Monsoon trek in Kabbinale forest - Life is calling!

We disappeared into the thick jungle even before the sun could rise for the day. The chilly breeze, the thundering waters gushing in the river, and the trees dancing to the tunes of the heavy wind indicated the perfect season to do a monsoon trek. We were all set to explore this pristine forest of Kabbinale were the rains don’t end, where the clouds rub your shoulders, where the grasslands befall your trail, where mighty natural beauty greets tiny humanity.

After negotiating with the bushes and thorns we made our initial hike crossing the stream, penetrating into the thick woods, soon to be lost in the thick and sloppy ridges of the Kabbinale forest grasslands. It was a pleasure walking on the ridges overlooking the beautiful streams unfolding as waterfalls. That astonishingly beautiful and breath-taking sight combined with the soothing breeze tickled my senses and made me realise – “if there is something called ‘beauty’, it has to admire this forest; if there is something called ‘delight’, it has to get some glee from this forest; if there is something called ‘life’, it has to know what that really means after traversing through this creation. The grass, the flowers, the leaves, the roots, the droplets, the tiny insects and even the shade of that little lovely flower had life flourishing here.”

The encounters I had during my trek inside this pristine forest have given sleepless nights and dreams about the ‘life’ which emanates from here. The fresh water direct from the sky, the magical clouds engulfing the entire forests and peaks, the smell of the lemon grass, the mammoth peaks piercing the sky, the spanking fresh grasslands – how will I ever mind the little leech sucking my blood when I am lost in the beauty of nature, when my mind is filled with unbound glitter, when I am not able to differentiate between the forest and me. It’s a feeling of not being close to nature but being part and parcel with nature. A unique experience, and my words fall short to describe it.

A delightful encounter above the clouds:

The non-stop hike through the ridges took us to some of the magnificent peaks while the bone-chilling breeze ripping us apart gave us a sense of absolute ecstasy. The wind-blown peaks and the incessant rains – I loved them both, for they made me realise how my mind and soul were badly craving for this occasion. The open grasslands, the beautiful mountain humps surrounding me, the milky clouds swallowing the green valley, the supernatural fog emanating from the thick woods of Shola forest, the soothing drizzles making me feel alive, the melody of the birds mesmerising my soul. The honest portion of my heart prayed to shed my body here to fly with the clouds and sing with the birds forever.

A bone-chilling night deep inside the Shola forests:

I didn’t event realise that it was time to break for the day, so immersed was I in the trekking; I was in a state of complete ‘ecstasy’, if I was to define a word for that state of mind. The thin sunlight which managed to enter the forest slowly faded away, giving way to the thundering clouds and the heavy downpour, and soon we realised that camping near the open grasslands or near the peak would be quite challenging.

We quickly wrapped our bags and moved into the dense Shola forests, the thick woods becoming our tents to guard us from the rain, wind and the thunder. The whole night I kept listening to the thunder, the different sounds emanating from the trees, the insects and the birds. I loved them all to the extent that I even had a few leeches sticking to my body; probably they too loved me the way I liked the forest.

All the beauty in this world will admire you, all the freshness in this planet will cherish you, all the life in the universe will respect you, all the mountains in the globe will love you, all the grasslands in the earth will envy you, and all the clouds in this cosmos will long to visit you. You are the soul and source of life’s existence. You are the incredible Kabbinale forest.

Trekking through Donigal green route:

Cutting across the thick jungles of the Western Ghats from Sakleshphur to Kukke is the green route railway track trekking. This was the best time of the year to trek in this place with the misty clouds engulfing the tracks and the swollen river roaring on the side. Tunnels, tracks, rain, thick forests, river, peaks, breathtaking views and greenery – my mind was busy allowing all these spectacular views to sink inside me. The most delightful part of this trek was the waterfalls gushing from the mountain and dropping on the track. I was simply awe-struck with the feeling of that refreshing water on my body.

My soul was desperately crying to shed its body and become part of this forest. But unlucky that I am, I am back in this lifeless city.