Dusty TrailsRunning . Biking . Adventure

Vol. 1. No. 1 November 2011For Private Circulation Only

Rock StarPranesh Manchaiah

Reliving the Kaveri Trail Marathon

Bangalore UltraIt’s tougher this time.

Are you?

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November 2011>2 Dusty Trails

Heart for runningRunning is for everyone. Among those who prove this adage is T Raj (left), a member of the Nike Run Club. The 61-year-old had an open-heart surgery three years ago, but continues to surprise doctors by running regularly. “I was running the 5K event at the Sunfeast World 10K when I got severe chest pain and somehow made it to the finish line,” he says. “I was rushed to a hospital and was operated upon. Doctors advised me against running, but I run three to four km every day,” he says. Isn’t he worried about defying medical advice? “My family is scared, but I’ve become stronger now,” says the defiant runner.

Meanwhile, VR Beedu, the veteran athletics coach who handles the Nike Run Club that has introduced running to scores of first-timers, is happy with the turnout every Saturday. The coach believes over 2,000 fresh runners have enrolled at the NRC in its four years at the Kanteerava Stadium, providing a fillip to the running revolution in India.

Climbing for a causeNational climbing champion N Shiva Linga turned eco-activist in Bangalore recently, opposing the cutting down of trees on the scenic Sankey Road stretch by climbing a tree and staying up there for 27 hours. Shiva’s courage and determination did help the campaign, and work on broadening the Sankey Road stretch seems to be suspended.

Biking legend in townThe mountain bike legend, Hans Rey, was in Bangalore in early October to inaugurate India’s first ever concept cycling store ‘Coffee and Cycles’.

‘Coffee and Cycles’, launched by Track and Trail in association with Opus Cafe, offers its customers a place to view and buy international bikes and a place to meet fellow riders.

D Raghuram, President TI Cycles of India said: “We, at TI Cycles, are proud to be the first Indian company to launch a brand concept store like Coffee and Cycles in India which will provide a meeting point for cycling enthusiasts and veterans to come together and share their experiences, expertise and explorations.”

Rey, a former trials riding world champion and showman, later treated bikers to some of his stunts. Nicknamed ‘No Way’ Rey because of his seemingly impossible bike stunts on the edge of buildings and boulders, the German is probably the most high-profile stunt biker to visit India, and marks the country’s new honeymoon with extreme biking.

Coffee and Cycles, No.4, 5th Main Road, KR Garden (Opp. NGV Indoor Stadium), Koramangala, Bangalore. Visit www.trackandtrail.in.

DUSTY TRAILS is an indie magazine that seeks inspiration from the sports it covers.

Our focus will primarily be on running, biking and adventure. Indians are accomplishing amazing feats in these sports, and it is time to document and pay tribute to some of them. Sumanth Cidambi completed the 250K Atacama Crossing in March and heralds a new age for Indian endurance athletes. Similarly, athletes like Anu Vaidyanathan, Mohit Oberoi and Samim Rizvi have become trailblazers.

During my on-off career as a sports writer with several newspapers, I was often asked by climbers and runners why their efforts weren’t being recognized by mainstream media. I couldn’t offer a satisfactory answer. Economics was one explanation, but that doesn’t quite suffice. A champion climber is a true sportsman – why then is he not recognized on par with other sportsmen? Likewise, a 100K runner is achieving no mean feat, but there is little mention of his gigantic effort in the morning papers.

DUSTY TRAILS hopes to fill his vacuum. We will cover running, biking and adventure activity in India, provided it falls within the ambit of sports, not a leisure trip or a fun safari. Although we will accommodate city races and wall climbing, I must admit that we are partial to non-urban spaces which remind us of the origins of it all.

Dev S Sukumar dustytrails76@gmail.com

What this is about…

Do not trash. Let’s conserve paper. When you’re done reading, pass this on to a friend or place in a public reading space. For any editorial or advertising enquiries, mail dustytrails76@gmail.com or call: 09611833630.

November 2011 >3Dusty Trails

DUSTY TRAILS attended a mock run and did a recce of the course on October 29. A hundred runners were

at the mock run, and most believe the course is tougher than the previous year, for it is more uneven and hardly offers any tree cover.

“There isn’t any tree cover, unlike the earlier Ultras,” says the prolific KP Suresh, who will run his fourth Bangalore Ultra. “This is tougher than the KTM because of the uneven nature of the trail. There are bumps in the trail, and you can trip on it and sprain your ankle. You’ll be sunk if the weather’s hot. Last year it was very hot because there was no cloud cover. The 100K guys will have it tough.”

Triathlete Shashi Kumar of Travel Mantra says the frequent curves in the trail can kill your rhythm. Shashi, who ran 37K last year and is planning on a 50K this year, says the sharp turns can test your resolve. “In last year’s course, you could see 3km ahead, so you could stay in rhythm,” he says. “But here, there are lesser straights, and very little tree cover too. The return leg is mostly uphill, and that adds to the difficulty.”

Hesaraghatta, on the outskirts of Bangalore where the Ultra will be held, is an arresting landscape because of its vast grassland, untypical of anything in this part of the world. Spread over 340 acres, the grassland is a birder’s paradise, and hosts several endemic

and migratory species. Unfortunately, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), in an ill-advised move to ‘green’ Bangalore, has been planting hundreds of trees, digging up the grassland and planting saplings. Environmentalists are furious at the project, for it would disturb the topography of this unique habitat.

It has been raining lately, and there are several parts of slushy earth and loose pebbles. The early part of the run is along a narrow

path cut in the grass. After about 3K, it widens into a road large enough for a tractor. The last part of the 6.5K stretch is again narrow and slushy. Rain might please the runners, but it can add to the difficulty underfoot.

The numbers: 12.5K (187 runners) / 25K (485 runners)/ 37.5K (123 runners)/ 50K (173 runners)/ 75K (40 runners)/ 100K (32 runners)

Start times: 100K and 75K: 5am/ 50K and 37.5K: 6am/ 25K and 12.5K: 7am

It’s tougher this time. Are you?

Dusty Trails takes no responsibility for the events mentioned here. Events are listed according to their websites. Please check details before registering for these runs or programmes. If you wish to list your programmes, mail dustytrails76@gmail.com. You are also welcome to send us details of any forthcoming event so that we may preview it.

RUNNINGBangalore Ultra: Nov 13Visit: www.bangaloreultra.com

Airtel Delhi Half Marathon: Nov 27Visit: http://www.procamrunning.in/adhm/application_form.php

SBH Hyderabad 10K: Nov 27Visit: www.hyd10k.com

Gandhinagar Half Marathon: Dec 4 Lions Garba Ground, Ch-3, GandhinagarVisit: http://gandhinagarhalfmarathon.com/

Midnight Marathon: Dec 10Organised by Rotary Bangalore IT CorridorContact: 99801 88938/ 99164 63625

Goa River Half Marathon: Dec 11

Contact: Sarvesh 9923892918 or Zina 9850466039

Kennedale Classic Half Marathon and 5K: Dec 10Visit: www.kennedaleclassichalf-marathon.com or call 817-929-9856.

The 4th Gurgaon Running And Living Marathon and a Half: Dec 18 Visit: http://runningandliving.com/Gurgaonmarathonandahalf/

Panchkula Running And Living Cross Country Half Marathon: Jan 8, 2012 http://merchandise.runningandliving.com/running-panchkula.aspx

ADVENTURE

One More Mile: Jan 28, 29 (2012)A two-day Residential Festival celebrating adventuring and exploring

opportunities for individuals, corporate and families to discover life off the beaten path and celebrate outdoors.

Adventure Races/ Eco Adventure/ Fringe / Extreme Sports/ Wilderness Survival / Orienteering / Learn Adventure / Mud Wrestling / Camping Email: sumit@landairwater.inCall: 9920546007

SkydivingTeam Waltair is organising a weekend of Sky Diving Camps. In case you missed out on previous calls for registrati on, please visit www.escapade-thrills.com.Venue: Dhana, Off Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.Camp days: Fridays-SundaysCall them on 09329723633 for details.

Skydive in New Zealand!Rangitata Island Aerodrome is a small airfield located on Rangitata Island, halfway between Timaru and Ashburton, and is home to the Skydiving Kiwis. Situated right next to Rangitata River, this beautiful part of South Canterbury has everything you need for the ultimate skydiving experience. The Rangitata River borders the airfield and runs all the way up into the Majestic Southern Alps, scenes in the distance can include Big and Little Mt Peel, the Four Peaks mountain range and even the peak of Mt Cook from 3000 ft (weather permitting).Contact: Skydiving Kiwis Ltd.0800 359 549, Visit: skydivingkiwis.com

Poornima, a participant in the Mock Run of the Bangalore Ultra Pic: Dev S Sukumar

The Bangalore Ultra will see over a thousand runners this time round, on November 13. They should be prepared for a course that is the toughest set in the five-year history of the event

November 2011>4 Dusty Trails

Rock Star

IT HAD been a long, eventful night, and so it was a surprise to see Pranesh up so early. He looked pensive, staring at the

rocky hillocks not so far away, and readily flashed a smile when he spotted me. It was New Year’s day, 2011, and the previous night had been a mixture of celebration and some trouble. Everybody had slept late and nobody was awake yet – except Pranesh, that is.

The previous evening, he had dazzled the night crowd with his fire poi skills, swirling the flaming balls expertly, inches from his face, and playing them around between his legs, with the same fearlessness and comfort that he exhibits on the slackline or easing his way up boulders.

But then, as climbers go, Pranesh is one of a breed.

“He’s never been scared,” says ‘Rambo’ Ravi, who has done several multi-pitch climbs with Pranesh during the days when that was more popular than wall climbing. “He’ll take any challenge, he’ll take the risks, and he’ll commit to the moves. We’ve done several tough routes in Ramnagaram, Savanadurga and Turhalli. He’ll never give up – he’ll say he’s tired, but then he will make 20 more attempts.”

Today, ‘Prani’ is a sought-after instructor with NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), and spends several months a year in the US and the Himalayas. It has been a terrific journey for a boy who was born in Mandya (a small town between Bangalore and Mysore), lost his parents early, and had to do a series of odd jobs just to survive in Bangalore.

Pranesh lost his parents to cancer when he was barely out of his teens. His brother brought him to Bangalore for his PUC. “It was very challenging to live without my parents,” he recalls. “I didn’t have a place to stay in Bangalore. I stayed with friends in a room. I did my graduation like that.

“I did my PUC and graduation, and I had to take care of myself. I started to do small

Rock StarPraNesh MaNchaiah is rock climber, slackliner, runner and fire

poi artist. The small-town boy, who lost his parents early and kept

fighting his way up, is now a sought-after adventure guide

November 2011 >5Dusty Trails

i worked as courier boy; as

window cleaner; in sales. i’ve

worked four hours for just

rs 50. Those things brought

me here. i had to earn money

if i had to go for competition,

i couldn’t ask anybody

jobs – I worked as courier boy; as window cleaner; in sales. I’ve worked four hours for just Rs 50. Those things brought me here. I had to earn money if I had to go for competition, I couldn’t ask anybody.”

It was NCC that saved him. He had been an active kid back in Mandya too, and his interests in competitive sailing and kayaking won him a ‘Best Youth’ state award. It was while arriving at the state department to collect the award that he noticed people

climbing, and decided to try it himself. Selection to the Indian climbing team and an career in adventure followed.

It isn’t just for his climbing skills that Pranesh is a favourite with his climbing buddies. There are several ‘Prani’ stories and jokes that do the rounds, perhaps acquiring additional flavour with each retelling. But Pranesh doesn’t mind laughing at them himself. “He’s the heart of the climbing community,” says Praveen CM, eight-time national champion. “He’s good at his work – he’s very gutsy, not scared of anything. He’s great fun to be with.” Praveen loves telling the story of one climbing trip when all of them were chased by bees, and Pranesh had to hide in a hole in the ground.

Pranesh is a fairly good runner and biker. Although his longest run was at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (where he timed 1 hr 40min), he has higher ambitions. “I haven’t had the time to participate in runs because I’m usually in the mountains,” he says. “I ran the Delhi Half without any training at all. I’m confident I can run longer distances because I spend a lot of time in the mountains, and when I come down to the plains, it’s much easier.”

It was no surprise to the adventure crowd in Bangalore that he was part of the team – including Sachin Venkateshaiah and Shanti Devi – that won the inaugural Bangalore Adventure Race (BAR), a triathlon of biking, kayaking and climbing held on January 8th, 2011.

Triathlete Suma Rao, who came second in the BAR and has known Pranesh a long time, says he is one of the nicest guys around. “He is a very good climber and runner, but it’s not just that,” she says. “He’s also a very nice human being.”

Although he’s good at several things, it’s climbing that’s closest to his heart. “Climbing is my life,” he says. “Without that I don’t think I can live. I don’t care what grade I’m climbing. I’ve done 7C-plus. I

want to do at least 8A or 8 B. I’m preparing for that. I want to climb in Yusemite, Thailand, and Europe, travel just for climbing.”

“I won’t forget the old days; they helped me grow. Now I’m okay. NOLS taught me about myself -- that I could also teach, also facilitate. I have a lot of things to do. I’d like to do some solo climbing. I’m trying to do some high-lines, 50 or 100 feet.”

The targets are high enough. But you wouldn’t bet against Pranesh nailing his goals.

Pranesh exhibits great dexterity with fire poi

cover story

November 2011>6 Dusty Trails

The Dusty Trails QuizIdentify the accomplished Bangalore runner who sports this tattoo.

SMS your answers to: 9611833630. Include your name and location. Five winners will be given a cap sponsored by Spark Adventures.

On the right trackOn the right track

AS TRAIL runs go, it just can’t better than the Kaveri Trail Marathon.

The fifth edition of the KTM was held on September 18, and like other RFL events, went off like clockwork. It’s little surprise that runner forums were flooded with excitable, first-time runners recounting the joys of the run. What makes the KTM special?

Mainly, it is the landscape – the trail runs along verdant fields and beside a canal for the most part. A total of 1050 runners – including participants from USA, Singapore, Japan, UK, Australia and France – were seen in action, including US ultramarathoner Spencer Farra.

One suspects the KTM is so popular because it brings running to its most elemental form – trail running. It transposes what has now become a contemporary, urban sport into the settings from which it evolved.

The KTM offers a great setting in which to test oneself – and despite the scenic locale, it is a grueling test. The gravel-lined trail – perhaps a result of an abandoned road project – snakes along a canal of the Kaveri, and as the early morning freshness gives way to a hot day, the runner’s resolve is tested more harshly than any of the city road races.

“The KTM is a unique run,” says Arvind Bharathi of Runners For Life. “It’s a different experience: paddy fields on one side, canal on the other. You get different kinds of

challenges, like a bullock cart, or people transporting some kind of farm produce, who are blocking your route. The KTM does attract its own kind of runners. Some runners attend only the KTM; they won’t run the Bangalore Ultra, and vice-versa.”

Ultramarathoner Santhosh Padmanabhan, who runs Runner’s High, is fond of the KTM not just because it is a trail run but that it is a good test of endurance and is conducted without upsetting the local population. “It’s conducted in a nice way, by involving local people as well,” he says. “It’s a tough race; you can’t expect good timing. It gets humid pretty quickly, because you’re running along the canal. It’s very challenging. Although it is a flat course, the conditions are unique.”

Among the generation of runners today, there is the conscious decision to ensure that a run doesn’t go against the basic tenets of environmentalism. Advocate Jagadeesha BN, on his second KTM, is happy that organizers took care to avoid leaving behind trash. “At the World 10K, there was a lot of waste left behind,” he says. “At the KTM they ensure that trash isn’t left behind. And they do clean up after the run, which is very important. As far as the course goes, the KTM is a beautiful trail.”

Perhaps the only concern among some of the participants was the rising cost of registration. Even Bharathi admits that runners have wondered why the run is becoming ‘elitist’. But to arrive at a fee that will make all runners happy and yet make it

The Kaveri Trail Marathon, in its fifth edition, was a further reaffirmation of the joys of trail running, writes our correspondent

November 2011 >7Dusty Trails

viable for organizers must be a delicate task.

It’s likely that the KTM will leave stronger memories than the city runs, especially to first-timers. The Runner’s High e-group had several heart-warming stories of several first-time runners thrilled to bits with the race experience.

As Arvind Bharathi says: “What we saw after second year was that KTM was capturing people’s imagination. We realised

it cannot be called a training run anymore, it had earned the right to be an event by itself.”

For the record, Anil Kumar of Uttar Pradesh won the men’s open marathon event in 3 hrs 25 mins, some way off the course record of 3 hrs 17:45, but course records were broken in several other categories. Among those who broke course records on Sunday were the women’s

open marathon winner, Rachel Carter, who shaved over two minutes off her own timing. Rachel won in 3:42:42.

Other winners on the day included Ashok Nath (Men’s Open Half-Marathon, 1:30:28), Neera Katwal (Women’s Open Half-Marathon, 1:45:38); Mohammed Shariq (Men’s Open 10K, 0:37:03) and Arundhati Suresh (Women’s Open 10K, 0:48:07).

WHAT makes Anil Kumar – this year’s winner of the Kaveri Trail Marathon – so unusual is his

rustic simplicity married to his startling love for running.

Nothing about Anil Kumar fits. He doesn’t wear fancy shoes. He doesn’t follow any particular training regimen. He doesn’t have a coach for advice. He follows no diet chart. He comes from a village where nobody else runs. And no, he doesn’t speak English.

And yet, there he was on Sunday, 18th September, winning the KTM in 3:35 – a disappointing time, according to him. “I was unused to the trail and the curves,” he says, in a thick Haryanvi accent. “Where I come from, the roads are very straight. I’ve run only the road races; never the trail. This was a tough course.”

Anil’s story is made even more peculiar by the fact that he does nothing else but run, and yet his family doesn’t seem to mind. “They keep encouraging me,” says

the lad, who had completed his intermediate course and has no plans of studying further or even working. “I just want to achieve something in running. That would be great for the country, right? I have no other plans. I just want to focus on running. My family doesn’t mind. My younger brother is a javelin thrower, but we have no idea about competitive sport, about whom to approach. They don’t have a problem with my running. They have always encouraged me.”

Anil runs an impressive 30km daily. He has a simple approach to running – he eats whatever is prepared at home, drinks a lot of milk, and runs. He goes online to check about forthcoming events. The one problem, of course, is funding. “I spent Rs 6,000 on coming to Bangalore for the KTM,” he says. “I was in the city for four days, so there are hotel and food expenses. Winning these events doesn’t give you a lot of money. One has to spend one’s own money. If you have to achieve something, you have to do that – right?”

THE women’s winner of the KTM this year was – unsurprisingly – Rachel Carter, who hasn’t relinquished her hold on the title ever since the event began five years ago. Rachel is a teacher of physical education at a school in Ooty.

“I enjoy it,” is her simple answer to the feat. The KTM, she says, is the “prettiest course” she’s run. “In Ooty the air is thinner. It’s easier to breathe here (Srirangapatna), but it’s hotter than in Ooty.”

Rachel has evolved her own training regimen of three runs a week. She does 5km on Tuesdays, 7km on Thursdays, and between 20 and 30K on weekends.

Hint for other runners? “Just enjoy the run,” she says again. “The last few kilometers are tough, but if you enjoy the first part, you can persevere through the last bit.”

Anil Kumar: Eat, sleep, run

Rachel’s simple philosophy

November 2011>8 Dusty Trails

RUNNERS FOR LIFE is now synonymous with the running scene in India. Referred to as India’s biggest

running community, RFL conducts several runs through the year, including corporate runs such as Urban Stampede and hardcore endurance runs such as the Bangalore Ultra. However, it is the Kaveri Trail Marathon that is RFL’s best-loved event, for it brings together diverse worlds – combining an urban sport with the idyllic charms of village life. The run is along a canal of the Kaveri river in Srirangapatna, Mysore, and threads through lush-green fields, and one is likely to be interrupted by bullock-cart riding villagers or the odd woman carrying pots of water.

But the KTM isn’t just rural romance. As the early morning coolness gives way to scorching heat, the constantly winding trail tests one’s resolve, and is known to add tens of minutes to the best timings of competitors. That seems to make the finish a cherished memory for all runners.

Arvind Bharathi (‘A2’, in RFL parlance), who heads Runners for Life, rewinds through the beginnings of the KTM, the unique challenges it poses, and what the future holds. Excerpts from an interview:

Five years of the KTM… what are your thoughts?

It’s amazing, the amount of growth we’ve seen. When we started we never thought it would become like this. The first KTM was supposed to be a training run. This year, it was even more satisfying because we got sold out. We said we’ll take only 1000 because that route can’t take more. The total was 1,037 registrants, and 800 eventually turned up. This was the first time we made money.

How did the KTM come about?

In Feb of 2007, Madhu Avsarala, who was running ultra marathons in the US, said we should have our own ultra. Three of us landed up at Hotel Airlines – Arvind (Krishnan or A1), myself and Madhu. We started planning, and Bangalore Ultra came about. Along the line, two months before the Bangalore Ultra, there was talk of where we should do the training run. That’s when two of the Bangalore Hash Harriers – Jagannath Raju and Sunil Chainani – told us about this trail in Srirangapatna. We wanted to give everyone a taste of trail running, because otherwise everyone was running in the city, and trail runs are more fun. Then we went, saw the route, and we had lunch at a resort… then Atreya Kidambi designed a logo and then we had a T-shirt… and suddenly we had everything that an event needed. So KTM inadvertently became our first event.

Did you foresee its popularity?

The first year 175 people registered, and it was a great success, because nobody had been taken care of like that. We got flooded with mails saying they loved it.

What we saw after the second year was that KTM was capturing people’s

imagination. We realised it could not be called a training run any more, it had earned the right to be an event by itself. That’s when we decided to spread it apart from the Ultra, to get it two months ahead.

What are your challenges as an organizer?

KTM is a unique run. Auroville is a great run, very pleasant, but it happens inside a campus. As an organizer, to do something outside the city, without any local resources I know of, and to do it in the middle of nowhere, is very difficult. In terms of the sheer effort, I don’t foresee too many people doing a KTM in the near future.

How difficult is it to organize a run in a place like that? Do you have to pull a lot of strings?

It’s easier than in a city. It’s a question of them understanding why we’re doing this. In smaller cities, the tier-two cities, there’s more willingness to do something. In the metros, the cop is frustrated because his job is increasing. In smaller cities there’s not much happening, so they also get excited.

What do the villagers think of the event?

They’ve gotten used to us now. But they haven’t got used to people running for no reason. They must wonder why these city people have to come all the way to run up and down and go back…

How do you see the KTM evolving?

We have to take a decision on it. We’ve decided to move them to the exotic events they’re supposed to be. So eventually, we might not have the 10K or Half. The route can handle only a thousand runners. Our dream is that KTM should become a marathon, that’s it. And the Bangalore Ultra to become an Ultra, a 100K run.

At some point you’ll have to sacrifice the numbers?

Correct. It’s a tough decision and there are a lot of debates in my own head. Even in terms of a business, if there are 200 more people ready to pay you, why are you not

‘The KTM cannot be a mass event’

The route can handle only

a thousand runners. Our

dream is that KTM should

become a marathon, that’s

it. and the Bangalore Ultra to

become an Ultra, a 100K run

November 2011 >9Dusty Trails

taking it? And we’re saying no. So it’s a strange situation. It feels uncomfortable when I see it as a businessman. But when I see it as an event, it seems the right thing to do.

Now that there are a lot of events – and we’re doing our bit -- it’s time to move our events to more exclusive events. We want to give a world class experience to our runners. If you’re a runner, you should feel overawed. And it will come at a price. It will not be a marathon for a beginner or someone not well-to-do.

Aren’t you pricing it beyond the reach of a lot of people?

Some people might complain that we’re doing the elitist thing… but we conduct fortnightly runs where we charge 100 rupees. We have to be fair to the property. We can’t make the KTM a mass event.

Apart from the KTM, what are your thoughts on the running scene?

There are hundreds of products, services, community building… umpteen things that go into making an industry. We don’t know what part of that planet we’re going to occupy, once it comes to fruition. This point, the need is more events, because events drive more runners.

The future is looking bright. I joined RFL 10 months after it started. From the time I’ve been part of it, I’ve always had the sense that we’re working on an ecosystem almost.

Our reality is to live with uncertainty. We’re just doing everything we can.

The amateur long distance runner was the most ignored in the country. They would run in the midst of traffic, no water stations, at the toughest stage of their runs. Organisers were more interested in the elite runners. We’ve set a standard for how events are conducted. We never leave until the last runner turns up.

Runners at the Kaveri Trail Marathon. KTM pics courtesy: RFL and Nileesh Gopu

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RFL’s Runner of the Fortnight: Srinath S

November 2011>10 Dusty Trails

RIGHT through our conversation, I thought those were slices of raw meat there, placed in water on a plate, all

bloody and flies hovering around it. Later I realized it was a beetroot. It’s hard to make things out in the dim light of a single bulb. Rafiq’s been eating raw beetroot.

The man I spent so much time with, partly wishing I had inherited so many of his remarkable skills, is sinking. It’s a horrible time to be him, a free spirit in a body becoming fast dysfunctional, memories playing tricks, robbed of his fond possessions, his works of art, and having to depend on the charity of neighbours for food.

The last time I saw him, at the South Zone Climbing Championships, I had a hint of the trouble he was in. His voice was slurring badly, and he was moving with difficulty. He was invited to the dais along with his contemporaries – three or four senior climbers – and when he spoke he broke down, briefly, as he wished them luck. I had never seen Rafiq breaking down.

Rafiq was a character. You could drop by at his place any time of the day or night, and he would talk – of animals, birds, insects, bike engines, snakes, mountains, grasslands, hills, boulders, photography. He was your outdoors man. He knew just about every insect, every plant, every bird and every reptile – their Latin names, the calls they made, the games they played. He could distinguish male bird calls from the female, tell you whether it was a mating call or something else. Where and how he could store all this information, I do not know, for Rafiq was not an academic. As far as I knew, he hadn’t even been to college. He had picked up everything himself.

Similarly, his talents at art were self-developed and just as remarkable. He would do murals from dealwood, which was then considered just packing material. He told me he’d learnt it after seeing a documentary on TV. He would take a plank of wood, study its grains, and see something in his mind’s eye: Cleopatra; a herd of horses; various forms of (his favourite) Ganesha. He was just as good an artist of junk. He would go to the scrap yards, pick up some piece of metal – a discarded engine, a handlebar, a shock absorber – and weld it all into

some magical piece: an armoured knight; a praying mantis.

He had made an owl out of dealwood. It was something between a mural and a sculpture, an owl on top of a pier.

“You know, that’s because owls have no more place in the cities,” he told me. “This is an owl at the edge of its existence. The pier is its last place on land… our cities have made it impossible for birds like this to survive.” He had made the mural after the Surat plague, which he blamed on the extinction of natural predators of plague-carrying rats.

I’ve spent days and nights with him, listening to his tales of the Himalayas; of rock climbing in Ramnagaram or Savandurga or Turhalli; of the names they gave those rocks based on the difficulty of climbing; of how he once had a monkey named Jango and what a hit it was with the girls; of how snakes belong to the wild, they can never be domesticated. (He told me of the time he tried to carry a cobra in a train; he had put it in a bag, and soon the thing starting wriggling and scared the wits out of everybody.) We used to sit in his office next to his house. He called it his ‘machan’ – which it was, because you had to climb into it through a narrow ladder, and he kept all sorts of things there, including his sand boa.

With Rafiq, all of the outdoors came alive; it was not just facts or interesting information – it was lived knowledge, something that came with deep love and personal experience. What made it all so special was that he was like a sage of the wild, always cheerful and ready with another wilderness story. Somehow, with such a man, you’d never expect anything to go wrong.

Of course, there was his fondness for pan masala. I remember one conversation vividly. I knew a guy named Riki Krishnan who was an expert on bats, so one day I took Rafiq to meet Riki and they hit it off well. Apart from their common interests in other living things, they shared a love for pan masala. I’d heard horrible stories about it, so I asked them if they shouldn’t be dumping the habit.

Riki grinned, and said, yeah, I know all about it, how it causes fibrosis, how it

screws your mouth and taste buds so you can’t eat anything else, but you know, once you’re hooked on to it, you can’t do without it. And Rafiq nodded.

Riki’s dead. He was diagnosed with cancer.

Rafiq’s barely able to speak. He says it’s due to a stroke he had after his studio, with all its equipment, was burgled. But he’s barely able to open his mouth, and his words are slurring, so I guess the pan masala must have something to do with it.

I think the burglary of his studio broke him. He had some expensive equipment there, and once that was gone, there was nothing to fall back upon. He told me he’d lost all his prized photo slides as well. He had some excellent collections – of insects, birds, reptiles – that he would show school children during camps. Rafiq was so good with kids. He was like a Santa Claus of the wild, and he had a fund of stories and a booming laugh that made them all love him.

“Life’s a funny thing,” he told me today. After a while he asked me: “What’s your name again?”

Those who wish to help Rafiq may contact him at: No.285, 20th Main Road, Marenahalli, Off Chord Road, Vijayanagar, Bangalore 560040

an adventure guru sinks into oblivionamong the first generation of Bangalore adventurers, Mohd rafiq was a unique character. a mountaineer, birder, climber and amateur naturalist, he introduced scores of youngsters to the outdoors. LONe WOLF salutes the man who is struggling to make ends meet

Mohd Rafiq (left) with old climbing buddy ‘Gunda’ Srinivas

November 2011 >11Dusty Trails

IN MAY this year, my sister said she was thinking of going to Tanzania with a friend in September to climb Mt

Kilimanjaro. I said ‘Wow, have fun’. In August I got an email from her saying our elder sister was also joining the trip, and asked if I cared to join. I checked out the climb, weather, visa requirements and said yes! This was the first time the three of us were going together on an adventure trip.

Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania, Africa. It consists of three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. Mt Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. Its highest point, Uhuru Peak on Kibo’s crater rim, rises 5,895 m AMSL (Above Mean Sea Level). On a clear day one can see Kenya and Uganda from the peak.

There are six different routes to climb Kili. We decided to take the Lemosho route as it is one of the most scenic and longest (eight days). Being the longest helps one acclimatize well for the climb. We contacted an agency recommended by a friend.

Training and preparation

Having trekked in the Himalayas I had a fair idea of what such a high altitude demanded. I had most of the gear required for the trip except a down jacket, and was happy to find one in Bangalore. Training included running, cycling, climbing stairs and yoga.

The Trek

Trekking up to Uhuru Peak takes one through various forms of vegetation and terrain. Bush land, rain forest, moorland, semi-desert, alpine desert, stone scree and finally the ice-capped summit. We started early with a briefing, followed by breakfast and a three-hour drive from Moshi (910m) to Londorossi Park Gate (2100m). Our porters were all set and waiting for us at the gate. After registering we drove for another half-hour. On our way I was happy to sight Colobus monkeys and Blue monkeys which are native to Africa. As we got off the vehicle at the trail head, it started to rain heavily and reminded us that we were now in the rainforest. We put on our ponchos and had a quick lunch before starting our trek. The trek through the thick forest was a bit challenging with the rain, and slippery, but a great experience.

We managed to reach the Mti Mkubwa (big tree) campsite by evening in one piece. The following day, after an hour, I could see the rainforest disappear, with shrubs replacing the giant trees. For the next couple of days we were mainly in the Moorland, hopping rocks at times – which I enjoyed, but not many others might like it. My first sight of Kilimanjaro was in the morning when we were heading to Barranco camp (3950m) via Lava Tower (4630m), a long day hike but a great day for acclimatizing. Kili seemed very close and we had three more days of hiking to reach the top.

A surreal sight

As we were nearing Barranco we were among giant Goundsels which is an endemic species found in semi-desert regions. With the clouds moving in the entire place looked out of the world! Climbing Barranco wall (also called ‘Breakfast’) was not as bad as it looked; however, by the end of the day, our calf muscles had a workout and were a bit sore. Karanga to Barafu was a two-hour hike and one could feel the altitude now.

We were now in alpine desert with no vegetation around. Barafu (4550m) in Swahili is ‘ice’. Sounds familiar? The summit was a further 1345m up and the plan was to make the final ascent the same night. We got up at 11pm, got ready, and snacked a bit with hot tea. We started trekking at midnight in the darkness. The sky was clear with lots of stars but no moon. I could

see a trail of headlamps a long way up the mountain slopes. We decided to keep a steady pace with infrequent breaks. Our guide was walking in front and helped keep a good, comfortable pace.

We had walked for a couple of hours and I noticed that my hands had started freezing. I had left my warmest pair of water-proof gloves back home. It was very cold, so I pulled out the Down jacket and that warmed my hands again! Later we got to know that the temperature had dropped to -12C. We managed to keep a steady pace and at about 5.45am saw the land below turning golden red. What an amazing sight it was to watch the sun rise!

We reached Stella point (5730m) at 6.30am. The ice walls all round were a stunning sight and of course the crater was amazing as well. From here we took about 45min to reach Uhuru peak (5895m). We were now standing on Africa’s highest point.

We were unlucky not to see Uganda and Kenya as we were above the clouds. The trek back to Barafu and then to Mweka was not bad at all. We soon got used to the scree and were almost running down. After three hours of trekking we were at the Mweka gate the following day and our vehicle was waiting to drive us back to Moshi.

Suma Rao is a climber and triathlete. Write to her at rao.suma@gmail.com

climbing KilimanjarosUMa raO describes the surreal sights on her way to climbing the world’s highest free-standing mountain

Giant Grounsels dominate a landscape that’s right out of a sci-fi movie. Pic: Suma Rao

Published by: Dev S. Sukumar, 123, Kalathur Layout, Jalahalli, Bangalore 560 013. Printed at National Printing Press, Koramangala, Bangalore-560 095. Email: dustytrails76@gmail.com