Ramagiri : North Face

Puttur: four RLTs rolled into one, says PRINCE FREDERICK

GOING ON the whim that heading northwards out of Chennai would lead me to an RLT, I find myself in what is loosely called the Puttur range of hills, about 100 km away, rarely visited, hidden like a turtle in its shell. I stop at Ramagiri (75 km from Chennai), a small, run-of-the-mill village, and ask for directions to a peak that protrudes from the surroundings like a camel's hump.

The locals do not climb this odd but beautifully crested peak, except during November and December to bring up a religious flame. Now and then adventure-seekers from Chennai do attempt to reach the top. Apparently, the narrow serpentine pathway provides a challenging trek and the shady vegetation that lines the pathway encourages these tourists to undertake it.

I am tempted to play Tenzing and succumb without much ado. A good distance up the hill, my guide volunteers an unsettling piece of information — that bears and pythons are part of the wildlife here. I have half a mind to retrace my steps but decide to go on.

Uphill, the landscape takes on some of the qualities of a forest — thick vegetation and the whir of ubiquitous insects. However, a little over three hours later, I am forced to call off the assault of the peak for reasons of insufficient time.

What would I have been rewarded with had I gone the distance? The remains of a hilltop shrine and, of course, the high that one derives from completing a difficult undertaking.

Brooks, pools and falls

Promising myself that I will some day claim these rewards, I take the 18-km route to Konai falls, which is considered the best that the Puttur range has to offer. As waterfalls go, Konai doesn't exactly gush with the effusion one might expect, but the trick is to scour the surrounding hills, which are replete with murmuring brooks and plunge pools.

With the help of a local, I walk along streams that play hide-and-seek, losing my footing on crags that have been smoothened by the constant caress of water. Broken bottles strewn here and there provide sobering evidence that these hills are not as unexplored as I had imagined.

Between Konai Falls and Ramagiri lies Pichatur. My decision to stop here has been shaped by a colleague's description of this town as the site for a water-filled dam that is ringed by hills. The hills are there at a distance, but where is the water? Except for two small patches, the Araniar reservoir, which has put Pichatur on the map, is dry as a bone. If you remove the Ramagiri Hills which forms the backdrop, the picture is quite dreary.

Different purposes

The adventure for the day is not over. At Periyapalayam, I swerve and swish down the Vengal-Seethangeri Road, which runs parallel to the Puttur Road. Although Vengal and Seethangeri come under the care of the Forest Department, they serve different purposes. Vengal, dotted with rosewood and eucalyptus trees, is a means of revenue generation. Seethangeri is a thick jungle that has been left alone for the creatures of the air to roost and nest.

I bivouac beside the peaceful arbours of Vengal and hoof around Seethangeri, filling my scribble-pad with the names of birds.

On my way back, I cannot help thinking of Newton's words: "A great guess can

lead to a great discovery." And mine has led me to not just one, but four.

All in a single day.

How to get there: All Puttur-bound and most Tirupati-bound buses will take you to these destinations. However, driving your own vehicle is a better alternative.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/10/09/stories/2004100900280100.htm