KP was looming above the temple right in front of us and we couldn’t wait to start the journey to the peak. Spirits were soaring high and so the journey begins. We started walking towards KP. A right turn from the temple leads to the trail. After some 15-20 minutes walk on the road through the village, one can spot the official trail with a welcome board informing the details of KP.

Now we were heading into thick jungle and it is steady ascent for most parts. The initial 5km stretch passes through thick canopy of trees and the trail is mostly roots of those trees providing a stable footing among rocks. Initial enthusiasm got us past through not even the first half-an-hour. Realization dawned pretty early! We were totally drenched in sweat and already exhausted. Just half an hour into the trek this was our condition and we were looking at a whole day of steady ascent with obstacles we did not imagine yet. The light breakfast we had was of no help and we were feeling hungry and drained. At that time some angel I suppose offered us an orange. It was pure delight! The citrus fruit had worked its magic effect and we were feeling better than a minute before. It is at times like this that one actually appreciates the value of basic essentials of life. Never had an orange tasted so good in my entire 23 years of existence! And then again, the four of us were getting ahead slowly with frequent breaks to ease our tired bodies. The weight we were carrying got us tired even more than usual. But we were told we will leave our entire luggage at Bhatta’s house. That was some consolation getting us past this rocky ascent.3 hrs of trek in the dense jungle brought us to Bhattaru mane at around 12.30 – 1.00 PM. Rice, Sambar and some pickles were served for lunch. We were good to go by 1.30 again. The plan was to reach the peak by 3 or 4 PM and then start the descent to reach Bhattaru mane by 5-6 PM. So off we go by 1.30.