TADA trip with CPC folks

A trip to TADA falls was arranged by the Chennai Photography Club on Sunday the 28th Sept'08. Myself along with my colleague Mohan Babu got to join for the trip. As per the plan the journey starts from Koyambedu at 5.00 a.m.
Leaving Cuddalore by 12.00 a.m. (mid night) we reached Koyambedu by 4.00 a.m.
Humpf
Too early and we took some time to pass time and refresh for the amazing trip ahead...


Came out of the bus terminus by 5.00 a.m. and waiting for the CPC folks. After some time got to see Arun and other CPC folks nearby the Arihant Towers with a Maruti SX4 car.
Then Siva arrived in his Mahindra Classic Jeep followed by Deepak Gupta in his WagonR. The trip started by 5.30 a.m. with Mohan Babu, Ramesh and myself getting into Siva's Mahindra Classic Jeep.

A warm welcome from Siva to get into his jeep.
Normally while I attend to any events in Chennai, these IT folks chat usually in the English. But CPC is an exception. Folks here, though they work for great IT companies, even if I speak to them in English they will respond only in Namma Chennai Tamil Baashai. I do like them on this.


Yes, our thrilling trip has started. You are seeing the Ranjit's Maruti SX4 making its smooth start.


The Classic jeep is traveling on the NH5. I am awestruck with the driving style of Siva and his toy dancing to its masters beat in a perfect fashion.



The jeep clocking its top speed. The jeep had a good cornering capability and the road grip is at its best. No swinging to sides when its maneuvering a turn at high speed.


Reached some 60 kms on the NH 5 and the vehicles are seen lazing off their arse for us to relish a breakfast at the road side shop.


The Dosa Kallu ready to churn out stuff to quench our hungry stomach.


Munching the vada and dosa. But pongal seems not available. A complaint is hereby raised with Sukumaran sir for breaking the CPC rule of the mandatory pongal vada combination.


Pic courtesy: Ramesh
Siva, Ranjith, my colleague Mohan Babu and me.
Do not attempt to raise your complaint by using this photo as evidence to book Siva for smoking. Smoking was banned only from Oct 2 onwards and this snap was caught on Sept 28.


By this time, Deepak Gupta and his car team were making ready the lunch for the trip. So it took some time for them to join with us. Meanwhile, the revealing of the red beast happened. Siva decided that his toy (i am mentioning the jeep only) be nude. So Mohan Babu and Siva undressing it.


Once the nudity was exposed, it created an awe on everybody's heart. You can notice a localite watching the jeep with a great question running in his minds. Some cinema shooting is going to happen?
Drivers of public transport buses passing by the way were seen to make their gaze at this open top jeep.


Finally she was made ready for the cat walk. No. no.. thrill run....


Ranjit's SX4 and Deepak's WagonR making a pass thru.


Finally reached the Tada region. As you see the board, the forest department plays a joker role with giving out funny spellings on the board. Similar is the case in Pichavaram boating area.

While we were at the place for getting the entry tickets, the security persons were asking whether cinema shooting is going to happen. Such a message is being sent out by this open top Mahindra Classic.

Rocky terrain ahead, so Siva switched his jeep into 4X4 mode for the uphill adventure.




The above photo is the front wheel of the jeep. By turning the hub at the center of the wheel, the 4 X 4 gets gets engaged.



While into the TADA forest area Siva happened to see the mud on the road. Thus came a feast for the CPC folks to catch the mud splash from the over speeding jeep driven by Siva.


Picture Courtesy: Mr.Prabakaran


This mud splashing was done at two different places and you can view a short video clip to know what had happened behind the scenes to make out this awesome high speed photograph.





Here the jeep gets itself the litmus test of entering into 25 feet deep rocky ravine.


Picture courtesy Mr.Prabakaran
Does the jeep looks tiny. Its to far away and at a depth of some 25 feet.


Some fault in the jeep had happened.


Mohan Babu and Siva checking the engine side of the red beauty. The problem was identified to be the clutch going into coma. Ohh, what to do?
Mohan and Siva seems to have discussed and decided to make the jeep to run without clutch. If the clutch is not working you will not be able to switch on any of the vehicles. But since this is a 4 X 4, without the clutch the vehicle was engaged in first gear and started. The engine peps up simultaneously moving the vehicle.


In the video what you see is the jeep returning into the ravine and climbing up into the road. Although there is no clutch, Siva made the jeep to move without any hiccup. Now there is no option to switch off the vehicle, so as the vehicle is moving we ran and caught the jeep. We travelled further by about 3 kms to reach the parking lot.


My colleague Mohan Babu is working as a Mechanical Supervisor in my factory. So his engineering skill was better utilized here to make the jeep come out of its sickness.


A bit tedious work for Siva and Mohan Babu in finding what went wrong in the vehicle.



It was decided that folks can head on to the falls and we three will set the vehicle right and join them.


After some one hour of mandai pichifying, the problem was set right and we three set our trekking into the forest of TADA.


These two people were jubilant that they have made a successful work and a peace of mind that, once back from the trek, we could move out peacefully on the adventurous jeep.


The path to the falls is very much narrow and there is hardly any people coming across our path. We were having a little confusion whether we were going in the right path.
God Only Knows !!


Nature at its best.


The real music to the ears and a cool climate.


At last after nearly one hour of our journey, we finally met our team. We now got to know that we were trekking on the right path so far.


So far so good, but many of the people are averse on travelling further up the hill. Many of the people returning back were giving feedback that the places at the top were not that much amusing.
But I was keen to know what was there. So far the name "falls" has not made itself the right meaning for me. I had not seen any falls till now. Mohan Babu, Arun and myself after climbing the slippery rocks finally reached to the falls.


Although it was called falls, too little water seeped through the gaps of huge rocks. But anyway we enjoyed the showers. A soothing shower after a tedious uphill walk made me have a peaceful time. After about half hour of we three enjoying the place, our few other team members reached the spot.
In the above pic, Arun is sheen catching me on his camera. This is the moment when I got to know a lesson in photography. You can notice Arun placing his camera on the rock floor and then shooting it. After a bit discussing with him we came to know that one should prefer keeping the camera to a fixed place to avoid shake while clicking the picture. A good lesson which i shall follow while I take pictures on my K790i mobile phone by avoiding blurred pictures.
Then we returned back a few feet downwards and had lunch.


That is Mohan Babu enjoying the Gulco-D orange flavour. A good idea of having Gulco-D mixed with water made a good nourishment. Thanks to the brain behind the Gulco-D idea.


A good place to enjoy the nature.


Yours truly, while making journey downwards.





Although many of the people know to read and the government is keen to put up this notice board....


They do not take the next little step of banning plastic products churned out by these little shops right inside the forest area.


There is no body to ask a question on the human beings spoiling the nature. PET bottles, beer cans and broken glass bottles were seen every where on the path.


Just a checking by the security personnel and enforcement of the forest act will surely help in maintaining the place at its best.
CPC had taken care in not to throw away the PET bottles used by the folks. All empty bottles were crushed and stored in a bag which was later disposed while out of the forest area. The lunch pack too was packed in dried leafs plus newspaper. A big WOW to Deepak Gupta to taking this responsibility towards preserving nature while at TADA.


Ready for the return.


Myself having a drive on the Mahindra Classic. I drove the jeep for about 4 kms and its thrilling to ride this. There is no offset in the steering. Just a little movement of the steering gives away the sway on the front wheel like a power steering.
Pic courtesy: Ramesh

Many of us had the opportunity to drive the 4 X 4.



Had a nice refreshing tea.


Caught the dusk.
The Sun God made a good help in providing me the necessary lighting for my photos. In the group which had the high end cameras, myself is one of the two odd men out with a little K790i mobile camera.
For more pictures taken by me, click here