Confessions of a first-time trekker

We started last Saturday morning from a common meeting point at Taramani. There were 25 of us and we started in four cars. I was not the only first-timer there. We were told that three more trekkers from Bangalore would join us at Thiruvannamalai.

We drove South on the OMR road to Kelambakkam and then took the by-pass road straight to Vandalur to join NH45. In between, we stopped for 30 minutes for our breakfast. It was a 5 hour drive to Thiruvannamalai. We reached there by 1.30 p.m. and took lunch. From Thiruvannamalai it took more than 30 minutes to reach the base of Parvadhamalai.

We reached Kadaladi, the village at base of the Parvadhamalai around 3 p.m. Along with our backpacks; each one of us had to carry four litres of water, as there was no water atop the hill. We also took cup noodles (for dinner), Glucon D, chocolates, a loaf of bread, jam and pickles (for the day after). We started our trek at 3.45 p.m. with our guide, a local from the village. He said that for an experienced climber, the climbing time will be two hours and if we take rest in-between it might take three hours.

There are two ways to reach the peak - through Thenmadimangalam and through Kadaladi.

To our surprise, two or three dogs that joined us at the village accompanied us all the way to the base of the peak. The locals call the dogs, messengers of God. If one lost his way in the mountains, the locals pointed out, all he needed to do was to follow the dog.

We took the Kadaladi route, as it was the shortcut and also we could enjoy nature. Thenmadimangalam route is the official route with more than 1,300 steps to climb. That route is usually taken by the pilgrims to reach the Siva temple that is on top.

Though we started together, within few minutes we split into smaller groups, because the experienced trekkers felt it so easy to climb and they went past us. For the first timers, it was a difficult deal, as we had to take rest every 15 minutes. There were times when I really felt like quitting.

It is at this point that Peter said: “The ability of the trekker is not in his body but in his mind. The physical body has the capacity to do anything, but it’s our mind which makes us feel tired. So conquer your mind and proceed. You will reach the top.” (Peter from Peter).

After four hours of trekking, I thought that I had passed the worst of it, but I was wrong. That was when we had to face a 45-minute rock climb. We had to climb the peak and the only way to reach the top was by holding crowbars nailed to rocks. There were also small grooves on the rocks for balance. It was a mind-blowing experience.

Belgian national Peter Van Geit, along with a small group of trekking enthusiasts working for Scientific Atlanta (CISCO), started the informal club in 2004. The Chennai Trekkers Club was formally took shape last September.

It has close to 350 registered members and has completed 19 treks so far. They have covered Wayanad, Yellagiri, Tada, Yercaud, Kodai, Munnar and Ombattu Gudde. The expense for the trek is usually shared between the trekkers. Further details, log on to www.chennaitrekkers.org.