On cloud number Nine - Skandagiri

I often think and think a lot sometimes, so much so that I get bored of the process of thinking and that is when I realize that laziness has it's limits. Hence now and then I decide do something adventurous to challenge my lazy mindset and push my useless body to it's limits.

The challenge was - Skandagiri, a beautiful hill about 60 kms from Bangalore near Mudenahalli (Birth place of Sir M. Vishvesharayya). Five of us crazy people started the adventure on our bikes at around 11 pm on Saturday night. With only enthusiasm and no planning the trips turn out to be adventurous anyways, so we didn't worry about the fun part. Since the planning part was missing we took two detours (lost our way) and reached the base of hill around 2 am.

We hired a guide, which was some good planning we did before we started the climb. With moonlit night the climb would have been romantic only if my friends magically transformed into the opposite gender somehow. But that was never going to happen and I decided to start the trek rather than regretting my bad luck.

It was fun initially for about 15 mins we were sailing smoothly with only some small stones, bushes as roadblocks which were too insignificant for us. Then once the actual climb started I realized how irresponsible I have been towards my health, carrying 90 kg's onto a hill top is no easy task. Somehow the enthusiasm took me to a level where I could recover from the punishment I was put through. But the test of physical and mental toughness was about to start since I had hardly covered 5% of the entire distance (It was like that scene from Kung Fu Panda where Po has to reach the Jade palace but is tired after just 3 steps).

Now gathering all the inner strength and peace I started again with only one friend beside me, rest of them ditched us for some girls who were ahead of us. Step by step the climb became more and more challenging but I couldn't give up. I had told so many people about the trek that I would have to run like an Ostrich if I hadn't accomplished the climb. So to save my face from embarrassment and to follow my "Never Give Up" principle I had to continue. About mid way after taking 5 pit-stops we were suddenly on - No mans land. One side there was a risky slope with wet grass on it and on the other side a huge rock which was waiting for a chance to go down. Clueless about our next step we decided to listen to some rock music (Stairway to heaven) on our phones, we thought someone should care about us and will come back to rescue us. After taking a forced pit-stop for about 10 mins the guide came searching for us and we continued under his expert guidance.

The weather started changing as we approached the pinnacle, we were sweating like pigs for first half of the climb and shivering like a malaria patient for the second half. Finally after about 5,003,343 steps and 3.5 hrs later we reached the top. And the rest was just an experience of lifetime which cannot be put into words. We might not have scaled the Everest but we sure felt some exhilaration of having achieved something at least in our aimless lives.

The wind resisted each of our steps on the top and we marched on against it, the temperature must be around 15 deg Celsius probably or I felt so. The moon seemed like a jump away when we stood on the edge, all we could do was stand spell bound and admire the beauty of Mother Nature. She in her grandeur is so humble and giving but we treat her like we own her! The place in itself is beautiful and out of the world but we have only made it ugly by using it as a place to booze and smoke. I was disturbed by too much human noise above so I found a calm place on the edge of a cliff and sat down there to feel the wind and stare at the moon, I did this for 2 hrs and around 5.30 am the color of sky turned from black to blue. We knew the sun had arrived and with it the end of our adventure...

I might not be able to explain the exact feeling of being there but this poem does it beautifully,

Beautiful Earth (what a marvelous thing) - Kathye D. Perry

What a wonderful joy it is to see,
The beauty of nature and its majesty.

Everything blends, entwines and embraces,
Spaced precisely in their designated places.

What a marvel to see, I wish I were a bee,
Flying free,
Smelling life's roses, no particular place to be.

How can it be, such a marvel to see
When it’s possessed by such as you and me?

Ours to have, cherish, and protect,
Not to pollute, take for granted, nor neglect.

Enjoy the earth, treat it kind
After all it is ours, yes... yours and mine.

- Dev