Masanagudi Jungle Trek -2

Masanagudi Trek-2 was great fun, We started on 1 Oct 2009 at MGBS at 6 pm from Hyderabad in KSRTC Volvo bus to Mysore, everyone was on time and were in the bus before the wheels moved, on the way the bus stopped at Jadcherla for dinner, we had some hot spicy food at hotel munawar, the bus moved slowly via Kurnool as the roads were all flooded and the downpour was heavy, looking out of the windows we could see the water overflowing all over the roads, we were lucky to pass Kurnool but were delayed by 3 hours and we reached Mysore at 10:00 am, had our breakfast and boarded the mini bus on the way to Masanagudi, another 3 hours drive took us via Bandipur and Madhumalai forest where we could spot some tuskers and deer.

We reached Masanagudi at about 1:30 PM on 02 Oct Afternoon and were received by our hosts Suresh and Padmini who have converted their ancestral home into a resort with 4 large rooms that can accommodate 5 persons each comfortably and we adjusted ourselves in 3 large rooms, Divyani who was the only girl shared a different room with Padmini and her daughter, The resort is surrounded by 100’s of coconut trees and green grass about 100 meters all around, there is a river flowing about 200 meters from the resort where animals usually come to drink.



After a long journey from Hyderabad we were all hungry and had some good vegetarian food as it was Gandhi Jayanti so no non veg was cooked, After lunch we went to the river opposite the resort, in the evening we went to a nearby water stream and spent about 2 hours watching the water flow, the birds sing and occasional visits by the languor who were amused at seeing their distant cousins. we came back had our dinner and did some masti at the bon fire sharing jokes, singing songs and playing some games, midnight and we went to sleep.


Next day Saturday 03 October we got up early to witness heavy rain till 9:30 AM, We had out breakfast of idlis and puris and packed our lunch of boiled eggs, bread and curd and lemon rice, Suresh our host insisted that we plan some other event like going to ooty instead of trekking as it was raining, even the guides were reluctant to take us in the forest, I was adamant on going ahead and said there is no Murphy in GHAC club, that’s called taking executive decision, the guides were called in and we went ahead and after it stopped raining by 10 AM

The weather rest of the afternoon was mostly cloudy with a slight drizzle now and then, the cool breeze continued blowing hand in hand with the drizzle, as if it has some kind of arrangement with the clouds, it rained heavily after 3 PM, but that couldn’t stop us from trekking, we went ahead and faced it all, the path was muddy and slippery and steep, we had to traverse over stones, rocks and boulders, since it started raining heavily we moved away from the rocky paths, safety is priority in GHAC, we take calculated risks that are fun and helps one overcome fears and inhibitions, there were minor injuries that were treated instantly with first aid on the spot.

we had close encounters with wildlife during the trek and night safari, some of us witnessed, languor’s, bears, deer’s, antelopes, bison, elephants, stag and variety of birds and flora and fauna, we found the head with horns of an antelope which might have killed by a tiger or leopard. We plucked fresh amla from the trees to quench our thirst and the red flower of the cactus plant was sweet and delicious.

The Call of the wild made us keep in a close group together, we had heard stories from Suresh of how wild animals like the hyenas isolate and attack so we kept together, only recently was a French lady trampled upon by a elephant, As we moved a Stag deer suddenly rushed out of a bush and startled all of us, I was also doing the head count now and then to make sure none was picked by any wild predator.

we spotted the paw print of the leopard which was fresh as if it just went by us, suddenly panic calls from the deer’s and other animals got our attention, the guide whispered it could be the leopard or the tiger hunting for food, we all went pin drop silence and froze looking in all directions to catch a glimpse of the leopard or the tiger, as we moved we could hear the trumpet of the elephants, with dread and trepidation we moved among the dense jungle and reached the hill with steep slope down to the river, the river is where most of the wildlife come to quench their thirst, looking down the valley made our heart throb faster and a chill was felt in the spine. How on earth could we make it down there was the first question that came to everyone’s mind, then it was decided that we move sideways down the hill taking zig zag paths and it worked out well.

The hill was not only steep but slippery due to the rain drizzle, half the way some of the trekkers stayed back and rest of us continued downwards making our own paths, slipping falling and tripling over stones, it was tremendous to see everyone who tried their best from kunal who was the youngest to nagesh who was young at heart, all of them showed courage, Sanjay despite having injury on his feet, was the foremost among all, We went down near the river almost and it started raining, we had to go down over a rocky and slippery plateau, myself and Jagan tried going down and found it very slippery and came back advising others to take a different route, it was about 4 PM and we have to move back before it gets dark and we get lost in the jungle

While coming up we took a different hill, and both the groups were divided now, we continued our journey upwards and found a heavy breathing sound far away, on going closer we found a herd of wild buffaloes, all staring and ready to charge at us and all of us stood there motionless without any movement thinking what will happen next and without much thought the guide made a hand movement to change our direction and as we moved a little far we were relaxed to escape the wild buffaloes.

The other group which stayed back on the hill started making panic calls to me, saying they lost they way and they guide with them doesn’t know the way out, to add to the panic the group also found the fresh leopard marks on the route, fortunately they had a compass and we tried coordinating the directions to meet each other but in vain, finally it was decided to take different ways of the jungle and I was glad to get a call they reached a nearby village ahead of us, I know how it feels to get lost in a jungle full of wild animals and wait for the night to appear, it scary and wildest thing that can happen to anyone, when asked how the trek was they group which was lost said they were very glad to make it back and that was the best thing in life. And we all laughed at it enjoying the pleasure that comes after you get out safe from a dangerous situation.

Night 9:30 PM dinner was ready for us and after a long trek of 10-12 kilometers in the jungle were feeling hungry, the menu was chicken 65, chicken masala, chapatti and rice for the non vegs and gobi 65 and veg curry for the vegetarians, the non vegs made best of the both worlds, I could hear the veggies saying finish it off before the non vegs attack their food, we had some sweet vermicelli and mysore pak as deserts, after dinner we all assembled at the bon fire and discussed the journey back home, we were keeping track of the news on the Kurnool floods, We called the KSRTC office to find out that the bus was cancelled and we had to make alternative arrangements for return journey back home.

Getting back home from the trek became a concern and a problem due to the floods as all buses and trains were cancelled, the air tickets sky rocketed in prices but we managed to plan it out together and everyone had made their own arrangement of reaching back home by flight or buses taking a alternative route

On 4th October 2009 we started early morning 7 am, had out breakfast and got into the minibus and went on the way to ooty, there are 36 hair pin bends on the ooty Ghats and the scenery was amazing, we could feel the pressure dropped as we moved up, we stopped on the way at bison view point only to find monkeys chase us to snatch the apples we were carrying, somehow we managed to give a slip to our ancestors, we have evolved to be smarter then them, we also stopped at kumaraja river which was very beautiful, we witnessed some wild horses grazing around and we took pictures keeping some distance from them and at the same time checking for safety and looking at the camera, we went to pykara water falls and spent an hour there, hour later we said adios to each other we were split in 2 groups, one group that went to ooty and the other that went to Mysore.

The Few of us who went to ooty and visited the botanical gardens and the next day trekked to thondapetta peak in the reserve forest behind the botanical garden which was wild, dense and untouched, full of varied flora and fauna, we found different species of mushroom which were red in color, we also went to the doddabeta peak, it was chill weather and we ended buying some warm clothes and caps for cheap

The wild is still calling, who else is going to answer it next?

Masinakudi - Call of the wild

Fellow Trekker -Ranga Rao of the group created his own blog to pen down his unique experience of this wild journey !!!

Here is where you get to read this gentle man -> http://frekker.blogspot.com/

Masanagudi Jungle Trek

When the wild calls, you answer, simple…at least for the 24 who went on the masanagudi jungle trek. For the rest who wanted to but couldn’t, it was call waiting. For those who answered, it was an event that would stay with them for ever….they would be glad that they answered.

Well, once we all were gathered, intros over and desperately trying to remember the names of the members we were meeting for the first time and wondering whether the masked co passengers were just being careful or should we be worrying; it was time to move. Sudhanshu was still stuck somewhere in traffic, but after many phone calls and laughs at the confusion, we managed to pick him up enroute. The Volvo bus journey was all right; we managed to disturb others in the bus with our enthusiasm. The journey to Mysore was over with some bonding, chatting and sleepless night for some.

Day One

Shift over to Swaraj Mazda, we all started to go visit the temple at Gopalagiribetta. After the green countryside from Bangalore onwards, time had come for some climbing. Narrow country roads, small clean villages and beautiful sunflower and marigold farms greeted us.

The temple at the top of the hills was quaint and quite. Legend has it that there is a lake close to this Sri Venkateshwara swamy temple that has magical properties, so much so that we no longer spot crows in that area because they have turned into swans.

Well, stories aside, the rolling green hills give a fantastic panoramic view of the nilgiris yonder…a fantastic photo shoot opportunity, which none missed.

After an almost missed darshan (the curtain was drawn, did not see the idolL), loads of pics and stories heard; we made our way to Masanagudi.

The ride was through the lush green thick jungles of Madhumalai and Bandipur…all part of the same forest reserve…what’s in a name….We tried to keep a look out for animals, but being the wrong time of the day (animals generally come out during the early morning and late evening hours) and here we were in the middle of the day. But I guess, call us lucky, we spotted a few deer….in all their glory….shiny spots, antlers et al.

Monkeys were aplenty, much to everyone’s sense of humor…..trying to see who is related to whom?? Just when we were about to give up on seeing any elephants, we spotted a lone tusker a few feet inside the forests. Now that’s what I call a treat for the eye!!!!

As we approached the place where we were told we would be put, I was taken aback. Here I was expecting a rustic ‘in the middle of the jungle’ set of cottages with maybe no electricity and quite prepared for the most ‘away from civilization’ experience; and there it was…something else altogether. A very cute semi modern farmhouse with all luxuries yet so far removed from the ruckus and noise. Coconut trees surrounded it, the river flowed just close by, and you could see it from the hammock that was in the gardens. Well the hammock was one place you could find me…swinging away, watching the play of light passing through the coconut leaves, enjoying the cool breeze and of course sharing words and laughs of who ever passed my way.

After a nice hot decent lunch (some sumptuous fried fish from the river among other things) through which we heard some local news that changed our trek plans (the death of a French lady while elephant spotting), we were briefed on the agenda of the rest of our time. I really did not pay too much attention, wanted the surprise element intact.

A short walk (read cross the road and I am there) away was the river, meandering at its own pace, dragging with it the leaves of the bamboo plants surrounding it, reflecting the blue green hills and whiffs of white clouds on its calm surfaces. Again made for more photo ops.

A quick feet-soak in its cold waters left us asking for more, which was promised in the form of a small brook a little way away. Pilling into an Omni car, stuffing ourselves into an open jeep left us with no option but to also hang onto the rails of the jeep, which was enjoyed by few…almost that a fight broke as to who will hang outside the jeep..:).

The little brook was inviting enough till we landed inside it…ice cold waters welcomed us as well all the friends who were merrily soaking the dry ones.

After a robust game of playing with a tennis ball in the waters, we stepped out most unwilling….but to continue the game elsewhere…a fantastic green meadow encircled with trees.

With evening approaching, being cold and wet, promises of hot tea/coffee got us back in a jiffy.

A night safari was planned for all of us, for which instructions were aplenty, but all for our own safety. Now was no pilling…only eight in an open jeep, some snug and warm in jackets, some wontedly feeling the cold air, but all very eager and forcibly quite. Apparently the animals are quite used to the whrooming, honking, rattling vehicles speeding along the roads with full lights on, but are sensitive to human voices. A peek on the backside of the jeep gives you the best experience of being in the jungles at night…. winding roads, dark, mysterious, maybe dangerous and definitely scary. The driver has a way of driving zig zag that allows you to see the animals in his head light if they happen to be next to the roads. And we were again lucky…saw elephants in twos and threes and fours…. unperturbed by the noise of the vehicle but will panic at the flash of the camera…. munching away at the tall elephant grass by the roadside.

The bison were a little deeper…you had to look carefully to spot them…and we did!!! You see these animals in their natural habitat so up close and are awed by their size and regality….so much so that you loose your voice, eyes pop out and makes you think that you are so small and vulnerable in this kind of jungle.

A hot dinne awaited us back at the farmhouse

along with a bonfire…made for the perfect night in the jungles. Much bonding, laughing and dancing later, we all headed for a night’s rest for we had to be fresh for THE trek the next morning.

Day Two

Morning found us all eager and ready, drizzle and all. Some made a quick trip to the river side only to find that the gates to the dam had been opened sometime during the night that left very little water now exposing the bushes and undergrowth. Not a very scenic sight, unfortunately.

We had a poignant flag hoisting ceremony, some homemade laddoos to celebrate being Indian and 62 years of freedom.

Set out on the trek well prepared, things and instructions in place. A short walk through the village got us to the forest. Following a trail for some time, pushing the shrubbery and branches out of the way (because they crowd on the way, or rather, the trail was cut through them), trying to avoid the small rocks, bushes, thorns et al on the way, trying to keep quite so as not to scare the animals away, we managed to soak in all the senses of the jungles. The quite, the dampness, green smells, flowers, skeleton remains, dew stuck in cobwebs, dried trees, fried trees, moss, ferns …everything that can be noticed while keeping your balance and being on track. You don’t want to get lost in the jungle!!!!

Now my idea of a jungle trek was cross-country types, not on trails…and my prayers were answered. We started the decent into the valley…making out way around shrubs, small and big trees, tall elephant grass and occasional rocks. Its not funny going down a steep mountain slipping and sliding, grasping the grass roots for your dear life…some of us grasped the hands of who ever lended it at the right time…and many did. Lessons learnt…teamwork it is …all the way!!!

A short stop halfway down the mountain (3700 feet above sea level), we heard yet again “hey lachoo” “ oye lachuu”…some calls that the guides were making between themselves. Maybe was a secret call on sighting an elephant…coz immediately we stopped at a cliff edge and were pointed out in to the deep valley under us. We strained our eyes to see but could only make out muddy coffee colored water in a thick green jungle-ed gorge. Then we noticed some black spots and were told that they were elephants on their daily splash. We then got out our binoculars and zoom cameras to see them clearly and they are a sight o see.

Such bulky creatures can be quite playful in water. After they had moved along we too did, only to encounter them a few minutes later…luckily going uphill, far away and in the opposite direction on the slope facing us. Again what amazes me is the way these creatures can mange to walk on such steep slopes, with nothing to grip by, where as we had only two feet, small body and hands to grasp at trees stumps and tall grass. But then they were in their natural habitat and we weren’t.

Soon after a seemingly long trip down the mountain slope, we reached the river and its icy cold muddy waters. But after putting our feet and body through ordeal, cold water was bliss, muddy or not. Soaking our poor feet and then splashing and playing gave us all the much-needed relaxation time to unwind and fill our tummies. Also gave people ample photo ops too.

The trek back was another story altogether. If coming down was something, going up a slope with almost nothing but grass to hold on in an almost straight incline is something else. Some sensibly went up the easy zig zag way as instructed by the guides and some made their own paths. And some like me hung onto experts to lead me along the right way…. easy or not…just up and out of the gorge. A push here, a prod there, helping hands, encouraging words, sips of water shared, a couple of breaks to give the elephants enough time to get away from us (we did not want to chance upon them during grazing time…we were almost close, some saw them but held back for fear of our safety) and much later we were at the top. Or so I thought. But I was wrong….we still had a long way to go, cross the top of the mountain to get to the village.Almost 3 kms of walk through the jungle was pending, evening

was fast approaching, and we were rushed by the guides for we did not want to be still in the jungle in the dark when elephants come out along with other wildlife. A small disagreement amongst the guides on taking the south road or the west road ensued, much to everyone’s amusement. With enough pushing and separating talkative team mates (read me and Naren, specially), we were making slow progress according to the guides. To add to his worries, it started drizzling. Not to make all of us happy, though. We were hot, sweaty, tired and so ready for a cool off, but no such luck. Soon it was clear and we quickly managed to reach the village before it became dark. While going thought the village we saw so many coconut trees and when asked the villagers could nit give us any to drink the juice from because there wasn’t any one to pluck them. Theses guys depend on people from other villages to pluck these coconuts….coconuts coconuts every where not a drop of water to drink..:(

Good hot tea and coffee greeted us at the farmhouse. A quick back patting and meditation session (by Ranjan) got everyone relaxed, happy and proud at our achievements. Some scrambled for a hot shower to get rid of the tiredness. Some were lucky, some weren’t. Had to do with cold showers all the time..:(

Some of us settled for a quite evening with friens with some good soothing hindi songs for company. The fidgety types decided it was too bland, decided to take a small walk to the village. Managed to buy some fruits for everyone, chocolates and stuff to take home too. All in all a culture trip into the local life…small village, one lane along which the trade happens and tourists are catered to.

On reaching back, we were greeted by a nice warm bar-b-que with paneer and chicken smells tantalizing us. After much trail and error, shifting cooking patterns, inputs from all and sundry, ready hands to work….the stuff was ready and gobbled up faster than it could be made ready.

More dancing, chatting, joking and frolicking later, we realized that it was past mid night. But many still wanted to make the most of the ‘last night here’. Naren plugged up the camera onto the TV and we had a showoff all the pics taken till then…comments, laughs, revisiting the good times spent, most were ready to sleep off the tiredness. A few managed to keep awake the entire night and had to get to sleep as soon as the maid came over just at sunrise.

Day Three

With a packed day planned ahead, we made hurry with the fantastic poori-sabzi breakfast. After many byes and heavy hearts we said our farewell to Suresh and Padmini, our hosts.

Ooty is just 29 kms from Masanagudi…. that takes almost an hour and a half to go…complete with 37 hairpin bends, dizzying roads, scenic beauty wherever the eye turns, deciduous trees giving way to elculeptis tress which in turn giving way to tea gardens and lovely flowers by the roadside and outside quaint hilly houses or rather cottages.

A quick stop over at a roadside shop filled up everyone’s baggages with spices and teas to take back home. Happy with the unexpected shopping, we were all set to go to the Paikara falls.

Passing through the lanes of Ooty, meadows of wild horses, small water bodies; we made our way to the falls. Quite a crowd greeted us, but not to be left behind, we made our way down hill …ooohhing and ouching our way.

What greeted us was raw beauty…water over rocks and boulders making its merry way and gurgling away on its course…tall fir trees falling over themselves to get near the water’s edge…. trying to beat the grass in some hidden race. And to mar it all were half naked banyan-lungi clad portly guys having a bath and washing their clothes. I had such a difficult time to cut them out of my sight to be able to soak in the beauty…. because they were just about everywhere. Quite a disappointment!!!

After another round of shopping, this time for the famous small sweet deep orange colored carrots, sweet corns, fresh fruit juices, avocado puree, some hot tea for who preferred it. ….we had to be rushed back, trying to hide our eatables from the monkeys who were lying in wait by the side of the roads for unsuspecting human to snatch from. I had to surrender my apple to one such notorious guy and poor Komal had a good fright when another guy (could be the same, for all I know) snatched a chips pack from her hand…enough for her to scream out which we could hear quite far away at the bus. Lesson learnt…never keep edible food items visible to monkeys.

The ride back to Mysore was not as vocal, enthusiastic as lively as the trip from there. The ride through the forest reserve did not get us out of our seats for a look out for animals, many stole quick naps and others kept one eye on the watch for the time…. we were running a little late than schedule…. thanks to the roads of Karnataka. Managed to reach the bus stand just in time, event he bus driver and conductors were relived at our arrival…. they too had the same surprised look at seeing us as we had on seeing them…they were the ones who brought us…same bus too!!!

A longish bus journey found most of us sleeping like dead wood, tired, no longer bothering to find a comfy place to sleep in. morning brought us closer to Hyderabad with great plans to meet up very soon to exchange pictures and rehash memories and laugh yet again at al our endeavors.

After all this what should say, do I say, should I say??? But going by my notorious image…I will…;)

A memorable trip that brought people from all walks of life together to do something all of us had a common interest in. We had doctors, engineers, IT professionals, lawyers, architects, students, and of course the likes of me and Rachna…writers. The age group was as old as 11 years and as young as 52 years…so ultimately it was that age did not matter…it was what was in the heart and going by the enthusiasm of the entire group…I can surely say we were a very young-at-heart crowd. We take back with us fantastic memories, cherished bonds, lessons learnt, growing as individuals who now can face the world with more confidence than before because we have achieved something we had aimed for.

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world.... Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” - Patanjali, Indian philosophy

P.S: This blog is contributed entirely by Manisha - professional writer and active member of HAC..HAC Team sincerely thanks her for contribution...