Wayfarer’s Journal

A long 3 years wait for a trekking pass to Agastyarkoodam finally met fruition during Christmas! It’s the magical atmosphere, adventurous trail, natural beauty, cultural significance that make it every trekker’s dream! Just 100 passes are issued every 3 days during the off season. Which exactly makes it a much sought after and something worth the wait! Agastyarkoodam is a protected forest area in the Western Ghats between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, recognised by the UNESCO, and is a biological hotspot. It is home to many rare and diverse flora and fauna, including thousands of species of medicinal plants. At 1,868 meters height, it derives its name from sage Agasthya. Kani tribe, one of the oldest surviving tribes in the world live there indigenously and depend on the forests for their livelihood. They are working closely with the Kerala Forest Dept. as trek guides. This trek is one of the most diverse ones in the Western Ghats as it takes you through lush green forests, open grassland...

Me and 3 trek buddies plunged into this adventure along with an amazing team of 15 in the first wk of Aug. The trek started from Sonamarg, a popular tourist destination in Kashmir. After a scenic 4 hrs drive from Srinagar, we stayed at Gagangir, a little ahead of Sonmarag. A good sleep & we welcomed a clear bright morning the next day. With a heavy breakfast and a day backpack, we started our trek at Shitkadi. It was a gradual ascent for the first couple of hours. Sonamarg is seen from the top, surrounded by snowy mountains and the Thajiwas glacier was visible then. It was a moderate hike through zigzagging trails which soon entered a beautiful forest of Maple and Pine trees. The trail ended in an open flat field and that was our first stop, the Tabletop. Being a defense sensitive area there was an army check post scrutinizing our ID cards. The setting of meadows with horses, sheep and mountain goats grazing around, the glacier waters flowing close by is a set taken for endless wal...

The Himalayas called …and I had to go! Valley of Flowers (VoF) had been in my wish list ever since the Sikkim Rhododendrons trek. But then the pandemic confined us to our homes & it just remained buried until one day in May I just booked one through a trekking organizer, sadly had to cancel my plans as an official trip intervened. But fate landed me amid an amazing bunch of people, when my college friend pulled me into a trek group that had a slot left by a cancellation. In the wink of an eye, I was enroute Uttarakhand amidst all the concerns of rains and climate disasters reported by media. Landing in Dehradun and taking a long 300 kms drive to Govindghat was tiring and had the risks of landslide that could leave us stranded on roads. Luckily, we reached there incident free and had a good meal & sleep. The trek started next day early morning to Ghanghria which is a 10 Kms beautiful trail full of nature’s scenic splendors with waterfalls, cold water springs, oaks, rhododendrons...

  Hey Folks! What is your idea of a perfect escapade from the usually lazy cozy Bangalore winter weekend? Does the thought of venturing in the spooky silence of night lure you? That’s what me and my school buddy, along with a group of fellow trekkers did this time; to explore nature in the sparkle of darkness by embarking on a night trek to Skandagiri, also called Kalavara Durga, almost 70 km from Bangalore and is one of the few legal night treks in this region I’m aware of. The plan was made all of a sudden during the busy week and we started our thrilling adventure on Friday around 11pm. Reaching there in 2hrs, we hardly had the time to get a quick nap. At around 3am we gathered at the base camp for the Forest officer to open the gates. Being a reserve forest, its mandatory to take forest permit to do hike in this trail. Meanwhile we were briefed by our guide on the do’s and don’ts along the way and a short description on the history of the place. Rightly as Google would tell you...

  We just witnessed a nerve cracking final that will forever be engraved in our memories. This compels me to pen down my experiences of being part of this World Cup in Qatar. Like everything these days, socio-economic-cultural-political discussions take center stage on social media and other circles, Qatar WC was no different. Ahead of my travel, main talking points rightly were the corruption allegations, mistreatment of migrant workers, homophobia and the list went on. Many of my friends and colleagues wanted to know my stand when I told them about my travel to the WC city. (This needs separate debate and discussions and is not part of this write up.) But the moment we landed there; there was an innate sense of bon homie right from the airport staff to taxi drivers, our friends who hosted my family and made sure we were comfortable all the time, meeting some good old friends, the vibrant streets, the Souks, Corniche promenade, desert safari, beaches, sumptuous food, the volunteer...

  The Pandemic has changed our lives forever it seems. Locked up in the house for more than 5 months now, it felt like eternity by the time we could resume our normal way of living, socialising, travelling and doing things which we had loved the most. And then on Sunday I was nibbled by the travel bug again and set out on a 75kms drive followed by a trek at Savandurga. Its India’s largest monolith hill, the entire structure is just one huge rock, the first sight of which makes us wonder about its formation. But Savandurga holds a surprise for us when we see green patches of bushes and trees amidst its rocky terrain. The initial trail follows a mud path through some foliage with a light ascent till the base of the hill. The track ahead is famous for its challenging climb and amazing views of Magadi, Manchabele and Thippagondanahalli reservoirs and Arkavathi river, which stays with us for the entire trek. All it takes is just a head turn to get the panoramic views of nature. Like mir...