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Bold and beautiful

PHOTOS (COVER AND CENTRESPREAD): M. MOORTHY

ADVENTUROUS Conquering fear

Half way through the snow-clad mountains, the world below looked stunning. And above, it was heavenly. Forty people from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, trekked their way through hard rocks and snow to reach the foot of a ‘70 degree’ peak in the Himalayas.

The thrill of challenge concealed the danger and the path seemed perfectly safe to them until one of the trekkers looked above. He saw the snow capped over the majestic peak cracking into pieces and rushing down like a ’huge wave’ at dizzying speed. Before they realised the peril, they were swept down and tossed at different places. The brunt of the avalanche was too high for most and terrible groans reverberated for a while.

While most lay semi-conscious throbbing with pain, J. Ramanan, a mountaineer-photographer, braved the bruises and sprang up to freeze the nature’s force in his camera.

“Two decades on, teachers at the Institute still talk about the incident. They ask me, how could you do it when everybody thought they were on the verge of death,” laughs off Ramanan with much ease today.

“For me, it was a moment not to be missed. It’s extremely rare to experience avalanche and escape its force. When I had a chance, I wanted to capture it in frames. Of course, I started feeling the pain in my nerves after a while,” he recalls.

But what Ramanan is better known for is his architectural marvels. His creativity shines bright in theme parks like Black Thunder and a handful of resorts on Chennai’s ECR. Essentially what started as a hobby now takes up most of his time.

When he was in Chennai during his expanding architectural ventures, that Ramanan decided to evolve into a professional mountaineer and landed himself at the NIM.

That was also the time when a Tiruchi-based girl, Vrinda, decided to give a break to her Bharatnatyam classes and try out a mountaineering course at NIM. Both met at the Institute, discovered their common grounds and entered into wedlock. Subsequently, they made Rock City their home.

For a city that knows precious little beyond nature walks at schools, the activities of “Science and Adventure Club” run by the couple was anything but usual. Even as many preferred to only sit and watch, the pristine nature was enticing to the adventurous lot of all age groups, from a seven year old kid to professionals at 40 plus. Soon a growing band of people started joining the club so passionately run by the Ramanans.

There have been moments of uncertainties, challenges and even life-at-risk instances all through. But it is the sheer love for adventure that keeps the duo going.

In fact, it is the kids who take them through trying situations. “We have seen the best of kids. Even their parents are surprised to see their endurance,” Vrinda says.

Ramanan recalls an instance when they were trekking from Gangotri to Kedarnath. “There was an abandoned shorter route which we set foot on but soon lost our way when the sun began to set. We knew we were right in the middle of the Jim Corbett National Park, a home for tigers and panthers, but weren’t sure whether we were being watched by the beasts. The jungle was pitch dark and it was snowing heavily.”

Vrinda can never forget how the sharp snow storm pierced their tents. They scoured their bags for some ready-to-eat food since cooking seemed impossible in the downpour. When hunger and fear took a toll on adults’ tolerance and energy level, the kids shouted out optimistic advices.

“They were amazingly brave. They patched up the tents. Girls fixed the kitchen, organised the piled-up rucksacks and made the place so liveable. We couldn’t have done that with danger lurking behind,” Vrinda is all praise for the young brigade, most of them students from her dance class.

Their annual trips to the Himalayas shape the kids for the better. Harsh climate, perilous expedition and modest food test their endurance level, but kids are all for it.

“They are fast learners and also bond instantly and so well. Trekking actually teaches a lot more than moral classes. Our kids pick up all the mint toffee wrappers strewn all over the mountains and dig up disposal sites for debris wherever possible. It’s pathetic to see trekkers littering nature. If we expect a tourist spot to be clean, we need to take effort. Nature is the most important thing we have and we must protect it,” Ramanan says.

Vrinda shows a small pebble placed near a Nataraja idol in her house. “We don’t pick them up as no one should take away these natural resources. We buy them from the shops,” she clarifies.

Her husband adds: “They were housed at an altitude of 15,000 – 16, 000 m. They might be millions of years old. Perhaps they can feel the human touch.” A closer look at the pebble reveals tiny footprints. “Himalayas was once under water. Evidences are these stones that are fossils of many sea creatures,” he says.

The nature-loving couple has penned a book on the “Himalayas” and is now working on the next one, on the “Western Ghats”. Rich in forests and rivers, the book highlights several road less travelled places along with pictures of stunning landscapes, taken by Ramanan, who recently won the best photography award from Photography Society India.

“The Ghats are one of the 18 bio-diversity hotspots in the world. It is an ecologically important area and dotted with many national parks. Thankfully, the secrets of Western Ghats remain a secret for most as many of these forest areas are highly restricted. The forests are still at their pristine best and we hope they remain so,” wishes Ramanan.

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