Four trekking aspirants meet up to enthusiastically climb the deterministic altitude with little awareness of the terrain in the offing at 15:45 in Thiruvannamalai, with a quick purchase of essentials an auto was bargained for 350 bucks for a clear way to Kadalagdi, the choosen difficuty level two of three known routes this route demands a 3 hour trek. Loaded with enough water for the summer evening is quite heavy, as we are transported to ashrams foot hill we counted time to tick 4:50pm - a lag of 50 mins against planned schedule, with three souls on bare foot and the other on trek shoe, along on the flat solid ground the view of the mountain was clear in sight - our spirirt stands high as that mountain stands High.
Our chase was active and gaining momentum, as the elevation began - we started to breath in sound and hearts started to knock, our strong men are making way high and gaining views of the vast plains estimating the distances covered in percentages, with diminishing light - the pace detoriated then quickly charging up with Liquidated glucose, killing baggage
weight by consuming some of the eatables from the heaviest baggage, and lime diluted in water are some of the attempts to pick up the lost momentum, with some significantly longer breaks four spirits made out of the valley where we began, as twilight diminshed to its least and plains lighted up like stars around - now the terrain chase was managenable and comfortable, reached a junction point of the easy route and where our route meet. a shop installed at the junction offerrs some herbal soup (meant to aid the knees) it was good, we took a short break - it was dark now and time to test our lighting equipment we
are four we have three in hand - we lighted up all as the route seemed invincible in dark, changed to comfortable clothing, lighted up my booster and made quick progress to the point where ironed staircase are installed, they are inclined almost 80-85 degress from horizon, they seems hard drilled into rock, the concern is am lone and if bag clutches with any of the sporadic iron rods I would surely end up in panic, so took the care of assessing my bag as I maneuver along the stairs, though it did not seems very difficult but the inherent risk was infact high.this was barely 8-12 mins with not many halts reached out for the plain like walkway, soon an uncarved rock is the path to take with guided drilled iron supported rods, all way of path painted in white probably to avoid misleading at night and sooth out intense buring heat at day, ahead there was a kind of pin turn, and tall rock like wall at right and deep valley on left guarded with necessary rails at floor for grip and deep valley side too, with
many steps uphill a narrow passage between the huge boulder rocks. and little more rock climbing takes to the summit of parvathamalai.
Turn towards left the ashramam and straight path leads to the Shivan temple, the facility was sufficient for night stay (provided there is no crowd), we experienced and short drizzle of rain enough to get completely wet, had our food in ashramam, and filled the rest with eatables carried all way up, it was a day next the full Moon in deed it was cusp and the lovely remained illuminated
98%, some of us slept outside ashramam, a lovely scenry of the plains and great silver light shinning in full and the clouds epleted with time, huge gusts of wind overthrowing our blankets suddenly, people arent steady they comeby take a short nap and proceed back downhill in dark, ideally 1-2 days before and including full moon would be a great choice to trek, whoever prefers to night trek this marvellous Hill.
It was early hours the twilight taking up skies to rule our day down hill trek, at 5:45 we began... it was comfortable and very breezy soaked our throats with coconut waters, in no time reached below iron stairs, we made time to capture some pictures, there begins the slow motion agenda - fragile human bodies fighting way down pain, then a great idea tickles down in the mind of a most noble person, with great lady executer in no time prepares a shoe and supportive stick we expressed our gratitude for our rescuer, and proceeded slowly down hill in 2 groups had a kind of hill breakfast, it was now 10:00 an overshoot in time, the ground was hot and burning the bare foot, it was tough time manageing the heat we all four pillars of this trek met at 2:00pm, on sunday in a real sunny day, In our completely retarded state - we made some fruitful negotiations to make a move our way to bustand. it was long but we made it by 12:35pm, alighted our bus to Thiruvannamali with all gossip, had satisfactory lunch and dispersed in two groups directed towards Chennai and the other towards Villupuram.
Heat of the summer sun subsided as rains chase our bus, to a great surprise Chengalpattu was flooded in rain, with drains
overflowing the streets, refilling the demanding stomach at Tiruporur reached home at 9:00pm, with a bath went flat on bed.
If I have a chance - love to take up a diffcult route to scale this peak again.... this Trek is all fun...