I came across this group recently and joined their mailing list. Soon I realized that this was an enthusiastic group of trekkers. Most of the treks they organize are filled up within a few days. Even before I could figure out what treks are organized, the waynaad trek was already closed for registration. I picked this one randomly, as this was organized by Peter, the groups founder, chairman and commander-in-chief!!
I asked the organizers to let me join them if there were any cancellations. They usually have a waiting list too, so chances were very remote. After initially refusing, they agreed on the ‘if any cancellations on the last minute’ part. And it so happened that there were cancellations and I got a seat.
Arun was the organizer from bangalore, we were joined by Vinod Roy. The three of us were to reach salem and join the main group coming from chennai. We were supposed to carry night food for the chennai group. At salem we met Vinod varghese one of the core organizer for this trek. We finished our dinner in salem and got food for the rest of them.
The total count was somewhere around 63, with some joining us at calicut. 
We had to get food for some 50 odd people.
We were headed towards calicut from where busses were arranged to pick us up and tranport us to the base camp. The trek was misnamed as waynaad trek, it had nothing to do with waynaad and its chembra peak. The trek was headed towards vellarimala(1800m) and vavulmala (2200m). The mission was to capture the highest peak.
At salem it was quite a reunion for the folks who had already met each other in some other treks. Some were very keen on the food and it shifted hands within minutes 
We landed up on calicut exactly on time, only one bus had come. There was lot of enthu and group photos were taken after we all squatted right there, just outside the railway station. We had to wait for ‘10 minutes’ before the other bus would come. That ‘10 minutes’ status never changed for next couple of hours. Someone discovered a hotel inside the station that served yummy upma. Soon the crowd started thining over the next 20 minutes and the upmas were getting over very quickly. Finally when the bus arrived, the organizers had to pull people out of the hotel 
. Me and VR (vinod roy), downed 2 plates of upma and a by two Tea. We slept off during our journey to the base camp. Somewhere (I’m bad with names of places) we stopped for breakfast, so that people who didnt get to taste the upma could eat something. I felt it strange to see that almost the entire group was hogging! Guess the reason was that during the trek we were supposed to be on ration for food!! 
Conversation revolved around treks people have been to and what they experienced. There was very few questions about where one works and the sort. The bus soon stopped unable to ascend the narrow roads further. We gave up on the bus and decided to walk our way to the base camp. The food was distributed: maggi, soup, some fruits, rusk, squeeze jams, pickles, some parathas and even sweet polis. The basecamp was a someone’s place, it was small. We dumped excess luggage and started on the trek right away.
We walked quite some distance through farms before entering the forests. The plants were becoming taller around us and the path was becoming narrower. Soon we were deep into the forest and our trail was taking us 
higher up with each step. Walking on sliding stones, jumping or climbing over fallen trees was quite tiring mainly because of the steep climb, and we were sweating like crazy. Our first long break was at olichuchattam falls. The water was running down an inclined yet steep face of the mountain. We could not reach the water from this place. The guide told us that we can reach the falls from further up.
After walking for somemore time we reached the top from where the falls 
started. Most took quick baths in the spine chilling waters
Taking enough breaks we managed to reach our base camp before the sunset. The guide insisted on us camping even further up, closer to the water, but we liked the place and Peter decided that we’d camp right ther
A camp fire was started with huge logs brought from the woods. Reaching the water was a problem we had to trek 
for 15mins downhill to reach the water point. We collected enough water for the night’s cooking. By this time the mist started settling down and the place was becoming cold.
Our cooks settled down and started with soups. There were all kinds of soup packets so they selected tomato soup. But soon we figured out that it was not 
enough, a lot more soup and even more soup was prepared People kept drinking soup and came for more. Finally maggi preparation started. The first pot of maggi was over within a minute, it took almost 20 minutes for the water to boil and the noodles to cook
More maggi, more maggi, more maggi and even more maggi. Every grumbling stomach was put to rest . People rested around the fireplace, some went to sleep. There was a group that had brought chicken and were happily roasting it. I was too tired to wait and taste it, went to sleep. Next day morning I heard that it wasnt cooked well and a lot was wasted. I dont know if that’s the truth or a story told to avoid jealous looks
Next day morning we finished our early morning responsibilities, (Real Freedom ) and started on the trail to reach vavulmala. 
My knees for some reason gave way and started paining like crazy. It was the same pain I got during my trek to himachal, and I forgot to take my knee gaurds 
I was limping soon and the guide scared me saying that the remaining trek to the peak (about 300m) was quite tedious and suggested that I stay back with him. He was going back to the base camp. It was extremely disappointing for me, I knew that all I needed was a few hours rest and I should be ok, but I cant delay the entire group. So with huge disappointment, I agreed to return back to the base with the guide.
He took to me a rocky viewpoint nearby and we sat there for about an hour. The first group appeared further up on the way to the peak as tiny tots, with my 18-55mm lens, I could not snap them. We reached base camp and I slept for a while. On the way the guide was talking to me in malayalam about his ‘great achievements’ in the forest, about sandeep who’s blog had got all the attention to vellarimala and how he served his customers. I guess he had never seen a big crowd as our group, so he was quite skeptical. I soon realized that I just had to say ‘hehehehe’ and let him do all the talking, otherwise he thought I didnt understand ‘becos of my poor understanding of malayalam’ and start explaining the whole thing again
Later I heard from the group that the climb to the peak was nothing at all, they had reached the peak in less than 2 hrs and had spent a good 1 hour on the peak before returning back!!! I guess, it was in written that I shouldnt be able to reach the peak, given that I twisted my angle and had to work on it for an hour, to get it back into shape on the day of travel.
Since mission vavulmala was completed in less than expected time, there was confusion about what to do next. Three ideas floated and there were supporter for all the three. One group wanted to trek to all nearby view points, another wanted to stay back and rest, yet another wanted to trek down and reach the water falls. In the middle of all the confusion I decided to join with the group treking down. So you will not find any notes about what happened to the other two groups…
I should thank Cherian, who help me a lot during the trek down. Initially he moved along with me sweeping the group. He later insisted on carrying my backpack so that there is less stress on my knees. He carried my luggage for
half the journey while the pain killer tablets I took were trying hard to kill the pain. Someone lent me their walking stick, and I really felt taken care of in this group. I just had myself to curse for forgetting my knee gaurds!!
The way down was extremely treacherous as the sand and rocks just kept on slipping down. Most of the people had to either run down and sit and slide slowly. We were worried about reaching the base before it became dark otherwise treking in the dark would be the only option left. Treking in the dark is fun but with people dead tired, it was the last thing one wanted. Some folks in the group were cursing the guide saying that he was taking us through a bad path
Half way down the trek, we crossed a small stream. The first set that came to this stream was happily bathing. By this time my pain killers had started working and I was able to walk better. I felt relieved to be able to carry my own backpack
Our camping site was a rocky clearing, sloping down, just next to a gushing stream. It was a wonderful place to camp. Our cooks were generous with MTR ready to eats and soups to drink. But some grumbling stomachs still needed maggi
Next day morning we took bath in the falls, someone had discovered while exploring upstream. A neat 15 feet falls with cascading water, was amazing to 
just look at. The water was extremely cold, but who cared. There were couple of deep, deep circular pits. Must have been the force of the water in raining season that created these pits. We were careful not to slip into the abyss while having all the fun. Our kind cooks had made black tea. After a bath the tea was really wonderful to have.
Our group packed up and started moving in small sets. Suddenly we see Vinod varghese and his friend cruising down. We were curious to know what time they had started, since it was only 830am, and if the remaining group had already come. The two of them had left earlier so as to make the return arrangements.
Our group started the downhill trek to reach basecamp. Our set was the last, we were extremely slow taking 
photos here and there, getting lost and walking further down to reach the trail, it was all fun. Nobody complained.
Soon we saw the first batch of the remaining group that camped uphill overnight come down with a vengeance They were literally running down. so we let them past us.
Shankar and me were walking precariously slow. After reaching the village we walked and walked and walked and walked, there was no sign of the base camp. We walked even further wondering if we had really walked all this way when going uphill. May be we were excited at that time or may be we are lost this time…
And finally we decided to ask some locals. They were helpful in terms of saying that some people with backpacks walked this way… We were on the right track…. and would have walked hardly 10ft, we saw the base camp
There was supposed to be a small stream behind the house, we treked there and took bath. There was a small fall less than 3 ft high but the water falling on the body felt like “nature-cure” massaging. Someone remarked, “you are limping but still going everywhere…”. I missed the peak, didnt want to miss anything else
After changing clothes and getting back our dumped items, we started towards the meeting point to board the bus. I turned around and saw the mountain standing tall and proud, said to myself “I will be back”; thought I heard the mountain say “Oh no! not a crowd again”… Thinking of how the trekkers were hogging, there could be a reason for the mountain to say so
Waiting for the last group to pack up and some confusion on which way to take delayed our departure by a few of hours as the groups was stranded between two meeting points
We were extremely hungry and stopped at the same hotel where we had breakfast on the first day, to have lunch. People were eating and eating and eating. The ice creams were over, the juices were almost over. Non-veg went out of supply, more veg food had to be cooked!!
The bus journey was a good to pick up some sleep, almost everybody slept. We reached Calicut station in the evening, with 
quite sometime for the chennai folks to catch their train. Bangalore group decided to reach the calicut beach, soak in the sunset and then get the bus to bangalore later that night.
A wonderful sunset, an extremely funny, picky, poky 
conversation on the beach, followed by a nice dinner got us ready for a good sleep in the bus. The next thing we were aware of was that we were already inside bangalore and the trip had come to an end.
Peter sent a mail saying that another trip will be planned, this time taking the path along the stream. I decided that that I’ll be part of that.
