caterpillardiaries

Having done a few treks in the western ghats of Maharashtra, I have recently started trekking in Karnataka. This was going to be my first trek of the year 2020, Kumaraparvtha aka pushpagiri, situated in puspagiri wildlife sanctuary, second highest peak in Kodagu district. In altitude, it comes in 6th place in karnataka but it is popularly known for its toughness. < mullayanagiri (1930m),baba budanagir (1895m),kudremukha (1894m),biligiriranga hills(1800m) Tadiandamol(1748m),kumara parvatha (1712m)> For me, this trek was not just about views and nature, its a journey of introspection, its a journey through my doubts, its a journey of accepting myself, its a journey of not giving up, its a journey of love and beauty. As I have done Kudremukha peak last week itself, I was aware of the climate in the region and pretty well know that it's not going to be an easy walk in the sun. But still I wanted to see how far can I go and with a will of conquering the toughest

Being born in a tropical climate, I've always been more fond of rain than sun—until that day in the mountains. Though I love trekking in the rain, especially in the Sahyadris (Western Ghats), the Himalayas showed me a different side of nature, one that I wasn’t prepared for. It was the second day of the Tarsar Marsar lake trek in Kashmir. We had just packed up our campsite near the Lidderwart River and started our ascent to the next destination. After a while, I looked back and saw the meadows where we'd camped the night before—a breathtaking view that felt like it could hold me there forever. But the sky was growing darker, heavy with clouds. Our trek leader predicted rain and advised us to reach the next campsite as soon as possible. As expected, halfway through, the rain began. We quickly took out our rain gear, but I was underprepared—no poncho, no gloves, just a thin rain jacket that didn’t even fit me properly. Within minutes, I was soaked. From childhood, I’ve loved the