Tuesday, June 30, 2015

TRAVEL SPECIAL .........................Sneak A Peak

 Sneak A Peak

It’s that time of the year when you must rekindle your affair with the hills. But not the closest, not the easiest, not the path most taken...

A FAMOUS ENGLISH mountaineer and author, Joe Simpson, described it as “the beckoning silence of great height”. Some kind of “inverted gravity” that attracted people to climb massive mountains. And if you ask the new-age travellers in India flocking to the hills, they’ll swear they’ve felt this pull too. It’s not just the closest hill station that’s on the radar of the Indian traveller anymore. The desire to explore has fuelled the search for less frequented trails. Destinations that are “offbeat” have grown in popularity with each passing year, with more people willing to expand their travel horizons than ever before.
But at what point did this urge to head off for the mountains become so irrepressible that it became a trend? Or is it all an old romance given the twist of modern love? Anil Nair, news editor of The
Outdoor Journal, a publication which specialises in stories related to the outdoors, thinks this ‘trend’ has been there since the ’70s. “But such travel choices were limited to single-minded adventure seekers or travellers... there was no collective ‘movement’ as such,” he says, and adds, “Now with the Internet and blogs, people are able to pen down their experiences. That has contributed to this wave of new-age explorers.” When asked what draws him personally to the mountains, Nair promptly says, “Solitude and pure air... and no traffic jams!”
For Sankara Subramanian, a popular travel blogger ( Be On The Road),  it’s the sheer size of the mountains and their all-encompassing vastness that attracts him. “It’s so humbling. Also, there are so many stories in and of the mountains, the people are so warm, always welcoming.” He says it’s always advisable to travel with a partner, especially if you’re driving or motorcycling to far-flung places. “I avoid travelling in large groups though. I like to meet new people, make new memories, and just be with the solitude of the mountains.”
This affair with the hills can sometimes be so torrid that many contemplate leaving their jobs, just to be able to travel. But that’s obviously not practical. Dheeraj Sharma, founder of the widely popular online travel community Devil On Wheels, says he routinely gets a lot of queries from people who just want to quit and travel. “I always say that you should take a sabbatical instead. I have been travelling for close to five years and I’ve managed to do it without quitting my job. You just need to learn how to plan your leaves five or six months in advance.”
One facet of travelling into lesser-known destinations is the effect it can have on the immediate ecosystem. Mathew Kurien, art director at The Outdoor Journal, says that one must understand the dos and don’ts while travelling and most importantly, not pollute the environment. “First-time campers should keep sanitation issues in mind. We’re doing a series, on how to poop responsibly while camping – you can just dig a six-inch cathole about 200m from a river while answering nature’s call. The point is to be responsible for the environment while travelling.”
Another often overlooked aspect, when it comes to travelling to offbeat places, is – a bit ironically perhaps – how a zealously guarded remote place becomes victim to mainstream tourism. Photographer Abhishek Bali says, “As an ardent traveller, I do feel that some places should be left as they are in their natural pristine state, that they should not be commercialised. But it is our habit as human beings to travel to all corners of the earth, to explore, to discover.”
And perhaps it is this inherent, basic instinct that’s driving more and more people to seek out destinations that were earlier just a mere blip on the tourist radar, to explore beyond the obvious, to not just see but also experience, feel and remember.

MEESAPULIMALA
WHERE: Idduki district, Kerala HOW TO GO: Accessible from Munnar, which is about 10 hours by bus from Bengaluru
WHEN TO GO: All year round
Okay, facts first: Meesapulimala is the second highest peak in south India. Now chew on this: At 2,640 metres (8,661 feet), it is the second highest point in India, after the Himalaya-Karakoram mountain range. You need to be willing to walk, and have a penchant for adventure to visit it.
And now, the trip and the experience: five friends set out one November, to see what this ‘second highest peak in South India’ looks like. Back at that time, we had already scaled a couple of southern Indian peaks.
Fast forward to Munnar, a place popular with ‘vacation crowds’ that gather here to drink some ‘masala chai’ and feel the wind blow through their hair. Too crowded to handle, we escape the rush, jump into a rather big auto rickshaw, that takes us to the starting point of the trek, about 26km outside town. The base camp is a forest rest camp run by Kerala Tourism, with a few tents and a friendly cook, and our guide Muthu. Night rolls in, there’s much laughter, tales are traded, and slowly sleep comes over us.
Next morning, we are told we should be at the top within four hours. After walking for about an hour, through forest meadows and springs, we come to a small camping ground in the middle of the forest called “Rhodo Valley” – and yes, it has rhododendrons and pine trees. As we climb up, we go through wide, undulating meadows and grasslands strongly reminiscent of the Alpine meadows or ‘bugiyals’ of the Himalayas up north. As we slowly segue into the landscape, we seem to become inconsequential dots in this vast tapestry of wilderness.
Three hours we trek, up and down, through clouds, and chest-high grass, going up the Meesapulimala ridge, which rises steeply towards the peak. When we finally reach the top, the view reminds me of Ladakh’s vistas. Below, there’s Kerala on one side, and Tamil Nadu on the other.

MUNSIYARI
WHERE: Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand HOW: Taxi/Bus from Nainital or Almora
WHEN TO GO: March to June, ideally
You’ll find Munsiyari/Munsyari where the road ends towards the north-east of the Kumaon region in Uttarakhand, and the trail for some mighty treks across glaciers begins. It’s a two-day drive from Delhi, and the route takes you through Moradabad, Rampur, Haldwani, Bhimtal, Almora, Kausani and Chaukori. One can either take a night halt at Kausani or Chaukori. From Kausani, you get a clear view of majestic peaks such as Trishul, Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot and Panchchuli. No wonder, Mahatma Gandhi described it as the “Switzerland of India!”
Once you reach Munsiyari, the Panchchuli peaks stand tall in front of you. They are grand and imposing. They grow on you. The best part of my trip was sitting and enjoying the beauty of Panchchuli during daybreak when the sun rises behind the soaring peaks, and also during sunset when they are bathed in a soft warm red glow.
There is a lot to do and see around Munsiyari for both the adventure enthusiast and someone who is just looking for a bit of peace and tranquility. If one doesn’t want to do a strenuous trek like the Milam glacier trek, the Khuliya Top hike is a good option in the region which goes through pine forests and offers a panoramic view of the Panchchuli peaks.
You can also visit Madkote village and have a bath at the hot springs which leave a pleasant, if slightly greasy aftereffect – it’s been known to cure skin diseases. And yes, a short hike to the Birthi waterfall nearby to feel the mist on your face is an experience not to be missed!

NAUKUCHIATAL
26km from Nainital, Uttarakhand
This small hill station between Bhimtal and Nainital has a picturesque lake with nine corners (hence, the name). Naukuchiatal has a couple of sprawling resorts with luxurious cottages overlooking the lake that offer a perfect relaxing atmosphere to beat the heat. Spend an afternoon by taking a leisurely boat ride on the lake or drive to the other lake destinations around, like Nainital and Sattal.

NARKANDA
60km from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Love the queen of hill stations but want to escape the mad rush of tourists that Shimla attracts every summer? Narkanda will let you do exactly that. Offering spectacular views of snow-capped mountains, dense forests and apple orchards, this little town that turns into a ski resort in the winter is perfect for a quick summer retreat. You can hike up to Hatu peak or even drive down to
Shimla for a lazy stroll along the Mall Road.

LANDOUR
35km from Dehradun, Uttarakhand
A quiet little cantonment town nestled in the lap of dense deodar forests, Landour is a Raj-era hill station and is the twin town to Mussoorie. It is home to Ruskin Bond, and is also known for its homemade cheeses and wood-fire pizzas.

RAIGAD

WHERE: Approximately 150 km from Mumbai HOW: Accessible by road from Panvel, Karjat and Pune (130 km approx); lies off the Mumbai–Pune Expressway

PRASHAR LAKE
 WHERE: North of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh HOW: Take a bus from Mandi, but check timings before you leave. Taxis can also be hired

PRATAPGAD
24km from Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra
In the monsoons, this fort wears a very menacing but come-explore-or-get-lost-in-me look, as the dark clouds and fog hang over it. Built by Shivaji in 1656, who defeated Afzal Khan, the commander of the Bijapur Sultanate, here, the fort is perched 1,080 metres above sea level on a hill and is flanked by steep drops. It also has breathtaking views of the Konkan Coast. The history lover can dwell over the fact that they say Afzal Khan’s head is buried under the road that approaches the fort. For the nature lover, there are beautiful ponds to stare into and long, dark paths full of greenery to amble along.

RAJMACHI
15km from Lonavala, Maharashtra
You can get to Rajmachi fort (built in 1657) through two treks – the hard one includes a climb of 2,000 feet from Kondivade, near Karjat, and the simple way is to just walk 15km from Lonavala. But both lead to magnificent views that accompany the two citadels (Shrivardhan and Manaranjan) that overlook waterfalls and the lush green forests of the Sahyadri mountains. The ramparts of the fort are ideal for discussing life as you take in the view of the Bor Ghat, which was once a trade route between Mumbai and Pune. It’s got religious flavour too. You can either check out the temple of Kal Bhairava, the local deity, or the Buddhist caves, dated around 200 BC.

MALSHEJ GHAT
About 130km from Pune, Maharashtra
A mountain pass, part of the Western Ghats, Malshej Ghat has a stunning range of flora and fauna. A great spot for birders as a host of Siberian migratory birds fly in between July and September. If you’re lucky you can even witness the dance of flamingoes! For the more enterprising, Shivneri Fort (the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji) is not very far off from here.
  • by Asad Ali and Satarupa Paul  HTBR14JUN15


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