A
number of imageries were streaming through my mind when the twin peaks of
Kumbhkallu came into sight. Did they resemble the horns of an animal? Or was it
a victory sign being flashed by the mountains of the Charmadis? Were the peaks so
arranged because nature wanted to point towards something in the depths of the
mountains? I think my imagination was just running haywire when I saw those two
peaks forming a valley between them like the alphabet “M” ?!
The twin peaks of Kumbhakallu
As we approached Kumbhakallu
When Fahad had planned this trek, Kumbhkallu
appeared to be some lost peak in the Charmadis. The great Google had very
little reference for this place. Fahad and Nitin had to call up an avid trekker
- Dinesh Holla of the Youth Hostel Association (YHA) to gather information
about this lesser known peak in the Charmadis.
So, before the crack of dawn on the 3rd
of February, armed with food, water, cameras, sun-protection gear, lots of
energy and a guide (so as not to get lost in the wilderness), we set out to
conquer the Kumbhkallu. We were on our way to explore a lost peak and yet we
lost our way to its base only once! We enquired around and after obtaining
permission from a private estate, on whose land we were about to encroach, we started
towards our destination. The beginning of the trek slopped gradually upwards on
a very dusty, motorable path; winding through a few private estates. All along
this way we were welcomed by barking dogs! After this, the trek trail
transitioned from a dense forest to sunny grasslands. The last of the houses along
this way was where the guide started with us to the Kumbhakallu. After about 15
more minutes of walking along the same way, we took an abrupt left to enter the
dense forest. The trail was only getting steeper with each step. The sprawling
vegetation whose branches and roots we had to brush aside to walk , made ascend
even more difficult. This distance must have been at most 2kms. But the kind of
effort it extracted from us necessitated taking numerous pit stops to replenish
our energy.
on the steep motorable road
The beginning of the trail
Through thick dense forests
Throughout
the next kilometer we had to battle grass, which was sharp edged, shoulder
length and hiding some thorny shrubs too! It was through this grass that we
were making our own path under the expert guidance of our guide. The steep path
made it impossible to climb without holding onto the grass and our hands were
soon covered with bruises.
Through the "sharp" grass
When this “sharp” trail ended and a
clearing came into sight, we were staring at a rocky barren slope at an 80-degree
incline. The peak was nowhere in sight and the end of this wall in front was
not visible. Our guides climbed up on all four limbs…like monkeys; and so did
we! Huffing, panting, stumbling and scrambling for footholds and handholds in
the rocks, we gradually moved ahead on the seemingly never-ending slope. After
a long time, the peaks came into sight again– all rocky, barren and sunny with
hints of thorns and grass blades. By the time we reached the shorter of the two
peaks, we were out of breath but brimming with a sense of achievement!
rock climbing
the exciting rock climbing contd...
The top of both the peaks of Kumbhakallu
houses a holy cross. Our guide informed us that Kumbhakallu is a sacred place
and locals visit this peak on Good Friday. That is when the grass in the valley
between the mountains is burnt and cleared for easy access to the peaks. This
peak also offered a spectacular view of the Charmadi peaks – the Erikallu, the
Minchukallu, the Amedikallu, the Kodekallu (which looked like a huge egg
resting cozying on a mountain top) and the Balekalle. After informing us about
the descend path, our guides left us to explore this mystic peak.
The Kodekallu from Kumbhkallu
A few of us climbed up on the other twin,
the higher one, as well and enjoyed the amazing feeling of being on the top of
the world yet again…This time with the Lord besides us! All this time the sun was
right above our heads and on the top of Kumbhkallu there is absolutely no
shelter. We had lunch in burning
afternoon heat. (Thanks to Prachi and Sujith for getting umbrellas!) Our water
supplies were depleting very fast and we had not even started to decend!
remember 127 hours?
The Lord's presence on Kumbhakallu
On top of the world at Kumbhakallu
Descend proved to be more challenging than
expected. We went down the valley between the twin peaks. We were struggling
against tall, sharp, abundant grass and an uneven and steep terrain along with
the burning sun! Surviving on packs of glucose and oranges, since water was a
scarcity, we proceeded ahead; a few of us braving cramps and fatigue. It was a
great relief when the grassy stretch ended and we entered the forest. At least,
the sun stopped smoldering our head! We reached the first estate at around
5p.m. in the evening, all tired and bruised. Thankfully there was clean water
there and we could replenish our dehydrated systems and freshen up ourselves! Around
6.30p.m we started on our journey back to Mangalore and finished the day with a
sumptuous meal at Rinku da Dhaba!
Getting down the grassy valley seemed
much tougher than climbing up the rocks!
P.S.:
Arun had a peaceful sleep on top of Kumbhakallu…
so much so that he started snoring!
Prachi kept falling in the grass again and
again, crushing it under her weight and clearing the way for those behind
her…she “earned” the name “bulldozer” for her efforts!
On our way back, about a kilometer before
completing our trek, Yashash and Arun who were battling with cramps and
dehydration tried to break open a pipeline running along the way for a drop of
water. Thankfully they didn’t succeed!
Giri, as usual, made sure that he was the
most photographed Gypsy of the day!
And finally, this was Fahad’s last trek
with the Gypsies before leaving Infy and getting ready to explore new avenues
in the States. This was also Fairoz’s last and probably the most difficult trek, which she managed most admirably… We'll miss both of you!!
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