The plan was to start the trip
from Munnar to Suryanelli (yes the infamous one) by 6am, cover the 12KM track
through low hills and tea plantations in 4x4 jeeps, reach the base camp at
Kolukkumala and ascent the final peak by 8am so that we can take our sweet time
doing the hike and be back at our resort for a late lunch and a nice rest. As
always the plan got blown sky high.
We left Munnar after a light bite
of bread (yuck) and biscuits to prevent any visceral projectiles during the
rough ride in the 4x4 by 10am. The jeep guys were waiting for us with seven
sweet rides and we began our ascent to the base camp. Each jeep held eight people;
I was in the lead jeep driven by Mr Ebin. He had been driving this route for
the last 24 years and had a lot of stories to tell from the days of the British
raj to the present day. As we moved higher, the terrain got more unruly and we
were thrown around in the jeep like rags in a washing machine. Ebin seems to
get a high out of our screams and did a few tight corners and skids to spice up
the ride. My primary concern was not that the jeep may nose dive to 4000 feet
below but someone sitting behind me might throw up on me! Sorry kids, I did not
trust your guts then.
According to Ebin
the hill is actually called Meesha-pullu-mala which means the hill of the
mustache grass and was wrongly quoted in the mallu flick Charlie as
Meesha-puli-mala, meaning the hill of the mustached leopard. He even went on to
claim that he have seen leopards, deer’s, wild tuskers and bison’s run rampage
through these grass lands numerous times.
In his wisdom I learned that the tea plantation was established in 1905
and is expected to have a life of 400 years. Out of awe I plucked out a bunch
of leaves and was about to chew them and Ebin shouted at me like I have caught
a snake.
“No saaar, don’t eat. It’s full
of poisonous chemicals they sprayed!!”
“What ? Are these not fresh
leaves from the highest tea plantation in the world?”
“Yes saaar, but the real organic
ones are fully exported. They sell the sprayed ones in India”
How reassuring. We kicked out the
British to handle these plantations to the MNC’s. The workers here still break
their back for a day’s pay; we drink the toxic tea while the foreigners enjoys
organic cuppa. I marveled at our progress and freedom.
We reached the base camp at
12.15Pm and I quickly instructed the kids to travel in groups and never alone.
Further I selected few boys of able mind and body with a sense of
responsibility to be our rear guard. Their duty was to make sure that they were
the last ones and no one lags behind them, while I would be the guide and
travel ahead. As we started I had the feeling that we would soon split into
many groups but I was not worried as I had faith in the guys behind. A group of
around 10 girls were on my heels and we quickly covered the first one kilometer
only to know that the others have already lagged much behind. Unfazed we walked
on as the climb and the chance to slip began to get steeper. Slowly the kids in
our group stared to drop to catch their breath and join the main body while we
labored our way ahead.
Half way into the
hike, I was left with three girls while Shamaz sir decided to quit the climb
and rest his legs. The path ahead was very steep and the soil crumbled below
our feet threatening to roll us down. Anisha threw away her sandals and stared
to go barefoot for a better grip. I was skeptical of this move but the few
foreigners who we met on the ascent clapped and looked at her in awe. Slowly we
inched and rested our way up on to that lofty mountain. I kept on motivating
the kids with stories of bravery and determination and pointed out how awesome
they are to attempt this hike. I pointed out that we haven’t seen a single girl
on this trek yet other than them and they were truly pioneers.
Ascending a particularly steep
slope and an acute turn, I spied the peak what was around 100m away. I turned
and told Anisha and Devika,
“ So who is going to be the Edmund Hillary of SSDC?”
Both
of them increased their speed and managed to reached the peak in a matter of
minutes. I have climbed many hills and I always felt elated when I touch the
peak but this time it was different. A sense of achievement in me reflected the
grit of these first time hikers who did the impossible.
After a few minutes a few more
kids joined us on the peak. The fourth person on the peak was a Akshay while
the podium positions were taken by the girls. Few selfies later we began our
descent and on the way we met the rest of the group in various stages of
ascent. I encouraged them to keep going and advised them to stick together. Somewhere
in the back of my mind I had an uneasy feeling that I may have to climb back
here again but I ignored it.
We took a detour through some thick jute forests
to avoid a slippery climb and got back to the base camp without incident by
4.30pm. In my calculation the rest of the group were around 1hour behind us and
should reach back by 5.30Pm.
Minutes and hours tricked by so
did the black tea in my cup (hopefully not the toxic one). It was now past 5.30
and there was no sign of anyone. The shadows grew long in the fading light of
the dusk as did my worries. When the sun was about to exchange his position
with the stars, I could no longer wait and I decided to head back into the
mountain. My first climb was systematic
with a stick for hiking pole, knee braces to minimize the impact and safe
threading on the uneven terrain to avoid injuries but this time I was in a mad
dash to get back to my kids up there.
“Saar don’t go alone in the dark
up there. There was a leopard sighting last week”.
Now what I felt was a different
kind of fear. It was a battle between fear of myself being alone in the dark
probably staked by a leopard against the thought of my students afraid and lost
in that mountain. I picked up a stick for support, lighted up my mobiles flash
and ran for it. In the darkness I saw many shadows stalking, some slithered as
I almost stepped on them while a distant howl sent a primal chill down my
spine. I don’t know if all these were real or tricks played by my troubled
mind, but at that moment they were all real for me. I shouted the names of the
students as I ran panting and out of breath. I watched in awe as the moon rose
in all his glory and the silhouette of the mountains gave the perfect
foreground for the splash of stars which we called the Milky Way. I spied a shooting star cruise and disappear
behind the dark giants and I made my wish for the safety of my kids.
Somewhere far off I heard someone
shout my name and I saw multiple flickering lights coming towards me. I hurried
up the rocks and tripped on a root landing face down; luckily the only thing
injured was my pride. Brushing up and collecting the stick and my mobile, I ran
up the last ledge and there to my immense relief found the kids scared but
super excited.
“Sir, we had the greatest time of
our lives. It was so scary and the risks
were huge. Some of us slipped and fell couple of times and we all helped each
other “
“This is the most memorable day
of our life. It was so adventurous and we never felt so close to each other
ever”
“Sir, this is how life is to be
lived. So huge risks, but our guts and the force of our friendship helped us to
do this”
My god, they were so excited.
Sacred, yes but even more happy. Some sported small cuts and bruises but the
grin on their faces was even more evident. The sense of achievement of
conquering the second highest mountain in Kerala, trekking through the highest
tea plantation in the word under a star lit sky while stalked by an imaginary(?)
leopard; well how else can you feel alive than this?
On reaching the base camp I once
again counted the grinning faces to ensure that none are missing and proceeded
to the jeeps waiting to take us to our dinner and a warm bed. My rearguard guys
have done their job well. They took care of their friends in my absence in the
most admirable way. On our way back rocking in the 4x4 I looked at the gem
splattered sky and wondered that how lucky we were to enjoy this pristine land.
I asked Ebin, how do the people survive here with no electricity or medical
help and in constant fear of animal attacks?
“Saar, the spirit of the mountain
look after the ones who comes to him.”
Probably it was Ebin’s spirit who looked after us after all.
PS: Its been a few days, and this
is how I remember the day. Okay, maybe I have dramatized it a bit, but the
story remains the same. This is the greatest hike that I ever had.
