And we were off! Based out of the Bharat Scouts and Guides camp spread over 56 acres, we were raring to go after a hearty breakfast.
The majestic entrance to the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve which spans a total of 4,926sqkm(1.2 million acres) in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
A short breather to take in the view. UNESCO added Pachmarhi to its list of biosphere reserves in May 2009.
Winding our way up. Every turn brought a new delight to the eyes. The Satpura mountain range comprises orthoquartzite from the Paleolithic era from about 10,000 BC, and like the Aravalli range in Rajasthan and Delhi NCR, constitute one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.
Preparing to set anchor for a climb.
At the end of the world: Pachmarhi is truly a hidden gem. We hardly came across other non-locals during our brief stay.
Aakash about to rappel down a nine meter (29.5 feet) rock surface.
The sedimentary nature of the rocks at Pachmarhi meant that we could use the little pebbles embedded inside as fingerholds. Pearly, translucent even, they glinted like little gems lined up neatly, strata upon strata in the pockmarked, dark rocks.
Tony finding a good hold on the rock surface. In the searing heat, I got stuck mid-way up another cliff, where plants had grown into a narrow and long overhang. "Don’t tell me what to do!" I had shouted down at my fellow climbers below, and immediately regretting it, for the tenor of my voice. The onlookers were amused but did as told. Matching my right foot where my left was, I swung gently to the left, high stepped with my right onto a protruding bit of rock, and stood up, reaching high to grab a rocky ledge above me. The moves that followed seemed to flow naturally, once the main problem of moving away from the ledge was solved.
That top of the world feeling!
A beautiful overhang. Enough said.
Ganesh bhai summiting. This was the highest climb yet, in terms of height at 25 metres (82 feet), during this trip.
Aakash climbing the same surface. What a panoramic view!
Close-up of the rocks. Climbing back down, my fingers stung from being scratched by the rocks' sharp edges. My fellow climbers and I spent an inordinate amount of time taping and bandaging ourselves to protect fresh scars from another round of bashing against the unforgiving rock surface. But perhaps I am being a little unkind here. My own fear probably got in the way, judging the rocks to be harsher than warranted.
Sunset. Time to call it a day. But Pachmarhi, we will return!
