In November 2022, the travel bug bit me again after 6 months. I had stayed at home for too long. I didn't have much money, and the only weekend trek I could manage was to Jindhagadha in 2.5 days and a shoe-string budget of Rs.5000 including train fare.Jindhagadha at 5,577 feet is the tallest mountain in the Eastern Ghats, very close to Araku Valley.The trek is one of the most beautiful ones I have been on, very easy to trek, and great for first time trekkers.We went by train to Vizag over the night, and caught a car to the base village Olubedda, around 120 kms and 5 hours with stops away.The entire trek was organized Vizag to Vizag, Saturday 7 am to Sunday 7:30 pm, by Ecohikes at a ridiculously low price. They charged Rs.4,000 per head, including food, transport, guides, tents and sleeping bags.I would strongly recommend Ecohikes to everyone for their professionalism and care!At a coffee plantation enroute the base village, we stopped to stretch our legs.
I was joined on the trek by my friend and brother Ramesh.
Ramesh and I were the 56 year dinosaurs in the group of 23 people, all of who were in their twenties.
Nitin (the young kid of 25 years) was one of our trek mates, a highly interesting person who ran a Tattoo studio in Vizag, originally from Punjab. In his spare time, he also was an artist (singer) on Youtube with a nickname of Defcon, and had around 50,000 views on some songs.
The drive was picturesque with paddy fields lost near the horizon in the low flung mountains of the Eastern Ghats Along the route, we kept seeing the Eastern Ghats with the promise of our mountain somewhere in them! We stopped to have lunch and drink water from this spring.
An entire hill cultivated with mustard plants!
Wild Ginger Flower
We began the trek on Saturday afternoon about 3 pm.
On our way up
En route to the peak
Ramesh, my friend and brother.
As we finally reached the place where we set up camp for the night, the sun was forming silhouettes against the rocks.
The scenery was magnificent
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Sunset at Jindhagadha
Sunset at Jindhagadha
Sunset at Jindhagadha Sunset at Jindhagadha Sunset at Jindhagadha Sunset at Jindhagadha
At the campfire making coffee
At the campfire below the summit
At the campfire below the summit
The sky was crystal clear, and if one bothered to count, perhaps the entire 5,000 stars visible to the naked eye on a perfectly dark moonless and cloudless night could be seen!
The brightest star at the left middle is Mars, currently between the horns of the constellation Taurus. Of course, Oriion the hunter is also visible, and if one squints, perhaps one can see the glorious Orion Nebula as a blurry star in the middle of the sword of Orion.
Sunrise at Jindhaghada with the sun about to break out of the mountains Sunrise at Jindhaghada
The views of the mountain peaks of Eastern Ghats peeking through the clouds is one of the best sights I have seen in a decade! Incredibly breathtaking!
Naveen of Ecohikes making morning tea for all of us.
We started walking up from our overnight camp to the summit on Sunday morningThe summit looks ridiculously close but took a good half-hour to get to!Views from the summit
Views from the summitViews from the summitMe seated with all the Eastern Ghats below me covered in clouds!
Views from the summitThis dog came with us through the trek! He was friendly with all the trekkers, and kept showing us the way.
Looking down from the Jindhaghada summit
A cave near the Jindhaghada peak where we stopped on the way back to have lunch.
Naveen of Ecohikes prepared Maggi instant noodles for us. It was sizzling hot served in freshly cut banana leaves, and makeshift forks made by splitting the stems of plants. A very ingenious solution!
These two rocks almost looked like a chimney formation if it would have been narrower.
The base village seen on our way down
Almost back to the base village
Ramesh and I in a mustard field.
At Olubedda village surrounded by Kondi boys. The Konds are Austro-asiatic tribes found across the hills of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and parts of Bihar. They are part of the ancient original inhabitants (Adivasis) of India.
They reportedly make delicious bee larvae curry thrice an year.
Naveen, our guide, had been staying with them for three weeks before our trek, documenting their tribal knowledge, going out with them to forage for larvae, and filming them to create a documentary.
All I know is that young children automatically make me smile and want to hug them!
Our group of 23 in a 360 fish eye photo taken by Naveen, our trek guideOur group of 23 in a 360 fish eye photo taken by Naveen, our trek guidePhoto taken by Naveen of Ecohikes.
Photo taken by Kumar Raja of Ecohikes.
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