Conquering HalfDome

To the uninitiated people, who don't know what/how/why is Half-Dome, do follow the links

* About Half-Dome in wiki
* About Hike in NPS site




Technical Details of our Trip:

Date : 26th July 2008.
People: 6 (Amar, Kiran, Lakshmi, Schunder, Shilpa, Sudarshan)
Vehicle: 1
Total distance walked: 18miles = (16 - HalfDome hike + 2- lower yosemite falls)
Total hours spent in Yosemite : 14hrs (12 + 2)
Places seen/visited: HalfDome + Nevada Falls + Vernal Falls + LowerYosemite Falls
Distance Traveled (on car): 350Miles
Some Photos : My Picasa Web Album
More Photos by Kiran: Kiran's Picasa Web Album
Video clip made by Scud: check here @ youtube

The plan for the hike was made sometime back only by Kiran/Scud and friends. I had plans of going to NewYorkCity and hence had told them that I can't make it. But my NYC trip got canceled, and I should admit it was all for good. I requested them that I too will join them in this hike, and well, they all agreed.

Well, here was what we had planned for Saturday - 07/26/08
leave bayarea by 10:30pm (on friday night)
reach Yosemite ~ 2.30am
start hiking from 3am
reach the peak ~ 7.30am
- have break fast
start down at 9am
reach the bottom at 3pm, hunt for camping site - if we dont get any and are in a bad condition - we can head back else camp.


What happened exactly:

We started almost 1hr30mins later from Bayarea. Reached Yosemite valley base by ~3:50AM, Slept for ~1hr inside car only. Got up at 5AM and took some fruits, energy bars, and water+electrolytes. After using restrooms, packing food, when we left Base to hike HalfDome, it was ~6AM. We started slowly.. Yosemite is a cool place, and also the trail to hike goes inside redwood forests, hence it was all cold and perfect whether. Hence it reduced our water consumption. Along the way, I got the first view of HalfDome, at a long distance. The site along the path were beautiful.




After crossing top of NevadaFalls, me and Kiran picked up some speed, as we were talking about kannaDa literature and similar stuff. We reached the base of HalfDome ~10:30AM. The only thing left to conquer HalfDome was Hiking with the help of Cables put up. There was already a big queue. I took a long rest of 25mins there.. ate some fruits and a energy bar. When I reached the top of HalfDome, it was 11:45AM and the feeling was great. That too, the last 400ft hike with the help of cables made the trip completely unique. Unfortunately all in the team couldn't do the last stretch.
While coming down, we came along with Nevada and Vernal Falls. After coming down, went to Lower Yosemite falls too. Couldn't find a camp ground there as it was already late, and hence came back home.

From Friday morning 6:30AM Till Saturday/Sunday Night 2AM (~43hrs), I (and some others in the team) had just 1hr of sleep :O

ನನ್ನಜ್ಜ

ನನ್ನಜ್ಜ ಇನ್ನಿಲ್ಲ.. ಇಂದು ಬೆಳ್ಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ಎದ್ದ ಕೂಡಲೆ ಮೊದಲು ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದ್ದ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಇದು. ಸುದ್ದಿ ತಿಳಿದು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಸಮಯವಾದರೂ ಯಾವುದೆ ಬಾವನೆಗಳಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಕುಳಿತಿದ್ದೆನೆ ನಾನು, ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತುಸಾವಿರ ಮೈಲು ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿ. ಗೌಡ ಯಾವಾಗಲು ನನಗೆ ಬೈಯುವುದು ನೆನಪಾಗುತ್ತೆ.. "inhuman ನೀನು" ಎಂದು. ಬಹುತೇಕ ನಿಜ. ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಸಾವು ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಖಚಿತ. ಬಹುಷಃ ಮೂರು ದಿನದ ಹಿಂದೆ ಅಜ್ಜನಿಗೆ "brain hemorrhage" ಆಗಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಸುದ್ದಿ ಬಂದಾಗಲೆ ಈ ಬಾರಿ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಯಿಂದ ಹೊರಬರುವುದು ಅನುಮಾನ ಎಂಬ ಬಾವನೆ ಅಮ್ಮನ ದ್ವನಿಯಲ್ಲಿತ್ತು. ಅದರಿಂದಲೆ ಏನೋ, ಇಂದಿನ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಬರಸಿಡಿಲಿನಂತೆ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಅಪ್ಪಳಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ.

ಅಜ್ಜನಿಗೆ 86 ವರ್ಷ ವಯಸ್ಸಾಗಿತ್ತು, ಅವರ ಮೊದಲ ಮೊಮ್ಮಗ ನಾನು. (ನನ್ನ ಅಮ್ಮ ಅವರ ಹಿರಿಯ ಮಗಳು). ತುಂಬಾ ಇಷ್ಟ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಕಂಡರೆ. ನಾನು ಸಣ್ಣವನಿರುವಾಗ, ಒಟ್ಟೊಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಅಜ್ಜನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗೂಡು ಕಟ್ಟಿದ ಗುಬ್ಬಚ್ಚಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಅಕ್ಕಿ ಕಾಳು ಕೊಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆವು. ಅಜ್ಜ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದ ಪೂಜೆಗೆ ಹೊಗುವ ಮೊದಲು ತೀರ್ಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಈಜಾಡಿ ಮಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗರ್ಭಗುಡಿ ಹೊಕ್ಕರೆ, ಪುಕ್ಕಲ ನಾನು, ನೀರು ಕಂಡರೆ ಹೆದರಿಕೆ, ಬರಿ ಕೈಕಾಲು ತೊಳೆದು, ಚಿಕ್ಕವ ಎಂಬ ರಿಯಾಯಿತಿ ಮೇಲೆ ಅಜ್ಜನೊಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಹೊಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆ. ಆ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಜ್ಜನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಎತ್ತಿನ ಗಾಡಿಯಿತ್ತು. ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ಗಾಡಿಗೆ ಹಿಂದಿಂದ ಹಾರಿ ಹತ್ತುವುದು, ಗಾಡಿ ಓಡಿಸಿದ ನೆನಪುಗಳು ಮಸಕು ಮಸಕಾಗಿ ಮನದಾಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಹುದುಗಿವೆ. ಆ ದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ, ಅಜ್ಜನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಡೆಯುವ ನವರಾತ್ರಿ ಹಬ್ಬಕ್ಕೆ ಬೇರೆಯದೆ ಕಳೆಯಿತ್ತು. ಒಟ್ಟಾರೆ, ವರದಾಮೂಲದಲ್ಲಿ ನವರಾತ್ರಿ ಹಬ್ಬಕ್ಕೆ ಎಷ್ಟೊಂದು ನೆಂಟರಿಷ್ಟರು, ಪ್ರತಿವರ್ಷ ಬೇರೆ ಬೇರೆ ರೀತಿಯ ಮಂಟಪಗಳು, ನವರಾತ್ರಿಯ ಒಂದೊಂದು ರಾತ್ರಿ ನೈವೇದ್ಯಕೆ ಒಂದೊಂದು ಬಗೆಯ ಬಕ್ಷ್ಯಗಳು.. ಈಗಲೂ ಬಾಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರೂರುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಜ್ಜನಿಗೆ ಐವರು ಹೆಣ್ಣುಮಕ್ಕಳು, ಒಬ್ಬ ಮಗ. ನನ್ನಮ್ಮ ಮೊದಲ ಮಗಳು. ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಡತನ ಇದ್ದೆ ಇತ್ತು, ಆದರೂ ಅಜ್ಜ ಶ್ರೀಮಂತಿಕೆಗೆ ಆಸೆ ಪಟ್ಟವರಲ್ಲ.

ಅಜ್ಜನ ಕಾಲಕ್ಕೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಕಾಲಕ್ಕೂ ಇರುವ ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸಗಳು ನನ್ನ ಅಜ್ಜನ ಇತ್ತಿಚಿನ [೩-೪ ವರ್ಷಗಳ] ಕೆಲವೊಂದು ಬೇಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

ಅಜ್ಜ: "ಯೆಂತೊ ಅಪಿ! ಹೊಸ ಮೆಟ್ಟು ತಂಗಡಂಗೆ ಕಾಣ್ತು?"
ನಾನು: "ಹೌದ ಅಜ, ಬೇಕಲ, ಆಫೀಸಿಗೆ ಹೊಪ್ಲೆಲ್ಲ"
ಅಜ್ಜ: "ಚಲೊ ಇದ್ದಲ, ಎಷ್ಟು ಮಡ್ಗಿದೆ? 200 ರುಪಾಯಾರು ಆಗಿಕ್ಕು"
ನಾನು: [ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಹಿಂದೆಮುಂದೆ ನೊಡುತ್ತ] "ಅದಕ್ಕೂ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಹೆಚ್ಗೆ ಕೊಟಿದ್ನ" [ನಿಜವಾದ ದರ: 2000Rs]
......

ಅಜ್ಜ: "ನಿಂಗೆ ಸಕಾಗ ಅಷ್ಟು ಸಂಬ್ಳ ಬತ್ತನ ಅಪಿ?"
ನಾನು: "ಸಕಾಪ ಅಷ್ಟೆಲ್ಲ ಬತಲ್ಯ ಅಜ, ಆದ್ರೂ ಅಡ್ಡಿಲ್ಲೆ, ತೀರಾ ಕಡ್ಮೆನು ಬತಲೆ.. ಮದ್ಯಕೆ"
ಅಜ್ಜ: "ಹಂಗರೆ ಒಂದೈದು ಸಾವ್ರನಾರು ಬತಲ್ಯನ?"
ನಾನು: "ಐದು ಸಾವ್ರ!! ಅಜ, ಆನು ಸಾಗರದಗಿಲ್ಲೆ, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಗಿದ್ದಿ, ಅದಕ್ಕಿಂತ 8-9 ಪಟ್ಟು ಹೆಚ್ಗೆ ಬತ್ತ ಮಾರಯ"
[ಪುಣ್ಯ! ಅವತ್ತೆ ಅಜ್ಜನಿಗೆ heart attack ಅಗಲಿಲ್ಲ]
ಅಜ್ಜ: [:O] "ಅಷ್ಟೆಲ್ಲಾ ಕೊಡ್ತ್ವಾ? ಎಂತ ಕೆಲ್ಸ ಮಾಡ್ತ್ಯೊ ನೀನು?"
............

ನನ್ನ ಮೇಲೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಬೇಜಾರಿತ್ತು ಅವರಿಗೆ, ಉಪನಯನ ಆದ್ರೂ ಸಂದ್ಯಾವಂದನೆ ಮಂತ್ರ ಬರೊಲ್ಲ, ಪೂಜಾಮಂತ್ರಗಳು ಬರೊಲ್ಲ ಅಂತ. ಈಗ ಅಜ್ಜನಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂದಪಟ್ಟ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ವಿಚಾರಗಳೂ ಬರಿ ನೆನಪು ಮಾತ್ರ :( ಅವರ ಕಾಲು ಮೆಟ್ಟಿ massage ಮಾಡ್ತಾ ಇದ್ದಿದ್ದು, ಒಲೆ ಮುಂದೆ ಕುತು ಎಣ್ಣೆ ಹಚ್ಚಿ ಕೈ ಒತ್ತಿದ್ದು, ಅವರು ಬೆಳ್ಬೆಳ್ಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ಯೆದ್ದು, ನನ್ನ ಎಬ್ಬಿಸಿ, ದೆವ್ರಿಗೆ ಹೂವು ಕೊಯ್ಲಿಕ್ಕೆ ಕರ್ಕೊಂಡು ಹೊಗ್ತಿದ್ದಿದ್ದು, ದಿನಾ ಸಯಂಕಾಲ ತೀರ್ಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಈಜಾಡಿ, ಸಂದ್ಯಾವಂದನೆ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದಿದ್ದು, ನವರಾತ್ರೆಯ ಪೂಜೆ, ಎಲ್ಲವು ಬರಿ ನೆನಪು. ಆದರೆ, ಈ ನೆನಪುಗಳು ನನ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಅಮರವಾಗಿರುತ್ತವೆ.

/whois /me

i have read many blogs of friends/random ppl about writing 'whoam i' type of posts. Yes! i understand. This is because importance to 'identity' itself is been great these days. Many people think a lot about all these factors, what is the goal of life, am i doing enough, am i doing it right?, how much better can i get? what are my roots? is it correct for me to do this? well, lot of questions and notice that 'i' is involved in everything. afterall, 'i' is 'me' for everyone, and 'me' is a very important factor.

I have noticed one thing. This 'whoam i' type of questions bothers people who change their life style, who shifts environments, like people coming from village to town, town to city, city to metro, metro to travel abroad etc.. If you stick to one type of environment, you are -almost- not bothered about all these things because, you are always used to stuffs surrounding you. Mostly thats the reason why elders keep complaining about the change in culture, youth going out of control, we complaining that current day kids are not like us (when we were kids), we say they miss 'growing up in 80s' factor etc. Well, everybody has something or other to say about change, and obviously change is inevitable.

i avoid considering questions which takes some energy to give answer, like "whoam i?" (to your knowledge, energy and giving answer has direct relationship, ofcourse because brain is involved, which takes ~40-50% of bloodsupply, and equal or more amount of energy than whole other body parts combined). I try to think less, and be lazy most of the time. hence, i prefer to go with my instincts. I don't think about future much, hence no savings or anything, similarly maths is getting out of my head gradually, and so i don't take any worry about investment, returns, finance management etc. I don't like options, i hate buffet lunch, because i feel like eating everything, and i can't decide whats good for me.. i would like to order 'same for me' or 'make it two' type-ish when i goto restaurants, (ofcourse i order drinks myself, as that doesn't require second thoughts :p)

but today, i ate bit more, and had slept for some extra hours, so had some energy to spare on brain cycles. also it was sometime since i wrote something here.. so took up this question "Whoam I?", "where can i relate myself".

unlike many people i see, questioning themself like this and ending a post without concluding, i know well what i am. well, i know by heart, by head (and even by body :O) i belong to village, to be specific, belong to 'malenaDu'. I grew up playing with trees, eating raw fruits plucked directly from tree, climbing hills, playing chinni-daanDu, bugri, goli, kusti (well, this was unofficial game in our primary school :O), marakothi and many more similar games. I never liked going to school as a kid. Whole of our village at that time had just one TV (it had ~20 houses), i never had TV at home till i entered jnv. We used to have lot of time, and it was complete fun. 1-4th, my school was nearby, just 0.5miles from home. in 5th it was 1miles away, and 4months it used to rain a lot, so we used to goto school covered in plastic covers, i think one year i got a raincoat too, but i tore it, hence not got any more raincoats.

Life took a serious turn when i got selected in jnv entrance test. (well i wrote the test for not passing it :p)

next 7 years i spent in JNVGajanur, and it takes a whole new post rather a book to tell about that life. i learnt a lot in jnv. not just syllabus, but also sports, and -computers-,

i will stop here about what happened with me in past and try to get answer to 'what am i or who am i', type of question. Well, i grew up as a kid without much restriction at home, hence learnt responsibility, but never learnt working under somebody else. I can respect someone for their capability, but i don't like the idea of working under someone full time. taking challenges was always a thing i liked. I am a listener most of the time, don't like arguing, i have my own explaination, way to do things. I don't get bothered if people say something about my style, my dress, my language, or anything. i like world peace, like a quite place, my mood swings very fast, but overall avg stays well within normal to happy state. like travelling, nature always amazes me, and keeps reminding me how small i am.. love to learn new things, try out new things. never get bothered because my communication skills are bad, or i am not so good technically. i am not an atheist, but can't say that i believe in god, or follow a religion. I like Hinduism, just because other religions never attracted me and never was required for me. i am open with my eating and drinking habbits and never say no to experimenting, the food i don't like are red meat and bland food.

if you don't know me, you may feel i am little reserved and not very talkative.. but be aware, if you are well within my close circle, you will be saying 'nilsale' (ie, stop it man) most of the time.

well, my energy is almost compensated for the day. i will stop now.. drop me a comment if you need more :D (well, you can comment even otherwise)

tennis fever

I prefer watching tennis over cricket at any given time, and I hardly miss *good* matches in Grand Slams. The time between May end to early July is really nice time to enjoy tennis, both Rolland Garros and Wimbledon. This year, it was a great run for Rafa Nadal! What a player he is. Being a big fan of Roger myself, I couldn't stop clapping at the way Rafa plays. Just amazing how much he has improved over the years, and now, he wins over Federer on Grass! what a achievement :O

It was a great final, in which I couldn't take any side (though I prayed for Federer's win) till the last moment. Congrats Rafa! well done Federer, you have to get some new tatics to win over him now.. :D