Star Holiday

Dhaka, Sunday=20 February 11, 2007

=20

^Part-1=20
Biking to Kewkradong

It all started that evening, Imran bhai told = us about=20 our next adventure. The idea was to reach Kewkradong peak on our = bicycles.=20 Most people would think of you as a fool if you propose something = like=20 that as your next adventure plan. But in our case, we take such = shocking=20 ideas in high spirits.

We were split in two teams -- a = cycling team=20 and a backup and supply team. The cycling team will ride their = bikes and=20 the backup team will follow. In case of any trouble, the cyclists = would=20 get help from the backup team.

No matter how good anyone is in = biking,=20 mountain biking requires a lot of nerves and stamina. The bicycles = got to=20 be light because you will have to carry them on your shoulders on = steep=20 slopes or across streams. They also have to be rugged enough to = withstand=20 bodyweight and backpack weight on rough surface at high speed. = Other=20 critical adjustments to brakes, gears, suspensions and pedals have = to be=20 made with great perception. Last but not the least, you've to know = the=20 mechanism of your bike very well in order to repair them in the=20 wilderness. No one knows cycles better than the street side = mechanics. We=20 learnt to repair and adjust our cycles from them. Mountain biking = is a new=20 concept in Bangladesh. We took up all the challenges for a new=20 experience.

January 1: The very beginning of a = new year.=20 Also that same day was EID. While the Dhakaites were preparing to = go to=20 bed after a joyful Eid day, we, the adventure alcoholics, were = heading for=20 the Kamalapur bus stand to catch a bus to Bandarban. We loaded our = cycles=20 on the roof of the bus. Our journey started with great = apprehension, we=20 didn't know what was in wait for us. That very night, the = temperature fell=20 a couple of degrees. It was a smooth trip except one single = interruption.=20 When we reached Kalurghat bridge, one of our cycles got stuck with = one of=20 the cross pitches of the bridge. So, it had to be untied, = re-arranged and=20 then tied again.

Early morning; 2 January: The = Kewkradong=20 expedition team reaches Bandarban. After unloading our bicycles, = we found=20 that Salman's cycle had lost one of its brakes. The cycles were = drenched=20 in dew. We brought all the repairing tools and spare parts with = us. After=20 repairing the brake, we started for the Chander Gari stand to = catch a ride=20 to Koikhongjhiri. It was almost noon when we were at the bank of = the Sangu=20 River. Wasting no time, our backup team and one of the cyclists, = Moon,=20 took a boat to Ruma Bazar. Others decided to cycle on.

This was the best part of our entire trip. All the = elements=20 necessary for mountain biking were there. We had to ride = south-east,=20 through the lush green riverbank. The terrain was really rough. We = had to=20 drag our bicycles at times. Ridding the narrow riverbank was = hazardous: if=20 you loose control slightly you will end up 10-12 feet down on the = rock=20 beds. At one part, the ridge ended without giving us a clue. So we = had to=20 grab our cycles, put them on our shoulders and cross the strong = water=20 stream. It was a good 60 meters of crossing. But the ridge ended = shortly=20 on this side also. This time the water was too deep for us to = cross with=20 the cycles. So we boarded an uncomfortably long boat. Holding the = cycles=20 tightly, we steadied ourselves with difficulty as the boat rolled=20 violently to our slightest of movements. We had to stand almost = like=20 statues for almost an hour. After the excruciating boat trip, we = had to=20 ride through the ups and downs of the riverbank. We made the most = out of=20 this short run and gained confidence. We reached Ruma bazar = shortly after=20 the backup team. We were soon to become the objects of curiosity = of the=20 locals. They thought we are some crazy souls trying to do even = crazier=20 things with bikes. Disregarding them, we had lunch in the bazaar = and=20 prepared ourselves for the next part -- destination Boga Lake. =

The usual trekking route to Boga Lake wasn't a good = choice for=20 us to ride. So we took the other way there. It was late afternoon = and we=20 were on our way to Boga Lake. Both teams started simultaneously, = the=20 cycling team a little ahead of the supply team. As time went by, = the=20 slopes became steeper. The uneven surface provided no grip. = Several times=20 we stopped and took dry food mostly dried dates. We took plenty of = water.=20 The day faded away. The moon kept smiling over us providing = sufficient=20 light to keep us going. The slopes were now almost 200-220 meters. = The=20 deadly downfalls gave us so little chance to control speed. We = were simply=20 fighting our way up.

It was 8:00pm when we took our last = snack and=20 the very last bottle of water. A single liter of water for eight = thirsty=20 souls wasn't enough in any sense. There was no source of water or = food=20 anywhere within at least 8 square kilometers of unforgiving = terrain. We=20 were now dehydrated and our energy level was down. Yet we had to = move.

Two and a half hours passed without = water or=20 food. Almost every one of us was now fatigued. But there was no = way to=20 stop. And then we witnessed something that took the last bit of = energy out=20 of us. There stood this tremendously steep slope. At least an 80 = degree=20 slope stretching over 600 meters. Our only hope of survival was to = reach=20 Boga Lake by scaling this immense slope at any cost. With the very = last=20 bit of energy, we started going upward. Practically we were = hanging from=20 the slope and pulling ourselves a few inches up at a time. Yet we = had to=20 pull the cycles along with us. It felt like dragging up a 5 ton = hippo on=20 an almost straight surface. This surface we were on was mostly = loose dirt.=20 It gave us no grip at all. It wasn't possible to pause for a = single moment=20 to catch a breath because of the treacherous surface. We also = realised=20 that the slope was much longer than we had anticipated. Progress = was slow.=20 It took us an agonising one and a half hours to reach the top of = the=20 slope. We started almost immediately again and saw some light in = the=20 distant valley. It was Boga Lake at last. Suddenly, we found new = energy to=20 keep us going. You can never imagine how we felt when we entered = Boga=20 Lake.

Our fellow trekkers welcomed = us to Boga=20 Lake. After drinking gallons of water we took dinner and pitched = our=20 tents. It was then night for us at last. A night we all deserved=20 rightfully.

Photo & = Story: Saad=20 Bin=20 = Hossain
www.kewkradong.com

Bird watching with Dr Reza Khan=20
Common or Fantail Snipe
Gallinago gallinago

Used to be one of the most sought after quarry = for the=20 bird hunters in the country. The trend has gone down due to severe = decline=20 in population of this snipe and its relatives. It's a bird of the = wetlands=20 of freshwater and coastal areas of the country. A very secretive = and=20 wonderfully well camouflaged bird. It could freeze at the approach = of a=20 predator and fly off in a matter of second before we step over it. = It has=20 an erratic flight that attracts the attention of the intruder = giving the=20 first clue to its presence nearby. Snipe is a small wader with a = very long=20 and straight bill, used for probing food from soggy soil. Feeds = mostly on=20 worms and subterranean insects and their larvae. A migratory=20 bird.
Actual size =B127 cm.

=A9=20 thedailystar.net=20 2007