G S Sharanya, an IT professional from Kerala, was lost for four days in a dense forest near Tadiandamol

KOZHIKODE: G S Sharanya, the Kerala-based IT professional who survived four days in a dense forest after losing her way during a trek to Tadiandamol near Madikeri in Karnataka, said the ordeal hadn’t shaken her love for trekking and she would continue to pursue her passion for the wilderness.Speaking from her house in Nadapuram, Sharanya (36) described the forest not as a place of fear, but of striking beauty and quiet companionship.Despite the ordeal, Sharanya remains undeterred. She said she had planned for a trip to Tawang and would go if she got leave. “As darkness fell, the forest slowly came alive, first with the sound of cicadas and then with fireflies. It seemed like a full moon and the night was bright to the point that one couldn’t sleep. It was the first time that I was seeing a night inside the forest, and it was beautiful,” she said.“I tried calling out, but I felt no one would hear me due to the sound of the flowing stream and the dense surroundings. The spot felt relatively safe, as it wasn’t easily accessible for large animals. I was curious whether small animals would come to the stream and so watched for any movements,” she added.Saranya said she only had a 500ml water bottle and no food left as she consumed the banana on reaching peak. She said she drank three litres a day from the stream.On the first day, she stayed put due to leg pain as she had walked from 8am to 6.45pm the previous day. The next day, she remained in an open area to improve her chances of being spotted by search teams, especially with drones. On the third day, she planned to climb to a higher point, but heavy rain disrupted her plans.By noon on the fourth day, as clouds gathered again, she started walking to the top. “I heard someone calling out and I responded. I realised they were locals. Since they hadn’t spotted me yet, I shook a tree to signal my location,” she said.Sharanya said she didn’t encounter any wild animals, except for monkeys, though she noticed elephant dung along the route.Recounting how she lost her way on April 2, Sharanya said after reaching the peak, she and two others began their descent around 10.40am. When she looked back, she saw the two resting and decided to wait for them. However, after a while, they were no longer in sight. She then noticed other group members still at the peak and attempted to climb back towards them via a path to her left, but lost sight of them as she ascended, eventually straying off route.She then tried following Google Maps. “Around 2pm, when I briefly got network, I called the homestay and informed them that I had lost my way,” she said.