads of energy in us even though we trekked hard on day 1, due to a nights blissful sleep and so decided to visit dead end pool , splash around, have lunch there and only then exit Nagala. So after packing all the tarpaulin sheets, cooking utensils, and other miscellaneous stuff, we were on the descent back to the main stream. While descending we decided to click some pics at the cave below our campsite and monkey around for a bit:

Since the dead end pool wasn't that far away we there in a flash and immediately started swimming and diving.

Dead-end pool

The 'dead-end pool' was vivid and glowing with color as the monsoons had filled it up just a few months back. The water was warm and mellow with the sun sparkling in its reflection. Schools of fishes lazily floated by, oblivious to all the mayhem that abounded on land. Strikingly clear emerald green water blended with the turquoise blue sky above to take you back to an era long lost to the ravages of modern civilization. The pace of life here was hundred times minus the fast paced insanity of our "get shit done" world. Now I can't wait to go back!

Nagari - Feb 2018

                                          

It was the most magnificent gorge I had ever seen, and I hadn't even trekked in a long time; artistically carved by the stream, enough space for water to flow right through the middle; deep, dark with cool breeze blowing through. It looked more like it was conjured up by a wizards spell rather than formed by tectonic shifts. We were more than half a day into the second day of our trek and were exiting the forest through a dry stream running in a stratigraphic ridge valley. Downstream boulder running is pure nirvana as one is totally concentrated and fixated on the rocks. Use only 99% concentration on this route and run the risk of injuring yourself. Concentrate on it a 100% percent and experience an unmatched trekkers high.

photo of our exit route in the plains below

Photo from the plains of the peak above (in the first pic)

Resting in the breezy gorge

Texture of the rock

Group picture in the gorge

The boulders here were as big as houses, SUV's, and everything in between. One has to get on all fours to get through them. This is where carrying a light and compact backpack comes like a mighty savior in a fiery battleground. Boulder running requires an insane amount of concentration if it is to be enjoyed. Sleep deprivation is not an option here; neither is being abstracted. A song here, a thought about your mid-week dinner plans there, and you will very well miss your next step and fall right into the space between two massive boulders, or if you're lucky, plunge into the water.

New year at Kolukkumalai - 2018

Pristine, timeless, ancient, mysterious, unaffected. These were some of the words that came to my mind while I took in the sights, seated on the very edge of a huge boulder that jutted out of the hill we were currently on. Satish and I blissfully observed our fellow teammates leisurely but steadily make their way up the trail to join us for a short break after trekking non-stop since the lunch point. This wasn't an endurance trek after all.

To be on this piece of rock deep inside a UNESCO world heritage site and reserved forest was nothing short of incredible. Our guide, Mr. Velu, was a joyful, happy-go-lucky person who was always ready to help and assist us whenever the need arose. We had started the trek pretty late in the day; well actually, incredibly late. This was due to the relaxed and easy going attitude of our van driver coupled with multiple breaks taken on the highway overnight. It was an hour past noon by the time we had gotten all the food packets, tents, and other miscellaneous items distributed and had begun our ascent from the base.

Information board at the base

Marking at the start of the trail head

After the rest of the team got to the viewpoint, took pictures, and adequately rested themselves, we decided that it was time to start moving as dusk was fast approaching; the forest gets dark lickety-split owing to the cover of thick, green canopy overhead. To further slow down our progress, we were getting into dense vegetation from open grassland as the night progressed, rather than away from it. We managed to arrive at an undesignated campsite judiciously just after nightfall; a locked, dilapidated hut that stood on a flat muddy square that had a hosepipe in the backyard. For the uninitiated, in the mountains water doesn't have any classification. It was a picturesque campsite, but an easy water point for wild animals too, our guide remarked jokingly.

The square patch where we pitched our tents with the hut behind

 enchanting views at the campsite

The hill we hiked up on day 1

We enjoyed a few rounds of primarily memory games, joked around for a while, pitched our tents, and then settled to feast on piping hot Chapatis served with sambar and pickles. The temperature had dropped drastically since we'd settled down at this campsite and the delectable fusion of shivering cold bodies and smoking hot food was absolute nirvana. Fireflies flit around aimlessly and cast a magical spell on the campsite that was straight out of a fairytale. Somewhere around midnight, the cloudy sky cleared up, and Lo and behold! The observable universe enveloped by the dark silhouette of the mountains was on high definition display; and if this doesn't excite the primal regions of your brain, I don't know what will! I thanked all my stars for taking the decision to sleep outside and bear witness to this scintillating show. Not so much after what was about to unfold within the next hour.

It was close to 2 in the morning. Velu sir, Sanath, and I were the only ones who opted to take a room at the billion star hotel rather than in the cramped up tents devoid of any squiggle room. My proclivity towards the billion star bed originates at the very beginning of my outdoor days and has remained the same regardless of the weather. Unable to sleep due to the biting cold along with being terribly underdressed for the occasion, I was abstracted from my surroundings when all of a sudden I hear a hoarse call emanating from the foliage a few meters away. The sound was loud enough to frighten me (coz I probably was the only one awake? ), and it kept coming repeatedly from the same direction. I was frozen solid for the first 3 calls after which I picked up the courage to wake up Velu sir and ask him what animal it belonged to. He woke up with a start, listened to the call once, very nonchalantly told me it was that of a deer and went back to sleep in an instant. Well, I guess that's how good you get at it once you've got 17 years' worth of wilderness experience behind you.

Lining up for breakfast

The following day we woke up to arresting views of the mountain range in front of us, a part of which had the distinction of hosting the worlds highest organic tea estate. Velu sir and I narrated the experience with the deer to those who were too passed out to notice. They listened to our story with great intent. We were running late and so, briskly went about dismantling the tents and packing our bags after a mini yoga (courtesy, Yogini Manisha) and photo session. Besides, we wanted to allow as much time possible to bathe in one of the freshwater pools that we were to hit on the trail today.

How big do they get?

Pointy peaks with airplane contrails

The picturesque excursion on day 2

En route to the lunch point

Lunch/bathing/rest point

We got to the pool just in time for lunch; or a nap; or a refreshing swim, whatever ones idea of being rejuvenated meant, you get the idea. As per Raj's accurate description earlier in the day, this point consisted of 3 consecutive pools, each cascading into the next in a step fashion. Our time was spent taking photos, swimming, and napping while lunch was being readied.

Our trek for the second part of the day was classified as difficult, and it very well was, as we had to trek untiringly to Kolukkumalai peak and onwards to the tea estate, where we planned to camp for the night. However, due to certain issues with the trail, we couldn't make it to our desired campsite, and it was almost midnight now with many of us desperately needing a break. So, we decided to settle down at a water point few kilometers before the peak and celebrate the new year there. We rang in the new year with cake cutting accompanied by song and dance.

cutting the cake with a machete, trekker style

It was half-past one in the morning and the team was deciding to go ahead to the peak to camp there. Ahmed and I were completely worn out for different reasons and decided to opt out of this section of the trek and hike down to the start point the next day. So we picked up a tent from the group, bid them adieu, and assembled it a few meters ahead of the water point (lest a thirsty wild animal came along). A hundred thoughts and couple of fantasies later, I woke up to the first sunrise of 2018. REM sleep has been out of the agenda of my brain for quite a few treks now. It was arrestingly quiet at the campsite, us being the only two souls out here, and being one with the tune of the forest is absolutely magical.

Captivating views during our descent

Arecanut plantation

Ahmed and I got back to the parking spot by noon, located our van, and started for Bodimettu in Kerala where we had to pick our team up. We had an ample amount of time to sleep once we got there, and were rejuvenated once we rejoined the others later in the evening. The ride back to Bangalore was uneventful, except for the fact that our driver was dreadfully slow at it, again!! We all got off at our respective drop-off points and bid goodbye to each other, contented to have made new friends and memories for life.

Of mysterious pools and deep ravines - Nagala

The Fog made its alluring entry almost like it was in alliance with the forest to put on a performance for all who inhabited the land. Perfect entry from the South, majestic display with background score provided by the birds, gradual fading away into the North. It was the day before Pongal, a day where Bhogi is celebrated. That meant pollution and A LOT of it. The smog did provide for some great scenery though.

It was 7 in the morning and the sun had just risen. I was making my way to my usual breakfast point; what used to be a straw hut but now made of concrete (courtesy, development), with thin wooden sticks running around the perimeter for fencing. A lively couple once used to live here with their two daughters, four cows, and few chickens. The husband passed away a couple of years ago, just after they had sold their cows, so the mother sent the kids off to boarding school and completed the construction of the house. She still makes food for trekkers though.

 

A waft of steam and smoke rose from the pot on the wood-fired chulha to blend in discreetly with the fog. The food was ready. Five dosas with a dollop of home-style, spicy red chutney, and I was about as satiated as a gluttonous pig. No other trekkers were to be seen passing through the house on the dirt road outside. It was going to be a noiseless trek.

Wood fired Chulha

Dosa with 'kaaram'

Start point at the dam

Magic pool

I started at around 8, went to the last pool, known as dead-end pool, had a blissful swim there, and then proceeded to my lunch point which was the Magic pool. I had plenty of time here to myself and thankfully no other groups (or drunkards) came along to disturb the peace. It was just me and a stray dog who had tagged along with me right from the village. It was exceedingly meditative and peaceful; I could hear the sound of the wind, birds, swaying branches, ruffling of leaves, monkeys screeching on the opposite hill, and even the scurrying of insects, all in the hot midday sun. I love getting a good tan on treks which also help with increasing my vitamin D levels, something that is practically impossible to obtain in our sheltered, immunized and excessively sanitized concrete jungles. After an hour of blissful meditation and another of lounging in the pool, I decided that it was time to depart for home.

my room at the billion star hotel which I took for Saturday night

Jagged rocks and vastness - dead end pool

water flow pattern

Somehow, it wasn't my trek that was eventful but the return journey that was a spectacle of sorts. I got back to the main road at around 4, hailed a share auto, and started for the bus stand at Nagalapuram. There are three characters who will now present themselves in a sequence as the journey progresses.  The first one was a drunk haggler who wouldn't get off the rickshaw no matter how much the driver pleaded and threatened him. This back and forth thing between them went on for more than 15 minutes. Finally, the driver lost it at one of the stops, got up from his seat and was about to drag the haggler out, when he instantly decided to get up on his own and starting mouthing foul language, while moving away in the opposite direction.

Next came a drunkard who sat right beside me and just wouldn't stop talking, no matter how much the other passengers asked him to. He was blabbering complete rubbish, nonstop. This too went on for another 20 minutes. He was as thin as a stick and seemed to be in his 60s. Finally, he too got off at his stop. Next came a lady who was a complete consolation and contrast to the first two whackos. The infant she was carrying felt the need for his/her mother's milk and she immediately started feeding him in the rickety auto, and no one batted an eye. That's how it should be. No mother should have to think twice before feeding her hungry infant anywhere. How often does one see this happening in a city?

I cannot even start to describe how liberating and wonderful it feels to be silent and still your mind for an entire day to just observe everything happening in front of you while transiting from city to village to forest and back. Without saying a single word, just the basic pleasantries at the usual joints where I get food from in the village, and at transport points. I eagerly look forward to many such treks where I can be totally at one with nature.