[vijayols]

Guru Ghasidas jungle trek? Had to recheck the name even when writing the blog. Man, a sure sign that I’m either getting old and senile and can’t remember names, or as I like to think I’m just travelling too much.









So where exactly was I, or in this case we, (joining me was my business partner Hari and two fellow trekkers from Bangalore, Dipti and Bhavana) heading to usher in the new year with a bang ?

So let’s start the narrative from the best possible position, the BEGINNING.

When I read about a forest trek for a full four days which included walking and camping in the jungle, a stay in a tribal home, checking out some caves, rock climbing, and to top it all a walk in a river for about 5 kms, I was in hook, line and sinker. And to think we would be the only 26 humans on the trail. (Well, of course there would be the ones to come in the treks to follow and the ones who had already completed the trek) Okay, without being too negative, give and take a few hundreds, but what is that in a nation of 1.4 billion where we are so used to crowds everywhere?

So I did a bit of googling on Guru Ghasidas National Park, and found that the original name of Sanjay-Dubri Tiger reserve was renamed by the Chattisgarh Government after Guru Ghasidas Ji who was the founder of the Satnami community in Malwa.It was about 1440 sq km and was on the northern tip of Chattisgarh near UP and MP and an extension of the forest starting at Kanha and stretching to Bandavgarh.It is so remote and unknown that even natives in Raipur had not heard of this National Park when we enquired about it. Apparently the major animal species found here included the tiger,leopard,sloth bear,hyena,dhole,fox,jungle cat,Indian wolf and deer among others.

[vijayols]

What makes this trek even more special is that you need the Forest Department to help you get inside a National Park which was now possible due to the tie up with the India-hikes team to promote responsible eco-tourism. These are reserved areas, and access to the common man is prohibited. So with a couple of local tribals from the Forest Department and a trek lead from India hikes, we got to explore a real, wild jungle untouched by safari tourism. (I thought that other than participation in a tiger census, this just wasn’t possible.) We joined the trek team of 23 for the trek from 15th Jan to 18th Jan 2023.

We were to fly out to Raipur Chattisgarh on the 14th of Jan and as luck goes all direct flights to small cities start early in the morning. It was a 7.30 flight which probably meant a 4.40 am taxi from home and that again meant a 3.30 am wake up .The night before we had celebrated Lohri (a festival alien to South Indians or rather called differently as Bhogi )which I realized was exactly like holi with a huge bonfire, popcorn, and revdi being distributed, so it was a late night.

Indigo then sent a message that a “scheduled” maintenance of their software was planned on 14th and 15th which meant we had to start 40 mins before the original plan.

Probably the bright idea of some top executive who thought “let’s plan this over a weekend so as to not inconvenience customers” and forgot that their customers fly on weekends and more so on a holiday. So, it looked like it made sense not to sleep and reach the airport early and simply spend the night there.

But start I did at 4 am and en route picked up 2 fellow trekkers Dipti and Bhavana .

Eventually though, there was no real delay due to the maintenance activity. But Bangalore weather got back at us by keeping the bus stalled just short of the plane due to thick fog for a good 30 mins. Safe to add to the list of certainties in life is death, taxes and traffic delays in Bangalore.
After successfully touching down at Raipur a good 2 hours behind schedule, we checked into a hotel and left to explore the most popular eatery joints that Raipur had to offer.

We had time till 9.30 pm when we had to board a train to take us to Baikunthpur road station, where we would meet the India hikes team at 5.30am to drive us to the base camp at Ramgarh.

The strange thing about going on any trek for me is that instead of dropping a few kilos (to reach my goal of a 6 pack and ideal body BMI which I was off by some 12 odd kg) I end up adding a few more, extending my goal deadline by a couple of months. One of the unexplained mysteries of life!

We took shared autos(electric ones) in our pursuit of the best street food Raipur had to offer. Generally costs between Rs 10-40 per person to most destinations.



First up was Sahu Nashta Bhandar famous for its Poha/ samosa /kachori and dhokla all dipped in sweet curds.The sweet curds actually gave it a unique taste which surprisingly was great on the taste buds.Learnt that curds is an integral part of the local cousine.Missed the poha which gets over by 11 am but had all the others with a bottle of water @ Rs 60.









Followed this with Elaichi jaggery chai @Ashwani chai next door.Cost Rs 15.



Next up was Ramji halwai, famous for its balu Shahi, and the day being Sankranthi, also included black til-jaggery ladoo with some Farsan (one plate for Rs 20.) These are not too sweet and best enjoyed hot off the stove as we were served. The great part was that the owner served school kids who thronged his shop, giving them sweets of their choice free of cost.When asked, he said the goodwill he gets is his FD for his after-life. Destiny had already blessed him with plentiful of business in this lifetime itself. Lovely to meet all kinds of wonderful people in every part of the world!





Now to Sulabh doodh bhandar, to taste fresh pedha (which was not too sweet)and Chenna-cocoa sandwich(yummy, but a tad too sweet)





Next up mungadi vada and chutney at Moti mahal.This was simple vadas or pakodas made in moong dal.This is famous near the Raipur Lake side marine Drive.





After this was an outlet of tapri chakafe to savour Tapri specila Mexican masala maggi with adrak-Elaichi chai.Run by social entrepreneur Irfan Ahmed. It is run by disabled people, much like the Mitti Café in Bangalore.

It was fun to communicate pretty easily in sign language with the deaf/dumb team and to think we struggle to communicate with each other in normal day to day life.

Tea was good and masaledar, but just a little too sweet for my liking.

Maggi was cheesy and rich, but we discovered that Maggi made any way is always yummy to taste.

Washed it down with some nice hot water.

Would definitely recommend a must visit if in Raipur.







Walked across to the Marine drive in Raipur, but we were too full to enjoy the many eateries including the Litti chokha joints dotting the place.





Next, we visited the nearby Museum which surprisingly boasted some incredible history and is a must visit when in Raipur. Such a hidden gem.



















Next door was the famed Gad kalewa run by women and which served the local Chattisgarh cousine. We tasted a sweet made from Ber and Imli, as well as Chila(Rice dosa), Farra(similar to fried rice idlis), Chausela(puris made from rice) and a cup of jaggery tea. Costed us Rs 150 in total.



After a well spent day, we checked out of the hotel and walked to the railway station, but not before stopping for a light dinner at Hotel Shyam where I had a green salad made from fresh vegetables and some Chai.

We met most of our fellow co-trekkers at the railway station, and it was an interesting motley bunch of 23 from all parts of India and from various professions like a retired District Judge, an environmentalist, several doctors, students, and professors among others. The age demography was wide with the youngest,KP being 14 and the oldest, The Dane who was to usher in his 75th Birthday with us for company during the trek and was lovingly rechristened “Danny Boy”.

The train, true to its reputation was late, and we reached at 6.45 am to be met by 4 vehicles to ferry us to Ramgarh. Felt like we were transported to Sholay and could meet up with Gabbar anytime at Ramgarh.





The drive was nice and as soon as we entered the gates of the reserve forest, we spotted a couple of foxes. (Little did we know, that these were the only animals we were going to see in the entirety of the trek.)



After reaching the base camp we were met by our trek Lead Ashish and had our breakfast immediately. After the preliminary paper work, we submitted our Doctor certified fitness certificate/Govt IDs, filled the form from the forest dept as well as had our vitals checked; we had a packed lunch to carry for the trek. I had decided not to offload my luggage and had packed just the right amount of essentials which I would need for the trek and carry not an ounce of extra load which I would not use at least once in the trek .If only I could replicate this practice for all my travels and avoid over packing.



A brief personal introduction in a huddle moderated by Ashish and we were all set to start the trek by around 11 am.The plan was to cover the 10.5 km trek by about 5 pm giving us ample time to take the trek nice and easy.

[vijayols]

The terrain was a mix of shrubs and sparsely dense trees and a lot of Ignatius rocks which seemed to be like volcanic rocks.The total absence of any birds chirping or animals sighting was a bit of a disappointment, but to be fair a bunch of noisy 26 trekkers was not ideal settings for wildlife spotting. However, the thrill of spending an entire day in the jungle was so exciting.

The trek did start with a bit of drama, as the shoe-soles of Himashu and his wife’s came off and they had to manage the trek with sandals, as the rental room was locked and the key had gone with the support staff whom we would be meeting only at the next camp site. So they had to manage for the day. A “soleless experience for the two”.

It was fun spotting several pug marks of Bears, hyenas and leopards in the sand amidst the beautiful rock formations and the many ant hills.



We were famished by the time we stopped for lunch near the river bed and gleefully ate the Pulao and kidney beans subzi. We explored the nearby rocky terrain and spend some time enjoying the views.





A short distance away Ashish asked who were game to climb the steep rock face using natural foot holds.A small group with Danny being the first took the challenge head on and managed to hoist themselves to the peak with a bit of acrobatics, but the feeling of achievement on scaling the rock was truly exhilarating especially for me, Dr Piyush and Pooja, the terrified trio.

It was truly amazing how the “elder” duo of Selvi and Danny were able to climb with no fear.





As we continued, the next surprise for us was a lovely cave which was open ended from both sides. The whole group was thrilled and we took some time taking photographs and Ashish made us all stand in a huddle with our eyes closed, and we were asked to meditate and “feel” the silence, which ended with a long OM chant.





It was nearing evening time and we were only a short distance away from our first campsite for the night, Turripani( literally translating to dearth of water.)







The setting sun was a lovely sight to behold and the air now had a nip and we all had to wear our jackets.The stay was to be in mud houses which we learnt was a typical architectural style of the region.Massive 2 storey mud buildings with Mangalore tiles sloping roofs and windows without any wood work or grill.We had 4 rooms to share to spend the night.

First up was cool down exercises and then we had hot snacks of pasta with milk tea. This was a first in my experience of trekking with India Hikes where we were staying in a tribal house and not a tent. We were conscious about minimal usage of water and of course not to forget the dry eco toilets which I have described in earlier trek blogs.

The girls from Gujrat were full gung-ho and practised Zumba/Garba steps with foot tapping music playing. It is amazing how the Gujjus love their dancing and break into a jig anywhere and any time with no invitation needed. How I wish we all could be so uninhibited in our approach to life.
Dinner was delicious with hot jelabis also served and then came what I thought was the most difficult part of any trek: Using the dry Indian toilet in the freezing cold! But boy was I in for a surprise when it was time for bed.
We, being the older members of the trek got to sleep in the dining hall which was most definitely warmer than the freezing rooms above which had the open windows.

The only small hiccup was that there were rats scurrying from the bamboo loft which we thought could make the night miserable .But the rats were in for a major scare themselves as the moment John and Danny hit the sack there was a massive roar ……of their snoring. Any tiny hope of grabbing some sleep disappeared as the cacophony continued through the night. Luckily we discovered that Upendra, (who was thankfully not with us) would have offered stiff competition to the duo.



We did tease John in the morning that in Ramgarh(as in the movie Sholay) when the kids couldn’t sleep moms would now scare them saying “sleep otherwise John will come.” (Even Gabbar was no match for this).The great part about John was that he laughed along with us.I guess the huge plus of trekking with strangers is that it makes you feel you have known them for a lifetime and many of the new relationships would stand the test of time.

The routine was 6-7-8 for this trek meaning black tea at 6 am/breakfast at 7 and we start for the day at 8.This again was such an endearing part of trekking with India Hikes as the team ensures the timings are adhered to the T.









We went for a walk around the hamlet of Turripani which probably had about 20 homes and had fun playing with the dogs and had a glimpse of rural life.They grew mustard/rice and corn, and the nearest school was Ramgarh(10 kms by road) while the nearest big hospital was on Baikunthpur Road. Water, which we took for granted back home was scarce here and electricity erratic. Got a chance to fly the drone too.

[vijayols]

Day 2 is generally the easiest and here too it was a gentle 7.5 kms trek but interestingly the forest became a tad thicker and there were taller trees here.The rocky terrain however continued.We had a bit if an ascend and the next camp of ours was right next to a lovely lake and we were to circle around Rajah Pahad the tallest hill in then region to get to Tadiyabaan campsite.









The highpoint of the day was when the forest gave way to a stretch of grassland and we could spot the gentle stream with clear water flowing right through.We stopped to refresh ourselves and flew the drone. Our “Dronacharya” Doctor Pitam gave me tips on how to navigate and use features like Quickshots which is sure to help me improve getting better pics.

A short walk later we could now spot the huge Tadiyabaan lake where the azure blue waters were dotted with pink water lilies. How pretty was the sight.







However to reach the campsite we had to cross the “Ram Ram”dyke which was a narrow cement dyke which had a steep 15 feet fall on one side and a muddy water 3 feet fall on the other.Keep muttering Ram Ram and hope to make it safely to the other end.



The camp site itself like any campsite adjoining a lake was divinely beautiful.











Day 3 was to be the toughest of the days by this trek’s standards. It was a 10 km hike through thicker forest to reach the highest point of the trek and then descend down to arguably the Coup De grace of the trek, the walk on the river.

It did live up to the hype as far as the forest being thicker was concerned. It was fun as we truly got a feeling of a walk through the wild. The trek started with a ascend and continued though it was fairly gentle.Our doggy friend from the camp Subbalaxmi as we called he, led the way.The whole team stuck together as a bunch which was absolute great team work, and John, who had doubts whether he could cope up, did us all proud.







Danny regaled us with his wild stories traveling around the world and how he had lived through the wild seventies in California in the halcyon days of the magic mushroom. How now he was diligently following the Greta Thunberg Movement of Shame of Flying by first reaching Raipur from Mumbai by train and how he would continue his India journey by traveling by train to Chennai via Nagpur and then onwards to Bangalore and Kerela where he dreams of riding on an elephant. Being someone who was going to celebrate his 75th birthday with us, a group of strangers in a foreign land, and being so supremely fit carrying his own backpack, he was truly an inspiration for the rest of us to aspire to be as fit as him. He truly proved age was just a number. As did Selvi, a co-trekker from Kashmir who had ushered her 60th birthday then, and here again she was full of beans and in the front bunch of trekkers always.

Back to the trek, and we all made it to the highest point of this trek where the whole green forest lay there below us a far as the eye could see. Perfect for our Insta photos !

[vijayols]

The descend started from there as we walked through narrow ledges and negotiated tricky bits on the rocky hills till we finally reached the Gopath river. We quickly got rid of our shoes as we walked barefoot in the cool waters of the river which was less than half-knee height. We had to walk for an hour or so in the river and then again about 4.5 kms the next day. Wow, how often does one get a chance to walk in a river for so long.







We reached Pandupara camp site right on the river bed and had a nice hot snack and tea.It was all fun and frolic in the river bed sand the whole day as we all knew the end of the trek was close.There was music and antakshari as Hari the “tiger” dominated entertainment proceedings like he always does.

The thrill was being woken around 4.30 am by the laughter of hyenas and then shooting with the drone in the morning when we were headed out for a relaxing, almost therapeutic walk in the river with the soft sand beneath our feet feeling so so good.





It was a mixed feeling of fun and a tad bit of sadness as the trek was to end soon.We stopped for a break and as has been the tradition wrote a inland letter this time to myself and another drawing to Kanthi and Smrithi. Wonder when it will be delivered though, the last time it took 3 months.

As we got off the river on to the bridge we had a Bolero waiting for us.This was going to be fun.All of us standing and squeezing into the bolero.We were the kids here waving at the school kids who must be thinking “why are these grown ups jumping up and down with excitement?”





The post trek wind down happened as we all took turns speaking about our best moments of the trek.Mine was little KP reaching out and speaking to each, telling us what she liked best about us.Made me realise how much in our daily lives we tend to criticize more than say out loud how much we appreciate our loved ones.

Danny who turned 75 was presented with a lovely cake baked by Khadak singh the cook.



A shout to our excellent Trek Lead Ashish who led the team so well and carried everyone along especially a lot of first timers.Also to our Forest guides who are native of Turripani Sundar and Sukhram.The India hikes cooks Khadak Singh junior and Senior and all fellow trekkers who did a splendid job and made the entire experience so wonderful.

Back again, spent a day in Raipur enjoying the food again and then a quick bit of shopping in Tribes of India picking up stuff for family and friends. Loved the flutes I found there.

Flight back to Bangalore and a close to a horde of wonderful memories.

[Eddy]

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Originally Posted by vijayols

Guru Ghasidas jungle trek? Had to recheck the name even when writing the blog. Man, a sure sign that I’m either getting old and senile and can’t remember names, or as I like to think I’m just travelling too much.

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So where exactly was I, or in this case we, (joining me was my business partner Hari and two fellow trekkers from Bangalore, Dipti and Bhavana) heading to usher in the new year with a bang ?

So let’s start the narrative from the best possible position, the BEGINNING.

When I read about a forest trek for a full four days which included walking and camping in the jungle, a stay in a tribal home, checking out some caves, rock climbing, and to top it all a walk in a river for about 5 kms, I was in hook, line and sinker. And to think we would be the only 26 humans on the trail. (Well, of course there would be the ones to come in the treks to follow and the ones who had already completed the trek) Okay, without being too negative, give and take a few hundreds, but what is that in a nation of 1.4 billion where we are so used to crowds everywhere?

So I did a bit of googling on Guru Ghasidas National Park, and found that the original name of Sanjay-Dubri Tiger reserve was renamed by the Chattisgarh Government after Guru Ghasidas Ji who was the founder of the Satnami community in Malwa.It was about 1440 sq km and was on the northern tip of Chattisgarh near UP and MP and an extension of the forest starting at Kanha and stretching to Bandavgarh.It is so remote and unknown that even natives in Raipur had not heard of this National Park when we enquired about it. Apparently the major animal species found here included the tiger,leopard,sloth bear,hyena,dhole,fox,jungle cat,Indian wolf and deer among others.

Amazing Snaps Vijay