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| Geo | | Map | | Trip#1 | | Trip#2 | | Bird List | | MyPix | | Linx |
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Trek starts from place called Kappalli (near Donigal), abt 5 kms down the road from Sakleshpur From the Highway, have to cross a paddy field to get to the meter gauge rail tracks.
workers, just before the First Tunnel.. which is at 55th km-mark (the trek starts near 48th km.) The Next access to highway is a 5km trek down the jungle-slopes behind Yedakumeri Station. Have to cross a shallow river next to the Ghat-highway, with rocky, slippery riverbed. |
Had some snacks and carried on..
We carried on.. back to the tracks again..
After some 12kms down the track, we decided to abort and turn back to Base Camp
Dec/9/01 : Planned to trek till Yedakumeri
Planned to go by the last bus (11:45pm 'Airbus') to Mangalore till Sakleshpur.
But since the one before that got cancelled in the last minute, we c'dn't
manage to get tickets.. next option, to hop into a bus to Hassan. I fought my
way thru the crowd to get in and block some seats for us.. in 12:30 bus.
Reached Hassan before 4:30am..
Hitched a ride in a Tanker trailer Lorry till Sakleshpur (got down at a tea-shop near Kappalli)
Then Tractor with tipper trailer brought nostalgic memories of last trip..
Yedakumeri Station: 559.60m above MSL
Deja vu
By 6am, we crossed the paddy field and reached the track... bone-piercing chill still in the air..
when we reached the first bridge.. there was a strange sense of deja vu..
memories of crossing the bridge 10 months back, and the surrounding scenery, still fresh...
Birds
There are bird-rich areas next to the tracks.. near some bamboo brakes, we c'd spot many..
at least 5 species c'dn't be identified..
Here's the day's bird-list:
Butterflies
Highlight of the day's sights include seeing a Southern Birdwing butterfly in flight..
I was hoping to see one as just the other day I read about it in Dileep's book..
Southern Birdwing (Troides Minor), largest Indian Butterfly !..
has a wing-span 140-190mm. It is abundant in the Western Ghats during monsoon and immediate post-monsoon
months. Active during early morning hours with a slow flight, usually high above the trees..
Frequents shady walks and glades in the jungles and comes down from tree tops to feed on Lantana, Mussaenda etc.
"It can put a swallow to shame".. sez Manoj.
Some other Butterflies: CRUISER, COMMON MAP.
Railway Glory !
Manoj showed the flower called Railway Glory !.. growing on the unused tracks..
He tried to take a photo of its creepers on the rusty, dilapidated, shaky sign post.. the name sounded like an oxymoron
Bridges
Creaky rusty old bridges with no side railings
some long bridges are at Vertigo inducing heights.. supported by long
concrete pillars.. acrophobics will find it tough to cross..
(recently a certain friend went on all fours on the 1st bridge @48th km mark)
most are surrounded by lush greenery..
SpitHit height.. if u spit from the bridges, it takes upto 6 secs to
hit the bottom.. some places it's treetops, some streams and rocks..
u might get psyched out if u focus on forest/falls/streams/treetops vertically below.. and walk slowly on the sleepers..
Best views surrounding the bridge are seen after Tunnel#11.. where
there's continous stretch of dense evergreen forest
Towards the end, saw a red pipe-like structue on a hill far away and
exactly opposite to us on a continuous U-shaped stretch of hills ..
what can that be ? checked thru binox..
t's a bridge !! must be one that we passed thru.. that hill and the one
huh.. we covered sso much distance ? we wondered..
Tunnels
17 of them.. 2 0r 3 more than 500m..
Torch light a must..
possibility of small pools of spring water seeping thru rocks
The first Tunnel is @ 55km mark..
long tunnels with smell of bats.. in some, there are large population of bats
Denser forest cover starts after Tunnel 10.
No construction work going on this time.. till first 15km.. but @ two places..
we saw some labourers breaking down rocks etc..
asked the workers about Yedakumeri Station.." 3 more kms.. from there trek down jungle trail
for about 4 km.. to reach the Highway.."
Arrival 5:10pm.. after 20km trek thru the tracks.
After seeing and experiencing the route, one'd think that it's better not to make
this route broadgauge... "and t'll bring whole civilisation and its baggage of problems with it"-( sez Manoj)
.. it will, no doubt, spoil the place..
X-ing the River in The Darkness..
Started at 5:30 from Yedakumeri.. need to get to the Highway (..4km away)..
before dark..
and there's river-crossing just before the Highway.. pretty difficult task if
it becomes dark..
trek down the steep jungle trail till we cross a stream.. and
then onto a wide dirt-track.. all ears for sound of vehicles.. after half-an-hour,
started hearing some distant sounds of trucks going up on the Ghat-road..
some elephant droppings here and there.. finally by 7 we reached near the road..
but.. now t's Really dark.. need to cross the river.. Luke got into swimming trunk and went for a
recce mission across the shallow rocky-but very slippery part.. sometimes on all-fours..
he came back after 15-20 mins.. 'tis only knee-deep, but we need to be really careful.. got cameras and stuff..
I decided to carry the torch light.. and go last .. so needed extra balancing act..
finally we did it without much damage except for our very tired feet slipping
and hitting against some sharp rocks..
Truck Ride.. afta the Trek !
After hitting the highway, tried hitching a ride.. unsuccessful for 15 min..
and then a Truck stopped.. can go upto Hassan.. grreat.. I hopped onto the
back.. loaded with sacks of thin sea shells.. Luke gave me company..
I relaxed.. lying on the sacks.. gazing at the starry sky.. view gets
interrupted by passing tree tops.. otherwise the serene sky..
Whatta TRIP !.. I's on cloud nine for sometime..
Tired muscles turned on the snooze mode.. Slowly.. I slipped into sleep.
