(This posting is a chronicle of 3 successive attempts through 3 consecutive weekends of December 2010 to get a shot of the source of Uballamadugu, in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. The shots above are an outcome of wait spread of over 1.5 years and 5 attempts and I rate this trip as the toughest I’ve ever undertaken, till now, and replaces my oct/2009 posting on the same destination.)
Little did I know I would be pulled in with intense power by this magical place when I walked through it way back in oct/2009. Then it was a parched landscape with meager water flowing through its diluted channels and never managed to arouse my sensations. My nascent interest in photography and writing was undergoing a significant transition at that point of time and consequently, I could realize how rewarding this place would be when visited at an apt timing. Possibilities understood and stored in memory, I began the run a year back to get absorbed by the routine chores and forget her. 2010 was a tough year in terms of jaunts and the influential regulars across the state border kept me distracted. It was only when the recent NE monsoon receded; my sixth sense began to pull back the stored memory of 2009. It was early December and the average temperature readings were plummeting elsewhere above the tropic of Cancer. Thankfully, and unfortunately, the peninsula enjoys a favourable climate induced by the regulative mechanism of the surrounding seas and its distance from the chilly winds of central Asia. Nevertheless, it’s the best time to go for a demanding hike in this part of the country at this time of the year. With things gaining momentum and me getting hasty of streamlining my blog, I began these series of consecutive attempts to conquer the source of this pristine stream flowing through a punishing terrain. I had to rope in a combination of friends for each one of these attempts and it was only me and Napoleon when I finally hit the bull’s eye. First two were made with Pipa the SW engineer, Jeeva the professor with a master’s in IT and Dinesh, who like Napoleon is pursuing the Indian Civil Services. First attempt was jeopardized by my underestimation of the time involved and the second one was cut short by the over enthusiasm I exhibited with DSLR. Third one was planned with precision and I focused on one thing – to reach the distant peak housing the mighty waterfall that feeds Uballamadugu, even if it meant me climbing alone. Thankfully, Napoleon accompanied that memorable conquest and we were better enough to reach back home, in one piece. My body is drained out, but the eyes have sufficient moisture to nurture the mythical dreams Iam going through after this bone weakening trip. Iam satisfied like never before and reviewing the trip photo-shots more frequently, than ever before.
WATER’S the elixir and it’s more so for optimism, contentment, respite and everything that conveys the meaning pleasure in glossary. There could be no better sensible illustration for this statement than our trip to the parched, rocky district of Chittoor in southern Andhra Pradesh. Welcome to Chittoor – a dry, hot and hopeless place just across the Tamil Nadu border, north of Chennai, but a paradox after North East monsoon. Before we could embark on this very short trip, from the day we planned one, 20 months have gone into the history. A history which saw us through 9 other trips, all to destinations four times the distance. If we were so pessimistic about the potential of this place then what could have triggered this jaunt? A combination of factors I should say. The last time I visited this place was in oct/2009, when nature was stingy and shy to express her beauty . I was so confident of the potential this place could explode with when explored at the right time and if ever I was to capture her in full blush it was now, just after the NE monsoon. In an effort to take advantage of the above rationale, we drove north on 12th 18th and 25th of December 2010 from Chennai into the rugged state of AP. On the first attempt, we skipped breakfast and drank lots of water with no idea of who our company would be on reaching the destination. After picking up the friends, I set off on a leisurely drive in my quest to see as many places as I could before departing from this gorgeous and slowly degrading planet. NH5 starts from very near to our place and without much effort we reached it, to drive through it. It connects Chennai with Baharagora by traversing for 1533 kms along the eastern coastline and we’ll be covering just around 65kms of that desolate stretch to take left at Tada, the first major town across the AP border, to reach Varadaiah Paalam and subsequently Ubbalamadugu. The drive was relaxed and so was the music we were listening to as we were entering Tada to be taken aback by the prevailing relaxed pace and the cold wind of December. Shops here are basic and you can make necessary procurements to sustain through the tough trail ahead. A wary analysis made me believe a major population of this border town was a cluster of migrant workers and Islam’s dominance was prominent. After the cold halt, we drove west towards Varadaiahpalem only to get interested in the nature of Geography and population distribution of this district. The entire stretch along this road was dry, rugged and showed no major sign of life supporting characteristics, except for the intermittent and seasonal paddy fields, and still; a meager population survived all along content with what this part of the world had to offer. A hard survival indeed and I was beginning to get worried if the sparse NE monsoon would have made her gorgeous enough to make my second, third and fourth visits, spread over two weeks, worthy enough to justify all the battering my car was about to absorb and the massive energy we were about to burn. This is the core season of action when NE monsoon rejuvenates the lifeline of these neglected areas. Probably, we should learn the art of drought survival from the enduring people of NW India.
Varadaiahpalem is the last town before you enter the reserve forest region, which comes under the administrative control of Chittoor’s east DFO, and its advisable to check and fill in your provisions here. Henceforth, the road is a narrow stretch through old-world villages and the black topped road ends abruptly few meters after a small leather factory located on the way to the falls. Now it’s a soft mud road on which you can thrash your car if you are of the kind who loves to perform as much as you would, to see the World Rally Championships. Very quickly after this we reached the AP forest department’s check post, crossing the Telugu Ganga Canal, to shell out INR100 in equal proportions for the car and the camera. Behind this check post the road becomes interesting if you are on a SUV and as much irritating if you are in a Sedan. I was driving a sedan and had to crawl over boulders to protect the oil sump from getting a nasty hit. This was the longest 4 KMS I have ever driven after that aborted attempt to reach the Parsons Valley in this same sedan, couple of years back. These 4 KMS take you through typical AP geography – Red sand, thorny bushes, aggressive sun and no sign of hope. Where this stretch ends, the trek begins. AP tourism has a fenced piece of plot, guarded by a security, where you can park the vehicle and begin the trek with peace of mind. A map board makes you aware of the route to be adhered to and of the various attractions en-route, sounds interesting. Slowly we began the walk with lots of expectations and apprehensions over the potential of this place. The landscape which was so dry right until this point changes dramatically giving way to a lush green cover, though confined, and the first sign of elixir – the water. As all people who have visited this place in the past and those who would after ours, I was mesmerized. It was not just the presence of water which was the cause of this fascination but it was the limpidness which struck me hard. Looking at the photographs above, you will find it hard to believe those were shot standing in the water. Such was the transparency through it, all the way to the bottom irrespective of the depth. The first water crossing is within minutes of the trek and there’s a narrow steel bridge to get over. I neglected this option in 2009 and proceeded with same attitude a year later to find my leg immersed in water a significant 10 inches more than then, first major sign of that exploding potential. It was amusing to wade through crystal clear water with shoals of fish providing a tickle to the already funny feeling. All the frustrating sand collected between the leg and the slip-on being washed away, we began the hike. Few meters away from this first crossing is an isolated bath tub created by nature and it’s neck deep – perfect to immerse the body. Water gushing through one end and leaving at the other, it’s a good place to relax for it isn’t haunted by people and you’re on your own with the entire natural tub for yourself.
Now the hike turns out to be hard-hitting with sun shining down hard, not a single tree to provide cover, and it was a collage of barren rocks which seemed to stretch for ever. Perseverance playing a crucial role, we were walking with heads down to avoid the sun’s glare and to dodge the uncomfortable spread of eroded rocks. This stretch gives way to a sandy path, sign of running water nearby, lined on either sides by vegetation peculiar to the region. Flow of water is well audible throughout the path and the hot sun only hastens our walk towards the first major pool. 30 minutes into the hike, you come across a small temple dedicated to lord Shiva and its here, the first major plunge occurs. Majority of the hikers, who were until now dry and exhausted, either jump into this pool or suffer a slip and fall into the safety of the cold, rejuvenating water. This place also offers the first glimpse of the main waterfall, some 3 Kms up in the hill defended by leg shaking hip to neck deep streams, huge swim inducing pools and claustrophobic sideways. I suffered a nasty fall a year back at this pool and this time around, I crossed like a pro with SLR in one hand and its carry bag on the other, while my friends fell into the inviting water with that familiar thud. Henceforth there’s good tree cover and you continue to trek under good shade right till the end. But everything comes at the expense of something else. Terrain transforms to become unbelievably rugged and demands respect of the highest order. One wrong step and the result could vary between - A good lesson to Scratches and Bruises to Grievous Injury to Mortality. Wow, nature is so kind in even the options it offers to suffer pain. Exhausted our way with utmost caution and somewhere midway between the Temple behind and the stage-1 ahead there’s a path which is bounded by the stream on one side and steep hillocks on the other. This place deserves a special mention as it engulfs you with an extremely strong scent emanating from the Bat excreta and has a landscape which potentially could harbor a good python population. Rocks, plenty of them and abundant water with dense foliage only strengthens this claim. Just before stage-1, as I would like to refer, there’s a big pool with depth good enough to submerge even 6 footers and the water here is at its transparent best with lots of fish providing micro massage. After this point proceedings become tough and every step ahead needs to be executed with utmost caution. Swim through 10 feet deep water or climb over a rock that’s over 6 feet. Hope the smile on your face lingering around till now would have vanished. Don’t lose hope and read further - Nature doesn’t let anyone to enjoy the best of its offerings without investing efforts. So hard it may seem there’s no bypass here, you want it - you proceed, you cant; you are more than welcome to turn your back to it. At least its environs could be saved from another ruthless tourist and this is exactly the reason in my mind, for which nature has put a check point to break and proceed.
It was 5:00 PM and the unknown path ahead, under submerged water with undetermined depth, and the notorious path we have to tread back put an halt on the first of the 3 consecutive attempts. It was a long drive back home with my heart beating rapidly, for I lost a beautiful opportunity nature offered to my ruthless laziness. Lesson learnt – Time could not be purchased. Subsequent week was a nightmare as I was wondering if the water level would be sustained and spent restless nights and agitated days. Sudden rain, midway through the week, reinforced my hopes and I was ready to take it up again and conquer her. This time around I started early and reached the hiking point before noon, to commence the rapid walk towards the point where we wound up during the preceding attempt. This attempt thought me a more valuable lesson which would help me in the later part of my life. When we march towards a complex goal there emerge distractions more attractive than the primary goal itself, and tend to dilute our efforts in the required direction to mold us to be content with the meager accomplishments on the way. In this case the meager achievement is the many number of photographs uploaded above. Though they appear beautiful and offer contentment, as much they did in diluting my effort and curtailing the attempt. Nevertheless I managed to cross stage-1 and reach the next level of difficulty, a gorgeous natural tub filled in with emerald green water, surrounded by rocks on three sides and water falling from one of them amongst unruly forests. Deviating from the main goal again, I worked overtime with the DSLR to get a perfect shot of that mouth watering beauty. Darkness engulfed, forcing us to retreat, and I was beginning to get idealistic to hide my inability to sustain momentum and get what I came looking for. Consequently, I negotiated with my conscience and firmly wrote on the diary, this is all I can do and I’ve given my best. The source of Uballamadugu is beyond reach and I’ll have to be content with what I’ve seen, captured and about to present to the outer world. Things straightened out, I embarked on a peaceful sleep that night only to be disturbed by unstable dreams and wake up to an uneasy dawn. Frustration was at its highest point and my patience to see the next weekend, at its lowest. I was sure this story hasn’t ended rather, it was about to go through a massive gyration.
I was into the third week of the last month of 2010 and things were getting desperate. Time was evaporating and friends were reluctant for one more jaunt and there was just one last remaining weekend to accomplish what I’ve been trying for the past 1 month. Aspirations vapourised as I got sucked into the weekly routine and in the process, decided to give up and tune my body for the year end trip to a soul elevating place. But still, something kept the adrenaline flowing and I never knew it’ll overflow soon to embark on the third consecutive attempt in pursuit of the same goal. As I woke up to face the winter sun on a cold Saturday morning, blood was hot enough to frustrate my ego and without a second thought, I began the chase. Found an inspirational company in Napolean who agreed to accompany me for the last try-out and it was a lonely drive towards the north, a direction which we both having been looking at for the past 6 years. Temperature was favorable, so was the mind set-up and the accumulated knowledge of the terrain we were heading towards. This time around it was a lightening quick jump, climb, fall, assist and slide to reach stage 2. We made it to the emerald green pool in a surprisingly short period of time and the exaggerated heart beat reminded us of the rapid run we had incurred in our desperation to beat the dusk. I was thanking Sam and Linda. Who are they? At stage 2 you are surrounded by massive cliffs on either side, which appear to have been eroded down through millions of years by this pristine stream. To get a shot of the final source I needed to get ahead of this heaven on earth and doing it was never going to be easy. Whichever angle I looked upon the surrounding rocks and examined the possibility of a way up, there never seemed to be one. But still, some made it behind this stage and my fear induced inability forced to hang the head in shame as the DSLR was looking into my eyes with a lifeless expectation. It appeared to say “take me there; I’ll get what you want”. It was exactly at this point a major transition happened to the outlook I and Napolean were sitting with. Realism replaced idealism and we walked towards the 10 foot rock, with water dripping over it, to fetch it with a pain inducing grip and get the better of it. Napolean made it with ease and I was beginning to lose control over breath as I put my right leg on the slippery slope. Couple of seconds later when I realized there was no grip at the determined height to press the next step, my body went down at its will disturbing the fine balance I was climbing with. There was a huge thud and I was sandwiched between two huge boulders. If it had not been for them, bones could have been smashed and the AP government would have a put a sign board there, “exercise caution – Slippery rocks”. I was thanking Sam and Linda, again. Who are they?
First major obstacle conquered, I looked back at the treacherous path we came by and the thought of taking them up again at dusk sent a chill through the spine. The landscape now changes dramatically with boulders and streams giving way to dense vegetation and extremely slippery gravel over steep slopes. Just after stage 2, there are two options to proceed with. Swim through the big pool ahead to reach a dead end, the final destination or, walk up the precipitous slope to conquer the source and from where you can view the majestic falls. Our obvious choice was to hike up the hill and we proceeded with an unexplainable fear. The path was rough with fallen trees and thorny bushes, as the absolute loneliness slowed down our progress. The plains below, visible through small clearings in the foliage, made my legs tremble and I cursed myself for making this resolute attempt. The world below seemed to be a safe haven and I wanted to get back ASAP. With bigger goals, responsibility and perseverance gain prominence and it could be no better illustrated than this. Fought our way through a punishing terrain and a wagering mind setup to see daylight after 30 hard minutes and, it was the kind of daylight I’ve ever enjoyed in my life time. With the mighty falls flowing down the opposite cliff and the massive pool below taking in the falling water to dispense to the pristine stream we crossed by, the wind blowing up on the face was more inviting than ever. I couldn’t believe we were standing just a couple of meters away from the main falls, which for the past 1 month appeared as a distant silver streak, a distant dream. This attempt was a fitting lesson and we, for the first time, realized possibilities are made possible with an optimistic approach. With every cell in the body content as never before we began the descent with much lesser fear, than that hugged us during the ascent. The sun was on the western horizon and the December position of the northern hemisphere made its powerful light a faded ray. Nevertheless, we decided to celebrate the occasion with a jump into the 4 meter deep emerald green pool mentioned earlier. With not a single human to disturb us, the freezing cold and the embarrassing clarity of the water was enjoyed like never before. Thereafter, it was a hasty retreat towards the base with romantic darkness and the gorgeous early evening moon engulfing our contentment. As we jumped over the rocks and passed by the way we came by, I could correlate that to our daily life and ambitions. We can yield to distractions the first time and the second time even but, our goals would remain a distant dream eternally when we yield the third time. It was a serious notion and we both endorsed that with a serious commitment.
It was time for departure and this region has invoked an everlasting interest over it. Its interesting in that, it has a perennial lifeline through a barren and parched terrain and you’ll never believe there’s water, plenty of it, until you actually see it. This trip was a fitting lesson to my life - when I was looking for that much needed inspiration this place taught me even the toughest goals could be conquered with perseverance and discipline. Life’s not going to stop for a single day and am running fast to fulfill certain responsibilities I owe my parents and friends and believe, it’s these never ending trips which we embark at frequent intervals the fuel for the long journey called life, in an extremely competitive environment. Life’s been so good so far. I’ve been in extreme comfort all my life and very well know I haven’t put half the efforts my friends have. This provokes my conscience and am struggling to answer the questions my past throws at. Before I wind up and embark on my next quest, I would want to mention who Sam and Linda are – they were my pet cats and accompanied me for 3 long years when a major portion of my day was spent in loneliness. It was during this time I got acquainted to their behaviour – how to jump, how to fall, how to hide, how to make a good escape, how to convince, how to be clean, how to be cautious, how to be silent, how to express love, how to look tempting and above all how to keep people happy and live in harmony. I would view them as the best among living things and no matter how worried and disturbed you are, their mew and cuddle would wipe away all your tears. They could be gone perpetually now, not to be seen anymore, but their memories and beautiful portraits I managed to capture would keep me smiling for a lifetime. I would be back in a month’s time with some mind disturbing pictures and words of a place which I had been yearning to hug for the past two years. Before I make a perfect shot at it, I need a long rejuvenating sleep to heal my joints and thank you guys for the time and patience as I transition from Idealism to realism. Bye!
Little did I know I would be pulled in with intense power by this magical place when I walked through it way back in oct/2009. Then it was a parched landscape with meager water flowing through its diluted channels and never managed to arouse my sensations. My nascent interest in photography and writing was undergoing a significant transition at that point of time and consequently, I could realize how rewarding this place would be when visited at an apt timing. Possibilities understood and stored in memory, I began the run a year back to get absorbed by the routine chores and forget her. 2010 was a tough year in terms of jaunts and the influential regulars across the state border kept me distracted. It was only when the recent NE monsoon receded; my sixth sense began to pull back the stored memory of 2009. It was early December and the average temperature readings were plummeting elsewhere above the tropic of Cancer. Thankfully, and unfortunately, the peninsula enjoys a favourable climate induced by the regulative mechanism of the surrounding seas and its distance from the chilly winds of central Asia. Nevertheless, it’s the best time to go for a demanding hike in this part of the country at this time of the year. With things gaining momentum and me getting hasty of streamlining my blog, I began these series of consecutive attempts to conquer the source of this pristine stream flowing through a punishing terrain. I had to rope in a combination of friends for each one of these attempts and it was only me and Napoleon when I finally hit the bull’s eye. First two were made with Pipa the SW engineer, Jeeva the professor with a master’s in IT and Dinesh, who like Napoleon is pursuing the Indian Civil Services. First attempt was jeopardized by my underestimation of the time involved and the second one was cut short by the over enthusiasm I exhibited with DSLR. Third one was planned with precision and I focused on one thing – to reach the distant peak housing the mighty waterfall that feeds Uballamadugu, even if it meant me climbing alone. Thankfully, Napoleon accompanied that memorable conquest and we were better enough to reach back home, in one piece. My body is drained out, but the eyes have sufficient moisture to nurture the mythical dreams Iam going through after this bone weakening trip. Iam satisfied like never before and reviewing the trip photo-shots more frequently, than ever before.
WATER’S the elixir and it’s more so for optimism, contentment, respite and everything that conveys the meaning pleasure in glossary. There could be no better sensible illustration for this statement than our trip to the parched, rocky district of Chittoor in southern Andhra Pradesh. Welcome to Chittoor – a dry, hot and hopeless place just across the Tamil Nadu border, north of Chennai, but a paradox after North East monsoon. Before we could embark on this very short trip, from the day we planned one, 20 months have gone into the history. A history which saw us through 9 other trips, all to destinations four times the distance. If we were so pessimistic about the potential of this place then what could have triggered this jaunt? A combination of factors I should say. The last time I visited this place was in oct/2009, when nature was stingy and shy to express her beauty . I was so confident of the potential this place could explode with when explored at the right time and if ever I was to capture her in full blush it was now, just after the NE monsoon. In an effort to take advantage of the above rationale, we drove north on 12th 18th and 25th of December 2010 from Chennai into the rugged state of AP. On the first attempt, we skipped breakfast and drank lots of water with no idea of who our company would be on reaching the destination. After picking up the friends, I set off on a leisurely drive in my quest to see as many places as I could before departing from this gorgeous and slowly degrading planet. NH5 starts from very near to our place and without much effort we reached it, to drive through it. It connects Chennai with Baharagora by traversing for 1533 kms along the eastern coastline and we’ll be covering just around 65kms of that desolate stretch to take left at Tada, the first major town across the AP border, to reach Varadaiah Paalam and subsequently Ubbalamadugu. The drive was relaxed and so was the music we were listening to as we were entering Tada to be taken aback by the prevailing relaxed pace and the cold wind of December. Shops here are basic and you can make necessary procurements to sustain through the tough trail ahead. A wary analysis made me believe a major population of this border town was a cluster of migrant workers and Islam’s dominance was prominent. After the cold halt, we drove west towards Varadaiahpalem only to get interested in the nature of Geography and population distribution of this district. The entire stretch along this road was dry, rugged and showed no major sign of life supporting characteristics, except for the intermittent and seasonal paddy fields, and still; a meager population survived all along content with what this part of the world had to offer. A hard survival indeed and I was beginning to get worried if the sparse NE monsoon would have made her gorgeous enough to make my second, third and fourth visits, spread over two weeks, worthy enough to justify all the battering my car was about to absorb and the massive energy we were about to burn. This is the core season of action when NE monsoon rejuvenates the lifeline of these neglected areas. Probably, we should learn the art of drought survival from the enduring people of NW India.
Varadaiahpalem is the last town before you enter the reserve forest region, which comes under the administrative control of Chittoor’s east DFO, and its advisable to check and fill in your provisions here. Henceforth, the road is a narrow stretch through old-world villages and the black topped road ends abruptly few meters after a small leather factory located on the way to the falls. Now it’s a soft mud road on which you can thrash your car if you are of the kind who loves to perform as much as you would, to see the World Rally Championships. Very quickly after this we reached the AP forest department’s check post, crossing the Telugu Ganga Canal, to shell out INR100 in equal proportions for the car and the camera. Behind this check post the road becomes interesting if you are on a SUV and as much irritating if you are in a Sedan. I was driving a sedan and had to crawl over boulders to protect the oil sump from getting a nasty hit. This was the longest 4 KMS I have ever driven after that aborted attempt to reach the Parsons Valley in this same sedan, couple of years back. These 4 KMS take you through typical AP geography – Red sand, thorny bushes, aggressive sun and no sign of hope. Where this stretch ends, the trek begins. AP tourism has a fenced piece of plot, guarded by a security, where you can park the vehicle and begin the trek with peace of mind. A map board makes you aware of the route to be adhered to and of the various attractions en-route, sounds interesting. Slowly we began the walk with lots of expectations and apprehensions over the potential of this place. The landscape which was so dry right until this point changes dramatically giving way to a lush green cover, though confined, and the first sign of elixir – the water. As all people who have visited this place in the past and those who would after ours, I was mesmerized. It was not just the presence of water which was the cause of this fascination but it was the limpidness which struck me hard. Looking at the photographs above, you will find it hard to believe those were shot standing in the water. Such was the transparency through it, all the way to the bottom irrespective of the depth. The first water crossing is within minutes of the trek and there’s a narrow steel bridge to get over. I neglected this option in 2009 and proceeded with same attitude a year later to find my leg immersed in water a significant 10 inches more than then, first major sign of that exploding potential. It was amusing to wade through crystal clear water with shoals of fish providing a tickle to the already funny feeling. All the frustrating sand collected between the leg and the slip-on being washed away, we began the hike. Few meters away from this first crossing is an isolated bath tub created by nature and it’s neck deep – perfect to immerse the body. Water gushing through one end and leaving at the other, it’s a good place to relax for it isn’t haunted by people and you’re on your own with the entire natural tub for yourself.
Now the hike turns out to be hard-hitting with sun shining down hard, not a single tree to provide cover, and it was a collage of barren rocks which seemed to stretch for ever. Perseverance playing a crucial role, we were walking with heads down to avoid the sun’s glare and to dodge the uncomfortable spread of eroded rocks. This stretch gives way to a sandy path, sign of running water nearby, lined on either sides by vegetation peculiar to the region. Flow of water is well audible throughout the path and the hot sun only hastens our walk towards the first major pool. 30 minutes into the hike, you come across a small temple dedicated to lord Shiva and its here, the first major plunge occurs. Majority of the hikers, who were until now dry and exhausted, either jump into this pool or suffer a slip and fall into the safety of the cold, rejuvenating water. This place also offers the first glimpse of the main waterfall, some 3 Kms up in the hill defended by leg shaking hip to neck deep streams, huge swim inducing pools and claustrophobic sideways. I suffered a nasty fall a year back at this pool and this time around, I crossed like a pro with SLR in one hand and its carry bag on the other, while my friends fell into the inviting water with that familiar thud. Henceforth there’s good tree cover and you continue to trek under good shade right till the end. But everything comes at the expense of something else. Terrain transforms to become unbelievably rugged and demands respect of the highest order. One wrong step and the result could vary between - A good lesson to Scratches and Bruises to Grievous Injury to Mortality. Wow, nature is so kind in even the options it offers to suffer pain. Exhausted our way with utmost caution and somewhere midway between the Temple behind and the stage-1 ahead there’s a path which is bounded by the stream on one side and steep hillocks on the other. This place deserves a special mention as it engulfs you with an extremely strong scent emanating from the Bat excreta and has a landscape which potentially could harbor a good python population. Rocks, plenty of them and abundant water with dense foliage only strengthens this claim. Just before stage-1, as I would like to refer, there’s a big pool with depth good enough to submerge even 6 footers and the water here is at its transparent best with lots of fish providing micro massage. After this point proceedings become tough and every step ahead needs to be executed with utmost caution. Swim through 10 feet deep water or climb over a rock that’s over 6 feet. Hope the smile on your face lingering around till now would have vanished. Don’t lose hope and read further - Nature doesn’t let anyone to enjoy the best of its offerings without investing efforts. So hard it may seem there’s no bypass here, you want it - you proceed, you cant; you are more than welcome to turn your back to it. At least its environs could be saved from another ruthless tourist and this is exactly the reason in my mind, for which nature has put a check point to break and proceed.
It was 5:00 PM and the unknown path ahead, under submerged water with undetermined depth, and the notorious path we have to tread back put an halt on the first of the 3 consecutive attempts. It was a long drive back home with my heart beating rapidly, for I lost a beautiful opportunity nature offered to my ruthless laziness. Lesson learnt – Time could not be purchased. Subsequent week was a nightmare as I was wondering if the water level would be sustained and spent restless nights and agitated days. Sudden rain, midway through the week, reinforced my hopes and I was ready to take it up again and conquer her. This time around I started early and reached the hiking point before noon, to commence the rapid walk towards the point where we wound up during the preceding attempt. This attempt thought me a more valuable lesson which would help me in the later part of my life. When we march towards a complex goal there emerge distractions more attractive than the primary goal itself, and tend to dilute our efforts in the required direction to mold us to be content with the meager accomplishments on the way. In this case the meager achievement is the many number of photographs uploaded above. Though they appear beautiful and offer contentment, as much they did in diluting my effort and curtailing the attempt. Nevertheless I managed to cross stage-1 and reach the next level of difficulty, a gorgeous natural tub filled in with emerald green water, surrounded by rocks on three sides and water falling from one of them amongst unruly forests. Deviating from the main goal again, I worked overtime with the DSLR to get a perfect shot of that mouth watering beauty. Darkness engulfed, forcing us to retreat, and I was beginning to get idealistic to hide my inability to sustain momentum and get what I came looking for. Consequently, I negotiated with my conscience and firmly wrote on the diary, this is all I can do and I’ve given my best. The source of Uballamadugu is beyond reach and I’ll have to be content with what I’ve seen, captured and about to present to the outer world. Things straightened out, I embarked on a peaceful sleep that night only to be disturbed by unstable dreams and wake up to an uneasy dawn. Frustration was at its highest point and my patience to see the next weekend, at its lowest. I was sure this story hasn’t ended rather, it was about to go through a massive gyration.
I was into the third week of the last month of 2010 and things were getting desperate. Time was evaporating and friends were reluctant for one more jaunt and there was just one last remaining weekend to accomplish what I’ve been trying for the past 1 month. Aspirations vapourised as I got sucked into the weekly routine and in the process, decided to give up and tune my body for the year end trip to a soul elevating place. But still, something kept the adrenaline flowing and I never knew it’ll overflow soon to embark on the third consecutive attempt in pursuit of the same goal. As I woke up to face the winter sun on a cold Saturday morning, blood was hot enough to frustrate my ego and without a second thought, I began the chase. Found an inspirational company in Napolean who agreed to accompany me for the last try-out and it was a lonely drive towards the north, a direction which we both having been looking at for the past 6 years. Temperature was favorable, so was the mind set-up and the accumulated knowledge of the terrain we were heading towards. This time around it was a lightening quick jump, climb, fall, assist and slide to reach stage 2. We made it to the emerald green pool in a surprisingly short period of time and the exaggerated heart beat reminded us of the rapid run we had incurred in our desperation to beat the dusk. I was thanking Sam and Linda. Who are they? At stage 2 you are surrounded by massive cliffs on either side, which appear to have been eroded down through millions of years by this pristine stream. To get a shot of the final source I needed to get ahead of this heaven on earth and doing it was never going to be easy. Whichever angle I looked upon the surrounding rocks and examined the possibility of a way up, there never seemed to be one. But still, some made it behind this stage and my fear induced inability forced to hang the head in shame as the DSLR was looking into my eyes with a lifeless expectation. It appeared to say “take me there; I’ll get what you want”. It was exactly at this point a major transition happened to the outlook I and Napolean were sitting with. Realism replaced idealism and we walked towards the 10 foot rock, with water dripping over it, to fetch it with a pain inducing grip and get the better of it. Napolean made it with ease and I was beginning to lose control over breath as I put my right leg on the slippery slope. Couple of seconds later when I realized there was no grip at the determined height to press the next step, my body went down at its will disturbing the fine balance I was climbing with. There was a huge thud and I was sandwiched between two huge boulders. If it had not been for them, bones could have been smashed and the AP government would have a put a sign board there, “exercise caution – Slippery rocks”. I was thanking Sam and Linda, again. Who are they?
First major obstacle conquered, I looked back at the treacherous path we came by and the thought of taking them up again at dusk sent a chill through the spine. The landscape now changes dramatically with boulders and streams giving way to dense vegetation and extremely slippery gravel over steep slopes. Just after stage 2, there are two options to proceed with. Swim through the big pool ahead to reach a dead end, the final destination or, walk up the precipitous slope to conquer the source and from where you can view the majestic falls. Our obvious choice was to hike up the hill and we proceeded with an unexplainable fear. The path was rough with fallen trees and thorny bushes, as the absolute loneliness slowed down our progress. The plains below, visible through small clearings in the foliage, made my legs tremble and I cursed myself for making this resolute attempt. The world below seemed to be a safe haven and I wanted to get back ASAP. With bigger goals, responsibility and perseverance gain prominence and it could be no better illustrated than this. Fought our way through a punishing terrain and a wagering mind setup to see daylight after 30 hard minutes and, it was the kind of daylight I’ve ever enjoyed in my life time. With the mighty falls flowing down the opposite cliff and the massive pool below taking in the falling water to dispense to the pristine stream we crossed by, the wind blowing up on the face was more inviting than ever. I couldn’t believe we were standing just a couple of meters away from the main falls, which for the past 1 month appeared as a distant silver streak, a distant dream. This attempt was a fitting lesson and we, for the first time, realized possibilities are made possible with an optimistic approach. With every cell in the body content as never before we began the descent with much lesser fear, than that hugged us during the ascent. The sun was on the western horizon and the December position of the northern hemisphere made its powerful light a faded ray. Nevertheless, we decided to celebrate the occasion with a jump into the 4 meter deep emerald green pool mentioned earlier. With not a single human to disturb us, the freezing cold and the embarrassing clarity of the water was enjoyed like never before. Thereafter, it was a hasty retreat towards the base with romantic darkness and the gorgeous early evening moon engulfing our contentment. As we jumped over the rocks and passed by the way we came by, I could correlate that to our daily life and ambitions. We can yield to distractions the first time and the second time even but, our goals would remain a distant dream eternally when we yield the third time. It was a serious notion and we both endorsed that with a serious commitment.
It was time for departure and this region has invoked an everlasting interest over it. Its interesting in that, it has a perennial lifeline through a barren and parched terrain and you’ll never believe there’s water, plenty of it, until you actually see it. This trip was a fitting lesson to my life - when I was looking for that much needed inspiration this place taught me even the toughest goals could be conquered with perseverance and discipline. Life’s not going to stop for a single day and am running fast to fulfill certain responsibilities I owe my parents and friends and believe, it’s these never ending trips which we embark at frequent intervals the fuel for the long journey called life, in an extremely competitive environment. Life’s been so good so far. I’ve been in extreme comfort all my life and very well know I haven’t put half the efforts my friends have. This provokes my conscience and am struggling to answer the questions my past throws at. Before I wind up and embark on my next quest, I would want to mention who Sam and Linda are – they were my pet cats and accompanied me for 3 long years when a major portion of my day was spent in loneliness. It was during this time I got acquainted to their behaviour – how to jump, how to fall, how to hide, how to make a good escape, how to convince, how to be clean, how to be cautious, how to be silent, how to express love, how to look tempting and above all how to keep people happy and live in harmony. I would view them as the best among living things and no matter how worried and disturbed you are, their mew and cuddle would wipe away all your tears. They could be gone perpetually now, not to be seen anymore, but their memories and beautiful portraits I managed to capture would keep me smiling for a lifetime. I would be back in a month’s time with some mind disturbing pictures and words of a place which I had been yearning to hug for the past two years. Before I make a perfect shot at it, I need a long rejuvenating sleep to heal my joints and thank you guys for the time and patience as I transition from Idealism to realism. Bye!
Parameters –
Route- Chennai- Tada - Varadaiahpalem – Avanti Leather Factory – Telugu Ganga canal - Forest check post – Quarry – Parking place – Trek begins.
Best time to Visit – After NE monsoon would be the best bet.
Specialties – Soul satisfying terrain, natural bath tubs, good hiking pleasure.
What you should do – Reach early and enjoy the landscape before others could. Try to conquer the main falls, Challenging photo shots.
Don’t forget – Your camera, a pair of strong trekking shoes, to spot a python and not to drink or eat and If you do, get back everything to the vehicle.
No comments:
Post a Comment