One Sunday in June 2014, 25 of us climbed Karnataka’s highest peak together — and came back a closer team.
On Sunday 8 June, we took our employees on a one-day trip to Mullayanagiri. Twenty-five of our 38 employees came — 10 women and 15 men, aged 20 to 55. Here are the highlights, and a few thoughts.
After a hectic summer, we wanted a break from routine. For a day, a group usually shaped by ranks and roles became an informal team, bound by fun and shared experience.
Planning it
I usually take the final decisions in the business, but for this trip I handed the job to three younger colleagues and future leaders, Nanda Kishore, Vinod and Shiva Kumar, all keen trekkers. I gave them the basics: one Sunday, employees only, somewhere scenic and close, and ₹800 a head. They did the rest: they visited a month ahead, chose the place, booked the bus, and arranged food, a lodge, and transport for colleagues who live far away.
For those of us who travel often, it was one more outing. For others, it was a rare treat, perhaps once in ten years. One colleague said, “For the first time since college, ten years ago, I’m freaking out like this.” I understood; I did not travel either until I had finished college. We were glad to give everyone this chance, and their gratitude meant a lot.
Many of us knew each other only at work. Colleagues from our branches in Mangaluru and Sullia got to know those at our factory in Puttur. I was amazed how different some people are outside work: those who are quiet and dutiful at work opened up and joined in freely.
The day
We left our factory in Puttur at 10 pm on Saturday, picking people up along the way. Through the Charmadi Ghat, we reached Chikkamagaluru at 3 am and checked into a lodge to freshen up, for ₹100 a head. By 6 am we were off to the foot of Mullayanagiri, enjoying the hills, valleys, sunrise and wide views of Chikkamagaluru. After a quick breakfast at a small canteen at the base, we set off on the 4 km trek to the top, full of energy, jokes and laughter.
It was a Sunday, and as Karnataka’s highest point, Mullayanagiri draws many visitors. The hills were lush and green: wooded on the western side, grassy on the eastern side of the Malnad.
At the top are a small temple and a couple of narrow caves. One, just a metre across, runs deep enough to be quite an adventure. It was my first time inside such a cave, and an intense moment, especially for anyone with claustrophobia. There are good steps to the top, but we climbed the back of the hill for a full 360-degree view.
We started down at 10 am, reached the base by 11, and finished lunch at the same canteen by noon, as we were heading on to Baba Budangiri.
The mobile tower at Baba Budangiri is only a two-hour trek from Mullayanagiri, but 20 km by road. Road works meant we left the bus before Dattapeeta and took a local jeep, whose driver also showed us a lake and viewpoint about 4 km away. We finished sightseeing by 3 pm.
The weather was perfect: sunny and clear, so we could enjoy the far views without fearing rain on our cameras. The monsoon had not yet officially arrived, and streams and rivers were dry. Up high, the air was far less humid than in Puttur or Mangaluru, so trekking in the midday sun was surprisingly pleasant. Coming down the Charmadi Ghat in the evening, though, it began to rain and hid the views we had missed on the night drive up. That is part of travelling in the rainy season, and I cannot complain.
Dinner was at Suprabha’s uncle’s home in Somanthadka, near Ujire; we thank the family for their warm hospitality. We left at 8 pm, reached Puttur by 9.30, and everyone was home by 10.30. A memorable trip had come to a happy end — though everyone was back at work the next morning!
Thank you, organisers
Our thanks to the organisers, who made the trip smooth and joyful, and I must mention their dedication. After the long journey, they dropped others home in their own vehicles. While most of us freshened up at the lodge, they did so at the bus stand to save time. On a 22-seat bus, they sat beside the driver and stayed awake all night. They were the first to arrive and the last to leave. Such efforts often go unnoticed, while any small slip is noticed at once. Keeping 25 people happy is not easy, but they did it with grace, and it will serve them well as they grow into leaders here.
Photos: our Facebook album