BallalaRayana Durga | October 2012
I was a member of the Organizing committee for this trek, and it was special because I experienced my first snake bite. We were trekking along a narrow trail and someone
came across a green slender snake, maybe 3 feet long, in the middle of the path. While people crowded around it and some of the first timers let out startled gasps, I put down my bag,
and decided to give a small lesson on handling snakes. I carefully drew the snake’s attention
to an object in front, and while it was absorbed in studying the movement, I picked its tail
up and in a second grabbed its head. Two things I would like to state here. Firstly, PLEASE
don’t try this anywhere. It really isn’t as easy as I’ve made it sound. Secondly, the method is
different for poisonous snakes.
The bunch of wonder struck 11th grade kids stared at me in disbelief, as I explained to
them how to deal with snake encounters. Slowly, some of the more adventurous ones
touched the reptile. One of the enthusiastic boys pulled the tail, which was in my left hand,
and this caused me to lose grip on the snake’s head, which was in my right hand. The snake
promptly took this opportunity to turn around, and before I could react, it buried its fangs
in my right palm. There was much consternation as people freaked out. Some resorted to
shouting, like that would scare a deaf snake away. Some tried pulling it; others started checking my eyes and pulse to see if I was dying. Amidst all the drama, some of the more experienced campaigners held the snake, while I pushed its head forward with my left hand, to
release its grasp on my hand. Unlike a conventional snake bite, this one lasted for almost 20
seconds. After I finally managed to pull it out and release it at a safe distance, I immediately
ran to a nearby stream and washed the bite. I was sure it was only a mildly poisonous snake,
but still sucked out any residual poison from the wound. It didn’t unduly pain, and there was
just a slight tingling in the arm for an hour or so. That day taught me a few valuable lessons
though, about not letting anyone else touch a snake when I was handling it.
Kumaraparvata | March 2013
We were joined by a couple of highly enthusiastic cyclists from college, who had cycled
from Mangalore to Kukke. After 7kms of intensive trekking uphill through ravines that
radiated heat like a furnace, we reached ‘Bhattara Mane’, a farm nestled in the heart of the
forest. We relished the sambar rice served as lunch, for a seemingly exuberant price of
Rs. 80.
After a presumably sleepless night for the group, we woke up to the pleasant morning only a jungle can offer. We wasted no time in starting the second leg of our journey,
and around 3 hours of walking brought us to the top. The panoramic view from the top,
although not the best of its kind, served as a worthwhile destination after the arduous
climb. What marred the serene landscape though, was the immense amount of garbage that
other trekking groups had left behind. Plastic wrappers, paper plates and water bottles were
strewn around in copious quantities. Far from being a peaceful and beautiful representation of nature, the place resembled a dump yard in a metro city. Being one of the most
frequented trekking spots for groups from college, it is important that we appreciate the
beauty of nature, and accord it the respect it deserves.
BallalaRayana Durga | October 2013
Sidharth is a final year student of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering. He is an
active trekker and adventure sports enthusiast. Ironically, he is also prolific at indoor
board games.
50
The Shoreline
The bus from Mangalore to Kottigehara, arrived at 8:20 pm, and before we knew it, it
was full. There were probably another 100 people waiting to board, and we were at the end
of that ignominious queue. Slowly and painfully, we made our way into the bus, with barely
any place to stand; and this is how one of the best journeys of my life began. It was hot,
and it was sultry, and it was overcrowded, and in no time tempers flared. There were people
squabbling all around us, in dialects we failed to understand. There were drunk aunties, who
entertained us with their rambles. After much consternation and cursing, we were dropped
off at 1:30 am at Kottigehara. At 4:00 am, the bus to the starting point of our trek arrived.
Many acknowledged that they had had enough of the adventure already.
Much of the morning passed uneventfully, but by early afternoon, we were on our way.
The weather was delightful, as clouds descended into the valley, enveloping us in a thick
layer of fog. Not long into the trek though, we faced our first hurdle. We found elephant
dung, not more than half an hour old. This was a herd with a calf, and running into it would
be catastrophic.
The mood of the group changed remarkably, and suddenly everyone chose to trek in
silence. The only sound was the tireless din of the wood crickets, as they voiced their alarm
at our passing. Progress was necessarily slow, and every 400 metres or so, we burst firecrackers which made enough noise to alert any lingering lumbering giant of our presence. Each