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“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity,”
The quote by John Muir explains the desire that Abhiram Jogadenu developed to break free from everyday life and walk in the mountains.
Bengaluru-based Abhiram Jogadenu has found his new love in travelling ever since he happened to be a part of the Karnataka Heritage Tour in January 2018. The heritage tour covered the major temples in Karnataka, and the weather in January was the most enchanting part for Abhiram. “My love for travelling peaked due to the amazing weather I experienced during the heritage tour, and ever since, I have been exploring Bengaluru and the surrounding regions,” says Abhiram, who is an electronics enthusiast.
Abhiram is also an adventure junkie. During his college days, he had been to the Poon Hill trek in Nepal. His search for adventurous expeditions around Bengaluru has continued ever since, and he finally zeroed in on Tadiandamol Trek in Coorg to test his mettle against the mighty nature through Thrillophilia. Any adventure is incomplete without friends, and Abhiram could not have lived the experience of Tadiandamol trek without his friends. He roped in two of his friends for the adventurous trek, and the three were set to go!
Beginning of a Journey – A Journey of Friendships and Adventure
Abhiram and his two friends were picked from Indira Nagar, and that’s when they came across their fellow trekkers. Breaking the ice with them was a matter of a few hours as everyone got talking and gelled along quite well with each other. The next morning, they reached their homestay near Suntikoppa where it drizzled incessantly. After a warm shower, the trekkers had breakfast of local dish called Kabudu (rice balls), oatmeal, eggs, and dal.
After the filling breakfast, Abhiram and his friends, along with the fellow trekkers, excitedly headed towards the starting point of the trek. After a two-hour drive from the homestay, the trekkers reached the starting point and supervisors were split into three groups before they began the trek. The journey had started, and it was a fun-filled journey as the trekkers interacted amongst themselves and shared life experiences.
The trek was now getting exciting as the first point of interest came in the form of waterfalls. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to click pictures near the majestic waterfalls, the trekkers halted and had a reviving time near the gushing waters. Abhiram also jumped into the waterfalls, the waters of which sent chills down his spine, literally! He explains that it was his best decision on the trek, “we were wet on almost the entire trek due to frequent rains. Getting drenched in the waterfalls did not make a major difference, it only upped the adventure,” he said.
Top-of-the-World Feeling!
Abhiram and his friends did not realise how easily they scaled the mountain, courtesy the amazing company they had in the fellow trekkers, who kept interacting with them and kept them hooked. Cold winds blew at the top, giving Abhiram a triumphant feeling after having trekked on the mighty mountain. Theirs was the first group to scale the mountain that day, which enabled them to spend more time at every attractive spot along the trek.
Abhiram and the fellow trekkers clicked pictures at the summit and decided to descend due to the unfavourable weather. They stopped at various places during the descend and spent time there to click pictures. As they reached near their bus, they carefully removed the leeches to ensure that they did no harm to their body. The trekkers changed their wet clothes, put on their dry ones and headed for lunch while being awestruck by the surrounding greenery. By evening, they reached the homestay, took a warm shower and shared their experiences during the dinner. The interactions only ensured that the trekkers get along well and enjoy the expedition together, making lifelong memories. The tired trekkers dozed off early that night for the exciting day that awaited them the next morning.
A Serene Experience
Waking up early the next morning, the trekkers experienced serenity around the homestay as it was surrounded by lush greenery and the weather was enchanting. After a quick breakfast, they headed to explore the coffee estates in the vicinity. Abhiram got a mixed feeling here as he had forgotten to bring his phone to the picture-perfect coffee estate.
Due to time constraints, everyone had to vote for their next destination, and they unanimously chose Harangi Dam as two out of the four gates at the dam were open, assuring an enthralling view of the gushing dam waters. Abhiram and his friends reached the dam and clicked pictures.
After spending quality time at the dam, they decided to go shopping. They purchased the popular items of Coorg, namely coffee, spices, mineral oils, local wine and homemade chocolate to get an authentic essence of the place.
Abhiram and his friends extracted everything the place had to offer to them, and they could not be happier. They started their journey back to Bengaluru. En route to Bengaluru, they had a filling dinner near Srirangapatna. The two days Abhiram and his friends experienced were one journey of serenity and adventure.
Abhiram, who wishes to experience the essence of real India, now wants to travel to remote village to quench his wanderlust.
