Thirumoorthi Hills, Adventure camp

Thirumoorthi Hills: My Transformative College Mountaineering Camp

Day 1: Monday, February 5, 2007

My first college-organized mountaineering trip began at 5:30 AM, as I left home to catch the Intercity Express. My team consisted of 7 students, including myself, and our instructor, Ms. Suma. I boarded the S4 coach alone at Bangalore City, a short 10-minute ride to Bangalore Cantonment, where the rest of my team joined. The train was surprisingly empty, so we comfortably occupied eight seats. Some dozed, others read. At 7:30 AM, we had breakfast (Upma and Kesari-bath), and the journey proved to be a great icebreaker.

The train reached Coimbatore at 2:00 PM, half an hour late, and we were all starving. At the station exit, we were met by the chief instructor, Mr. Fredrick L, and two other instructors, Mr. Daya Sagar and another. They took us to an excellent hotel for lunch, which we finished by 3:00 PM. From there, we caught a bus to the main Coimbatore bus stand, then another bus for a 2-hour journey to Udulampet, arriving at 5:00 PM. Some of us called home; I had already spoken to my mother on Mr. Fredrick's phone (still wondering how she got his number!). A private minibus then took us another 20-25 minutes to the foot of Thirumoorthi Hills, our campsite, which was within a private farm.

I had a blast pitching the tents. We were first shown the ropes, then, under supervision, we set up the other two ourselves. After a half-hour rest, around 7:00 PM, we headed to a house-like hotel for dinner. The hospitality was exceptional, and by 8:00 PM, we went for a stroll to the dam's entrance. There, we received instructions about our activities for the next three days. The surprise twist? A night trek back to camp! This was a first for me, a mix of excitement and a little fear, even with a torch. It wasn't far, but it was fun – a cross-country-style trek over mountainous terrain. We walked in single file, Mr. Fredrick leading and Mr. Daya Sagar bringing up the rear. The excitement peaked when Ms. Suma and Sriram spotted a 3-4 foot snake. I, being second to last, missed it. With torches on, we trekked back to camp. After some relaxation, we went to sleep around 10:30 PM. Being our first time in a tent, it took a while to drift off, but we had fun chatting.

Day 2: Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Our reporting time was 6:00 AM, so we woke up at 5:30 AM, struggling to get ready. A huge bonus was the presence of a toilet and water! By 6:15 AM, we were ready, heading to the same spot for tea and biscuits before starting our trek up the "easier" mountain. Teamwork was key on the mountainous terrain, and we reached the top by 6:40 AM – impressive time, we were told! After enjoying the view and a photo session, we descended, reaching camp at 7:30 AM. A tasty breakfast of Dosas and idlis awaited us. We then headed back up the same mountain to the bouldering (rock climbing) area. As an introduction, we were tasked with climbing a 25-foot mountainside with belay. Our chief instructor and Daya climbed without safety equipment and setup anchors for the belay. On belay, I initially struggled to find good grips but quickly learned. After everyone reached the top, we descended. We then tried another route, which I found easier.

After rock climbing, our instructor took us to a spot for "jamming." He demonstrated this slow, flat crawl through a narrow space, emphasizing teamwork: the person in front would guide the next, all with eyes closed. This task truly highlighted the importance of communication. We returned to base camp by 2:00 PM.

After a brief rest, we tackled river crossing and monkey crawling. River crossing was easy, but monkey crawling proved difficult, and I hurt my finger. Afterward, we visited the Thirumoorthi Dam, took photos, and then trekked for about 15 minutes around the dam to a bathing spot. It had been two days since our last bath, so we relished the opportunity, enjoying the water until 5:45 PM, then trekked back to camp. We rested until 8:00 PM, then enjoyed a truly delicious dinner feast.

At 9:00 PM, we set off for a night trek and survival exercise. We ascended the same mountain, this time without torches (though we carried them), which was fun. After 20-25 minutes, we reached a cave where Daya sir started a fire using dry firewood. We lit candles and stayed in the cave for two hours, getting a small taste of survival camping. We were back at base camp by 11:20 PM, completely exhausted, and knowing we had to report at 6:00 AM the next day, we all crashed.

Day 3: Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Our fall-in time was 6:30 AM, so we woke up at 5:00 AM, still barely making it by 6:30 AM. After tea and biscuits, we headed to climb the "big hill" – the tougher one. Today was sequence climbing. Sir taught us knots, explaining we'd belay the person behind us. There was some serious rock climbing near the top. After hard work, we summited! We were made to close our eyes, guided to the peak's edge, and upon opening them, saw a breathtaking view of the scenery and the dam directly below – an unforgettable moment. After photos, we began our descent. The initial free descent was tough due to my previous day's finger injury. I managed about 30-35 feet down but slipped the last 3 feet, hitting the landing. My left hand finger was now officially hurt, but I held onto the rope. My friends helped me with my bag, and we reached base camp by 9:45 AM.

After breakfast, we returned to the mountains for "Jumaring," reaching a suitable spot after a 20-minute trek. Jumaring uses a device that only moves in one direction, allowing ascents without gripping points. My injured finger prevented me from wearing the mittens (mountaineering gloves), so I rock-climbed instead. On the way down, everyone did "Classical Rappelling" without equipment, but due to my wounds, I did normal rappelling. We were back at base camp around 3:00 PM, had lunch, and then enjoyed recreation and games until 8:30 PM. We played cooperative games like forming a human chain, reversing a cover while standing on it, and tug-of-war.

At 8:30 PM, we had dinner and prepared for night camping at the peak, but legal issues prevented us from climbing the big mountain. Instead, we trekked up the easier one we'd climbed on Day 2, reaching the peak by 10:50 PM. Everyone settled into their sleeping bags, except for Rohit and me, who had the first two-hour night duty. It grew progressively colder. We somehow stayed awake until 1:00 AM on Day 4, when we woke two others. To their luck, sir then announced everyone could sleep! So, Rohit and I were the only ones who did the two-hour watch. Still, it was a valuable experience.

Day 4: Thursday, February 8, 2007

We woke at 5:00 AM, packed sleeping bags, and trekked down to camp, arriving by 5:45 AM. After tea and biscuits at 6:00 AM, we returned to the mountains for advanced jumaring – pulling ourselves up with two jumars, without any foot support. The first two participants took a long time, making me doubt my ability with injured hands. But I decided to give it my best shot. I did it, though completely exhausted, my leg trembling. After recovering, we rushed back to camp by 10:50 AM to catch our train. We pulled down the tents, packed our gear, and left for the bus stand. Luckily, we caught an early bus to Udulampet, reaching Coimbatore station at 2:20 PM. After a foot race to the station, we were relieved to hear the train was 30 minutes late, departing at 3:00 PM. We had a small certificate presentation ceremony on board before departure, took some group photos, and then set off for Bangalore. After hours of fun chatting, I reached Bangalore at 10:30 PM and home by 10:45 PM.

This was a truly great experience that significantly boosted my self-confidence. I'm now eager for more such adventure trips. This journey truly kindled a deep liking for mountaineering and nature.