Off the beaten track in Satpura

“We all have forests on our minds. Forests unexplored, unending. Each one of us gets lost in the forest, every night, alone.” 
― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Wind's Twelve Quarters

Alas, it is difficult to get lost in a forest in India, there are few unexplored forests left and it is difficult to be alone. However the Satpura Tiger Reserve is one such forest where the crowds are less and the resorts are sensibly made to merge into ambient nature. Our welcome by a leopard by the side of the road as we drove in at night was a wonderful precursor of the two days ahead.  The haughty animal, disdainfully looked at us and slowly walked away into the jungle.  Here is where we let go of  our  daily electronic cocoons and freed ourselves to the joys of  simply being at one with nature.

The bridge and a hut at Reni Pani Resort...
...is a perfect example of being one with nature. Local material is used on the outside  to give a natural ambience to the dwellings and community areas. The passion of the owners in keeping this large resort in harmony with the jungle yet providing comfortable and modern amenities is evident in the smallest detail.  The lighting is dim, the construction has a forest flavour; we put wifi and TV on hold in this jungle retreat and enjoyed being there.  The resort plans a 'Satpura under canvas' hike which promises to be very different. The relative inaccessibility  of the this resort and park ironically, is what preserves them from commercialisation.

Birds at Reni Pani
are attracted by the water in the pool and the Arjuna tree nearby.  By sitting still and  silent in a shaded spot by the poolside with binoculars and camera, we saw a spectacle of birds. These Jerdon's Leaf Bird,  Spotted doves, Asian Paradise Flycatcher in brown phase and White-throated Kingfisher  were among the many birds we saw.  This is one of the few game parks where one is allowed to walk in the forest.  One has to be properly escorted by trained guides during such walks.  Reni Pani Resort has a detailed training program for its naturalists which enable them to lead such walks.

A Gaur comes to drink
at a waterhole, the patriarch, he gets the first  drink before the herd steps in and muddies the water.  The animal is muscular and majestic, irreverent of us watching and photographing  the herd.  It is very hot, it can go to 45 C, but we thought it is one of the best times to visit this forest as the heat separates the ogling easy tourists from the naturalist.  Water is scarce, and the animals come down to drink at the few waterholes that are still wet, this coupled with the scant leaf cover of dry vegetation makes for great photographic opportunities. 

Cubs and chicks abound
as this is spring and many animals and birds have young. We saw a mother Sloth Bear with two cubs clinging to her back at dusk and this young guy hitching a ride on his mother by day. This night-jar sat calmly  with her chicks while we photographed her. Drives in this Park are very enjoyable as one gets to see many animals and birds undisturbed by the herds of  vehicles that prevail in many of the other parks.  The fact that the fauna is not stressed by frequent visitors is plainly evident.  This park allows a mere 13 vehicles inside at a time, whereas in other parks it could be as many as 70.

Birds at the waterhole...
water is life here, literally.  Sitting still with patience at a waterhole is rewarding and allowed us to see many birds which we wouldn't otherwise  get a chance to see or photograph.  Of course it is important to respect the stress area of  these species driven to drink, despite what they perceive to be a risk to their lives.  The wild boar just would not drink while we were there, so we immediately moved away.  The naturalist with us, Erwin, is passionate about the local flora and fauna, apart from explaining what we see, he is very mindful of ensuring that we stay out of the circle of stress of the animals or birds.  Not only does he guide and protect us, but ensures we do not harm the fauna.  Reni Pani currently has a team of six naturalists.

As the sunsets over a waterhole
it is time to say goodbye to these wonderful denizens of the jungle.  While moving away from the waterholes too we saw many wonderful sights.
As the legendary photographer Ansel Adams said
“I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful — an endless prospect of magic and wonder.”
this is one of those places where we truly felt that deep joy of just being there.

Amboli - Dancing in the Rain

"life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass,
It's learning to dance in the rain."
 Amboli is a deluge in June, (it rains an average of seven metres per year) and coupled with lush forests, it is the ideal environment for a host of insects, amphibians and snakes. All celebrating the monsoon in their own way, quite literally singing, dancing, mating and eating in the rain. About an hour from Sawantwadi station on the Goa/Maharashtra border, probably the resort is protected by its inaccessibility as one can only get up by road. 

Room with a view
We stayed at Mrugaya, a small but very comfortable homestay run by Parag Rangnekar.  It has three rooms, very neat and clean, with a large verandah and sit out. The Parag is also a very talented nature guide with prodigious knowledge of the local flora, fauna and trails.  His patience and pleasant demeanour add to the experience. Eat at the many restaurants in the town, if you are non-veg the fish thali is particularly delectable and ....cheap. 

Nature's cycle

The monsoon in Amboli is a time of great amphibious activity, There are frogs and toads everywhere, they congregate around the tiniest of puddles in the forest, attracting mates and feeding. Though mainly in puddles, they also climb trees sitting on wet leaves and singing. I had been here last year, later in the season, and saw a very different stage in the lives of denizens of the forest.

The Malabar Gliding Frog is arguably the star of the show. This is the time for mating and they do so lustily.  A fountain in the forest department park nearby is a haven for this brilliant green and red frog. Many naturalists who come this time of year do so for the Malabar Gliding Frog, they are easily seen and the mating ritual is on.  They first mate, then foam and finally lay eggs in the slightly sticky foam, usually on leaves or trees.  

In full cry..
Every puddle, bush or tree has frogs calling in them, their chorus is jungle music, from tiny typewriter clicks, to guttural cries of the toads and the eerie, almost bird-like, call of the night frog or nyctibatrachus.  The pouring rain drains along the side of the road and into ponds and streams, each populated with its frogs or toads.  Most males have a vocal sac which gets distended when they call, some of them, like the one in the lower picture above, have two sacs.  This enables them to serenade prospective mates and make a sound far greater than their size would suggest.

Petitioning the Lord....
About 45 minutes from Amboli there is a very scenic and beautiful plateau, a vast expanse of laterite rocks, interspersed with grass and water bodies. The plateau is dominated by a solitary temple and the drive to the area is attractive in all seasons particularly monsoons and winter. On the way there the road meanders along a river, paddy fields, tracts of karvi plants and expanses of laterite rock.Towards the end of the monsoon, the entire area is carpeted with tiny flowers making a beautiful sight.

Tadpoles feeding
This is a time for fertility, and every puddle, even the tiny ones, are teeming with life.  These tiny tadpoles, barely the size of one's thumbnail are busy feeding in a roadside puddle. There are myriads of them, initially shy they would skitter away under water plants, however, they soon got used to our presence and continued their non-stop feeding. They need a constant food supply to enable them to be adult frogs before the end of the monsoon.

The Amboli Toad or Tiger Toad
Arguably unique to this area, particularly the plateau, the Amboli Toad is a timid but beautifully striped amphibian. Due to the limited geographic spread of this toad a special effort needs to be made to ensure it's preservation. One can see them almost at every step, from small juveniles to larger ones, the best place to see these beautiful creatures is around the water puddles in the laterite rock of the plateau.

Colourful rain protection
It rains very heavily at this time of year, almost a non-stop deluge with very brief  lulls in between. The wind too is violent, particularly in open spaces around the plateau. The locals make traditional rain protection from leaves, to which have been added a modern and colourful twist of plastic sheeting, the result is a dry and warm protection.  These ladies are herding buffaloes which are feeding off to the left of the picture.

The hunter and the hunted
Here is a leaf-nosed bat, a grasshopper on the laterite plateau and an inquisitive frog that climbed a stump to get a better view of us....  Amboli abounds in interesting nature, The entire food chain is beautifully existent, from the hunter to the hunted. Insects are plentiful, on them feed the frogs and others (geckos, calotes etc), these in turn are rich pickings for the snakes and bats. 

Snakes and scorpions
A herpetologists delight, the forest has many different types of snakes visible at this time of year. Drawn by an abundant food supply, This time we saw the Malabar Pit Viper in  (green and brown morph here)and the Green Vine Snake.  On my last trip I saw a catsnake envenomating a calotes (for a picture see my Flickr album The Eyes of Nature).  Scorpions too feed on the many small frogs, tadpoles and the insects found here.

Interesting insectsThere are insects of many shapes, sizes, colours and stages of their lives here. A walk in the scrub and ruins around is always rewarding in the beautiful sights and sightings. The rulers of Sawantwadi, the Bhosale's, have a decrepit summer home here, it is in ruins.  But in these ruins and forest around there are bats, geckos and many insects.   Sometimes just walking around the mansion and its grounds, imagining things as they would have been in their heyday, is therapeutic.

Rain...
As Dolly Parton famously said:
"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
It rains heavily in Amboli but it also offers a rainbow of colours, in its flora, fauna and seasons.  There is something for everyone all the time.

Karnala - Thumbs Up to the Nature World

Beacon to nature lovers and trekkers far and wide.
Located just off the National Highway Mumbai-Goa, the central basalt rock pillar of Karnala Fort, often referred to as 'Pandu's Tower', is visible from great distances. I saw it close while up in the air flying by in a helicopter, picture here. It was then I decided to climb the fort.

An encouraging 'Thumbs Up' 
Generally built on two levels, the landmark pillar is at the higher level of the fort which is at a strategic location guarding the Bor Pass.  It has changed hands many times and Marathas, Portuguese and the British have all in turn held this important fort. Today it is far more peaceful, beckoning birders, walkers and picknickers from afar.  There are two distinct aspects to Karnala, a climb to the fort itself and nature trails in the forests around.

The Climb
The trek to the fort starts at the forest office complex inside the park gates. It is about an hour's moderately stiff climb for the fit, an hour and a half for couch potatoes like me. Initially it is a vertical climb along a clearly discernable but very uneven path consisting of  steep steps, roots and boulders.  The walk is through thick forest in the lower reaches, part of the bird sanctuary where one sees a variety of birds and troops of langurs and macaques. 

Along the Ridge
After climbing uphill for a while, one reaches a pass, where the path turns right along the ridge to the north of the fort. The wily builders to the fort had ensured just one approach along a narrow ridge, this ensured that the attacker could not concentrate sufficient  troops to storm the fort, making it easier to defend.

Approaching the fort
The ridge is about a kilometre long, with beautiful views on both sides. While walking towards the fort one can see the dense forest of the sanctuary on the west (right) and the Patalganga river in the distance to the east (left). The path is not in good repair and large parts are cross-country rough terrain. The vegetation to both sides of the path has been burn by the forest department to 'manage' the growth.

Calotes
This calotes tries escaping the heat of the burning vegetation.The forest department takes great 'trouble' to keep the path clear, I saw an official, supervising a gang of labour who simply burnt the grass and small vegetation on the sides of the path.  Ever wonder why there is a constant haze everywhere?  This random burning doesn't care for the little animals and insects that are killed, the large living trees that are burnt and of course the possibility of the fire spreading.

At the main level
There are walls that denote structures of yore, but these seem more European in shape, possibly added on later by the Portuguese or British. The stories these stones could tell if they could talk!  These could be barracks for the defenders or powder magazines for the cannons.  The cannons deployed here could not have been very large as there seems to be no large path to get them up, also as is evident from the small embrasures in the walls.

An empty gate stares
Flanked by two trees, an empty gate opens out to what may have been the main approach to the citadel. There appears to be signs of a larger path below it, now unusable. Behind the gate are rock-cut cisterns.  Water was the lifeblood of these forts, and they had to have a sufficient stock of water to withstand long sieges of months or even years. These cisterns were rain fed or filled by springs.

Stairs to a lookout
These stairs go to a lookout at one end of the fort, there is a steep unguarded drop on either side. Most forts such as these based their defences on inaccessibility, the more difficult to climb or gather large forces, the easier to defend. So often the attacker had only one recourse, the siege, these lasted months or even years. 

Karnala Bird Sanctuary
The eponymous bird sanctuary, surrounds the base of the fort. The slopes are thickly wooded, providing residence to a variety of birds, insects and mammals. An early morning walk along the trails is a rewarding one, allowing glimpses of the denizens going about their daily lives.  Beware weekends, as a little later in the day, a very destructive species of the Great Indian Picnicker strikes these cool and silent forests. Throwing thermocole plates with gay abandon and catcalling, they quickly destroy the environment and solitude of these wondrous forests.

Forest Trails
There are many trails in the forest of the sanctuary, the longest takes about an hour of slow walking. One can combine trails, switch trails midway or do them sequentially. Some trails have grasslands and most have forests astride them.  Besides the ever present macaques and langurs, one can see a variety of birds and insects depending on the season.

Sunrise
My favourite time in the forest is when the sun rises, actually the sun rises behind the fort hence becomes visible in the sanctuary to the west much later. The rays are highlighted by the smoky haze of early morning inversion.  The effect is ethereal. 

Drop of gold
The sun backlights this dewdrop, the drop is so clear that it acts as a lens, reflecting the forest behind it. As the rays peep over the fort, they slowly percolate the forest canopy, warming plants, insects and birds. The best time to photograph insects is when they are slow before being warmed by the sun.

Breakfast
This is one of the best times to see birds as well as they are busy in their early morning feed or on tops of trees soaking in the sun. Here is a green bee-eater with a tasty grasshopper morsel. Behind is a sunbird, well ... sunning itself!

Salmon Arab Butterfly
Butterflies are plentiful, and as it gets warmer, they get more active, so go early for good pictures. On my many walks here, I have seen some amazing sights real close. It is nice to see the serious effort put in by the forest department in preventing litter  I hope it is not a losing battle, as unless we discipline ourselves, we shall end up neck deep in a pile of paper plates and plastic bottles.  Worse, I have seen birds snared in plastic bags and people feeding monkeys non-monkey food.

Lemon Pansy
I recommend spend a day going up to the fort and another half day walking the trails.  each has a lot to offer.  Don't miss breakfast and lunch at the little cafe inside the park, run as a cooperative by local ladies, they offer veg and non-veg food, both delectable.  The glutton in me orders the non-veg thali accompanied by the vegetable of the day, getting the best of both worlds. Spending a day or two, specially mid-week, in and around Karnala is a true communion with nature. 

The Fashionate Trekker

While trekking to the Valley of Flowers a few weeks ago, I met a mountain guide and we got chatting about matters outdoors.  When I commented on a trekker in his group, ill-equipped and ill-shod, slipping in the wet mud, his reply was so apt “trekking was earlier a passion, but now it has become a fashion”.  Here is my advice to the ‘fashionate’ trekker.

It is great to see many youngsters taking to the great outdoors, most of them truly enjoying nature and the ‘get-away-from-it-all’ feeling that a trek to a remote area offers. However there are many who are there just to say ‘been there, done that”, they waft through the experience, shrouded in their social cocoons, immune to the joys of smelling the roses on the way.

It is this category of trekker who is careless of the environment, who with a mindless flick will throw an empty bottle by the way, who will leave the detritus of his lunch amidst the flowers, who will trample over delicate terrain to take a selfie, who will play loud music over his cellphone. Mercifully, the numbers of this type of trekker is inversely proportional to the difficulty   in getting there. Hence places like easily reached Bharatpur abound in them (see my blog http://xerxespa.blogspot.in/2015/07/bharatpur-keladeo-national-park-tail-of.html) whereas the hordes reduce as the degree of difficulty increases, (treks to the VoF and Great Himalayan National Park separate the wheat from the chaff). In VoF I encountered a tour owner (partner?) who gave me a long discourse on the joys of nature and the wonderful photographs that he has taken in all seasons (all 400GB of them), all the while playing loud indi-pop music on his phone! May the planet be saved from the ravages of such a trekker or guide.



Then there is the trekker who knows not, and this is a very forgivable category.  He wants to go there, he wants to learn, and he is willing to try but has not been guided correctly. He is ill-equipped, wears the wrong shoes and is unprepared for most eventualities.  It is for him that I write this blog, a guideline on the planning and preparation for a hike or trek. Essentially there are two aspects of a trek: physical preparation and correct equipment.  I will briefly give pointers to both.

Physical fitness is vital if you want to go off the beaten track, to remote areas, hike for several days and live rough; you have to be in good physical condition to enjoy the experience. It is when you are physically in control that you truly enjoy the trek without having nagging aches and pains to distract you. There are many sites on the net that explain how to build up to optimal physical fitness prior to a hike, adopt any one and go for it. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of being physically fit.

Read up and be aware of the physical conditions of the area in which you intend to trek, carry suitable clothing and equipment for those conditions. Know how to deal with extreme cold or heat and how to minimize the effect on your body.

Guard very diligently against blisters on your feet, they can seriously cripple you. Learn how to avoid blisters and how to treat them before they become crippling. Good socks and well fitting shoes are the single most important prevention measure for blisters.

The next most important aspect is gear. Good (and not necessarily expensive) gear makes a trek so much easier. A friend of mine Aarish, does a great line of gear at his shop, Dreams, in Kodaicanal.  He is very knowledgeable on gear and will guide you well. Email him at: aarishsingh@gmail.com

Keep in mind the following tips on gear and packing:

• ·         Buy the best you can afford, particularly if you plan a lot of outdoor activity.
• ·         Buy the lightest and least for your needs, every gram is going to seem to weigh a lot more once you start walking.
• ·         Be prepared for the worst anticipated weather.
• ·         Contrary to common perception, wear clothes made of modern synthetics which dry quickly or wool, both retain insulation when wet. On the other hand cotton is the least versatile as it dries very slowly and loses insulation when wet with rain or sweat. There are many quick dry soft synthetics available in sports stores, go for them.
• ·         In your pack you must have at all times a spare set of socks and T-shirt, there is nothing worse for blisters than wet socks.  Whereas a wet T-shirt can quickly lead to hypothermia if the weather is cold.
• ·         Carry the least number of rechargeable electronic devices you can, this becomes important in remote locations away from power sources. Carry spare batteries instead.
•      The single most important gear is good quality and appropriate trekking shoes.  These are expensive, but if you are a regular outdoor enthusiast, there is no better investment.  Make sure they fit well, are worn in before a long trek and are preferably water resistant.

The second most important piece of equipment is a good rucksack/daypack.  Do not be over-ambitious in size, bigger is not necessarily better.  As the climb gets steeper, every extra gram is going to hang heavy. Learn how to wear a pack correctly; the weight must be on your hips and not your shoulders, this simple tip can change the way you trek.  Do not carry laptop bags slung low under any circumstances.

Other important equipment in no particular order is:

• ·         Water bottles and water-purification tablets.  I have personal experience when I tell you that no matter how clear a mountain stream looks, someone is surely defecating or urinating into it upstream.
• ·         Good rain wear is vital; it should be light and packable. A poncho in my opinion is better than a rain coat as it allows air circulation and protects other equipment.
• ·         A personal pocket kit on your person is a life saver, literally.  Better to make your own than buy it as it will contain better quality items more suited to your needs. To make one see my blog here:http://xerxespa.blogspot.in/2014/11/personal-pocket-kit.html
• ·         Carry a first aid kit appropriate to the activity you are going to engage in, the net offers great guidance on a suitable kit. Since I am not a paramedic, I carry common medicines for a headache, loose motions, allergy, muscle pain, anti-infection cream and band-aids.
• ·         A good torch with spare batteries must be on your list.  LED torches last much longer on one set of batteries.

Fitness and the right gear make for a very pleasant trek, allowing you to be in the moment rather than worrying about the blister developing on your feet. So what makes it worth it? As at the end of a long and  tiring trek, you round the bend and before you the magic of the mountains unfold in a panorama that immediately wipes your tiredness away. And an old mountaineers blessing: “ May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view”.