Kumara Parvatha

The Kumara Parvatha

I am off to a team building off-site event. The venue is not some exotic resort with an overload of booze, but an expedition to scale the imposing Kumara Parvatha. At 1712 meters(5617 feet), the Pushpagiri or Kumara Parvatha is the highest peak in the Pushpagiri Wildlife sanctuary and the sixth highest peak in Karnataka. No big deal, you may think, for a group of people who are in good shape (What, round is a shape, isn't it?).

The Elevation

The size of our group starts at a healthy 35 but only 16 make it in the end. We set off on a Wednesday night in a rattly bus.We hit Mysore road and the bone jarring road humps make sure that we are all wide awake throughout the journey. A sudden swerve and the bus shudders to a halt. We have a flat. Out comes the jack and there is a flurry of activity to get the spare tire installed. I saunter over and peek under the bus to find that the situation here is not very different from the corporate world: there is an underage looking 'cleaner' who is doing all the heavy lifting while six others are shining flashlights at him and telling him what to do. I glance around and see another group discussing the right procedures for dealing with a flat and the change in strategy to make up for the time lost. In the end, the only thing that matters is how quickly the youngster can get the job done.

We reach Kukke at the crack of dawn. It is a small but tough looking town. The air is fresh and the streets are clean. A quick washroom break, a stop for breakfast and we are off. The trail head is about a kilometer away, down a winding country road. The trailhead itself is not much to look at, just a gap in the fence and a sign which points the way. The trail winds through a green forest. It is pleasant enough at first and almost seems like a walk in the park. This illusion is short-lived, however, as the path begins to slope upwards. Soon we are climbing constantly. The sweaters and jackets that kept us warm at night are soon tied around our waists. A few of us had envisaged two days of rest and relaxation - these few quickly find that there is a very fine line between HILL and HELL (OK, maybe three fine lines).



Base camp is at the forest check post 6Km away and we make good time. A quick stop for lunch; we replenish our bottles with water from the spring and it tastes so sweet. We eat our colored rice straight out of the box and finish every last morsel. We are ready for the next stretch. The mountain looms ahead in the distance and some of us are apprehensive about taking it on. "After the first stretch, this will seem like a walk in the park", our Tom Cruise look-alike assures us. He has done it before and we believe him because we want to. This is the first of many lessons that we will learn: Never trust your manager to asses the quantum of work for you.

It starts off easy enough. The sun beats down on us and the trail starts sloping upwards. The views are breathtaking and this not the only thing that takes our breath away. We are gasping for air and the mantapa seems to get further away with every step. If my gym instructor had only told me what I was training for, I would have trained harder. We come to another spring and quickly refill our water. Another steep stretch and we are at the mantapa. There are chocolates and raisins to reenergize us.

We sit around chatting and enjoying the view. There is talk of Pune mangoes that are apparently sweeter than any other. We are even told that bread and water is the best tasting food ever. We are not sure we agree with any of this, but there is a large Gorkha dagger to back these statements, so we do not argue. After all, man does not live on bread alone, he also needs water and maybe a little additive to that water.

We plod on. A cloud takes pity on us and covers the sun. The coolness is a big relief. We think of giving up, but there is no place to go from here but up. We take it one step at a time and it dawns on me why we need clarity of purpose. A group of people with a clear goal can cover a lot of ground, even if they are taking one step at a time.

Our Tom Cruise tells us that contrary to popular belief, he was not chased by a bevy of damsels in his youth. We believe him - no self respecting girl would agree to his idea of a walk in the park! The terrain is relentless and I think of another childhood joke "You get a little boulder when you get behind the rock". The humor keeps our spirits up.

The last stretch is especially taxing. I am reminded of Robert Sweetgall who said "We live in a fast-paced society. Walking slows us down". The final rock face is scaled, and we are at the summit. It's time for a well earned rest before we start back. The sun deserts us and our head torches help keep us on track.

Base camp seems welcoming. It is serene and peaceful. We pitch our tents and have chappatis for dinner. Everyone is tired out and no one needs a sleep app to help them. It is a time for pranks and people get moved from tent to tent. Soon, snores reverberate from every side keeping us safe from any wild animals that may dare to venture close.

The morning sees us up early for a hearty breakfast of Maggie noodles. Food that otherwise is uninteresting seems sumptuous. We hike back down which really seems like a walk in the park after our shenanigans of yesterday. Anthakshari and dumb charades keep us busy on the bus ride back.

There is one thing that stands out. We may have been a motley crew, but every one of us who started out finished the course. No bookie would have offered any odds for this when we started. 

It has been an exhilarating climb but I am glad to be back home. I am tired but filled with a sense of accomplishment. I think I deserve an 18 year old and my wish is granted (For those with a dirty mind, let me clarify that it is an 18 year old Scotch). As I fall into a dreamless sleep, my only thought is that I am ready for my run the next morning. Bring it on!

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