I went for a trekking, an experience which if I will try also I can’t forget…. The first thing which I was worried with trekking here in Chhattisgarh was not that I was lacking the right gadgets but the anti social elements in here… My friend cum colleague Mr. Vivek who is really brave, encouraged me a lot before getting started…. We started our trekking trip by 10AM which was suppose to be started by early in the morning, anyways early morning is something which we consultants hardly see…. So started with all bag packs with full of water and some horse food (nothing to be worried, it was Gram only), as the energy is always measured in HP (Horse Power) so better to get energized, always eat the food which Horse use to eat
Here in my company we are staying at guest house, the first mission tougher than trekking was to get an exit from the gate. To avoid any conversation (rather to call it argument) between the security and us, we carried all the possible identity proofs to pass through that rigorous checking of our identities…. Sometimes I wonder if security is so tight for general public, how come terrorists enters the places wherever they wanted to be, as u could hardly hear any terrorist being caught before executing what he wanted to… Fine, we were on our way to reach the gate without knowing where we are going till we found a decent guy to guide us for the places where we can go… He told a place near by called “Teepa Khol” where there was a lake and a mountain which we can trek on.
Now here I took out Vivek’s camera and was happy to see cyber shot… but it was "sher ki khaal me bhediya" and Olympus camera came out of the cybershot cover. There we took some photographs in front of the Astabal (Stable :- Place where horses are kept) Taking photo in front of it made us full of horse power for our upcoming adventurous trip. We took photo in front of our company’s chartered plane also which we were suppose to travel but dint get chance…. I know travelling in that old small chartered plane would be a bigger adventure than any of the trekking trips.
Finally we reached the gate and were ready to face all the questions which security guard could ask to allow us to go out, but to our wonder he treated us like we were some top officials of the company, thanks to the guard as he guided us with the route also…. Vivek carrying that heavy bag was making me feel tired, but he told he is use to it so I got relaxed and also it made sure that in future also I don’t need to carry it. We were on the way to Teepa Khol as we came across “Vermicompost” of our company… So guys here Vermicompost is nothing but decomposing organic waste by cultivating some bacteria in big tanks…
I needed to mention it because the way which we were going was the correct and the short one and unfortunately (later I will call it fortunately) we diverted towards this “Vermicompost” and ended up in front of a big hill… The more Vivek was excited the more I was afraid, as his excitement was defining the grade of the Hill. For those who don’t know the grades let me explain you in his language, Grade 1 (he dint explain me) Grade 2 (with rocks and flat surface, least hurt if u fall) Grade 3 (Slippery kind of flat surface) Grade 4 (Rock climbing very near to Tom Cruise doing it in MI2) Grade 5 (Please don’t ask, I am afraid even in defining… anyways it is trekking with ropes)….
So we asked a guy over there who told us to follow the road rather than going by the hill as there we will be caught by “Sungha” Vivek linked it with Lion or some wild animal and I linked it with anti social element…. But we both were wrong, it is thorns in the local language.. so we decided to go through the Hill.. The start of journey itself was through some dense grass and those Sungha got into our socks so well that there was no other option than to carry them along with us. Then we started climbing the Hill, every moment I was thinking of going back but Vivek was motivating me by saying that it is only Grade 2 Trekking, he has done even Grade 5….
I was feeling like somebody telling for a guy who has fallen from 4th floor that "Thank God he has not fallen from 10th floor, it could have been more worse". Anyways I got motivated in spite of never wanting to be. We reached a point where we found two ways, surely I would have suggested going back, as in such situations I opt for the easiest one, but Vivek did “Akkar bakkar” and got into one of them…. I had no other option than to follow him. We reached a Cave where I thought that vivek was right in linking Sungha with Lion… I started shivering and Vivek was entering the cave, but there was an idol of a god… I always wonder how people reach to top of any mountain and build a temple which is even difficult for people like me to think over…. But Indians are really brave when it comes to religion, they are the superpower….
We took few photographs there and had our first midway Gram there. I was still afraid looking at the cave. I gave camera to Vivek to capture my photo as I was going inside it worried and afraid praying that this should not be my last photo…. But Vivek has already certified the cave as danger free zone as he has already gone inside and checked. So here after we started again to reach the “Teepa Khol” which was still invisible to me….. I was praying that, like in Ramanand Sagar’s serials, god appears suddenly same way my Teepa Khol should also appear in front of me…. 
We had another break after climbing further meters… Breaks were the only thing I was enjoying that time… So we reached at the top of the hill now and to my surprise the lake was at the other end… We have to again get down the hill L I was thinking why the heck all the good places in this world are not easily reachable. I told Vivek to check whether I could get down the Hill with ease or not… In answer to that he again started explaining the Grade of the Hill. He made me feel like, I am a black spot on Guys, so to come out of that feeling I collected all my courage and started walking behind him without asking for the Grade of Hill anymore. While we were going down Vivek climbed a very steep rock and like a very good photographer I took his photo, but soon I realized that I need to go for his help as he was unable to locate a perfect grip to keep his foot.
Now finally we could see the small water fall from top and a small road leading to Teepa Khol… My eyes started glowing as I have seen signs of mankind. We were only few meters away from the road on the Hill, we found dense grass to cross from. I could hear only the voice of water falling but could not see anything… We opted for one way which was leading towards the noise coming. The decision was correct and I got onto the road jumping from that dense forest. There was a guy who was concentrating on something till he found me appear from no where. He has shown mixed reaction of anxiety and shock….
I dint find it suitable asking him the route to teepa Khol, as I was thinking that he would surely ask me for some “Vardaan” thinking me as some “Yaksha” from old mythological serials…. So we took some photographs there, not for ourselves but to make him sure that we are also from the same planet… We followed the way and reached to a place where we could hear some water flowing and following that sound we reached a small water fall… We both jumped into it. You know we people living in Metros don’t know what wonders nature can do, this thing I realized only after getting into that cold stream of water and my all tiresome vanished.. 
I was again fresh and was ready to do the same kind of trekking if somebody offers me to do. We roamed around the place and found it very beautiful for our so called “Daroo Party” So it’s the time to start back and we took the route which normal public was coming from. It was a straight road came in front of our company gate in 15 minutes walking…
I was thinking why the heck, people take longer and tougher path when they have an easier one….. So thinking all the way, I made my mind to write it on paper and share it with all of you. We decided that it is not the end, let us make it a beginning of our adventure trips in Raigarh…. I think Vivek started loving the place, so me too….Here by I am extending my thanks to my dear friend Vivek who has helped to make that treking such a wonderful event.
Sunil Morwal.
