YHI-UDUPI TREK TO KUDUMURY WATERFALL, NEAR BYNDOOR ON 17th Nov. 2013

Brief Introduction of “KUDUMURY” Waterfall

Near Byndoor ( Udupi District)

The total distance from Udupi to Chadth-Kal (the nearest village to Kudumury Waterfall)  and back to Udupi was approximately 170 Km. The route what we took to reach Chadthkal was from Udupi / Kallianpur / Brahmavar / Uppoor / Pandeshwara / Saligram / Kota / Kumbashi / Koteshwar / Kundapura / Uppina Kudru / Trasi / Marvanthe /Padukone /  Bijoor / Byandur / Chadth-Kal.

At the end of Byndoor town itself, on the right hand side of the national highway (NH-17), is a newly constructed government bus stand of Byndoor. At this very junction we had to take the very first right turn, to go to Chadth-Kal. It’s a small village road, which once upon a time may have been a tar road, but now 14 Km from the main highway (NH-17) to village Chadthkal, is a narrow, worn out, muddy and uneven gravel road.

The distance from the house of Joseph (a rubber estate worker) to the Kudumury waterfall must have been round about 3 ½ Km to 4 Km. But it took us nearly 2 hours and 45 minutes to reach the bottom of the waterfall. As per goggle, the height of the waterfall is 475 feet, but to our naked eyes it looked more higher than that. Anyway it is a glorious, gigantic, majestic, magnificent and the most splendid waterfall. It’s a marvelous feast to eyes, to see the white water gushingly, cascading straight right from top to bottom, almost at nearly 90 degrees.

Now here comes the real melodrama

During this trek, those YHI-Udupi’s hard core trekking veterans, because of some reason or the other, who couldn’t make it this time, I, on behalf of YHI  want to say that we missed you all. But then at the same time we thank all those YHI members who participated in this “Kudumury waterfall’s trek”. The YHI members who participated in this trek are ;---

(In case if I have missed any one’s name or spelled wrong spellings of any name, I am sorry, it’s unintentional)

From Bangalore :-- Arvind, who had reached Udupi in the morning by Bus from Bangalore, and went back to Bangalore the same evening. We highly appreciate his enthusiasm and his love for trekking, because he had travelled up & down, just to trek to “Kudumury waterfall”.

From Mangalore :-- Subhash Pai / Shobha Pai / Ramesh Kamath / Sudhir  Prabhakar / Damodhar / Dayanand

From Udupi ;-- Raganna / Guru dutt / Jaghdish / Vivek Kinni and his son Vishal Kinni / Umanath / Pranav / Subhash Nayak / Ganesh Prabhu / Vasanth / Prabha Kiran / Premanand Kalmadi / Rohit Shetty / Sukesh / Dhan Raj /Nagendra Nayak / Ashok Parimoo

On 17^th Nov. 2013, as Scheduled, I reached “Mythri complex” sharp at 6:45 Am. Other than me, Premanand Kalmadi, Subash Pai and his wife Shobha were already there. Within another 15 to 20 minutes there came rest of the YHI members. Among all of us, only Raganna (since he was the coordinator, I can understand his anxiety) was under stress and tension and was busy going round and round like a crazy “top”. His problem was that because of the communication gap and the improper feedback, he had booked only one traveler van, which could accommodate only 20 members. But as of now since the number had gone up to 25.  Raganna was stressfully worried that at the last minute how to accommodate the exceeded members of the members. To Raggana’s relief, Shubash Pai suggested that he would accommodate in his car, 5 members including his wife and himself and would follow us behind our van. So there comes a big relief and big smile on the face of stressful Raganna. All the way from Mangalore Shubash Pai along with his wife had driven down by their car.

Thanks to Rajesh Nayak, who had come to Maythri complex, just to see us off and he wished us all, the best wishes for our safe trekking. 

Sharp at 7:30, we left Udupi bus stand and as per Raganna’s plan, for breakfast, we stopped at “Parijatha Restaurant” at Kundapura. And then from there after finishing the breakfast, we proceed to our final destination, a village called as “CHADTH-KAL”

At “Parijatha Restaurant” because of the acute labor shortage, it was only a self-service counter which was functioning. Imagine the plight of the customers, crowding at that “2 by 4” feet small window type of serving counter, where we 25 YHI members plus the regular early morning customers plus the customers who had come to take away the carry home parcels. The service window counter got jam packed with almost every one trying to push and shove their heads through that small window counter, to collect their order. Seeing so many shaking heads, so many order coupons waving  hands and so many shouting for their orders, that the few serving guys inside the counter got through confused, and in the  chaos and confusion, few times the serving guys gave wrong breakfast items to  the wrong customer. Anyway it was just a chaos. Because of the confusion, we got delayed. We took nearly 45 minutes to finish our breakfast. Whatever said and done, the breakfast was good, especially the Vadas were very crisp, pooris were fluffy and hot samber was tasty and their coffee was hot,  aromatic and delicious. In the bargain, though delayed, but it was worth have delicious and refreshing breakfast.

Right from Udupi itself, in the running van, nonstop suppose to be, “Devotional Subhprabhatha  Bhajans” were blaring out from the ill-matched and  badly worn out speakers, which sounded more a cacophony than a soothing devotional bhajans. And on top of that almost everyone in the van was fully excited and busy narrating their heroic trekking escapades of their past trekking.  The scene was something like of those army personals, who  full time are busy, narrating  the most bravery experience sequences of war zone . The best part is that those who really fought the war on the front line, most of them either died or the ones who survived, this front line brutal enemy assault,  survived either with their limbs blown up by land mines or the tanks-shells finally got stuck, lifelong on the wheel chairs. The living handicapped army personals never ever “YAP” too much about their war experiences and their grief filled silence speaks the volumes of the war miseries. But those army personals who have not factually fought at the front line of the war zone, are the ones who whenever get a chance, they Yap and Yap and rattle endlessly too much of their imaginary heroic glorious deeds of their imaginary involvement in the war.

Same was the case of our some of the YHI- new-enthusiast, those who were busy narrating with full actions and josh, how on their previous treks, they managed the impossible to make it possible and where as the actual hard core trekking veterans just sat quite with a amusing comical smile and quietly listening to the imaginary glories of the new YHi-recruits.

By the time we finished our breakfast at “Parijatha Restaurant”, it was 8:40 AM and then by the time we started our trek from Chadth-Kal, it was 10:30 AM.

At Byndoor junction, once we entered the village road, it was ok. But may be after 2 KM the road to Chadthkal village got rougher, tougher and narrower. On either side of this narrow road, there are endless rubber plantations, small huts and about more than half a dozen newly constructed churches. These rubber plantations are mostly owned by Mallyallies. And we were told that the owners of these small pieces of land, after selling their piece of land to these rubber estate owners. Whatever money they got from the proceeds of selling the land, they happily wasted the money by merry making and endless country liquor drinking. And are now working as  laborers in the same land, that once they had owned.

To reach to the correct destination, at quite number of junctions, we had to enquire from the enroute villagers for the correct route to reach Chadthkal. Once we reached Chadthkal, Mr. Joseph (one of the rubber estate workers) was waiting for us. Over the phone Joseph had promised Raganna that he would even skip the Sunday church prayer just to accompany and guide us the correct way right up to the waterfall.

The way the ground reality looked, during the beginning of this season, our group must have been the very first trekkers group, those who were venturing to this Kudumury waterfall. Because the constricted narrow path was not accessible at all and was full of thorny shrubs, bushes and other wild spread branches of wild jungle foliage, those were hindering our passage to reach the waterfall. The distance from the house of Joseph to the waterfall must have been round about 3 ½ KM to 4 Km. But it took us nearly 2 hours and 45 minutes to reach the bottom of the waterfall.  

Anyway we blindly followed our guide Mr. Joseph, who with his chopper was busy chopping off the thorny bushes and the hindering branches, to make way for us. The scene of the whole scenario was amazing, because the Joseph was climbing the mountainous path with  such an ease, that he walked effortlessly like a mountain goat and all of us YHI enthusiasts running after him like a herd of small unsteady bleating lambs, who climb mountains with tottering gate and small swaying unsteady steps. We regularly requested Joseph to go slow, so that all of us could keep a steady pace with him, without getting lost in the dense forest.

Mind you the going was getting tough, tougher and toughest. I suddenly stated humming few lines of an English song which say, “WHEN GOING GOES TOUGH, TOUGH KEEP GOING” And that made me push my “WILL-POWER” to make sure that come what may, I keep going.

After nonstop walking nearly for two hours, finally we sat on a huge flat rock and rested, till every one came. To reach to this landmark rock, we had to cross the gushing fresh water stream three times. First we crossed the stream from left to right, then after walking for some distance we once again had to cross the stream by climbing the huge slippery rocks. Then once again after some distance we again had to cross the river over the bigger and bigger slippery rocks.

It was not the journey of the forest that made us feel exhausted, tired and fatigued. But it was those huge boulders and rocks of the forcefully flowing river water, which we had to climb up and then come downs repeatedly and endlessly. Moving across these rocks with the unsteady wobbling , wet slippery feet, cause a stressful scare that in case any if one of us falls from any of these huge rocks, may break, either his head, or his arms or his legs. So this was one of the main scare that caused us stressful fatigue to our mind and body, because it was not only the physical fatigue, but it was practically mental fatigue also. So to cross the big rocks of the river, whatever steps under our wobbly, shivering, weak and unsteady feet we took, we made sure that the next step of the foot is firmly gripped. Mind you it was a very stressful event, of balancing act of coordinating the body and the mind actions.

Generally, in usual rock climbing sports, they make you climb the straight cliff of a rock, with the dangling ropes, metal gripped hooks, belts and saddle straps, so that even if you slip and fall, still you are safe and unhurt.

Whereas for all of us here comes the last stretch of the most toughest rock climbing event. This portion of the endless big boulders of  round shaped rocks, which had no protruding or rugged edges for the hand grip, and were as smooth as any freshly clean shaven human head. While climbing on one of those rocks, I fell with a force, flat straight on my all fours. My both the knees and both the elbows got bruised and started bleeding; my legs started shivering with weakness, my painful aching knees felt like soft jelly. It was such a nasty fall, that during the day itself, I could see stars, comets, planets’ and even the milky-way galaxies, right in front of me eyes. Since I am prone to accidents and have already survived the multiple fractures, so I got scared that this fall of mine may have broken some bone or the other of my body.

Just to avoid to make fool out of me, and to come out of the shock, I just sat down quietly for couple of minutes, till I regained my strength to move ahead. Before getting up, I flexed my body limbs and thanked God that this time none of my bones was fractured.

2nd time I once again slipped from a rock, but this time luckily Kamathmaam, Damodar, and Subhash helped me by giving a helping hand.

The last few feet nearing the bottom of the waterfall  was the worst climb. Not because of tough rock climbing, but because of, almost all the surrounding boulders all around here, were coated with a thick layers of green moos, that was caused by the continuous and nonstop showers of water vapors that continuously get spray on those surrounding rocks.

So, because of the thick coated green moos, it caused the whole place so slippery like oily, greasy and slimy, where we could hardly have had any grip for either hands or of feet. Even our dog could climb this mossy last stretch of the rocks. He started whining like a small pleading puppy to help him move around. Though he was a grown up dog, but he got so scared, may be he would have thought that he may slip and fall from the cliff and die. He started look at us haplessly pleading, wimping like a helpless small puppy.

At last we reached at the feet of the waterfall in three batches.

 First batch:-- along with Joseph those who reached the top, are Shobha Pai, Pranav, Ganesh, Vasant and Dhanraj.

Third Batch was Guru, Jagdish and  Umanath

And rest all of us reached in second batch.

As soon as Joseph reached our first batch, to the top, (near the waterfall), he immediately ran back saying that since no one was at his home, he had to go back to tend his cattle. Because he had to milk the cows and it couldn't be postponed. Imagine our frightful plight, how to go back without any guide.

WITHOUT JOSEPH, WE BECAME A RUDDERLESS AND NAVIGATOR-LESS DESERTED SHIP.

The forceful constant and regular breeze of the mountain winds, continuously sprayed the cold dense water vapors, right from head to toes that enveloped our whole body. The feelings of getting drenched, wrapped and entrapped in to the cold  shivering, chilled water vapors,  was amazingly so blissful, full of ecstasy, enjoyment, happiness, amusing and delightful. Though almost everyone was shivering with cold water spray, but still no one wanted to move away from that blissful cold water splashing with force against our bodies. Mind you the whole effect, of the surrounding scenery, the fresh and lush greenery of the thick forest and effect of cascading waterfall, made us feels if all of us were sailing on cloud-9. The blissful feelings were amazingly, amazing.

However hard I may tray, still I don’t have any proper appropriate words in my vocabulary to explain the blissful feelings of those moments what we actually experienced, while standing under the cascading waterfall. No words can ever explain the beauty of these feelings of this Cloud-9.

At the top, after staying nearly for one hour, and the time was running out, we started moving downwards and once again settled ourselves of the same landmark flat rock, where we had sat and taken rest, while climbing up also. Here while relaxing on that flat rock, all of us had our respective “inorganic lunch” as well as we even shared each other’s lunch also.

Since Adiga Sir and family were not there, that’s why this time no “Organic Lunch” Anyway Adiga sir and family, we missed your presence and modest hospitality.

Right from Joseph house, one of his pet dogs while wagging his tail, kept on faithfully following us. While climbing up towards the waterfall, Joseph kept on praising his dog by telling tall stories that his dog is a very trustworthy and very dependable “guide-dog”. So, anyone can depend on him, for his trustworthy guiding instincts.

Since recently, I had read in a News paper that one of the dogs named as “Rupee” is the one who climbed up to the base camp of the Mount Everest. Since our dog also climber with us up to the waterfall, I thought he deserve to be called at least (1/4^th of a “Rupee)

So, since Joseph had disappointingly deserted us, we had at least a small consolation that come what may while coming back down, our (1/4^th of a “Rupee) will definitely guide us safely back to his owner’s hose. Now all of us were solely dependent on this supposed an excellent Guide-dog (1/4^th of a “Rupee). But to our shocking surprise, (1/4^th of a “Rupee) was good for nothing. Whenever he leaded us back, he took us to wrong directions, on the wrong trails and made us loose our tracks couple of times.  If we had blindly followed his instincts, we would have never reached to Joseph’s house. At certain junctures, (1/4^th of a “Rupee) would look at us with innocent pleading drooping eyes to show him the way how to go back. At the end we realized that (1/4^th of a “Rupee) was more dependent on us rather than we depending on him.

 Then we realized that the directions (1/4^th of a “Rupee) was leading us, would have been going to his girlfriend’s house, and that may have been on the other side of the mountain. Imagine our disastrous plight, if we had blindly followed (1/4^th of a “Rupee), we would have crossed over the mountain top and reached somewhere near Jog falls.

Finally out of desperation we decided that come what may, better we use our own instincts and proceed.

Right at 3 PM we started moving down and reached back to Joseph’s hose by 5:30 PM. But somehow our escort team managed to reach us safe up to Joseph’s house where our vehicles were parked.

Now comes the final summery

Since Mangalore members had their own car, so they left immediately as soon as they reaches Joseph’s house. Then rest of us, after settling all the financial accounts chores, started back at 6 PM. If I am not mistaken, Joseph refused to accept any money as a guide fee?

In the nutshell, by the time we reached back to Joseph house, almost all of us were dead tiered, exhausted, our knees ligaments either torn or worn out, felt like jelly. Our weak feet couldn't carry our body weight. Every tendon and every muscle of our body was mass of excruciating pain, fatigue, weakness, wobbly legs and painful lower Back ache. Mind you, even to carry our heard on on shoulder became an unbearable effort

 It was more like something as if our bodies were put in to the “Atta Grinding Chakki” where our bodies got grounded, mashed, trampled and at the end pulverized. Even the Contour of every ones body and the face had changed.

While driving back, though outside on the road there was lot of noise of honking, speeding vehicles, but inside our van, there was pin drop of silence. The only noise that we could hear was our own, hard, laborious and effortful gasping and breathing.

IN the evening when we were returning, we had to pass through the crowded traffic jam, because on the way at Koteshwara, there was yearly festival called as “Guddi Habba” going on. The whole area was decorated with colourful, banners, buntings, hoardings and the sequence of flickering and running electric lights. There were all sorts of giant wheels, giant swings, for small children. Merry go round wheels with attaches wooden horses, wooden elephants, and wooden airplane were going round, round and round. Ear-drum shattering, piercing and blaring distorted music was playing at full 2000 watts power. Men, women, children and the rest of the crowd were fully overdressed in their best of the clothes to suits the eyes and draw the attentions of their admirers. In normal situation, seeing the crowded festival celebrations, we would have passed some funny comments. But today we had no energy to pass any comments. All of us just quietly stared out of the window of our van, at the whole arraignments, with the fatigued, tired and exhausted eyes.

In the morning everyone was in full spirits and enthusiasm of cracking jokes, telling funny stories, funny incidents and practically everyone was laughing loud and enjoying. But in the evening, even our tongues couldn't move, even to say a simple hello. Even Kamathmaam, was as quite as an exhausted kitten.

 There are people who cracks jokes on others and then laugh, but same time if any one creak a joke on them, they get seriously offended. But there are exceptionally very few people like Kamathmaam, who crack jokes on themselves also and then make every one laugh. This is the greatest assets and the beauty of Kamathmaam’s joke telling art. Kamathmaam, please keep this humor alive and mind you, no trek will be humorous without your jokes. Your company is an asset to all of us. Thank you, Kamathmaam.

At the end, at Udupi bus stand, when I got down from our van, literally I had to drag the lower portion of my body, just like that of a dog, whose rear portion of  the body gets run over by a fast moving vehicle. He doesn't die immediately, but with excruciating pain, still struggles hard with his all the effort to drag his dangling hind legs.  

Everybody whatever their age may be and whether they agree or not, was exhausted beyond wild imaginations.

I am very sure that at previous night itself or early in the morning, everyone would have packed his carry bags , just like a “Big-Hamper” . But in the evening we got so exhausted that it turned out to be a “Big-Damper” 

Anyway whatever said and done, this Kurumudy waterfall trek is going to be the most memorable one and it was an experience of its own kind itself.

Since this time I could not click pictures, so on this blog, I have pasted pictures courtesy  Subhash Nayak, Guru, Ganesh Prabhu, Rohith shetty and others.