Nagala - The most generous host

If you don't lose and gain something, you've not lived the day even of an idle rock sitting at the bottom of a lake quietly gaining moss.

Only when you step outside your comfort zone will these changes be noticed.

A trek is where,

• you lose your fear to step outside your comfort zone
• you lose the mindset that your body could only take so much of pain
• you lose faith in the popular propaganda that your bed is only comfy zone
• you lose your shyness towards new people
• you lose your timidity towards unknown routes where you can't find 'auto-drivers' to guide you
• you lose your favourite track-pants and, um! also your dirty socks.

A trek is where,

• your body surprises you by staying strong even after being torn by the guiltless wild thorns
• you won't stop even when your knees scream in pain and heels are as squishy as bread
• you don't know why you chose to wander in the wild while you could have finished another season of 'Sherlock'
• you're one with your self and nature and roam around without worrying about how soiled your dress has got
• you don't have to pretend to be happy but really be at ease with your own personality
• you keep running and climbing for two days with a couple of apples and bits and pieces of burfee that gets passed around (the owner gets the first piece and the empty cover)
• and as a bonus, you earn your medals of valour marked by your own pure blood (not you, muggle-born!) and ruptured skin.

Attempting to enter the jungle through one route or the other, we've tried about five entrances where we climbed a bit and climbed down to climb a different way only to get down again and Peter pretended to not know the one entrance he'd have already decided. I believe(d) he was only getting the first-timers warmed up.

And then the trek began officially with a slow and steady climb for a pretty view of the lake, dam and fields.

In search of the waterfalls we started walking, well, not walking per se but a good mix of hopping, jumping, sliding, falling and crawling.

This time, we were shown mercy as we were led along the stream where we could stop anywhere any time to fill our biological pot and not carry much water in bottles adding more load to the shoulders.

Searching for the falls we ventured, to find exactly that. A small, steady waterfall that washed away all our sweat and stains.

Emptying a few packets of bread, pickles (bread with pickles, yes, seriously), apples, oranges, dates. We(Sundhar) don't bother washing them even if they fall on the ground but just pick 'em, lick 'em and snuck 'em into our hungry mouth.

Off we went again towards the campsite.

Following a champion(Arun) who was lost twice(and found his way even in the dark) on this very route on our previous treks, we went ahead of the group, a little sure that third time is a charm and so was it. We (16 out of 33) reached the campsite just a little late after the sun went down and darkness started to blanket the path ahead.

Reaching the 'Picnic pool' we settled down along the flat surfaces beside the stream listening quietly to the not-so-complex symphony of nature, the gentle swoooshing and mild lapping of water throughout the night.

With no source of fire, a group set to put to test all that 'Bear Grylls' taught. From using stones, rubbing wooden sticks, igniting the dry leaves with a spark from a torch battery (yes, after sacrificing a torch light) but to no avail.

While others who were not so optimistic chose to have a few fruits and lie down to rest, though secretly wishing somehow the others succeed and we get to have some hot maggi before calling it a day.

Lying down in the dark and witness the magical fireflies blinking a little closer and little farther is one good therapy to make you forget the hardships of the day.

And as it got darker, slowly they gathered overhead, the shiny little stars, going over their daily duty of forming the constellations. One cannot but swoon at the pretty sight.

We woke up to find, at last, the lighter has come and we could get to cook our food before the rest of the team arrive, with whom we were not ready to share our Maggi then, as they'd have had (and only they did have) their portion the previous night.

Finishing off the 'Knor-soupy-top-ramen-Maggi-noodles' and having a few dips in the magic pool to unwind ourselves, we started off again to find our way out.

Failing to realize that Peter is noticing, we went up and down all smiling and still walking briskly because of the energy regained over the night.

Saying, "Everyone is still smiling? Well, CTC's reputation is at stake now!", he decided to show us what a 'MODERATE' trek really could and should be.

Down we started to climb. Only that, there wasn't aan actual trial here and we hear only Peter's voice from below, urging us to proceed down the same route.

More punctures and scratches whenever we fail to duck while crossing thorn climbers.

After an hour of halting and donating a drops after drops of blood to the thirsty thorns we reached the stream when he suggested (luckily, not seriously) if we would like to do one more trip up and down the same route.

Following the dry stream we found the water point where filled our bottles, had lunch and onwards we went.

Reaching the final waterfall we(mostly non-swimmers) formed a human chain to pass our bags to the other end of the hip-level-pool and the swimmers did their last dives before bidding a good bye to the most generous host, the NAGALA.