Chennai Trekking Club
Encyclopedia
The Chennai Trekking Club (CTC) is a voluntary
nonprofit organization
whose members meet weekly for Outdoor recreation
, Environmental education
and Social responsibility
activities. The club
was established on February 22, 2008 by a small group of trekking
enthusiasts in Chennai
, India
. It started as an informal group of several friends in the computer industry and quickly grew into a 10,000+ member organization that primarily facilitates trekking as an organized sport.
CTC mainly organizes 2-3 day weekend treks in and around South India
. It also organizes related activities such as short treks for disadvantaged
people and walks for charity
, nature photography
tours, one day hike
s and workshops on navigation using GPS, photography, first aid
and survival skills
. CTC has organized more than 300 treks and more than 500 new members join each month.
Chennai, Thoraipakkam a few years ago. In February 2008, after completing around 10 treks throughout South India this small group published their adventures and photos online in the blog http://www.ChennaiTrekkers.org and allowed new people to join their group. After that, many people found them by word of mouth or on Google and joined the club. There is no membership fee. Three years later they have 10,000+ members in the club, with over 6,000 active members who have participated in at least one trek. On average over 15 new members join every day. CTC has completed over 300 treks throughout India.
Several trekking destinations undertaken by the club include: Anaikatti, Barapalli
, Charmadi Ghat, Chembra Peak
, Coorg, Javadi Hills
, Kalrayan Hills, Kolli Hills
, Kondaveedu Fort, Nagalapuram
(55 treks), Nagari (7 treks), Ombattu Gudde (8 treks), Ootacamund
, Palani Hills (4 treks), Parvadhamalai, Pulicat
, Roopkund
, Sakleshpur
, Savandurga
, Skandagiri
, Tada
(8 treks), Tadiyandamol, Tadkalpudipeak, Talakona
, Tirumala, Top Slip, Vavulmala, Vellarimala
, Venkatagiri
, Venkateshwara
(15 treks), Wayanad, Yelagiri
, Yercaud
For their 2nd anniversary celebration on February 20 - 21, 2010, CTC organized 14 simultaneous treks for 444 members. For their 3rd anniversary celebration on February 19 - 20, 2011, CTC organized 14 simultaneous treks for 427 members.
and the Western Ghats
. Occasionally, long treks are organized in the Himalayas
. CTC's growth is attributed to a large fan base, mainly in South India, and to the volunteers who spend many hours researching and organizing the treks. It also has members from outside India, mainly expatriates who live or lived in Chennai and Bangalore
and became part of CTC. In addition to providing a nice break from urban and corporate life, activities organized by CTC stimulate awareness of environmental issues and encourages physical fitness among its members. Chennai Trekking Club organizes periodic photography trips and treks especially for those members who are interested in Natural and Wildlife photography. Photography workshops for members are also conducted by experienced wildlife photographers.
s, compass
and GPS (satellite guided navigation). The organizers have good experience identifying new trails and navigation through unknown locations. During treks they discover new streams, hidden waterfalls, beautiful rock formations and other hidden and unexpected scenic natural spots.
The leaders and volunteers of CTC organize treks every weekend. Sometimes there may be 3-4 simultaneous treks on any given weekend. Treks are planned to beautiful natural locations both nearby Chennai as well as further away in the Eastern Ghats
and Western Ghats
in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
, Andhra Pradesh
, Kerala
and occasionally, North India
. Transportation is either done with members' cars and motorcycles for nearby destinations or public transportation is arranged for further away destinations. Levels of treks goes from easy to intermediate to difficult. CTC organizes easy 1 day treks for beginners as well as more challenging multi-day treks with overnight camping
and long distances covered. The number of participants for a trek varies typically between 10 to 40. Occasionally they take out larger groups of 50-100. Each trek has a mix of existing and new members. All participants volunteer during the trek as a team on various activities like cooking, setting up camp, creating a campfire
and assisting stragglers. During each trek many members make new friendships that may last for a lifetime.
upon registration for each trek.
trips over mountain roads and trail riding
through scenic locations.
CTC cares for the environment and gets actively involved to keep the forests clean and green. In addition to their own strict no-pollution guidelines, periodic cleanup events are organized to clean up polluted natural locations. On Nov 1, 2009, 200+ members of CTC organized a mega cleanup trek to Tada
which had become very polluted and abused over the past several years. On January 9, 2011, over 800 volunteer members collected 800 bags of garbage from 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) of the beaches of Chennai.
s
and often with telephoto lens
and macro lens capture images of the beautiful nature, landscapes and wildlife discovered during the treks. Photos are geo-tagged, published and shared on the CTC blog and the photographers' own Picassa or Flickr
pages. CTC has published more than 30,000 photos taken during their treks.
CTC's has an extensive presence on the Internet, mostly built using Google
tools. Their web site receives over 200 unique visitors each day from all over the world and has had over 200,000 visits since it was put up. Treks and photos are published using Blogger
on their blog. Invitations for new upcoming treks, photo links and experiences on completed treks are shared and discussed in their Google Group. CTC also has online communities on Facebook
and Orkut
. Most information regarding the group and its treks is published in their Google blog. The group maintains an active photography blog and discussion forum. Past and future treks are published on their Google Calendar and Google Maps. New treks are also announced on Twitter
.
The club has had over 45 news stories and feature articles about the club and its activities published in the local print media including the Hindu
, Economic Times
, Deccan Chronicle, Times of India, Indian Express and several Tamil Language
dailies.
Voluntary
Voluntary may refer to:* Voluntary * Voluntary or volunteer, person participating via volunteering/volunteerism- See also :* Voluntary action* Voluntariness, in law and philosophy* Voluntaryism, rejection of coercion...
nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
whose members meet weekly for Outdoor recreation
Outdoor recreation
Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity is leisure pursuits engaged in outside, especially in natural or semi-natural settings out of town...
, Environmental education
Environmental education
Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to...
and Social responsibility
Social responsibility
Social responsibility is an ethical ideology or theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual or organization has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the...
activities. The club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
was established on February 22, 2008 by a small group of trekking
Trek
Trek or trekking is a long journey undertaken on foot in areas where common means of transport is generally not available. Trekking is not mountaineering; it is days of walking along with adventure.-Etymology:...
enthusiasts in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It started as an informal group of several friends in the computer industry and quickly grew into a 10,000+ member organization that primarily facilitates trekking as an organized sport.
CTC mainly organizes 2-3 day weekend treks in and around South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. It also organizes related activities such as short treks for disadvantaged
Disadvantaged
The "disadvantaged" is a generic term for individuals or groups of people who:* Face special problems such as physical or mental disability * Lack money or economic support....
people and walks for charity
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
, nature photography
Nature photography
Nature photography refers to a wide range of photography taken outdoors and devoted to displaying natural elements such as landscapes, wildlife, plants, and close-ups of natural scenes and textures...
tours, one day hike
Hike
Hike may refer to:* Hiking, walking lengthy distances in the countryside or wilderness* Hiking , moving a sailor's body weight as far to windward as possible, in order to counteract the force of the wind pushing sideways against the boat's sails* Alternative spelling for Heka , an Egyptian god*...
s and workshops on navigation using GPS, photography, first aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
and survival skills
Survival skills
Survival skills are techniques a person may use in a dangerous situation to save themselves or others...
. CTC has organized more than 300 treks and more than 500 new members join each month.
History
The Chennai Trekking Club (CTC) was started by a few trekking enthusiasts from CISCOCisco
Cisco may refer to:Companies:*Cisco Systems, a computer networking company* Certis CISCO, corporatised entity of the former Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation in Singapore...
Chennai, Thoraipakkam a few years ago. In February 2008, after completing around 10 treks throughout South India this small group published their adventures and photos online in the blog http://www.ChennaiTrekkers.org and allowed new people to join their group. After that, many people found them by word of mouth or on Google and joined the club. There is no membership fee. Three years later they have 10,000+ members in the club, with over 6,000 active members who have participated in at least one trek. On average over 15 new members join every day. CTC has completed over 300 treks throughout India.
Several trekking destinations undertaken by the club include: Anaikatti, Barapalli
Barapalli
Barapalli is a village situated 3 km from district Nayagarh in Orissa, India. The village has around 150 houses.-Religion:Most of the villagers are Brahmins. Thirty per cent of the population are from other castes, including those who depend on agriculture; a few people belong to scheduled...
, Charmadi Ghat, Chembra Peak
Chembra Peak
Chembra Peak is the highest peak in Wayanad, at above sea level. Chembra is located near the town of Meppady and is 8 km south of Kalpetta. It is part of the Wayanad hill ranges in Western Ghats, adjoining the Nilgiri Hills in Tamilnadu and Vellarimala in Kozhikode district in Kerala.Chembra...
, Coorg, Javadi Hills
Javadi Hills
The Javadi Hills are a range of hills, one of the largest in the Eastern Ghats, in Vellore District, in the northern part of the state of Tamil Nadu in southeastern India. About 50 miles wide and 20 miles long, they are bisected into eastern and western sections by the Cheyyar and Agaram rivers,...
, Kalrayan Hills, Kolli Hills
Kolli Hills
Kolli Hills or Kolli Malai is a small mountain range located in central Tamil Nadu in Namakkal district of India. The mountains are about 1000 to 1300 m in height and cover an area of approximately 280 km². The Kolli Hills has 72 hair pin bends to reach the top of the hills...
, Kondaveedu Fort, Nagalapuram
Nagalapuram
Nagalapuram is a village and a Mandal in Chittoor district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.-Geography:Nagalapuram is located at . It has an average elevation of 64 meters .-History:...
(55 treks), Nagari (7 treks), Ombattu Gudde (8 treks), Ootacamund
Ootacamund
Ootacamund , is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills...
, Palani Hills (4 treks), Parvadhamalai, Pulicat
Pulicat
Pulicat is a historic seashore town in Thiruvallur District, of Tamil Nadu state, South India. It is about 60 km north of Chennai and 3 km from Elavur, on the barrier island of Sriharikota, which separates Pulicat Lake from the Bay of Bengal. Pulicat lake is a shallow salt water lagoon...
, Roopkund
Roopkund
Roopkund is a glacial lake in Uttarakhand state of India famous due to more than five hundred human skeletons found at the edge of a lake...
, Sakleshpur
Sakleshpur
Sakleshapur or Sakaleshpura in Kannada is a taluk and hill station town in Hassan district in the South Indian state of Karnataka....
, Savandurga
Savandurga
Savandurga is a hill 33 km west of Bangalore off the Magadi road , in India. The hill is famous for a temple and is also awarded to be first among the largest monolith hills in the world. The hill rises to 1226 m above mean sea level and forms a part of the Deccan plateau. It consists of...
, Skandagiri
Skandagiri
Skandagiri, also known as Kalavara Durga, is an ancient mountain fortress located approximately 70 km from Bangalore city, and 3 km from Chikballapur in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is off Bellary Road , and overlooks Nandi Hills, Muddenahalli, and Kanivenarayanapura . The peak is at...
, Tada
Tada
Tada is a town on the Chennai-Nellore highway, just over from Chennai, India and from Tirupathi. It is located in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh and is about north of the Andhra Pradesh border. This place is the exact border of the Andhra Pradesh.Its nearest major railway station is Tada and...
(8 treks), Tadiyandamol, Tadkalpudipeak, Talakona
Talakona
The Talakona waterfall is in Sri Venkateswara National Park, Chittoor District of Andhra pradesh in India. With a -fall, Talakona is the highest waterfall in the Andhra pradesh state. Talakona is also known for the Lord Siddeswara Swamy Temple, which is located close to the...
, Tirumala, Top Slip, Vavulmala, Vellarimala
Vellarimala
Vellarimala is a mountain range in Thiruvambady Panchayat on Kozhikode district of Kerala, India.- Description :Vellarimala forms a part of a high hill range of what is otherwise known as Camel's Hump Mountains, a part of the Western Ghats...
, Venkatagiri
Venkatagiri
Venkatagiri is the fourth largest town and municipality in Nellore district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.Venkatagiri's old name is "Kali Mili".It is famous for its Handloom Cotton Sarees. Venkatagiri is a place for history and handlooms. It was part of a small kingdom that was integrated...
, Venkateshwara
Venkateshwara
Venkateswara also known as Srinivasa, Balaji, Venkata and Venkatachalapati , is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara means the Lord who destroys the sins of the people...
(15 treks), Wayanad, Yelagiri
Yelagiri
Yelagiri is a hill station / village in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, India, situated off the Vaniyambadi-Tirupattur road. Located at an altitude of 1,410 metres above Mean Sea Level and spread across 30 km2, the Yelagiri village is surrounded by orchards, rose-gardens, and green...
, Yercaud
For their 2nd anniversary celebration on February 20 - 21, 2010, CTC organized 14 simultaneous treks for 444 members. For their 3rd anniversary celebration on February 19 - 20, 2011, CTC organized 14 simultaneous treks for 427 members.
Activities
CTC organizes member-led treks during weekends, and travels through mountains and wilderness areas in the Eastern GhatsEastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
and the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. Occasionally, long treks are organized in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. CTC's growth is attributed to a large fan base, mainly in South India, and to the volunteers who spend many hours researching and organizing the treks. It also has members from outside India, mainly expatriates who live or lived in Chennai and Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
and became part of CTC. In addition to providing a nice break from urban and corporate life, activities organized by CTC stimulate awareness of environmental issues and encourages physical fitness among its members. Chennai Trekking Club organizes periodic photography trips and treks especially for those members who are interested in Natural and Wildlife photography. Photography workshops for members are also conducted by experienced wildlife photographers.
Trek planning
Several core members volunteer weeks in advance to plan and organize each trek. CTC leaders are known as pathfinders. They often do not follow existing trails but trek through unexplored jungles and mountains creating their own trail using topographic mapTopographic map
A topographic map is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines in modern mapping, but historically using a variety of methods. Traditional definitions require a topographic map to show both natural and man-made features...
s, compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
and GPS (satellite guided navigation). The organizers have good experience identifying new trails and navigation through unknown locations. During treks they discover new streams, hidden waterfalls, beautiful rock formations and other hidden and unexpected scenic natural spots.
The leaders and volunteers of CTC organize treks every weekend. Sometimes there may be 3-4 simultaneous treks on any given weekend. Treks are planned to beautiful natural locations both nearby Chennai as well as further away in the Eastern Ghats
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
and Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and occasionally, North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
. Transportation is either done with members' cars and motorcycles for nearby destinations or public transportation is arranged for further away destinations. Levels of treks goes from easy to intermediate to difficult. CTC organizes easy 1 day treks for beginners as well as more challenging multi-day treks with overnight camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
and long distances covered. The number of participants for a trek varies typically between 10 to 40. Occasionally they take out larger groups of 50-100. Each trek has a mix of existing and new members. All participants volunteer during the trek as a team on various activities like cooking, setting up camp, creating a campfire
Campfire
A campfire is a fire lit at a campsite, to serve the following functions: light, warmth, a beacon, a bug and/or apex predator deterrent, to cook, and for a psychological sense of security. In established campgrounds they are usually in a fire ring for safety. Campfires are a popular feature of...
and assisting stragglers. During each trek many members make new friendships that may last for a lifetime.
Supplies
Costs are shared among all participants and collected before each trek to purchase supplies and transport. Food, transport and camping gear is arranged by CTC.- Each trek participant needs to bring:
- Good walking shoes and a pair of chappels to walk around in streams and the camping site.
- Small/compact back-pack to carry water, food + essentials only
- Blanket or Sleeping bag
- Sleeping mat
- Three reusable PETPolyethylene terephthalatePolyethylene terephthalate , commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P, is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination...
water bottles, bowl and spoon - Personal snacks such as nuts, dried fruit, energy bars, dextrose candy
- LEDLEdLEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
torch for night trekking and campsite - Small whistle or horn, penknife
- One extra set of clothes to sleep dry at night
- Sun cap and cream
- Toothbrush and medicines
- Fully charged camera
- Plastic bags to pack all personal supplies
- Not allowed on treks are: tobacco products, alcoholic drinks, soap, shampoo and perfumed personal care products and anti-social behavior.
Rules
Trek participants must agree to the basic rules and sign a disclaimerDisclaimer
A disclaimer is generally any statement intended to specify or delimit the scope of rights and obligations that may be exercised and enforced by parties in a legally recognized relationship...
upon registration for each trek.
- Littering/polluting, smoking, consuming alcohol and anti- social behavior are strictly prohibited during the trek.
- Plastics, bottles, food packing, etc. should not be thrown.
- Water in mountain streams should not be polluted using shampoo or soaps.
- I agree: _______
- Disclaimer - Trekking involves inherent dangers including climbing over rocks, crossing deep water streams and possible wildlife encounters.
- CTC and its organizers are not responsible for any accidents or injuries during the trek.
- CTC and Organizers are not responsible for any loss or damage to personal property.
- The participant agrees to take full responsibility on the above.
- I agree to join on my own responsibility (disclaimer needs to be signed while joining): _______
- Emergency contact number: This could be your parent/spouse/sibling or friend's home or mobile number: _______
- Blood GroupHuman blood group systemsThe International Society of Blood Transfusion currently recognises 30 major blood group systems . Thus, in addition to the ABO antigens and Rhesus antigens, many other antigens are expressed on the red blood cell surface membrane...
(in case of emergency) B +Ve: _______
Special interests
In addition to the regular treks, CTC organizes a variety of other events. Periodically they organize social outings for underprivileged groups in in the Chennai area, including: orphans, street children lost or run away from home, destitute women, downs Syndrome kids, AIDS victims and other disadvantaged groups. CTC periodically organizes educational workshops like first aid and survival skills training, training on maps and navigation, photography workshops, climbing events and snake workshops. They also organize ladies treks, senior treks, couples treks and family treks. They periodically organize long distance multi-day motorcyclingMotorcycling
Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. A variety of subcultures and lifestyles have been built up around motorcycling.-Benefits:Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a paean celebrating motorcycling...
trips over mountain roads and trail riding
Trail riding
Trail riding sometimes called horse or pony trekking is riding outdoors on natural trails and roads as opposed to riding in an enclosed area such as a riding arena. The term may encompass those who travel on horses, on mountain bikes, or on motorcycles and other motorized all-terrain vehicles...
through scenic locations.
CTC cares for the environment and gets actively involved to keep the forests clean and green. In addition to their own strict no-pollution guidelines, periodic cleanup events are organized to clean up polluted natural locations. On Nov 1, 2009, 200+ members of CTC organized a mega cleanup trek to Tada
Tada
Tada is a town on the Chennai-Nellore highway, just over from Chennai, India and from Tirupathi. It is located in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh and is about north of the Andhra Pradesh border. This place is the exact border of the Andhra Pradesh.Its nearest major railway station is Tada and...
which had become very polluted and abused over the past several years. On January 9, 2011, over 800 volunteer members collected 800 bags of garbage from 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) of the beaches of Chennai.
Media
CTC has a large number serious amateur and several professional photographers who, equipped with Single-lens reflex cameraSingle-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
s
and often with telephoto lens
Telephoto lens
In photography and cinematography, a telephoto lens is a specific type of a long-focus lens in which the physical length of the lens is shorter than the focal length. This is achieved by incorporating a special lens group known as a telephoto group that extends the light path to create a long-focus...
and macro lens capture images of the beautiful nature, landscapes and wildlife discovered during the treks. Photos are geo-tagged, published and shared on the CTC blog and the photographers' own Picassa or Flickr
Flickr
Flickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
pages. CTC has published more than 30,000 photos taken during their treks.
CTC's has an extensive presence on the Internet, mostly built using Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
tools. Their web site receives over 200 unique visitors each day from all over the world and has had over 200,000 visits since it was put up. Treks and photos are published using Blogger
Blogger (service)
Blogger is a blog-publishing service that allows private or multi-user blogs with time-stamped entries. It was created by Pyra Labs, which was bought by Google in 2003. Generally, the blogs are hosted by Google at a subdomain of blogspot.com. Up until May 1, 2010 Blogger allowed users to publish...
on their blog. Invitations for new upcoming treks, photo links and experiences on completed treks are shared and discussed in their Google Group. CTC also has online communities on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Orkut
Orkut
Orkut is a social networking website that is owned and operated by Google Inc. The service is designed to help users meet new and old friends and maintain existing relationships...
. Most information regarding the group and its treks is published in their Google blog. The group maintains an active photography blog and discussion forum. Past and future treks are published on their Google Calendar and Google Maps. New treks are also announced on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
.
The club has had over 45 news stories and feature articles about the club and its activities published in the local print media including the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, Economic Times
The Economic Times
The Economic Times is an English-language Indian daily newspaper published by the Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.. The Economic Times was started in 1961. It is the most popular and widely read financial daily in India, read by more than 8 lakh people...
, Deccan Chronicle, Times of India, Indian Express and several Tamil Language
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
dailies.