It is the journey that counts, the destination is irrelevant. The destination is the cherry on top. One that gives you the bliss and satisfaction of completion.
Our small tight knit group decided to scale Savandurga recently. To give you some backdrop on how we reached here, we were planning a day out for a while. This is when we chanced upon Savandurga, a serene beauty standing alongside the Machinbele reservoir. The plan was to tire yourself out with the trek and then jump into the water. After being on a couple of treks in and around Bangalore, our expectations were pretty moderately set. March 12th, 13th and 14th were burning sunny days. The summer sun in Bangalore burns and the dry heat is unforgiving. Hence, we started early around 4:30 am. Fortunately, the rains in Kerala had made this the perfect day for a trek in Bangalore. The skies were cloudy throughout with the familiar chill winds you'll always find in Bangalore.
Sometimes you know you are watching something special from how it feels. The air around says it, the ground beneath says it, and deep down that warm feeling confirms it is true. Standing on those barren rocks something beautiful was unfurling in front of our eyes. The lake was hidden away by the darkness of the early morning. The rocks were twisting and turning all the way. Spring is a scarce season here but this year she was making an appearance. Bangalore does not see autumns with all the leaves falling and trees laid bare. But as sping made an appearance I believe autumn was here too. The tree did not have leaves, only flowers. Those who have seen cherry blossoms in spring know the view I was watching. I was seeing them in the backdrop of rocky hills on one side and the sun illuminating the lake on the other.
We were trotting the sides of this humongous rock to catch the sunrise from the top. The sun unfortunately had been prisoned by the clouds. He was fighting to earn his freedom.
The climb took a heavy toll on everyone. However, as we reached higher our tenacity was rewarded with small reminiscence of the artwork that lay ahead. As we moved higher, the sun decided to peep out from the clouds. We saw the first rays of the sun land on Savandurga, reflections from the beautiful lake beneath, breathtaking colors as the sun emerged from the clouds and the mountains emerging from them. We were there as the clouds ran through us. All weren't able to reach the top. Some decided to stay back a little lower and relish in the beautiful colors of the sun. Nevertheless, for those among us, who decided to push forward in the promise of something better, nature was indeed very kind. We were lost for a short span but only because the top was shrouded in clouds. As the clouds waned away, revealing the God who lived there the path was clear. Through the caves and over the rocks, we were there, we were at the top. Only the sound of the wind in our ears and the beautiful view of the sun and lake in our eyes, spellbound to what lie in front of us. The sight urged us to pray though, not sure to whom. A sense of reassurance that cannot be described with words.
The view from the top was far from expected. We did work for it, and so did everyone who came before us. For the clouds to part ways and shower us with sunlight as we reach the top, it certainly was above that which we deserved.
I will agree with many who have been to Savandurga. The trek can be divided into three parts: the light incline climb, the deep climb, and after we reach the Kempe Gouda II fort the last phase is mix of boulders and lush greenery.
The demography of our team according to age is a bell curve with the highest frequency in the range of 21-30. The gender ratio is perfect, an equal distribution.
We walked back merry, high-spirited and contempt to the foothills. The trek was extremely demanding, body and mind. Above the physical fitness came the resolve to never give up and reach for the top. Hence, soaking in the cool water of the lake, my mind was at peace. Eyes were looking at the sky but they only saw the view from the top of the hill. The view was burnt into the eyes.
So clear and clean, the lake begged us to dive in. Varying in depth from 40-80ft, she was wide, deep and long. The water was warm at the top and cold a little deeper. There was always a creepy soothing sensation all around. Always gave us a feeling there were alligators lurking though there were none.
Every group, as a rule of thumb, has at least one who is scared of entering the water. We were lucky, we had two. One found the courage to test it out but eventually decided not to trifle luck today. The other was nowhere to be seen. One was female and the other male, now to those who are reading, feel free to guess the one who showed courage to enter the water. Even better, feel free to come around the EURASIA bay and ask around about it.
Towards the end of the day, we sat down for some board games, dumb charades, and Anthakshari as we soaked in the heat from the campfire.
There were many discoveries throughout the day. We figured out the youngest guy in our group was physically unfit, we saw how tenacious all of us were, we saw how courageous one can be, and we saw everyone go back their teenage. Everything was all about having fun and nothing else. A very memorable day in the arms of Mother Nature.