I had planned that I should go for trekking with my School friends Nagaraj, Arun and Anand. Selecting the place was one of the tough decisions.

We had no experience of trekking. I had been for Kodachadri trekking only once and some small peaks. Initially I decided that we go to Kumara Parvatha, after hearing about the distance and difficult level I canceled it. Later the place which stuck to my mind was Tadiyandomol this is the peak in the coorg district. I gathered information from Internet and from friends about the place. I felt it is quite doable.

 Date : May 27^th , 2005.

 We decided to go to Tadiyandomol. Ticket was reserved for Virajpet in Rajahamsa KSRTC bus. Unfortunately we could only manage to get last bus (11:55PM) last four seats... All four of us met at Majestic Bus stand at 10:30PM. Anand, Arun were thinking of taking a lodge fresh up and then start the trek, hence they came with travel bags (not easy to carry) with more than required clothes. I had packed minimum clothes and some bread jam. Arun had packed some chapattis, roti and chutney for next day’s lunch, Nagaraj had bought a pot, 1Kg rice and some mangoes, he had an idea of cooking on the top. Total luggage was too much.

 Bus started from Bangalore as planed. Journey was quite tiring as our’s was the last seat and driver had a habit of protecting only the front wheel from humps. We reached Virajpet exactly at 6:35. I had collected the information that bus to Kakabbe will start at 6:45AM and next bus is at 8:00AM. We wanted to catch the 6:45AM bus. Walk to Civil (pvt.) bus stand from KSRTC bus stand is around 5min. We boarded Kakabbe bus (Anuradha Transport); it started exactly at 6:45AM. All was well till here. We took ticket to Arremane stop which is around 1hr journey from Virajpet. We sat near to the driver and asked him to remind of the stop once it comes. After exactly 1hr there was a stop where many people (looked like they were going for trekking) got down. I inquired driver is this the stop. He said yes. We got down. A jeep was waiting for the others they got in and went away. Later we came to know that they had booked a cottage so jeep had come to pick them. For us this was not the stop to be got down. We were supposed to get down one stop next. From here to Arremane stop was 5Kms, no jeeps were available. Problem started from here. This 5Kms walk was quite hard even though it was road it was quite steep uphill. Finally we reached the Arremane stop after walking for 45min (8:45AM) . We walked further more and found a roadside tap. We decided to brush our teeth here (9:05AM). Further walking we found a guest house (Kings Cottage). There we asked for room, for our bad luck nothing was available. Luckily we could get a cup of coffee each. We finished two pounds of bread with coffee and started again, by this time it was 9:40AM. We were half exhausted, due to unnecessary walking of 5kms and heavy luggage. Route started with tar road, we walked for around 1½ hour, and it was very steep. Later road turned to jeep track, mud road. After some time of walking track turned to trail. We walked around another hour and reached a plain land with some small boulders. Here we thought we will eat some bread or chapattis. We sat on the boulder ate some bread again took rest and started again. Weather was cloudy from morning. After walking again for 20min we reached a big boulder where there are two routes. We had read one will go to Kerla and one to the peak. Each one had interpreted different and argument started whether to take right one or left one. Arun was in very much hurry in reaching the peak and coming back as rain was about to start he decided that we will take the left one. In fact there were some local people coming behind at about 15 min distances (we could see some white shirts at long distance); I said we will wait for them and take decision. But Arun was very keen on exploring yourself. So we went left. Rain started but very mildly we walked for another 20 min, on the way we got a stream after that the climb was very steep and we were almost on the top of so called Arun’s tadiandomol. I was always thinking that this is not the one we wanted to climb but followed Arun with out discoursing him. Path broke again one to the uphill it was not clear trail and one to down hill. Here we were almost sure that we have lost the way. If we go on not clear trail we may reach the peak of the other hill ( may be next highest to Tadiandomol )  but trail was not clear and lot of small plants, grass were blocking the way.  We again had arguments, this time Anand started saying “what is there if we could not reach the Tadiyondmol we have reached another peak we have enjoyed the trekking, it is raining too, we will go back, and we have achieved it.” But myself and other two were not ready to give up we thought we will climb this peak down fast and start taking the right path. We met a local man there (when we were argument was at peak). He confirmed that we have taken a wrong road and we need to go back. We started getting down fast, rain was slowly picking up we were wet almost. In hurry of getting down my leg cramped. I was not able to move a bit. With the help of big stick I some how reached the boulder again. All were totally tired. I was out because of severe pain in leg. I did not want to leave up. I took an Ibrufen tablet immediately as it may reduce the pain and we may walk. Pain did not come down immediately but gradually reduced. Now rain was quite heavy, we were not able to seen properly and our trail was full of water. But still we walked for another 10 min and reached a forest kind of place. I was knowing that if we cross this forest place then we will reach a plain land with little bit of climbing we will be on top.

Rain was very dense and windy. Now lightning started. Each time, the sound was too heavy for our ears to resist. We were cautioned at the beginning it self that if lightening starts come down immediately do not be on peak or on plain surface. One our team mate Nagaraj had experience the lightening effect at home itself it had stuck his computer, mother board, monitor, PC all went bad while he was working and he too had got severe shock. He said that if it strikes us in this peak we will burn alive. Lightening thing was new to me if not I would have collected information about the lightning and how to be protected from it from net (I will do it once I am on net again). We decided to go back as the lighting was getting harder and harder. Rain was pouring like water falls. We again came back to the boulder stopped there we were not able to walk are see properly. Sound of lighting was making us to think of all the good moments with our family people. All of us were fully scared. At this time lighting stuck just few feet from us it was like a bright welding rod light from sky to earth and the sound was too loud that it took us few seconds to hear any sound again. All of us saw a new life after that, we were down and completely scared. I decided that we will not stand at boulder we will walk down. Lighting and rain was increasing very much. Our luggage had become 3times the weight as all the clothes had stored enough water it had stored. We all walked down with pouring rain and lighting next to trial, trial was full of water. Road was not slippery and out walking speed was almost three times of what we were doing earlier (running for life). Leaches had entered all parts of the body for my friends but they were not ready to take it out at that point. For me I am lucky I was not bitten by any leach (even in Kodachadri I was the only one who did not get any leach bite). After walking for 1hr we reached a safe place. There my friends cleared all the leaches on the body by putting salt on it, it used to fall down. All the places of their body was bleeding. We relaxed there for some time. Weather had calmed down. We were seeing the mountain it was looking as if it is laughing at us for not allowing us to climb on top. Going again all the way was ruled out. We started again to the palace road where we got our bus.

On the way we had chapattis and rotis. After walking for another 30 min we reached the Palace road. There we met a Jeep we asked drop till Virajpet. By this time we had decided go to MadiKeri and see some places around and go back to Bangalore. Reason was if we had stayed in Virajpet we will again try to go up tomorrow and if it rains again, mountain will keep laughing at us.  We have decided to come back in a month or two and climb up again, this time getting down at proper place. 

We got drop in Jeep to Napukal; from there we took a bus to MadiKeri. Booked return journey to Bangalore for 1:45PM Sunday bus. No lodges were available in whole of town. Two of us stood in one of the hotel other two went in search of lodges. Finally we were given a room in Mayura (KSTDC) hotel.  We stayed there had dinner with all kind of discussion. Next day morning took an auto went to Raja seat, Abbey falls and then back to Bangalore. Around 9:00PM I was at home.