Friends, Trekking and December normally don’t form a natural combo..let me explain. A trek is typically an adventure that an individual opts for voluntarily-a hardship vide a stressful walk cum climb in mountains and forests on narrow mud paths and unfriendly terrains - to be close to nature and experience internal bliss and solitude. It is associated with challenging oneself physically and mentally, expanding one’s mind and is normally not a family activity! On the other hand ,globally December is a holiday -a festive season and one looks forward to it to spend quality time with one’s families at home or on vacation , feasting, shopping and dancing away a bygone year to welcome a new year. Well then, why did I choose to do a National trek in December and be away from my family?
I love adventure sports and sailing has been one of the items on my wish list. I knew of a friendly introductory sailing expedition that is held in Goa by the Youth Hostel Association of India- the same body that organizes National and State level treks to promote adventure sports and National Integration. When I browsed thru their website in June 09, I was surprised to see that their bookings were full and as the demand was high, they had introduced a qualifier or filter preferring those who had done the Goa trek . This was the trigger.
Well Goa is known for its silver sand beaches on the vast Arabian Sea. It is a popular international tourist destination famous for its ‘drinks’, fun, colourful customs and traditions like dances and where people are generally relaxed. Very few know that it also has a dense forest- a part of Western Ghats , relatively less visited as say the Himalayas. The hilly treks here are as steep and difficult as the Himalayan climbs and trekkers can experience memorable sights of panoramic hills bathed in greens complementing the white and brown sandy beaches that have breath taking groves of green palm trees and sun kissed silver waterways. The Dudhsagar waterfalls has a perennial flow of water that looks like a sea of milk- true to its name. The trekking route is exciting and has some elements of transportation in local buses and train ride in the western ghats to provide a variation.
I have done quite a few Himalayan treks at a National level and it is but natural to compare experiences.. Here are some key differences or observations on What was different?
1. Diversity: On the day of reporting, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lady Field Director in charge of the trek, biking and sailing expeditions. Seeing and experiencing the warmth of a lady camp leader in the dense jungles of Dudhsagar camp was encouraging..It made a difference.
2. I also experienced diversity by way of witnessing the choice of our Group leader—a young man from a small town, supported by the boisterous Gujarati team. Bigger city participants just didn’t volunteer. Well, follows the trend of discovering a Dhoni! The demonstrated talent and leadership from smaller cities like Rajkot and Jamnagar was a sign of hope or an emerging plural India
3. The dress code here permits wearing shorts.. These are not allowed in Himalayan treks partly due to the weather conditions there
4. Shorter acclimatization period implying improved productivity. The vertical wall climb substituting natural rock climbing and rappelling was a welcome variant as was the acclimatization walk on the Miramar beach to Dona Paula. The trek included sight seeing(J) eg the 13 th century Shiva temple at Tambdi Surla near Dhargem camp
5. No guides for most parts of the trek. It was like a treasure hunt, guided by arrows at strategic points like junctions., very well done ..just added to the fun. Well, these didn’t work on beaches and we strode on enjoying the sea breeze facing the waves and failed to notice the yhai banner welcoming participants to the Valsao camp site just some 100 meters from the sea! That error made some of us walk an extra 8 km on what was already a tiring first day.
6. Walking on sand beaches in varying shades of white and brown and gradients is bliss and healthy. Walking barefooted helps
7. No sight of local people for long distances in the deep forests- at times for 15 km or so!
8. We missed the snow clad mountains of the Himalayas, the sight of mighty rivers like Beas and the experience of changing weather—all four seasons in a day. The weather here had perhaps just three variations..one hot and humid at sea level , shaded sunlight in the forests and a pleasant chill in the higher camps of Kuveshi.
9. Most days were long uninterrupted walks ranging from 15 to 20 km at a steady pace ..very few stop overs - unlike the Himalayan trek.
10. Camp fire almost everyday in this Goa trek..thanks to the weather and the enthu team(J) Trekking in Goa / Karnataka provides the luxury of bathing in the every day or dips in water multiple times just to get relief after a hard day’s trek. In the Himalayan trek, very often trekkers don’t bathe for 8 to 10 days at a stretch!
11. Group composition..participants from just 4 states unlike the Himalayan treks which draws participants from at least 8 to 10 states of India and occasionally a non resident Indian!
12. The demonstrated passion of the Head of yhai – Goa branch . His briefing on Goa and the uncommon Common Civil code –a gift from Portuguese was inspiring. The talk on snakes and the live snake show helped relate vide experiences of encountering some snakes during the trek.
13. Coincidentally the trekking, biking and sailing expeditions run concurrently in Goa in December..Meeting cyclists and sailors (participants of the 300 km odd National Biking Expedition) was insightful and a variant. It was gladdening to see families as participants of sailing teams as was the age diversity in the cyclists—25 to 50 year old . In casual talks with them, I discovered that all it takes is passion, pluck, courage, patience and endurance- in a spirit of challenge to do something different. Most participants had very little prior experience. The 25 year old cyclist Heera cycles his commute to office in Bangalore- some 8 km each way and the 50 year old Sreenivasan champions an altogether different life style that is pro nature- sleeps in the open in deep forests..can you believe it? We met two batches of bikers and it was encouraging to see diversity ..in that there were young lady bikers in each team. This is the emerging India. The sailors opined that the Arabian sea provides a beautiful calm sailing ground and Goa’s tropical climate is ideal. A group of 5 participants accompanied by an experienced guide captain sail on a boat that moves with the help of winds. Need to be patient and alert.
Some details of the actual trek: Group size, composition, diversity and route- distances, camp sites etc
The 43 member group is heterogeneous , age group varied from perhaps 22 years to 68 years and had some 8 lady members. Three large contingents from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat and sole representatives from Andhra and Delhi.
The first two days are for reporting and acclimatization. Helps to get to know fellow participants and seeds the ground for identifying talent to perform in camp fires in the late hours..meaning 9 pm to 10 pm. As part of the acclimatization walk, the team selects a Team leader, an Environment champion and a Cultural program leader -Master of Ceremonies. It is amazing how the network works to cull out a reasonable cultural show for the evening- all voluntary.
The actual trek is flagged off by a traditional yhai clap -ceremonial sendoff by the next batch participants . We are transported a short distance by a local bus to Bogmalo beach. Here we spend some fun time and then set off on a long walk to Valsao beach. The roads adjoining sea beaches are lined with coconut trees. The Valsao camp is scenic, located just some 100 meters from the sea shore and all night , the sound of the waves hitting and retreating the shore is music to the ears and a natural lullaby to the tired
trekkers The camp fire in moon light on the sands of the beach is memorable I fondly remember birthday girl Shraddha’s song on ‘ Mere Murgi kho gayi hai na…’ and the talented assamese song of young sailor Prashant.
On day 4 we enter the Bhagwan Mahaveer Natural sanctuary at Kulem after a short train ride from Caunsaulim. We trek thru the mud and pebble stone roads towards Dudhsagar water falls. At Dudhsagar camp, we hear the sound of trains passing by and are delighted with the menu- hot steaming batata wada and the smile and warmth of the camp leader Vandana is unforgettable.
On day 5, we trek a little less than 2 km to reach Dudhsagar waterfalls- an amazing sight We then further ascend the mountain and reach a rail line where we cross multiple tunnels. It is a thrilling experience to see a train zoom past you when you are in the middle of a dark tunnel!..we experienced it. The next few hours see us climb deep slopes of mountains some at an angle of over 60 degrees. It is tiring and needs breather stops. We reach Kuveshi camp ..part of Karnataka. As we enter every camp, there is a headcount, welcome drink, soup , dinner and a cup of Bourn vita after the camp fire. Most people go to sleep early as they wake up early between 4 am to 5 am followed by a whistle signaling bed tea. The mug we use serve multiple tasks, for drinking soup, tea, drinks, water , sweet payasams and even as a shaving bowl. We get about an hour to rest or walk around and some of us visited the local village temple where some of my fellow participants sighted a Cobra snake.. The village houses some 20 houses lined across a lone mud road. Not much vibrancy
On day 6, we continue to walk some sixteen odd km on almost flat land at a height..we witness variations in terrain, dry grass flat lands, narrow jungle paths with shrubs at body height and multiple rivulets or water streams that has one removing shoes and navigating knee deep water to reach the other end. WE don’t sight wild animals but do get to see black faced monkey’s and my fellow trekkers claim to have heard the baby leopards wild shrieks and sighted a pantheon live snake. We finally reach Angod camp after a brief lunch halt at Castle Rock railway station a sleepy colourful small town
On day 7. We cross a mountain range in dense uninhabitated forest to reach Dhargem camp. Just 3 km before this camp , we get to see an ancient 13 th century Shiva temple built by Kadambas. Most camps are situated on the edges of flowing water streams where the upstream water is used for drinking and the down stream for other purposes including the morning chores which are sometimes in the open grounds or behind trees away from pathways. These are eerie moments and the quality of hygiene at camp sites have scope to improve. Most camps don’t have electricity or signals for cell phones. So one is cut off from all kinds of communication and media channels ,be it television or newspaper. Most forest paths are virgin , pure natural nature unpolluted by symbols of civilization like cigarette butts, plastics etc
On day 8 , we walk some sixteen km , partly on the tarred road and on the edge of a forest to reach Mohem ..the exit / entry point to Mahaveer Jain Sanctuary. We are picked up here and dropped back at the base camp to a ceremonial welcome clap . There is a valedictory function where certificates are distributed. Most depart next day.
SoSome Moments of Truth and Learning’s:
· Some sailor participants sounded me of an incident. On one of the sailing days, the boat lost direction and was sort of lost in its return path.. As it was getting late, just past sunset, the participants intermittently switched on their torches and sent intermittent signals in the direction of the banks- land. Similarly the worried camp leaders / staff sent intermittent torch signals. This exchange was noticed by some local fishermen and suspecting trouble and even some terrorist related activity, they alerted the local marine police who swooped in and interrogated the sailors. Must have been a harrowing experience , if true.
· The Biking team is accompanied by a guide and mechanic who drive a motor bike. In one of the camps I noticed the mechanic dismantle and reassemble a cycle and heard that a spare part was not available. I was witness to the dejected cyclists mood. He was obviously uncomfortable.
· Kuveshi village has a small local school that has just 7 school children from class 1 o 5 housed in a single room with one teacher who teaches all subjects. 4 of these children are girls. For further studies, I am told that they need to go to another school that has classes 6 to 10 . Two girls from this village who passed out class 5 now reside in this school and the class room doubles up as a dormitory. Two of my co trekkers were Headmasters of local schools and they tell me that village school children at times don’t naturally use the toilets / rest room..In their homes, there are no toilets and open defecation is the order of the day, partly for reasons of scarcity of water that the local villagers haul from great distances. The simplicity, warmth, curiosity of the local villagers and their spontaneous sharing of all that they have is a cultural aspect that we need to recognize and be proud of. We city dwellers have to learn to share.
· A trek is a time to reflect and re energise. Ups and downs in life are akin to a normal heartbeat that has spikes and valleys. A flat line implies no heartbeat as is a life with no challenges. I remember some useful tips from the book ‘Peaks and Valleys’ by Spencer Johnson. It’s the fear of the unknown that hinders adventure masquerading as comfort zone. This has however to be balanced by controlling arrogance that surfaces post success masquerading as confidence.. Balance is key.
· Discovery: I discovered my love for good classical English poetry as I enjoyed the company of co trekker Perry ..he is a linguist and has a treasure house of poems of Keats, Milton, Wordsworth, Shakespeare etc. His narration is impeccable.
· A trek helps avoid comparison, something integral in a routine day at work. There is no prize for reaching early. All are winners in their own way. It is the joy in the journey, the networking that aids in gaining a perspective and the experience of team work that pulls one thru the voluntary self imposed hardship. As I reflect on a typical day in the Himalayan trek, the weather conditions change. This gives an insight that you cannot control external environment.. All that one can do is to act positively and mitigate the risk. That’s life’s journey..isn’t it? We all experience minor bruises and bleeding (in my case a leech bit me). The show goes on
· Feel blessed when you are most comfortable in a trek. Experience joy and enjoy the current moment. Breathe crisp , clean air. On a climb, intermittently take a few deep gasps of fresh air and continue the way forward. Eg conserve water when trekking on flat land (good times).. this helps negotiate steep climbs when the need for water is more..Save for a rainy day—that’s what we learn in a trek.
· In the dark camp sites in deep forests, we city dwellers experience discomfort at night as we see no view till we gaze up and look at the unpolluted canvas of stars and planets. Time to sit in silence and marvel at God’s creation. During a trek, you stand in the meadows and gaze at the range of majestic mountain peaks and imagine a pathway to take you to the top.. Visualization helps. Sameness in our daily routine is comforting but that’s not what life is all about. We need Challenges. Recognise that there is life outside our daily routine. Choose to see things differently. Treks catalyze inner conversations. This helps reflect and prepares you for the better. A trek is on surfaces that have natural ups and downs / undulations..but the key is to connect..both ups and downs , losses and gains, friends and strangers , beaches and forest lands..all have one common message.
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes but in having new eyes… Proust
We were in Horanadu by 1.30, and after quick darshan, duly had the prasadam (lunch). The unique feature of this temple is that the focus is on feeding each and every devotee, to the extent that the food is given more of a priority than darshan of the diety ( this being the Annapoorneshwari-Hindu Goddess of nourishment after all!) . The food was quite elaborate, with a dessert of Payasa as well! 
This is a small but very beautiful falls, with a motorable road almost right to the base of the falls. Never one to miss an opportunity, yours truly immediately jumped for a dip in the falls, a very enjoyable experience.
A quick last darshan at the Vageeshewari temple , and we were back at the hotel for some rest before leaving back towards Bangalore. .JPG)
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There are small petty shops selling bangles, fashion accessories, traditional stones, finger rings, bracelets and all kinds of artificial jewellery. There are camel rides . The dinner here is unforgettable.. You sit on the ground on a small raised platform with traditional headgear and ‘tikkas’ (small thumb like vermillion and crimson powder) applied on your forehead and one is amazed at the variety , some twenty five odd dishes – a five course meal. It is very satisfying and a very packed day. 
Day 3. The next morning – we visit the fort and a Mata Karni devi temple that worships rats. Legend has it that a 14 th century lady mystic is believed to be a incarnation of Goddess Durga called Mata Karni – the official deity of royal family of Bikaner and Jodhpur . On the death of a story tellers son , she implored the God of death Yama to bring him to life and on his refusal , she incarnated the dead son and all the story tellers as rats under her protection. Hence rats are fed here and literally worshipped. There is no idol but only a footprint. Sighting a white rat amidst the hordes of black rats is considered auspicious. One is left with a eerie feeling. Yes we will remember Bikaner for the rat temple, the amazing cenotaphs, camels, rugged forts some now housing hotels. It has a strange medieval charm of its own. The same day we drive down to Jaisalmer and see a quintessential country side with good tarred roads, flat lands with occasional irrigation canals that form the lifeline for the locals. We settle at the Jaisal club .JPG)
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There is an adjoining Surya temple. The aesthetics , art and attention to detail in Ranakpur temples is something that we cherish. I remember a kalpavriksha, a wish fulfilling tree carved on the ceiling, as we step out of the temple. Legend has it that, as you stand under this tree facing Adinatha, your wish if any, is fulfilled.
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We stayed at the Field club. The Udaipur lake palace is an amazing sight , as is the City palace. We drive past Haldi ghat where Maharana Pratap the valiant Rajput was defeated by the Mughal army. There is a museum and a sound and light show that tells the story and brings to life the rich heritage of this part of the country This defeat is viewed as a moral victory
There are stories of Ramdas , a devout hindu who was under house arrest there and his deep faith in God surfaced as a dream to Aurangzeb in the late 16 th century , who in turn released him. I understand that Aurangzeb appointed his governor as the Nizam to oversee the place. Well there is also a story of the Nizam’s being cursed , in that the seventh generation would cease to rule Hyderabad and this actually materialized in 1948 when Nizam the 7 th acceded to join the Union of India after being persuaded by Sardar Patel, much against the Nizam’s wishes. How many of us know that the Time magazine in 1930 had rated the then Nizam as the richest man in the world—the Bill Gates. Hyderabad was then monetarily the richest state in the word ..wow!
Shopping here is an experience in itself.. One sees groups of veiled burqa clad young women bargaining with petty street side vendors or in small row shops as the seller slips in and out multiple sets of bangles on the fine wrists of young ladies. One sees henna and bangles sellers echo the joy and pride is there to witness. There is a riot of colours in the shops that display an exquisite range of studded lac glass bangles , bridal ware and associated fashion accessories like the Chandbali—(I heard the name for the first time and heard my lady family members speak of a theme party around chand bali!). The atmosphere is vibrant, colourful, chaotic and absorbing..one sensed a certain eery feeling and went with the long wait taking the noise, colour, chaos in ones stride.
The value of family reunions is profound , well worth the time and money. So go in for a family reunion and Enjoy. 
A typical ladakhi wears a tall brocaded hat known as ‘tipi’ , felt shoes with culling toes known as ‘papu’ and cross button vests. There is an imposing palace on the slopes of a mountain right in front of our hotel with a mosque and Vihara adjoining each other at its foothills leading to a busy market alley of winding lanes with a number of local shops offering trekking, tourism services, curios, carpets, handicraft, T- shirts, tea urns, ubiquitous prayer wheels and singing bowls. One sees prayer flags, incense and wall hangings with auspicious symbols . There are numerous shops selling ‘german bakery stuff’ all catering to a reasonably significant foreigners crowd. One is amazed at the range of trekking paths, geared cycles and motor cycles on hire. I do think that it is advisable to consider planning a free day or two so that one can opt for a program of one’s choice , be it in the mediation camps or a trek in the cocoa brown ridges and mountain terrain that characterizes Ladakh.
