There is a road – for namesake. It was ok initially, like any other forest path. As we moved deeper into the forest, forget that the path became narrow; it was nothing but ditches as deep as 2 ft and boulders. Not to mention that it was an uphill climb.
One moment we were climbing up at somewhat 70 degree, followed by a climb-down at a similar angle. At one place, we couldn’t find any track; instead we were climbing a rock face. Throughout this terrific drive, we were holding on to whatever we could to prevent our heads from hitting the top of the jeep. Nevertheless, we were all laughing hysterically and singing a song made for the occasion.
If there was something common between all the passengers, it was an unrelenting faith in the young driver who was doing nothing short of a dangerous circus, albeit practiced well.
(This is a slice from our drive to Manpara peak in Nelliyampathy, Kerala)
