Lambton's Peak Trek - July 14, 2013

LAMBTON’S PEAK - On your way from Coimbatore to Ooty, about a kilometre from Thudiyalur, towards your left you will see a range of hills and the highest point that juts into the sky in the shape of a triangle is Lambton’s Peak, 4300-feet high, named after William Lambton, father of The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India.  Till the end of the 19^th century, this area abounded with tiger, panther and gaur.

Around 200 years before, on April 10, 1802, William Lambton began The Great Indian Arc of the Meridian, an ambitious, audacious and mathematically meticulous scientific odyssey at St. Thomas Mount in Chennai. It took 40 years to be completed. The project ended on the foothills of the Himalayas.  One of the baselines was measured in Coimbatore in 1806.

This survey established that the Himalayas is the highest mountain range and Mount Everest is the highest point on earth.

References:

http://books.google.co.in/books?id=QHtZG8beGy4C&pg=PT153&lpg=PT153&dq=lambdon+coimbatore&source=bl&ots=Gko6EIRjQ6&sig=e4_IM2oCXRFeT1jRxLTSN2VXt7E&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QFXgUc-9GcTwrQeS4YGgCw&ved=0CFUQ6AEwCA

http://www.frontline.in/navigation/?type=static&page=flonnet&rdurl=fl1909/19090660.htm

Adventures of Aathithyan - July 11, 2013

Aathithyan is turning out to be a child of outdoors, and I hope he grows up loving nature.

Upper Bhavani Trip - July 7, 2013

After nearly a year off blogging, it seems strange here, but then this trip was so exciting that I felt I should blog this, though I feel so rusty.

This past year and 3 months were interesting - son getting into school, got to a new job, made lots of new friends, a new state, a new city, learnt 2% of a new language, improved my broken Hindi, got to see US again, saw Hampi again, visited Taj Mahal, saw Ajanta & Ellora, and the list goes on.

And finally, in Coimbatore for a little while.  And what better way to celebrate than visiting Upper Bhavani again.  This was my first proper trip in Bolero and what a trip it was.  Veteran trekker and nature enthusiast Thenmurugakani and multifaceted Dr. Arul Kumar joined me for this trip.

July turned out to be a beautiful period to visit Ooty.  The summer vacations are over and so do the first rains, and hence it's all green, breezy, cool, a feast to the eyes, and above all hardly any crowd.

We took the Velliankaadu route which is the shortest, and what a route it was!!!  I could see all shades of green, gorgeous landscapes, the pleasantest of breezes, and most amazing of views.  Every time I visit Upper Bhavani, it is a different experience and this time it was at its enchanting best.  Well I leave it for the pictures to talk, which will do more justice than my words.

All through the trip, Thenmurugakani kept us engaged with his knowledge of The Nilgiris and Arul Kumar kept us entertained with his wit.

Route = Coimbatore - Karamadai - Velliankaadu - Mulli - Manjoor - Thiashola Estate - Upper Bhavani.

Expenses = Rs.1250/- per head including food, fuel, and stay for a night in Manjoor.