Trek to Kodai - Mannavanur - The Ultimate Experience!!!

Jan 20 2012:
15 members of Eco trampers boarded the train to Dindigul at 6 25PM and reached at 2 45AM the next day and boarded the tempo traveller we had booked and reached kodai.

Jan 21 2012: Day1

It all started with a delay, but ended up very happily. The trek was about to start from Berijam Lake[The history beyond this lake name is "This area is a vast swamp['அசம்' in tamil] and when british enquired about the area name to the villagers, unable to explain properly they said as 'பெரிய அசம்'. British ppl as always unable to pronounce it properly made it as Berijam"] at 10 30AM , but there was a delay in getting permission from forest rangers to pass through the forest and stay there[Govt officials அவ்ளோ சீக்கிரம்  வேளைக்கு வந்துட்டாலும் ..:P]. The trek started around 1PM and it was planned to be 5 hours trek and reach the camp site by 6 30PM before its dark.

This is how we started with great energy at 1.23 PM. Its here, our guide Kodai Mani explained few history about the Mathikettan Shola Reserve forest we trekked.

The paths we covered.

It was a dry trek with few cool breez'es sometimes for about 1.15 hours and we stopped at this point for a break. Everyone grabbed their smoke as informed by Mani about where to smoke and took few pictures too.

We then started after 15minutes of break. Mani did some prayers here and at every pitstop to the mother nature to keep everyone safe inside the forest. We then headed for 20minutes and reached the top of Thalavetti Falls. We filled out water bottles as they became empty during the dry trek. And here started the complete adventure. Thalavetti falls is a 7 layered mountain out of which each layer is huge step which needs to be covered very carefully only by crawling.

This is the top view from the falls and its before we started to crawl down the falls.



























Trekkers at each step of the falls. We crossed the first 3 steps in 15 minutes. Few took some time to cross the steps. But we managed to go together.

This picture was clicked by our guide Kodai Mani. He was very much interested in using my DSLR and started addressing me as 'Ji' as myself and few others were in sync with his speed of trekking. His confidence level was very high such that he headed very fast through the forest also taking care if we were with him.

















A view of the first four steps we covered.

At the 5th step. The transition from 5th to 6th step was very steep almost 100 degrees inclined.

We manged to climb down and it was wonderfull climbing down this step

A picture of the same below.

After crossing all the seven steps, it was 4 53PM. Kodai Mani asked us to have the lunch, chappathi and salna which was brought. Also he asked us to have it fast as it would be dark by 6 30 and we have half more distance to be covered which is flat area and dense forests. Since few were taking time to cover all the steps we slowly had our lunch and took some photos. This is the complete view of all the seven steps of Thalavetti Falls.

By the time we had our lunch, Mani did some prayers again and was sitting in this rock looking at the falls for sometime. I guessed, he felt nostalgic and quickly grabbed my camera and clicked this shot and started our journey into the forest at 515PM shouting  few "hip hip hurrays"

From here, the greatest experience started. It was all great for us to have completed the falls and were happy that its going to be flat hereafter. Though it was flat, it was a very dense forest and lots of trees were uprooted and fallen on the path and we had to climb it often and move. On the way we saw the excreta of Bison at many palces[we missed to see one alive], few seemed to be fresh and i guessed that the creature must be near us and searched it but couldn't find it. There were footprints of Lion and forest goat. When enquired Mani said there are all species except tiger in the forest. We were thrilled with little fear. I composed myself from that by clicking some wild tress, plants, leaves, fruits etc. Few of the same below.

 When this was happening we heard a big howling sound. When enquired to JP the helper who came along  with Mani, he said that its the sound of  forest goat "காட்டு  ஆடு " and again we continued walking. Meanwhile one guy got sprained his thighs and ankle and he was coming  very slowly. We managed to go together and reached a deep swamp at 5 40PM. That swamp contained water and only one wooden log was there across it to cross. Everyone crossed the swamp but that guy alone was very tired and struggling to cross the swamp. He tried a lot to climb on the log and cross. Thats the time i saw a great uniqueness in us. Everyone was encouraging the guy to cross it and few even clapped for every step he took with pain. Mani was little upset with our delay and said that it would be late since it started to become dark. We had to climb up another mountain and climb down to get to the road to reach the camp site at Mannavanur, a village nearby the forest. He took the sickle and went to clear the shrubs and plants to make way for us. We were still motivating the guy to cross the river and finally he made it at 6PM. Everyone was in a hurry since we needed to cover a lot of distance to reach the road. We started climbing the mountain and it started to get dark. By the time we climbed up the mountain it was dark The mountain was very thick that it needed great energy to climb up fast. We were torching our torches and walking and suddenly 3 were missing from the gang. We were shouting their names and in return we got a response. We asked them to come faster but the reply came as "u are audible, but we are not able to find the way to reach you". Everyone stood at the same place as two of us went back some distance to guide them to reach us. Meanwhile, Mani again went forward to confirm the path. Finally we got a torch back to our response after 10minutes and were happy that they are with us. That moment we decided that however late it might be we all would go together. Once Mani was back all the 15 joined hands and started moving slowly. It was 6 45 we reached a spot where there were 2 points of mobile signal and Mani said we are near the road. By that time it was completely dark and Mani asked us to sit at a place and have a smoke so that he would go further and confirm the path. We had a smoke carefully that no fire reaches the trees and there came Mani. He was sure of the path to certain extent and he said that the road was only 200mts from that point but he was not sure of the direction in which the road is. We headed further to that point and we got 3 points of mobile signal and we were still close to the road. Though signal was there we were not able to connect to GPS in mobiles to find the route. Thinking what could be done, Aravindh[trek organiser] took out his magnetic compass and the map and figured out the direction to reach the road. It was North West and we were  facing North. Started walking towards North West and we entered West, so again redirected ourselves towards North West and this time the Mobile Signal dropped to 1 point. We were helpless and came back to the same point. It was 7 30 by then. We all sat at that place and thinking what to do. Mani called his friends at the Mannavanur camp site where we were about to stay that night and asked to come by the road make some signal. It was 8 and the ppl did not come and their mobiles were not reachable. Everyone was pretty aware that we are lost inside the forest but none felt disheartened or scary. I guess it was the energetic crew that made everyone feel confident. We were hopeless after similar incident Mani faced before and he was inside the forest till next day morning. We decided that we are about to stay inside till morning and unfolded the thermo rex mat and rested ourselves watching the sky. we also made a campfire digging a pit and we were enjoying the fire with a smoke. Some even decided that we are gonna stay here whole night and decided to open the Vodka full and have it. Mani asked us to wait for sometime and open the bottle once it is confirmed about the stay. We were talking little loudly andfew of the birds flew away with much sound of the wings fluttering. Some became afraid that something could happen to us if some animal comes. We calmed them saying no animal would come when there is fire. It was 8 30 we got a call from the ppl and they said that they are on the road and kept whisting and we whistled in return, but we were not able to hear the others sound. Mani asked them to come further more and we were tracking their presence. The clock turned 9 we heard a mild sound of the whistle. Everyone was enthusiastic and shouted, but the sound again faded away. We asked them to come further and at 9 15 we heard good amount of sound from them. We whistled in lieu and got a great response. Our helper JP was whistling in many tones and getting replies. Mani said that JP and the other person use to talk in Whistle. This time the word came like a punch dialogue from Mani. JP went some distance and found the bike light and whistled back to us asking us to come. We all were thrilled ans started. Suddenly we heard a voice from Mani "கொய்யால  நெருப்ப யார் அனைப்பா, இல்ல காடு பத்திக்கும் ". We all put some mud on the woods and poured some water we had and filled the pit with mud again and to be on the safe side we are passed our piss on the pit and started to the road. It was 9 45 by then we started.

We again had a tough time to cross the pathless forest searching for the path with torches. Everyone was shouting "hey", "light", "okay" to get light on the earth and confirming if everyone was present. After 15 minutes of walk we identified the indicator of the bike glowing and everyone raised the sound of enthusiasm. And finally we reached the road at 10 15 and we saw that everyone was thanking the ppl who came for our rescue as "அன்னா தேங்க்ஸ் அன்னா.. கலக்கிடீங்க.. தலைவா  u அர் கிரேட்[nanban style]". 

Then we walked to the camp for about an hour and reached the camp site at mannavanur lake 11 30. The guys who came in bike went early and made dinner with the readymade MTR chappathi and palak panner. We had it and it was 1 AM the next day when we all went for sleep in the tents that were ready.

That was a great experience of getting stuck inside a dense forest for 3 hours!!!! We all slept happily that day after getting such a thrill... !!!!