Rappelling and Trail ride -Mumbo-Jumbo-Combo!!!

Today marks one of new venture in my life that is unforgettable. Overcoming ones fear takes courage and determination. With the help of fellow cleated Warrior Suma, Opendro, Kiran and I planned to meet at the Turahalli base for tad bit of trail ride and finish it off with a bout of rappelling. All starts with a message early morning to kiran to check if he has started and looked like he starts only at 6.35. The anxiety factor was high and eagerly awaited getting to the base of Turahalli. I didn't know the route and relied on Kiran and we ended up hitting a trail which was on the other side of hill than the place where the rappelling was decided. We soon traced our way back to the kanakpura road to take the right turn after Yellamma Dasappa college.  We yet again took the wrong trail into the forest to try and catch up with Suma and Opendro who were present already and setting up the equipment. The decibel test worked as Kiran shouted out Opendro's name to which he responded from summit. Nice broadcasting. Traced our route back to the base of the hill which was a steady descent. The excitement for me was flying down this trail at 20-25kph and ride the crests and troughs in the trail. Once could experience the thrills of a WRC (World Rally Championship) car. How ? Ride over the mound/crest with the equilibrium, angle of attack and the lift of the bike which ensures that you land both wheels exactly at the same time. Did that twice and my mind went WOOOHOOO!!!  About , 3/4th the way to the summit there is a huge boulder which seemed apt for rappelling. First Opendro then Kiran and finally I climbed the rock. The view of the turahalli's green cover is beautiful however there lurks a dismal punch. Its portrays a teardrop of the ecosystem's desperate cry's for help. One can see almost all the greenery gone except a thin line of canopy about half a km in length covered with tall trees. Beyond this point, just over the horizon one could see the plots marked for villas, apartments and complexes. Land encroachment clearly spells a disaster to this green zone. But the expansion of the cities make it inevitable to conserve the forest cover.


Once on the rock the sight of the ledge on the rock was enticing. First our instructor Suma was glad to give us a few basic lessons. Slack, Brake, belay, the figure of 8. As my head glowed Rappelling aura, I now was ready to go for the drop over the ledge. Kiran (A former bodybuilder) who finished before me was skeptical on how much weight tolerance of the rope. All of us had a hearty laugh when he asked if (Suma who is lean) will be able to take his full weight with just the single support rope tied to suma's billet . Kiran stepped close to the edge and had last minute doubts. So for double safety Opendro was holding on to the loose end of the support rope extending from Suma's billet. Only then did Kiran confidently stepped over the edge.

Ooh..have I mentioned that fear of heights is one of my phobia's :-). Stage is set ropes are ready, harness check, fear factor.. hmm... check. With trembling feet I slowly crept over the edge. This is a rock surface below the drop is concave so one doesn't get a foothold and its more of a controlled freefall. The first time when our instructor went she was down in less than 10 seconds. We took a cheesy 10 mins to land enjoying every bit of the drop. Once down, there was a great sense of achievement. Been there done that !!!  Nope and thats not the end. There's a brutal downhill and a bike with improper brake setup could break, both the rider's confidence and itself. Here are some pics from my phone ::