MATHAPALLE TREK 2022

On a bright Saturday afternoon, we started our bus journey towards Mathapalle( a village on the way to Karim Nagar near the Mallanna Sagar Dam), our camp stay for the next 24 hours. Being a troupe of 20 kids ranging from 9-year-olds to 17, it was quite an interesting and thrilling experience for us! We entertained ourselves by playing games, singing songs, chitchatting and finally reached our destination after 2 hours. We were welcomed at the campsite by  Bharathi Mam and Ajith Sir from Team Trekkenture. The campsite was right in the wild with huge rocks and bushes around.

We started with a quick orientation and then had a yummy lunch sitting on the rocks away from comforts. We got divided into two groups and played treasure hunt where the treasure was the tents we had to pitch, we learnt how to pitch a tent and that's a skill for a lifetime now.

We then freshened up and started our trail out in the forest area full of energy. We first spotted a few age-old rock paintings which apparently date back to 4000 BC. We then saw a rock which is known as a burger rock, as it has 3 layers of rock structure and is covered by greens just like a burger in the monsoon.

As we passed by we saw many birds like the bul bul's, kingfishers, coppersmith barbets and many more. The coppersmith barbet is known for its chirp which resembles the sound of a coppersmith hitting copper with a hammer and we were lucky enough to hear that chirping. We even spotted a weaver birds nest.

Trekking in a completely rocky terrain like this was so much fun and challenging at the same time. Getting onto the boulders, finding the right grip and position and moving forward through the thorny bushes was quite a task and interesting at the same time. The views from above were worth all of it.

We learnt about many species of trees and also got to know about ghost trees which are nothing but trees with natural whitebark, they look like a ghost in white clothes at the night. We trekked through this extremely steep Rock with the support of a rope and that was a new and interesting experience for all of us. We came across this beautiful lake on our path. Its fresh and cool breeze made us all re-energised. We even spotted some peacocks and peahens and were lucky enough to find some of their feathers as well.

Another interesting part of this trail was the cave-like structure we had to pass through, it was this narrow path just enough for one person to pass through, surrounded by rocks on all sides, with a little gap for sunlight to enter. It was similar to a cave and all of us enjoyed passing through that. We then enjoyed a beautiful sunset from up above relishing our evening snacks.

Then we started our trek downhill. As the sun has set by then, we all had our torches and were descending vigilantly over the rocks and thorny bushes. We finally reached our campsite tired. We relaxed for a while listening to the story of Trekkenture, our trip organisers. It was pitch dark all-around and we could see so many glow worms upon the trees. It was a really beautiful sight. We then gazed at the night sky through the telescope. We saw Jupiter and then we saw the moon, all the structures and craters on it were clearly visible and it was just so beautiful and mesmerising.

We played a lot of games later which tested our concentration, focus, balance and team working skills. Then was our dinner by the campfire and under a sky full of stars.

A SKY FULL OF STARS is such a rare sight in our concrete jungle lives and I'm so grateful I got to experience that here. Pitch dark sky with stars all around shining bright, it's a sight that everyone needs to experience. I wish I had words to express the beauty I saw that night. Watching the sky brought peace and made me truly happy.

We then gathered around the campfire, sang, danced, mimicked each other and did a lot of other things. After a soulful and wholesome day, we finally went off to bed in our camps.

We woke up early in the morning the next day, got out of our camps and breathed fresh air out there. It was so chilly with a fresh breeze. We all got ready for a walk through the village. We passed through paddy fields, spotted a lot of birds yet again. We then visited an age-old rock temple that has these rocks and pillars that are believed to be sacred by the villagers for various reasons.  We walked back to our campsite and had our breakfast.

We played a few more games again which tested our agility, wandered around among the rocks, did kite flying for a while. And then came the time to bid goodbye!

We all packed our bags and gathered around to discuss our memories of the trip, we received our gifts from team trekkenture and then started our journey back home with a truckload of memories and learnings.

Adventure trips always teach us so many things in addition to all the beautiful memories that they give and this trip is no exception. 

We were all away from all sorts of electronic gadgets for 24 hours and it's a much-needed break from being glued to the screens all day.

Adjustment, readiness to work in a team, understanding situations and acting as needed at the moment, every adventure trip teaches you all this. And these are the skills we need in every walk of life. Overall personal development with a lot of enjoyment is what these trips offer to us.

We were out there in the wild away from all our comforts. Living in tents, using makeshift washrooms( cleanliness and hygiene weren't compromised though), there was no electricity as well, all the lights we had were only solar ones. Living like this teaches us to adapt to any kind of situation and not be very adamant about our comforts. 

We always have a different kind of bond with people we go on adventure trips like this with. We understand each other better and be there for each other throughout the camp. We learn to take care of ourselves and those around us too.

One thing to keep in mind whenever we go out in the wild like this is that we are the visitors there and the wildlife and trees are the owners and we should respect that. We all made sure not to litter over there and thanks to team trekkenture for making arrangements for the same.

A getaway like this away from our city lives was needed for all of us and we enjoyed it thoroughly. Nature always makes my soul happy and at peace and this trip was no exception. The picture of the starry night will be etched in my memory forever.

A big Thank you to team Trekkenture for organising this camp for us and taking care of us. Looking forward to many more trips like this🤗.

Here are their socials- Trekkenture

People interested in offbeat treks and adventures, surely check them out.

I'm so grateful for all the amazing moments I spent with my friends here, I surely got to know some of them much better. Grateful for the amazing beauty of nature that it has treated us to, they're etched in my memories.

Thank you for reading!

I love travelling and love writing about my experiences even more so yes, many more travelogues in the coming years.