Meghane trek log - I

l The journey l Meghane peak l Meghane village l Basavanabayi l PaduBeedu l Godanagundi l

22/12/2006
9:15 PM: Left home to Usha and Dwarka's house.
(a little bit of flashback)
* I was back home exhausted after a huge phase of product release to UAT. I was involved in it big time, so it was a special release and special experience for me. I was literally running against time with the huge pressure of delivering it better. And I did it on Thursday, it was late night when we finished the integration, testing, and demo. And I rushed back to the office on Friday to make sure it has been done with no issues. Fixed the issues found while integration as soon as possible, and sent a mail that release from my end is done and left in anticipation of peace to the Jungle.*

9:20 PM: we asked an auto driver to drop us at the bus stand, like any other auto guy in Bengalooru, he either refused or asked for an astronomical sum of money which Dwarka refused to pay. We would've still hired him, but for the bus that came right at the moment. It was empty too, so we didn’t have a second chance to talk to that rude guy, but ascended the bus carrying all the luggage and ourselves. My sleepless previous nights were showing up in the form of drowsiness. I was yawning till the edges of my mouth expanded. But that bus was so less crowded and fast that I was unable to continue sleeping, for I was bumping into the air with my luggage at every speed breaker. During this journey Dwarka started asking me, "did u pack this?", "did u pack that?"! This conversation made me realize I had forgotten to pack a blanket for the stay and a few other essential commodities like a torch...

Oooh okay... let me not continue with my stories, but however, I guess, it tells you that I was literally tired and needed a long peaceful rest, which I was hoping for in the forest :D.

10:20 PM: We got off the bus at Mysore Bank Junction itself, as the traffic in front of us refused to move, even at the rate of an inch/minute. We walked to the bus stand all along, as we didn’t want to miss the bus because of the traffic. Since we had anticipated it coming, we had come sufficiently early. So, time was not a problem...found the platform, and after a few mins of a frustrating wait there, we found our Rajahamsa and settled down on our seats.

11:15 PM: Dwarka was so nice in leaving me the last but one row's seat while he opted for the last row seat. I know he was also tired with loads of work and pressure.

I don't know what time I slept that night, I could sometimes feel the bumping of the bus and since we all jumped in the air, but none of them made me lose the precious sleep. I was so desperately sleeping that none could make me break it. But some time during the journey, don't know the time (as I never carry a watch with me), I opened my eyes, with interest had a glance outside the window. Oh! My college! Rubbed my eyes and looked at another side of the road...yes, same old Aunty shop... Hmmm. It was all illuminated with colorful lights, searched for reasons behind the celebration, but failed to read anything as the bus was traveling pretty fast and it was so dark to catch up with anything. Hush.. but lucky I could see my college again :-)

23/12/2006
7:15 AM: I checked the time on my mobile when got up. I usually do this, and this day too I did. We were about to reach Sagara, our destination for the moment.

7:35 AM: Dwarka called up someone, asked for whereabouts, and then we were guided to go to some room at a lodge, which was just opposite to where we were standing. went in, dumped the luggage, and since there was a huge rush for the lone toilet in the room, Dwarka suggested we better get it all done at the public facility in the bus stand. Sounded pretty decent, and we went out for that. By the time we returned, everyone was getting ready, Usha being the last one was in the change. Everyone introduced themselves to me.
The list is as follows :
Sampath, the team leader.
Ravindra
Rajashekhar
Manoj
Subramanya
Sandeep
Sharath
Ganesh
Datta Ram

Of course, Dwarka, Usha and Srikanth.








8:00 AM Breakfast time at Gajanana hotel where we had a plate of Idli each, some opting for 2 and some four. And a few of us had a plate of Buns each, a seashore delicacy.

8:20 AM: Met Mahesh, the trek organizer, and his two guys, namely Nayana and Madhu. Nayana and Madhu would lead us in the forest during the trek. We got into a bus that was destined to Jog falls. I was wondering whom Sampath was talking to, and we(the first-timers) realized about Mahesh, Nayana, and Madhu only later.

9:30 AM: We got down at Kargal, and were told that we had to get into the BhatkaLa bus. In no time, a private bus came, to our disappointment, it was crowded. The cleaner of the bus asked us to dump our baggage on top of the bus and get in. Suddenly some of us shouted, "let's sit at the top". And reluctantly the bus people agreed. We 14 climbed the bus top with complete enthusiasm and profound energy. Little we knew that someone had spilled oil thru the top there. We ignored. Some spread a sheet of paper and some didn’t care.





It was an event-filled journey. We were spread thru the top, isolating us, those sitting front, from the discussions that were going on in the back. Well, we had our own set of discussions. Since everyone was a stranger to everyone else, except for a few exceptions, it made a good beginning. Ganesh took his camera out and went on clicking the pictures. Sharat and Subramanya guiding him. He virtually took every rock, every tree that made an appearance on our way. Nice introduction of him. Subramanya was talking a lot. Only later that I came to know that Sharat and Ganesh were strangers to him till a day before. Sharat also was a talkative man. Sandeep remained silent. Sampath, Usha, and Dwarka sat at the back, Dwarka leading the loud discussion. At the extreme end of the other corner sat two guys whom we didn’t know. Well..we sang, screamed, chilled, and bated thru this 48Kms journey of over 2 hours. Another interesting point of the journey was we had to be so much awakened to see to it not to get hit by a passing electric wire, that were laid out low in some places, not to be turned down by the curvy steep roads amidst the beautiful ghat region and not to be fooled by the bent branch tips from neighboring trees.

11:30 AM: All of us were asked to get down as soon as a tollgate came our way. I thought we were to get into the bus as there might be some police troubles for the bus owners or something. But Sampath announced that it was our destination.

Well.. we were all happy and excited to start our way into the Jungle in search of refreshment, colossal happiness, and to leave behind there some daring footsteps. The two unidentified guys who were sitting behind Dwarka turned out to be our guides.

We were asked to ascent a few steps that were leading to a British-styled structure. Later the guides told us that it was IB for the forest officers. The groceries guides carried from Sagara were distributed equally between everyone. Some getting rice, some getting bread and Maggi, some getting vegetables.. and me getting milk powder, tea powder, and sugar.

Well.. we freshened up at a neighboring house (Believe me there was a house with a few people living in it, oh! those daredevils;)). And all formed a circle, introduced each other and to the Guides. Madhu hailing from TaLaguppa, some place near Sagara and Nayana coming from Heggodu (popular for NeeNaaSam of K V Subbanna) in the Sagara Taluk.

And there.. it all started....the ascent........ooooh Nah not yet..... we were stopped by a couple of men, one in police uniform and another in civilian dress. They said they were from the forest office, one was giving charge to another and they kept on saying no one could enter the forest without prior permission and such stuff. After learning about Mahesh and fellows in Sagara, they kept quiet and responded in a positive tone. The first hurdle crossed. The second one was most challenging, and fascinating too...the peak.



Nayana described that we were about to climb the highest peak in the whole of Sharavati range, which was named Meghane hill and nearly 3000 ft above the ground.



To be continued.................