My Maiden Nature Trip

 Every boy and  girl  carries fond memories of their  first school excursion, even for decades. I felt as excited in the summer of 1977,  when my elder brother asked me to join him for a 6-day trek around Kodaikanal, organised by Youth Hostel Association of India.  It was my first major trip in life and my elation defied description.  Unfortunately, it did not occur to me to document my trip then. Yet, with some difficulty I constructed it to the best of my  ability and memory after 44 years. Even though MNS was not formed then, 3 of our future members took part... Prabakar, Raghu and myself. We reached Kodai and were lodged comfortably and were suitably debriefed about the usual DOs & DONT's. About 22 members took part, all youngsters, mainly from Madras and Bangalore.  Kodaikanal offers various trekking routes, matching the aspiring trekkers' fitness level and prior exposure. And the one we took was just the ideal one for nature enthusiasts.  As the trek was no where near the town, it avoided  the ever swelling summer crowd, their boisterous noise, litter and the blare of motor car horns. Nestled amidst the rolling slopes Palani Hill Range, Kodai stands at 7200 feet... a good respite from the sweltering summer sun.  We were all ready early the next day for trek to start. By 7 a.m with packed breakfast and lunch, we set off to our destination, a hamlet called Poomparai,  some 18 Kms away. Once we left the town, we were exposed to a Kodaikanal that was refreshingly different, totally untouched and unspoilt by  tourists. There, we came face to face with Nature... the distant misty mountains, the enchanting dipping vallies, fairy-tale green landscapes, pristine water bodies, whiff of fresh and crisp air and a pleasant summer sun... plus constant birds  calls with whimsical tunes.  We did not sight any animals but sure would have seen numerous endemic and exotic birds throughout.  Sad,  there was no MNS then and no check-list either. Our  average trekking distance was 18 Kms only. That gave us  ample time to get our eyes drenched with the spectacular scenery all around as we trekked. We would reach our destination on all days around 2.45 p.m after finishing lunch enroute. An advance party,  consisting of a few cooks would await our arrival and greet us with mugs of freshly- brewed tea to soothe our stretched muscles and aching limbs. We were invariably housed in schools, closed for summer and would spend reminder of the day in the porch,  enjoying the stillness and serene atmosphere, followed by early dinner and retirement. Our programme went like this: Day 1: Kodai to Poomparai (18 Kms). Day 2 Poomparai to Kookal (17 Kms). Day 3: Kookal to Manavannur. (14 Kms) Days 4 & 5 Manavannur to Berijam (39 Kms). I couldn't recollect where we had a night halt on day four. Day 6 Berijam to Kodai (22 Kms). Thus completing a wonderful trip, covering a total distance of 110 kms in 6 days. A noticeable feature those days was the  unpolluted environment that prevailed everywhere..... Often we used to run out of water while trekking in the sun but never minded it as streams carrying fresh waters were aplenty enroute and all you have to do was to gulp the fast moving water down your throat by cupping your palms. There were instances where we  and dozens of carrot- laden donkeys drank water together  from the same stream. Well, 44 years have passed since that memorable trip and I never stopped thanking my departed elder brother Raghu for my participation in the trek that paved  way for my association withMNS after its formation.

Photos: Far above: Trekking participants (with  myself sitting cross-legged in extreme right) Above: Raghu during the trek...