Katraj-Sinhagad Night Trek
Sunday 18th June 2006
Trek-kars
---------
Paresh (leader)
Vishal
Shankar
Me, Dhaval
Here we go…
We alighted at Katrajcha ‘bogda’ in pitch darkness. The hands of my watch showed
8 pm, and the surrounding… 2 traffic policemen patrolling the ghats. A quick thanksgiving to the conductor of the S.T. and we immediately turned to the mountains. The police glares followed the four of us as we made our way up the white steps and walked straight into the arms of the mountains.
“Aaila payarya” was how the trek began. It was Vishal who broke the silence of the night while mischievously wondering if there were steps all the way to Sinhagad. Alas, that was not to be. Our torches were already out by the time the white steps paved way for the 7 ½ hrs of mountain journey ahead. The last of the steps is immediately greeted by a modest climb. It gives you a taste of what’s to come and what you should be prepared for in the long journey. Paresh, our guide for the night, promptly informed us that the climb in the beginning itself gives the feeling that the trek ahead will be a tough one. While in actuality it’s not.
Soon there were four torch beams piercing the darkness in full gusto. Shankar and Paresh had LED torches while Vishal and I had the ‘jaundiced’ yellow light torches. After a short climb we were at a height from where we could see the magnificent snarl of vehicles winding their way up the Katraj ghat. The steady line of headlights was indeed a sight to savour. As expected, my mobile camera couldn’t do justice to the magnificent night view. A bit ahead and an even more spectacular sight greeted us. In front of us stood the ‘Oxford of the East’, Pune, glittering in all its splendour. A gigantic cluster of lights, each a cosy home, offering shelter and warmth for someone out there.
Feeling good about the great city we hailed from, we moved on. On our way we met quite a few life forms, but not one of them was human. Our first encounter was with a centipede. Paresh’s torch brought it into light. I was left wondering whether his torch automatically searched for life forms around or what? Because, while I was having difficulty negotiating the rough ground beneath my feet in total darkness, he had managed to locate a barely 2-inch wide centipede! My mobile was out in a jiffy and I managed to click two photographs.
The night adventure had just begun, and so had our long walk in the dark. And that’s precisely what we did. We walked and walked and walked. From 8.00 to 10 we were simply walking, passing one hillock after another, negotiating one slope after another, one step after the other. One thing that surprised me and was a learning experience was that even during night, in a non-humid city like Pune and with a cool breeze blowing on and off, I was sweating like a pig. Sweating this profusely at night was the last thing
I had expected. Even my water supply was according to my myth. (I had just one 1 litre bottle). I found solace in Vishal, another sweating member. So I was not abnormal after all! On our way while descending a slippery rocky patch, Vishal suffered mild cramps. But being an experienced trekker he soon was back to his normal healthy self.
At 10 pm Paresh finally gave a call to halt for dinner. We promptly squatted down on two legs so as not to get our bottoms wet sitting on the wet grass. Apparently it had rained in the mountains. For the next 20 mins. all four of us hogged on some mouth watering ‘neer dosas’ and ‘batatyachi bhaji’ that Vishal and Paresh had got. After washing our hands on the grass we got off the ground.
Burrrrp… that’s how the second leg of our trek began. The dinner had deposited enough fuel in our tummies and was expected to last throughout the night. Almost immeidatley we came across a steep hillock. By the time the equally steep descent began I was already panting. As soon as we were down the thought struck me like lightening.
Lo behold, such a descent was bound to be followed by an equally steep ascent again. No sooner had I echoed my fear and desperation the valley burst into laughter… of the four of us. Getting down, while Shankar had a fall or two, Paresh stumbled too… on a nocturnal creature. This time it was a mouse, dead though. Surprisingly its eyes were still open when we came upon him. That suggested that he had been freshly killed, maybe by an owl or a snake and sensing us approach it simply left the kill and escaped. We also spotted another snake but it was too quick for us to capture it in our camera. It simply slithered away into the thick bushes.
It was almost 12.30 am now. No sooner than we had wound past one mountain, another would confront us. Every now and then we could see the red Sinhagad Tower light flickering at a distance. And every time we spotted the light hope rose in our hearts, only to be squashed by yet another hillock. Then it happened. Paresh, our guide, declared that it would take just another 15-20 minutes till be break on the road. Whoa! What a relief that was. After 4 ½ hours of following the constant beam of a torch light, we were to finally hit the hard tarmac. Shankar, though, cautioned us that the road was not so near and it would take another 2 hrs to reach there. But we were not in a state of mind to listen to him. What sounded sweet at that moment was considered true! A folly in the unforgiving mountains.
The truth soon dawned upon us as we cleared yet another hillock. Another hillock stood in front of us. The red light flickered at the same distance as it was earlier. Our hearts sank as deep as the valley below. But there was no escape or short cuts. Walk it was, and walk was what we did.
On our way, we spotted a dark green snake nicely curled up, as if waiting for us to discover it. As always, Paresh located it and soon the snake was basking in the collective glare of four torches. It was a beautiful snake, thick, dark green, its skin a perfect camouflage in the green surroundings. Fortunately for us it stayed on the spot for quite some time, at least till we could click him. Satisfied we moved on, knowing little of the little drama that lied ahead of us.
By 2 am we had circled past two more hillocks. And the sight that greeted us made our spirits rise as high as Sinhagad. We could see the glare of vehicle headlights winding down the Sinhagad ghat, though at a distance. Finally we were at striking distance.
We kept walking in its direction, only to realize that we had missed a turn somewhere behind. Paresh, though he had done the trek once before, was not quite sure that the path we were on led us to our destination. According to him the path looked like cattle path and not the usual path used by trekkers or villagers. For some time we trotted around, flashing our torches in all directions, looking for a certain route. The arrows markings had deserted us long back and we were now guided by our instincts.
We decided to go back as Paresh and Shankar suspected the turn to be behind. After a good 20 min of walking back we again came to a standstill. Torchlight once again danced on the mountain all around.
There was a mountain on our right and Shankar suggested that we climb the mountain and descend from the other side towards the road. A suggestion that was instantly shot down by me and Vishal. Another climb was an unbearable thought for our tired limbs. And so was losing sight of the vehicles coming down. It was more than 6 ½ hours that were walking.
After some searching around for the right path, it was decided to go further back. And so we went. We could see a dim light in a solitary house at a distance below us. After another 10-15 mins of retreating down the trodden path we finally gave up and decided to head down the slope. Paresh did a quick reiki and signaled us to follow though there was no route visible. We decided that, way or no way, this the way we were going to take down, quite out of desperation. Soon we found out that we were going down a stream, as we jumped over one rock after another. After 20 min of descent we finally came to ground zero. We knew we were en route when Vishal came across a well. Surprisingly Vishal instantly ran ahead, the reason we understood later. Suddenly our feet felt something smooth and hard. We looked down and it was the rooooooooooad! The next moment we were down, lying bang in the middle of the road at 3.30 am. A speeding vehicle and it could’ve easily mowed us down. We were sure we won’t be moving an inch come what may!
By now we had run dry of the last drop of water. I was dripping wet from the sweating. So was Vishal. Surprisingly Paresh and Shankar were not as sweaty. They seem to harbour different kind of sweat glands beneath their skin. Lucky them!
A pretty early breakfast followed then and there. The food? Khajurs. The sweet khajurs were good energy boosters and we felt rejuvenated in a jiffy. After some 20 min. chatting on the asphalt we proceeded. So far we were eager to reach the road. We had no inkling that the journey on the road was to be the most difficult and boring one!
The road sign said Sinhagad was 6 km. from where we stood. Good enough. Bad enough. The journey began on a steady note. I would say pretty monotonous. That’s when I realized the beauty of the mountains. No step there is boring unlike on the road. On our way we came across a solitary hotel building that had come up at the base of Sinhagad. We even thought of parking ourselves there itself. But we continued up the road.
A funny incident worth mentioning here. On a turn, at 3.30 in the morning or night, there was a white Maruti parked. Outside a person was sitting on the wall. I casually thought aloud that ‘let’s take this car and go up’. No sooner had the words escaped my mouth that a pretty damsel emerged out of the car. We were taken aback. Of all the spots what on the earth was a couple doing on Sinhagad road in the dead of the night! On second thoughts, why not?! We had a hearty laugh later. 30 min. on the dead road and we realized the futility of the operation. The walk was painfully boring. We had covered just 1 km in half an hour… 5 more to go i.e. 2 ½ hrs more… NO WAY! The road led us to an intersection where there’s a chai tapri. Prudence guiding us, we decided to camp there for the night. By the time we were in sleeping mode it was 4.30 am and we could feel the cold.
It was there while chatting that we found out the reason why Vishal had ran away from the well on our way down. Bhoot! He was afraid of ghosts. As he narrated, supposedly his real experience, the story goes like this. One night he was sleeping at his house in Pune. When he woke up in the middle of the night he suddenly saw a white figure gliding in the air. Rubbing his eyes when he went closer he realized that it was a white dog who was flying in the air, going from his room to the other. Paralysed with fear he didn’t move the whole night. Couple of days later, his friend mentioned that a dog had died in the same room and some friends had seen a ghost dog in the room. That’s when Vishal realized that he had seen a ghost. Even today, he makes it a point not to sleep in the room even in the afternoon. What a story! Worth a hearty laugh by all, except Vishal
Thankfully for me, Shankar had his sleeping bag spread out so that we both could comfortably sleep. I was all wet due to the sweating and could barely manage to sleep with a wet Tee on. Vishal too couldn’t sleep. By 6.30 am we all were up. We thought of taking the Jeep down to the base village. But we dropped the thought as they demanded Rs.200-400 for us four. We thought we’d better climb down. Just then we spotted a cargo rick coming down. We waiting in expectation and sure the rick halted and we struck a bargain for just Rs.5/- per head. And the ride in the back of an open rick, with the cool morning air in your face, was just the refreshing start one would desire.
We were back in Pune, Swargate, by 7.30 am. After a quick tea at Swargate we parted ways, with bright memories of a wonderful trek in the dark. To sum it up, the Katraj-Sinhagad reminds me of Johnny Walker (Keep Walking). You just walk and walk and walk. Looking back, I realize, the night was well spent!
Dhaval :)
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Rajmachi Trek
RAJMACHI TREK EXPERIENCE
March 2006
After our Dalhousie Trek in January, we were raring to go to another quick fire trek.
The awesome foursome, one from which was a 62-year old Retd. Colonel, zeroed in on Rajmachi, a magnificent fort off Karjat. People from Mumbai go via Karjat (climb all the way) while those from Pune climb via Lonavala (20 km walk).
On Saturday, we camped at one of our co-trekkers house in Kalyan and left the next day morning by the first 5.30 am Karjat local. As the train chugged along a cool breeze lifted our spirits a notch higher. We reached Karjat by 6.30 am and a 5 min. rick ride took us to a place called Kondivade. From there we took a share rick, called tum tum, till the base of Rajmachi, a small hamlet called Kondane. The tum tum normally chages Rs. 10/- per person. However, since there were no passengers so early in the morning, we had to shell Rs.100/- for four of us.
On reaching Kondane we hired a guide, a 7th standard kid with as nimble feet as a deer. Mind you, this was not child exploitation. We were soon joined by yet another guide,
his 6th standard friend. Here we were, decked in hunter shoes and trekking boots while these two kids were as much or more comfy in their rubber slippers. We started the ascent from Karjat side at 7.30 am. The beginning was quite pleasant and we were enjoying every step of our climb. The path is marvelous even in the summers as it passes through lush green trees. We continued at quite a steady speed and soon found ourselves panting as the climb got steeper with every passing hillock. The little guides informed us that there were 3 more hillocks to be captured till we reach the village on top.
Our first and only halt was for breakfast, at an underground water tank. Unfortunately we spotted a dead monkey floating in the ‘kund’ and so couldn’t taste the cool nectar. After a hearty bread and butter breakfast we picked speed and reached the village on top at 10.15 am, roughly 2 - 2½ hours of climb.
The village, home to 200 odd people, is a small cluster of houses, each geared up to provide food and accommodation to trekkers who frequent the fort 24X7X12.
Our Colonel had an acquaintance from his earlier visit there and we touched our bases in his typically village type, cow dung smeared courtyard. A hot tea and gallons of water later we proceeded towards the two famous ‘machis’, Manoranjan and XXXXXXX
Manoranjan is the highest point on the fort. There are caves on the way. One look inside the dark caves and you won’t step a foot in. It’s like you are staring in a black hole. As your sight adjusts to the dark surroundings you realize that they are actually huge chambers where one can easily spend a night. Huge boulders, serving as steps, lead you to the top of Manoranjan. The view is simply indescribable. It’s a bird eye view in true sense. The house from where we came up looked like a tiny spec. So did the temple and pond next to it. Strong winds blew, unhindered.
A short cut led us to the other ‘machi’, equally fascinating and no less spectacular. It had two open tunnels, meant as escape routes. We couldn’t dare step inside any of them in spite of the easy looking staircase. Thoroughly content, we descended for lunch carrying knots of wind in our hair. A sumptuous lunch awaited us at Kalu’s house. The garma garam ‘nachani bhakris’ that melted in your mouth, the unique ‘pithala’ and delectable sabji was a lunch to savour and devour.
Barely had the taste settled in our mouth that our Colonel gave the clarion call to head down. It was already 2.30 pm and his experience said that the descent will take more time since the soil was loose at many places. How right he was! We started slowly and cautiously. The summer heat was also getting to us. The halts started increasing and fatigue set in. We all were sweating like a pig. Halfway down, I experienced first of the many cramps to besiege me. On our way down we visited the ‘lenya’. This time the water was crystal clear and deep freezed. It’s almost like an energizer drink. Our guides had warned us about a beehive nearby. The story goes, ”Once a group of trekkers took a halt and started cutting onions there, oblivious of the beehive. The onions irritated the bees and they attacked in full force. The trekkers took to their heels. To escape the bees’ fury they completely submerged themselves in a pond. Not to let go, the bees kept hovering above the water till the trekkers came out, and then resumed their stinging attack.” Now, did we have a choice than to be extra cautious?
By then cramps were a regular feature and so was dehydration. The descent thereafter was slower and we reached base around 5.30 pm, completely exhausted. After paying our young guides a princely amount of Rs.80, we reached Karjat station with memories of the trek still fresh. And our aching legs made sure it remained so.
That’s Rajmachi, truly a trekker’s paradise. Be it during the baking hot summers, in pouring rains or in chilly winters, Rajmachi is one fort that tops the agenda of every trekker. Head along!
Dhaval :)
March 2006
After our Dalhousie Trek in January, we were raring to go to another quick fire trek.
The awesome foursome, one from which was a 62-year old Retd. Colonel, zeroed in on Rajmachi, a magnificent fort off Karjat. People from Mumbai go via Karjat (climb all the way) while those from Pune climb via Lonavala (20 km walk).
On Saturday, we camped at one of our co-trekkers house in Kalyan and left the next day morning by the first 5.30 am Karjat local. As the train chugged along a cool breeze lifted our spirits a notch higher. We reached Karjat by 6.30 am and a 5 min. rick ride took us to a place called Kondivade. From there we took a share rick, called tum tum, till the base of Rajmachi, a small hamlet called Kondane. The tum tum normally chages Rs. 10/- per person. However, since there were no passengers so early in the morning, we had to shell Rs.100/- for four of us.
On reaching Kondane we hired a guide, a 7th standard kid with as nimble feet as a deer. Mind you, this was not child exploitation. We were soon joined by yet another guide,
his 6th standard friend. Here we were, decked in hunter shoes and trekking boots while these two kids were as much or more comfy in their rubber slippers. We started the ascent from Karjat side at 7.30 am. The beginning was quite pleasant and we were enjoying every step of our climb. The path is marvelous even in the summers as it passes through lush green trees. We continued at quite a steady speed and soon found ourselves panting as the climb got steeper with every passing hillock. The little guides informed us that there were 3 more hillocks to be captured till we reach the village on top.
Our first and only halt was for breakfast, at an underground water tank. Unfortunately we spotted a dead monkey floating in the ‘kund’ and so couldn’t taste the cool nectar. After a hearty bread and butter breakfast we picked speed and reached the village on top at 10.15 am, roughly 2 - 2½ hours of climb.
The village, home to 200 odd people, is a small cluster of houses, each geared up to provide food and accommodation to trekkers who frequent the fort 24X7X12.
Our Colonel had an acquaintance from his earlier visit there and we touched our bases in his typically village type, cow dung smeared courtyard. A hot tea and gallons of water later we proceeded towards the two famous ‘machis’, Manoranjan and XXXXXXX
Manoranjan is the highest point on the fort. There are caves on the way. One look inside the dark caves and you won’t step a foot in. It’s like you are staring in a black hole. As your sight adjusts to the dark surroundings you realize that they are actually huge chambers where one can easily spend a night. Huge boulders, serving as steps, lead you to the top of Manoranjan. The view is simply indescribable. It’s a bird eye view in true sense. The house from where we came up looked like a tiny spec. So did the temple and pond next to it. Strong winds blew, unhindered.
A short cut led us to the other ‘machi’, equally fascinating and no less spectacular. It had two open tunnels, meant as escape routes. We couldn’t dare step inside any of them in spite of the easy looking staircase. Thoroughly content, we descended for lunch carrying knots of wind in our hair. A sumptuous lunch awaited us at Kalu’s house. The garma garam ‘nachani bhakris’ that melted in your mouth, the unique ‘pithala’ and delectable sabji was a lunch to savour and devour.
Barely had the taste settled in our mouth that our Colonel gave the clarion call to head down. It was already 2.30 pm and his experience said that the descent will take more time since the soil was loose at many places. How right he was! We started slowly and cautiously. The summer heat was also getting to us. The halts started increasing and fatigue set in. We all were sweating like a pig. Halfway down, I experienced first of the many cramps to besiege me. On our way down we visited the ‘lenya’. This time the water was crystal clear and deep freezed. It’s almost like an energizer drink. Our guides had warned us about a beehive nearby. The story goes, ”Once a group of trekkers took a halt and started cutting onions there, oblivious of the beehive. The onions irritated the bees and they attacked in full force. The trekkers took to their heels. To escape the bees’ fury they completely submerged themselves in a pond. Not to let go, the bees kept hovering above the water till the trekkers came out, and then resumed their stinging attack.” Now, did we have a choice than to be extra cautious?
By then cramps were a regular feature and so was dehydration. The descent thereafter was slower and we reached base around 5.30 pm, completely exhausted. After paying our young guides a princely amount of Rs.80, we reached Karjat station with memories of the trek still fresh. And our aching legs made sure it remained so.
That’s Rajmachi, truly a trekker’s paradise. Be it during the baking hot summers, in pouring rains or in chilly winters, Rajmachi is one fort that tops the agenda of every trekker. Head along!
Dhaval :)
Purandar Trek
Purandar Outing
Sunday, 28th May 2006
Anil
Rahul
Gurujit
Ritin
Anand
Dhaval
Someshwar
Subhajit
Sanjukta and
Vikram
Swargate - Solapur Road – Saswad - Turn before Jejuri for Purandar
Swargate, one place that’s probably as important as the forts we trek. 6.30 am was the auspicious IST decided to assemble. Sticking to our tradition, 7.30 am was when we finally moved on, only after downing some idlis and a hot cuppa of tea. Two more joined us at Magarpatta city. That made up for 5 bikes and 10 nature enthusiasts, all set to scale Fort Purandar in the near perfect weather conditions.
Now, bikes are meant for sudden breakdowns, known to stall at the most misappropriate spots with a punctured tyre or stutter to a standstill when none expect them to. However, this journey was to be different. The ride was butter smooth, thanks to the excellent road right up to the Purandar base village. The weather played a perfect ally and we just cruised along. The distance was not great either, just 45 km from Swargate. We screeched to a halt at Narayanpur, base of Purandar, before 9 am. After pampering our tummies once again and packing some Wada Pavs and biscuits for lunch we headed to the historic Purandar. But not before visiting the impressive Narayanpur Shiva Temple.
For some queer reason we started our trek on bikes. We followed the almost non-existent road to the top, riding gingerly through loose pebbles, razor sharp rocks and mud patches. In 30 min. flat we had parked our bikes, and our asses, at the imposing statue of Purandar’s ‘Killedar’ Murarbaji Deshpande. A brief photo session ensued almost immediately. Thankfully, even the great Murarbaji Deshpande obliged to our antics.
Next stop was at the one and only hotel / restaurant / dhaba / tapri on the fort. A perfect watering hole for animals of a different kind, us. A neatly carved out path from there leads to the top of the fort. It’s a simple 45 min. walk. With 2 short cuts, we reached even earlier. The refreshing breeze that blew through the entrance gate of the fort was AC cool, to say the least. You don’t feel like moving an inch from that spot. And that’s exactly what we did for the better part of the next half an hour. Clicking photos, generally ‘tp’ing, speculating about the fighting tactics of the Maratha warriors and the canon positions. Two more groups had chosen the same day to visit the fort. A generous mix of youngsters like us and enthusiastic elders.
Soon we proceeded to explore the fort. A Shiva temple that sits pretty on the highest point of the fort was our next destination. One thing that I found a Purandar specialty was that there are at least 4 to 5, sufficiently big, well-endowed water tanks on top. None with potable water though. But that clearly shows that Purandar was a strategic fort for the Marathas in the 18th century. Incidentally, the fort that has such good reserves of water is abundant with big cactus. Am still searching for a satisfactory explanation. Anyone?
Two Army men joined us on our way to the top. They were among the 6 men who form the Army division on the fort. Again the way to the temple is very simple. A fun walk rather. There are even steps at the end. Once on top we quickly took darshan and settled for an early wada pav lunch. In between, the army men narrated about a great escapade. A group of guyz from Ichalkaranji had come there some time back. One of them, in the usual masti, went a bit too far on the edge. As fate would have it, he slipped and went straight down the valley. Fortunately his foot touched a sole rock on the slope and he stood balancing himself on that narrow rock. As per the army man’s version,
8 min. was all that it took for them to climb the fort. Equipped with ropes they finally rescued the guy. A pretty close shave it was for him, they said, else bones were the only thing that would’ve been retrieved form the slopes.
On that note we bit into the wada pav. An brief introduction session followed where everyone seemed to be reluctant to disclose their identity. The IT guys even got down to solving a riddle about Subhajit’s age. All in all, it was fun. By now we had consumed every drop of water we were carrying. Fortunately the clouds came to our rescue and absorbed all the heat. It seemed like it would rain soon. Amidst the expectation of heavy rains, we headed back. Each one came by a different route. On our way we came across a deserted house (all houses on top are deserted anyways). While exploring the vacant rooms we came across a big skull of a bull. That called for some more photos, posing as big game hunters with the skull in hand.
Back to our only restaurant, cold ‘nimbu sarbat’ greeted our parched throats. It was 1.00 pm by then. From there we proceeded to yet another huge water tank that’s on the route to Vajragad, the adjoining fort. While some sat on the banks of the tank, we spotted a mango tree fully laden with kairis, kaccha mangoes. Instincts took over and we started aiming stones at the mangoes. The bitter realization that none of us were Rajyavardhan Rathod or Anjali Bhagwat came fast enough as all the stones went wheezing past their target, clearly missing it by a comfortable distance. Then Someshwar struck an idea. He started hurling huge sticks/tree trunks towards the branches. This strategy paid instant dividends and soon we managed to down a handful of ‘kairis’. Fortunately there was no rakhwaldar to chase us away and we made merry.
Vikram took on another tree in the vicinity. However he chose to climb. Soon Someshwar followed up and we could spot two monkeys on the tree trunks. Now mangoes started coming down every alternate second. Soon one haversack was full and we stopped stripping the tree of its mangoes. Satisfied with our pick we headed towards Vajragad. Just four of us, rest decided to take a quick nap. Within 40 min. were on top. By now the wind had deserted us and it was getting hot. No signs of rains too.
Vajragad is more like a mini-fort. On top is a cool cluster of black rock formations and complementing them is a thorny jungle of cacti. After romancing with the black rocks we proceeded back down.
The initial path to Vajragad, from Purandar, is lined with rows of dilapidated structures. These were the army accommodations in the 1980s. Purandar fort was an Army Training Base and a sizeable number of army men trained here till the late 1980s.
Later they shifted base and now only 6 army personnel are posted on the fort. The restaurant owner later told us that only these army people have access to electricity on the entire fort. A statue of Shivaji Maharaj is installed amidst these structures. An information board next to it had some valuable information on Sambhaji Raje. One of the points shed light on his life. It read,
“The perception that Sambhaji Raje was an addict and an aiyyash is completely baseless and false. That some historians chose to malign this great hero is nothing but the misfortune of this magnificent land called India.”
On this enlightening note we headed back to Purandar. It was 4 pm by now and we decided to hop on to our bikes and proceed back. Only after another round of tea and generous sips of the zarnas drinking water. On our way Ritin misled us to a Somnath Temple at Saswad , saying that we’ll be visiting the samadhi of the first ‘Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath.’ Fortunately, we located the samadhi quite close to the temple. So Ritin was not completely wrong after all. ;)
We soon picked speed only to halt for a cool glass of ‘lassi’. Just an excuse to settle the accounts. The whole trip cost us just Rs.100/- per person. That’s too small for a great experience like this. By 7 pm we were back in Pune. Thus happened the Purandar outing. A great one-day location for a short trek, if I may call so.
Click on the link to view the Purandar photographs:
http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=550886093&security=lLSxuo
Sunday, 28th May 2006
Anil
Rahul
Gurujit
Ritin
Anand
Dhaval
Someshwar
Subhajit
Sanjukta and
Vikram
Swargate - Solapur Road – Saswad - Turn before Jejuri for Purandar
Swargate, one place that’s probably as important as the forts we trek. 6.30 am was the auspicious IST decided to assemble. Sticking to our tradition, 7.30 am was when we finally moved on, only after downing some idlis and a hot cuppa of tea. Two more joined us at Magarpatta city. That made up for 5 bikes and 10 nature enthusiasts, all set to scale Fort Purandar in the near perfect weather conditions.
Now, bikes are meant for sudden breakdowns, known to stall at the most misappropriate spots with a punctured tyre or stutter to a standstill when none expect them to. However, this journey was to be different. The ride was butter smooth, thanks to the excellent road right up to the Purandar base village. The weather played a perfect ally and we just cruised along. The distance was not great either, just 45 km from Swargate. We screeched to a halt at Narayanpur, base of Purandar, before 9 am. After pampering our tummies once again and packing some Wada Pavs and biscuits for lunch we headed to the historic Purandar. But not before visiting the impressive Narayanpur Shiva Temple.
For some queer reason we started our trek on bikes. We followed the almost non-existent road to the top, riding gingerly through loose pebbles, razor sharp rocks and mud patches. In 30 min. flat we had parked our bikes, and our asses, at the imposing statue of Purandar’s ‘Killedar’ Murarbaji Deshpande. A brief photo session ensued almost immediately. Thankfully, even the great Murarbaji Deshpande obliged to our antics.
Next stop was at the one and only hotel / restaurant / dhaba / tapri on the fort. A perfect watering hole for animals of a different kind, us. A neatly carved out path from there leads to the top of the fort. It’s a simple 45 min. walk. With 2 short cuts, we reached even earlier. The refreshing breeze that blew through the entrance gate of the fort was AC cool, to say the least. You don’t feel like moving an inch from that spot. And that’s exactly what we did for the better part of the next half an hour. Clicking photos, generally ‘tp’ing, speculating about the fighting tactics of the Maratha warriors and the canon positions. Two more groups had chosen the same day to visit the fort. A generous mix of youngsters like us and enthusiastic elders.
Soon we proceeded to explore the fort. A Shiva temple that sits pretty on the highest point of the fort was our next destination. One thing that I found a Purandar specialty was that there are at least 4 to 5, sufficiently big, well-endowed water tanks on top. None with potable water though. But that clearly shows that Purandar was a strategic fort for the Marathas in the 18th century. Incidentally, the fort that has such good reserves of water is abundant with big cactus. Am still searching for a satisfactory explanation. Anyone?
Two Army men joined us on our way to the top. They were among the 6 men who form the Army division on the fort. Again the way to the temple is very simple. A fun walk rather. There are even steps at the end. Once on top we quickly took darshan and settled for an early wada pav lunch. In between, the army men narrated about a great escapade. A group of guyz from Ichalkaranji had come there some time back. One of them, in the usual masti, went a bit too far on the edge. As fate would have it, he slipped and went straight down the valley. Fortunately his foot touched a sole rock on the slope and he stood balancing himself on that narrow rock. As per the army man’s version,
8 min. was all that it took for them to climb the fort. Equipped with ropes they finally rescued the guy. A pretty close shave it was for him, they said, else bones were the only thing that would’ve been retrieved form the slopes.
On that note we bit into the wada pav. An brief introduction session followed where everyone seemed to be reluctant to disclose their identity. The IT guys even got down to solving a riddle about Subhajit’s age. All in all, it was fun. By now we had consumed every drop of water we were carrying. Fortunately the clouds came to our rescue and absorbed all the heat. It seemed like it would rain soon. Amidst the expectation of heavy rains, we headed back. Each one came by a different route. On our way we came across a deserted house (all houses on top are deserted anyways). While exploring the vacant rooms we came across a big skull of a bull. That called for some more photos, posing as big game hunters with the skull in hand.
Back to our only restaurant, cold ‘nimbu sarbat’ greeted our parched throats. It was 1.00 pm by then. From there we proceeded to yet another huge water tank that’s on the route to Vajragad, the adjoining fort. While some sat on the banks of the tank, we spotted a mango tree fully laden with kairis, kaccha mangoes. Instincts took over and we started aiming stones at the mangoes. The bitter realization that none of us were Rajyavardhan Rathod or Anjali Bhagwat came fast enough as all the stones went wheezing past their target, clearly missing it by a comfortable distance. Then Someshwar struck an idea. He started hurling huge sticks/tree trunks towards the branches. This strategy paid instant dividends and soon we managed to down a handful of ‘kairis’. Fortunately there was no rakhwaldar to chase us away and we made merry.
Vikram took on another tree in the vicinity. However he chose to climb. Soon Someshwar followed up and we could spot two monkeys on the tree trunks. Now mangoes started coming down every alternate second. Soon one haversack was full and we stopped stripping the tree of its mangoes. Satisfied with our pick we headed towards Vajragad. Just four of us, rest decided to take a quick nap. Within 40 min. were on top. By now the wind had deserted us and it was getting hot. No signs of rains too.
Vajragad is more like a mini-fort. On top is a cool cluster of black rock formations and complementing them is a thorny jungle of cacti. After romancing with the black rocks we proceeded back down.
The initial path to Vajragad, from Purandar, is lined with rows of dilapidated structures. These were the army accommodations in the 1980s. Purandar fort was an Army Training Base and a sizeable number of army men trained here till the late 1980s.
Later they shifted base and now only 6 army personnel are posted on the fort. The restaurant owner later told us that only these army people have access to electricity on the entire fort. A statue of Shivaji Maharaj is installed amidst these structures. An information board next to it had some valuable information on Sambhaji Raje. One of the points shed light on his life. It read,
“The perception that Sambhaji Raje was an addict and an aiyyash is completely baseless and false. That some historians chose to malign this great hero is nothing but the misfortune of this magnificent land called India.”
On this enlightening note we headed back to Purandar. It was 4 pm by now and we decided to hop on to our bikes and proceed back. Only after another round of tea and generous sips of the zarnas drinking water. On our way Ritin misled us to a Somnath Temple at Saswad , saying that we’ll be visiting the samadhi of the first ‘Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath.’ Fortunately, we located the samadhi quite close to the temple. So Ritin was not completely wrong after all. ;)
We soon picked speed only to halt for a cool glass of ‘lassi’. Just an excuse to settle the accounts. The whole trip cost us just Rs.100/- per person. That’s too small for a great experience like this. By 7 pm we were back in Pune. Thus happened the Purandar outing. A great one-day location for a short trek, if I may call so.
Click on the link to view the Purandar photographs:
http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=550886093&security=lLSxuo
Harihareshwar-Dive Agar Expedition
The Route:
Pune - Chandani Chowk – Paud village – Mulshi – Tamhini Ghat – Vili – detour - Mangaon – Morbe – Sai– Mhasla – Srivardhan - Harihareshwar
DAY 1
8th April 2006
STRAP-PURR-ZOOM
‘Pune Trekkers’. That’s the name of the online group. However, this time we decided to give the Trek a slip and instead go for a trip. Of course, a trip with a dash of adventure. To Harihareshwar, Srivardhan and Dive Aagar, two places kissing the Kokan coast, and known for its pristine beaches and famous for its unique Ganpati temples.
Ritin, was the lead organizer and we were 12 of us plus 2 kids. Mode of transport was to be bikes. The seeds of an adventurous journey were sown the moment we revved up our bikes at 7.30 am. We took the road to Paud village from Chandani Chowk. Barely 30 min. of riding and the first casualty blessed us. Amit, a hunk dressed in body-clinging T, suffered a fall off his bike while trying to avoid an old man who couldn’t resist the urge to jump on the road. Miraculously it was Amit who got all bruised, on hand and legs. In most cases it’s the pillion who suffers more.
BREAK NO.1
Our first halt was for fuel, not for our bikes but for ourselves. We stopped at Dishaj, a decent roadside hotel after Mulshi Dam. After a modest breakfast of ‘pohe’ and ‘wadas’ we roadies once again took to burning the rubber. By 10.30 we were navigating our way up the winding roads of the picturesque ‘Tamhini ghat’. On our way, we took a halt to appreciate and take in a beautiful waterfall site that comes into its elements in the monsoons. Ritin and I (I was the pillion) reached first. Little did we know at that time that halt which was supposed to be for 10 min. was to extend to a full 2 hours! Soon the other bikers arrived only to inform that one bike had a flat tyre some 7 km behind. It was Harsh’s Pulsar. They had enquired and the nearest puncture shop was a good 8 km ahead. Some of us decided to stay put at the same spot with the luggage. Two bikes went ahead to fetch the mechanic while two bikes went back and give company to the deflated guyz. By the time it was fixed, it was 12.30 pm and the sun had started blazing on us. God willing, the next stop was to be Vili, a small place that’s 97 km from Pune.
SHOCK @ 60kmph
As if Amit’s fall and Harsh’s punctured tyre were not enough, Vili welcomed us with a rude shock. The locals informed us that Srivardhan was still 75 km. away from Vili and Harihareshwar another 16 km further. That made Harihareshwar approx. 190 km from base camp Pune. 60 km more than we had anticipated. And all the ‘reliable’ websites and books had put it at 132 km. That meant more work for us. We doused ourselves with 2 pegs of cool ‘Kokam’ sarbat each and headed along.
After arming ourselves with enough water to fight the steaming sun, we proceeded ahead. The road till Vili is butter-smooth. The road after is the exact opposite. But nowhere is the road a straight patch. It’s all winding with a lot of blind corners and steep climbs followed with equally steep declines. It’s a different kind of thrill in itself. On top of it, the sun was at its hottest best. Not only were the UV rays doing their job efficiently, but the warm current rising from the tar road was also directly hitting our faces, tanning it with every passing moment. The surrounding countryside was equally parched and to add to it the villagers had burnt the dry grass in their fields to make the soil more fertile in the coming monsoon.
After a brief ‘sarbat’ halt at Srivardhan we finally parked our tired asses at Harihareshwar at 4.00 pm. A journey that was supposed to be of just 3-4 hours, lasted a good 8 ½ hours on the ‘oven fresh’ road. Complete with a freak accident, a punctured tyre and a gross miscalculation. But the feeling of relief on reaching our destination and the thought of a cool dip in the salty waters made us forget it all. We were already looking forward to the Harihareshwar sea.
AT HARIHARESHWAR
First things first, and that’s accommodation. Our weekend timing made sure that all the hotels were booked. Ritin and Saurabh managed to find one big hall which would house all 14 of us. And it was pretty cheap too. Just Rs.600/- for a day, with 2 bathrooms and erratic supply of water. The accommodation system in Harihareshwar is pretty unique. There are no hotels as such. Since tourism is the main industry there, every house has been turned into a mini-hotel. Since space is not a constraint, the rooms are quite spacious and well ventilated. There’s one resort, but that’s some 2 km. before the main temple town of Harihareshwar.
We quickly freshened up, got into our bathing suits and left in earnest towards the beach. Only after devouring 15 plates of freshly prepared ‘pohe’. Suraj had found out a secluded beach, away from the main beach. The first sight of sea and we all broke into a sprint to dive into it. We were cautious at first but soon realised that the sea bottom was all soft and even. Quite contrary to the infamous Harihareshwar rocky beaches. Also, the waves were not strong and it was almost like we were in a giant sized swimming pool. But to soak in the fun and have all the fun is what we had come for and that’s exactly what we did. With dark, we returned to our room, had a refreshing bath and headed for the ‘homely’ dinner. The rest of the MBT team went for a ‘lil jig at night and came back, all scared, with ghost-on-the-beach stories. Only to have a hearty laugh the next morning.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAY 2
9th April 2006
The next day, as planned, couple of us early risers went to the famous Shiva temple for darshan. The temple is as much known for its Pradakshina as it’s known for its archaic values. The Pradakshina takes approx 20 min. if you go non-stop. But as we proceeded, we realized that the captivating beauty of the Pradakshina keeps you thrilled for more than an hour.
THE PRADAKSHINA
Initially we had planned to skip the Pradakshina as we had planned to leave for Dive Agar early in the morning. But then we decided, what the heck, we have come this far and it would be very unfair if we skip it. So we went ahead. Ritin, myself, Pranaam, Ajit and Venkat. You have to go round a mountain which resembles a Shankar Pind, hence the pradakshina. There are proper steps to climb.
But the real surprise that awed us beyond imagination was the small stretch that actually passes through the sea. Luckily it was low tide and we could easily walk, danger-free. During high tide people are prohibited from going there, and rightly so. The stretch is made of razor sharp rock formations. That mountain side forms an amazing pattern of holes caused due to centuries of waves lashing out at them. And the pattern rises to more than 15 feet in height. Wonder how gigantic a wave it would take to punch holes in rocks so high. Has to be during the monsoons when the sea is at its violent best.
At a place a cave has been formed. On our way we saw many dead, crushed crabs on the rocks. Guess the sea spares no one. If aquatic creatures couldn’t survive how can humans stand up to the sea’s fury. No sooner, we noticed names of people and a date written on the rocks at specific places. These were the people who lost their lives while traversing the patch. Still wonder why people caution you about the sea at Harihareshwar?
In between there were small ponds that housed an amazing ‘underwater kingdom’, with beautiful formations of green algae. Not anticipating this pradakshina to be this ‘out-of-the-world’ none had brought their cameras along. So we had to make do with Ritin’s mobile cam. After a brief photo shoot we proceeded back, the images imprinted on our minds for a lifetime.
One fitting description that comes to my mind about this Pradakshina is, it’s like having drinks (sea water) ‘on the rocks’.
OFF TO DIVE-AGAR
No sooner had we topped ourselves with ‘pohas’ and sarbat for breakfast, we packed our stuff and once again took the road. Today, to Dive Agaar via Srivardhan. It’s around 35 km. from Harihareshwar. 7 bikes with 2 dedicated groups, one from MBT and other from Ritin’s office means a sure invitation for polarisation. This meant that some bikes went ahead and some stayed back at their own leisurely pace. The first and luckily the only miss on our way back was at Srivardhan. Our road was to pass through the village, unlike the time we came. Few bikes took the detour while four of our bikes proceeded forward after a wait.
THE SURPRISE PACKAGE
ON our way we were in for a great surprise. A beautiful, virgin beach greeted us as soon as we left Srivardhan. With clean, cream and white coloured sand stretching for a good 2 km was an invitation we couldn’t turn down. We straightaway hit the beach, but with our bikes. The biking trip on the beach was simply memorable. So far movies were the only means to experience it. A good half an hour of playing heros and a nice photo shoot, we
headed towards our destination. We reached Dive Agar around 1 pm.
We first decided to take Ganpati Darshan at the famous temple and wait for the ‘missing’ others to join. The temple is not big or extraordinary but the Ganesh murti here is made of solid gold. Chamatkar is what you can say, but Amit was already present at the temple. His tired, irritated face told us that they had reached there a good 1½ hour and were cooling their heels at a shack on the beach. Again, first things first. We ordered food and were told that they could serve us only after 2.30 pm. NO problem. The Dive-Agar beach awaited us.
Dive Agar is a dream-come-true. It’s a small place but houses beauty in every corner. Typical Kokan village setup. An independent house surrounded by innumerous coconut trees gently touching the sky. Just looking at it makes one go on a pleasure trip. We rued at our missed opportunity, as Dive Agar is a place where one night stay is a must.
DIVE-AGAR BEACH KE BEECH MEIN
The beach is equally marvelous. The clean white sand stretches till you eyes can reach. Even in the scorching heat and baking hot sand, a dip was simply irresistible. 100 mtrs. away form the beach MTDC cottages are coming up and they’ve built 3 small shacks for the same. We camped at the deserted shacks and plunged in the sea. The waves were gentle but cross and not straight i.e. right to left. So with every single wave one drifts a bit to his left. It took a while for us to realise this. And by that time we had drifted a cool half a km from where we had started. Scary at first, till you get used to it. After a fun filled hour in the sea we reluctantly went. A sumptuous, typical Kokani lunch awaited our hungry souls. A fish thali cost Rs.80 and a veg. Rs.40/-. Both equally delightful. Soon after, we were on our way back . The time was
4 pm.
ON ROAD. OFF LIMITS.
The ground was still ‘oven fresh’. But evening was not far away and that relieved us. Our first halt was to be at Vili, 85 km away. A tall order in the heat but nevertheless we decided to give it a try. Not surprisingly our first halt came a bit before Mandgaon. After finishing our water we headed ahead, three bikes. We reached Mandgaon at 6.15 pm, exactly 2.15 hrs after we left Dive Agaar. So, we were on schedule. Till the time the rest of the bikers joined us and we left it was dark. The sun had set and we wondered how much time it would take on these narrow winding roads in the dark. Ritin’s Boss with his two kids, Ajit and Venkat went ahead as they wanted to reach early.
Riding at night was fun. The speed slowed down only marginally. Credit goes to some good riding by all bikers. We decided to halt straight at Hotel Dishas at Mulshi. As usual, we took a mini-halt in between. Finally we reached Dishas around 8.30 pm After a good 30-40 min of chatting we left for Pune.
TOUCH BASE
Chandani Chowk soon greeted us with its illuminated night spots. Time: 10.15 pm. We were back in the mad city rush. But this time round, our bags full of sultry memories of a wonderful trip to cherish. Looking back, the 14 of us had covered a total of 440 km in 15 hours, over 2 days. We had successfully negotiated the peak summer heat, a flat tyre and the mother of all, a gross miscalculation of the distance. Nevertheless, Harihareshwar-Srivardhan-Dive Agar was one trip that’s difficult to fade away in a long time to come.
Dhaval :)
Pune - Chandani Chowk – Paud village – Mulshi – Tamhini Ghat – Vili – detour - Mangaon – Morbe – Sai– Mhasla – Srivardhan - Harihareshwar
DAY 1
8th April 2006
STRAP-PURR-ZOOM
‘Pune Trekkers’. That’s the name of the online group. However, this time we decided to give the Trek a slip and instead go for a trip. Of course, a trip with a dash of adventure. To Harihareshwar, Srivardhan and Dive Aagar, two places kissing the Kokan coast, and known for its pristine beaches and famous for its unique Ganpati temples.
Ritin, was the lead organizer and we were 12 of us plus 2 kids. Mode of transport was to be bikes. The seeds of an adventurous journey were sown the moment we revved up our bikes at 7.30 am. We took the road to Paud village from Chandani Chowk. Barely 30 min. of riding and the first casualty blessed us. Amit, a hunk dressed in body-clinging T, suffered a fall off his bike while trying to avoid an old man who couldn’t resist the urge to jump on the road. Miraculously it was Amit who got all bruised, on hand and legs. In most cases it’s the pillion who suffers more.
BREAK NO.1
Our first halt was for fuel, not for our bikes but for ourselves. We stopped at Dishaj, a decent roadside hotel after Mulshi Dam. After a modest breakfast of ‘pohe’ and ‘wadas’ we roadies once again took to burning the rubber. By 10.30 we were navigating our way up the winding roads of the picturesque ‘Tamhini ghat’. On our way, we took a halt to appreciate and take in a beautiful waterfall site that comes into its elements in the monsoons. Ritin and I (I was the pillion) reached first. Little did we know at that time that halt which was supposed to be for 10 min. was to extend to a full 2 hours! Soon the other bikers arrived only to inform that one bike had a flat tyre some 7 km behind. It was Harsh’s Pulsar. They had enquired and the nearest puncture shop was a good 8 km ahead. Some of us decided to stay put at the same spot with the luggage. Two bikes went ahead to fetch the mechanic while two bikes went back and give company to the deflated guyz. By the time it was fixed, it was 12.30 pm and the sun had started blazing on us. God willing, the next stop was to be Vili, a small place that’s 97 km from Pune.
SHOCK @ 60kmph
As if Amit’s fall and Harsh’s punctured tyre were not enough, Vili welcomed us with a rude shock. The locals informed us that Srivardhan was still 75 km. away from Vili and Harihareshwar another 16 km further. That made Harihareshwar approx. 190 km from base camp Pune. 60 km more than we had anticipated. And all the ‘reliable’ websites and books had put it at 132 km. That meant more work for us. We doused ourselves with 2 pegs of cool ‘Kokam’ sarbat each and headed along.
After arming ourselves with enough water to fight the steaming sun, we proceeded ahead. The road till Vili is butter-smooth. The road after is the exact opposite. But nowhere is the road a straight patch. It’s all winding with a lot of blind corners and steep climbs followed with equally steep declines. It’s a different kind of thrill in itself. On top of it, the sun was at its hottest best. Not only were the UV rays doing their job efficiently, but the warm current rising from the tar road was also directly hitting our faces, tanning it with every passing moment. The surrounding countryside was equally parched and to add to it the villagers had burnt the dry grass in their fields to make the soil more fertile in the coming monsoon.
After a brief ‘sarbat’ halt at Srivardhan we finally parked our tired asses at Harihareshwar at 4.00 pm. A journey that was supposed to be of just 3-4 hours, lasted a good 8 ½ hours on the ‘oven fresh’ road. Complete with a freak accident, a punctured tyre and a gross miscalculation. But the feeling of relief on reaching our destination and the thought of a cool dip in the salty waters made us forget it all. We were already looking forward to the Harihareshwar sea.
AT HARIHARESHWAR
First things first, and that’s accommodation. Our weekend timing made sure that all the hotels were booked. Ritin and Saurabh managed to find one big hall which would house all 14 of us. And it was pretty cheap too. Just Rs.600/- for a day, with 2 bathrooms and erratic supply of water. The accommodation system in Harihareshwar is pretty unique. There are no hotels as such. Since tourism is the main industry there, every house has been turned into a mini-hotel. Since space is not a constraint, the rooms are quite spacious and well ventilated. There’s one resort, but that’s some 2 km. before the main temple town of Harihareshwar.
We quickly freshened up, got into our bathing suits and left in earnest towards the beach. Only after devouring 15 plates of freshly prepared ‘pohe’. Suraj had found out a secluded beach, away from the main beach. The first sight of sea and we all broke into a sprint to dive into it. We were cautious at first but soon realised that the sea bottom was all soft and even. Quite contrary to the infamous Harihareshwar rocky beaches. Also, the waves were not strong and it was almost like we were in a giant sized swimming pool. But to soak in the fun and have all the fun is what we had come for and that’s exactly what we did. With dark, we returned to our room, had a refreshing bath and headed for the ‘homely’ dinner. The rest of the MBT team went for a ‘lil jig at night and came back, all scared, with ghost-on-the-beach stories. Only to have a hearty laugh the next morning.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAY 2
9th April 2006
The next day, as planned, couple of us early risers went to the famous Shiva temple for darshan. The temple is as much known for its Pradakshina as it’s known for its archaic values. The Pradakshina takes approx 20 min. if you go non-stop. But as we proceeded, we realized that the captivating beauty of the Pradakshina keeps you thrilled for more than an hour.
THE PRADAKSHINA
Initially we had planned to skip the Pradakshina as we had planned to leave for Dive Agar early in the morning. But then we decided, what the heck, we have come this far and it would be very unfair if we skip it. So we went ahead. Ritin, myself, Pranaam, Ajit and Venkat. You have to go round a mountain which resembles a Shankar Pind, hence the pradakshina. There are proper steps to climb.
But the real surprise that awed us beyond imagination was the small stretch that actually passes through the sea. Luckily it was low tide and we could easily walk, danger-free. During high tide people are prohibited from going there, and rightly so. The stretch is made of razor sharp rock formations. That mountain side forms an amazing pattern of holes caused due to centuries of waves lashing out at them. And the pattern rises to more than 15 feet in height. Wonder how gigantic a wave it would take to punch holes in rocks so high. Has to be during the monsoons when the sea is at its violent best.
At a place a cave has been formed. On our way we saw many dead, crushed crabs on the rocks. Guess the sea spares no one. If aquatic creatures couldn’t survive how can humans stand up to the sea’s fury. No sooner, we noticed names of people and a date written on the rocks at specific places. These were the people who lost their lives while traversing the patch. Still wonder why people caution you about the sea at Harihareshwar?
In between there were small ponds that housed an amazing ‘underwater kingdom’, with beautiful formations of green algae. Not anticipating this pradakshina to be this ‘out-of-the-world’ none had brought their cameras along. So we had to make do with Ritin’s mobile cam. After a brief photo shoot we proceeded back, the images imprinted on our minds for a lifetime.
One fitting description that comes to my mind about this Pradakshina is, it’s like having drinks (sea water) ‘on the rocks’.
OFF TO DIVE-AGAR
No sooner had we topped ourselves with ‘pohas’ and sarbat for breakfast, we packed our stuff and once again took the road. Today, to Dive Agaar via Srivardhan. It’s around 35 km. from Harihareshwar. 7 bikes with 2 dedicated groups, one from MBT and other from Ritin’s office means a sure invitation for polarisation. This meant that some bikes went ahead and some stayed back at their own leisurely pace. The first and luckily the only miss on our way back was at Srivardhan. Our road was to pass through the village, unlike the time we came. Few bikes took the detour while four of our bikes proceeded forward after a wait.
THE SURPRISE PACKAGE
ON our way we were in for a great surprise. A beautiful, virgin beach greeted us as soon as we left Srivardhan. With clean, cream and white coloured sand stretching for a good 2 km was an invitation we couldn’t turn down. We straightaway hit the beach, but with our bikes. The biking trip on the beach was simply memorable. So far movies were the only means to experience it. A good half an hour of playing heros and a nice photo shoot, we
headed towards our destination. We reached Dive Agar around 1 pm.
We first decided to take Ganpati Darshan at the famous temple and wait for the ‘missing’ others to join. The temple is not big or extraordinary but the Ganesh murti here is made of solid gold. Chamatkar is what you can say, but Amit was already present at the temple. His tired, irritated face told us that they had reached there a good 1½ hour and were cooling their heels at a shack on the beach. Again, first things first. We ordered food and were told that they could serve us only after 2.30 pm. NO problem. The Dive-Agar beach awaited us.
Dive Agar is a dream-come-true. It’s a small place but houses beauty in every corner. Typical Kokan village setup. An independent house surrounded by innumerous coconut trees gently touching the sky. Just looking at it makes one go on a pleasure trip. We rued at our missed opportunity, as Dive Agar is a place where one night stay is a must.
DIVE-AGAR BEACH KE BEECH MEIN
The beach is equally marvelous. The clean white sand stretches till you eyes can reach. Even in the scorching heat and baking hot sand, a dip was simply irresistible. 100 mtrs. away form the beach MTDC cottages are coming up and they’ve built 3 small shacks for the same. We camped at the deserted shacks and plunged in the sea. The waves were gentle but cross and not straight i.e. right to left. So with every single wave one drifts a bit to his left. It took a while for us to realise this. And by that time we had drifted a cool half a km from where we had started. Scary at first, till you get used to it. After a fun filled hour in the sea we reluctantly went. A sumptuous, typical Kokani lunch awaited our hungry souls. A fish thali cost Rs.80 and a veg. Rs.40/-. Both equally delightful. Soon after, we were on our way back . The time was
4 pm.
ON ROAD. OFF LIMITS.
The ground was still ‘oven fresh’. But evening was not far away and that relieved us. Our first halt was to be at Vili, 85 km away. A tall order in the heat but nevertheless we decided to give it a try. Not surprisingly our first halt came a bit before Mandgaon. After finishing our water we headed ahead, three bikes. We reached Mandgaon at 6.15 pm, exactly 2.15 hrs after we left Dive Agaar. So, we were on schedule. Till the time the rest of the bikers joined us and we left it was dark. The sun had set and we wondered how much time it would take on these narrow winding roads in the dark. Ritin’s Boss with his two kids, Ajit and Venkat went ahead as they wanted to reach early.
Riding at night was fun. The speed slowed down only marginally. Credit goes to some good riding by all bikers. We decided to halt straight at Hotel Dishas at Mulshi. As usual, we took a mini-halt in between. Finally we reached Dishas around 8.30 pm After a good 30-40 min of chatting we left for Pune.
TOUCH BASE
Chandani Chowk soon greeted us with its illuminated night spots. Time: 10.15 pm. We were back in the mad city rush. But this time round, our bags full of sultry memories of a wonderful trip to cherish. Looking back, the 14 of us had covered a total of 440 km in 15 hours, over 2 days. We had successfully negotiated the peak summer heat, a flat tyre and the mother of all, a gross miscalculation of the distance. Nevertheless, Harihareshwar-Srivardhan-Dive Agar was one trip that’s difficult to fade away in a long time to come.
Dhaval :)
DALHOUSIE Yhai TREK
DALHOUSIE TREK '06
by Dhaval
31st December – 1 January
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
All set. As the clock needle crossed 12 at midnight and I started packing my bag for the trek. I wanted this trek to be the perfect opening ever of the New Year. As I spent the night packing my stuff, the duo of Sanjay and Atul had a couple of quick swigs at their own private function. Nevertheless, there we were, on Mumbai Central platform, ready to take on 2006 in full gutso. We boarded the Swaraj Express train from Mumbai Central at 6.45 am on 1st Jan ‘06. The day went past like a breeze. Needless to add, by the time it was night we had crossed the cozy states and were chugging into the cold, rather freezing ones. Luckily we had sleeping bags and we managed to stay warm enough. But from the next day morning till the time we reached Pathankot, sun was as rare a commodity as pure love. And it remained so till we reached Amritsar on the 11th.
2nd January ’06
The train reached Chakki Bank, our station, in the afternoon around 2 pm. We alighted the train dressed as someone who’ve just made a success of cross-Antarctic tour. Our bags were already light as most of the warm wear was on our bodies. We took the 3.30 pm bus from Chakki Bank to Dalhousie.
Guyz, the adventure starts now… the moment we boarded the bus. The driver of the bus was a pakka Surd. And the conductor was yet another pukka Surd. That makes one deadly combination of duo-Surds. There was another group of 3 (two guyz nd a gal) reporting for 2nd Jan batch, a batch prior to us. One guy and the gal went out to eat something. Think that the cold made their minds numb and so they decided to go to some obscure place outside the bus station to eat. Here the two Surds kept getting mad by the moment because of the delay.
After the great drama that ensued the bus finally took to the road.
Half an hour-45 min. into the journey and the bus halted at a tea stall to provide some respite for the shivering souls. We three immediately located a tea stall and gratefully stated gulping down some hot tea. Along with it were garma garam bhujias. As it was getting very cold outside we went a bit inside the open stall. After our fill when we came out, we literally froze. No no… not because of the cold, but because to our horror we found out that our bus was no longer there. The bus had simply left us behind. Welcome to Punjab Tourism!
But the bigger problem was that our luggage that had three cameras and the cash was still in the bus.
Thus began the Big Chase. We immediately hired a taxi and started chasing the Bus. But we soon found out that catching up with a bus driven by a Sardar driver is next to impossible. On top of that our taxi fucker purposely drove slowly so that he can take us as further as possible. So finally we reached Dalhousie at around 8.00 pm. And the damages?? Rs. 700/- for the taxi. Luckily we got back our luggage as the bus driver and conductor decided to spend the night in Dalhousie owing to heavy snowfall there.
But the moment we reached Dalhousie we could clearly sense that we’re going to have a gr8888 10 days ahead of us. It had already snowed there. We were all excited as we walked through 3 inches of snow to our hotel. The hotel called ‘Day and Night Hotel’ was just 5 min. from the bus stand. The peak season rates displayed were Rs.1000/- per night but we bargained and checked-in for a cool Rs.300/- (one of the many advantages of travelling off-season) First thing we all did was station ourselves in front of the only heater in the room. After we were sufficiently warm and with our sensory organs back on track, we did the first natural thing. Order for some booze in the chilly weather. Had a great candle-light session that night. Two pegs and our cold had vanished. A hot dinner of dal and rice followed and we retreated in our cozy room that sheltered us from the heavy snowfall outside.
3rd January – TREK OFFICIALLY BEGINS
DAY 1
We woke up around 6 am to experience one of the most beautiful morning of our lives.
Throughout the night we could hear sounds of chunks of snow falling on the roof and on the ground. When we stepped outside the hotel, the sight was simply unbelievable. The whole ground, roads, roofs was covered in a thick blanket of fresh snow. Standing there, it suddenly struck me where all the beautiful pictures on the picture-perfect post cards come from.
Our hotel waiters were all fast asleep in the biting cold. That means we had to venture out for tea. A welcome outing. We immediately strapped on all our winter gear, took our ponchos and set out on our first few steps in the snow.
Mannnn what a feeling that was, passing cars covered in snow, snow on the doorsteps, snow on the roof, snow on the trees, snow on the railings. Snow everywhere. Finally snow in our shoes too.
We went to a dhaba and had some delicious breakfast of garma garam Paranthas and tea. Fully charged, we decided to take a walk. It had started snowing lightly. Looking back, Dalhousie looked similar to the conditions in the movie ‘Black’. We took the route that leads to NHPC. Mesmerizing is the word. The road was nowhere to be seen. Forget vehicles. And there we were three men, clad in our ponchos, enjoying our walk with only the sounds of the nature to accompany us. After a good 2 km walk we met a local.
He was a retired army man who worked for NHPC (National Hydro Power Corporation). He told us that the snowfall which was 4-6 inches deep now was merely the warm-up. According to him and many others to follow, by February the snow touches a height of 8-10 feet. And we froze again. All the while we thot that we were experiencing heavy snowfall and this local comes and tells us that this is nothing. Then came a piece of advice. Never venture out at night. If you have to, do so in groups of three or more. Unless one wishes to come face-to-face with a hungry bear. Hearing that we quickly retreated our steps back to the comforts of Dalhousie city.
Then we went to the Youth Hostels. We met Mr Chauhan who was the Base in-charge and he invited us to have lunch at YHAI. Since today was neways our reporting day we agreed. Also we had to check out by 12 noon. We did some essentials shopping, mostly woolen, collected our luggage, had our lunch at the same dhaba and proceeded to officially check in for the YHAI Dalhousie Trek ’06.
A reminder guyz. The trek is yet to begin. All that you read above was just the prologue.
As soon as we enrolled, we were allotted a room. Basically bunk beds. Around 18 beds in one room. We took the top 3 beds. There was a toilet attached to the room as well as a common toilet meant for a floor i.e. 3 rooms with 54 beds capacity. The consolation was that we got hot water at the basin and for bathing. But who wants to bathe in such cold conditions and with such airtight morning schedule.
In the evening, after tea, we collected our essentials. Two blankets, a sleeping bag, an inner sheet and a trekking sack. All provided by YHAI.
That same day in the evening was the campfire at the base camp. The concept of campfire at YHAI is a bit different (for those who haven’t been to a YHAI trek). Burning of wood is not allowed as YHAI believes in doing its bit to be eco-friendly. A candle is lit by the Camp Director to denote the beginning of the campfire and it is extinguished when the campfire ends i.e. 10 pm.
Our batch no. was DW_16 (Dalhousie Winter Trek Batch no.16). Today’s campfire was supposed to be organised by our previous batch DW_15 who were due to leave for the trek the next day. We had a nice time, with some truly brilliant performances by some co-trekkers. The campfire ended with a mug full of steaming Bournivita. And we snuggled in our sleeping bags, bracing for yet another early morning start the next day.
That’s the end of Day 1 (Reporting Day) of the trek.
DAY 2 of the Trek
Acclimatization Day
Mobile alarms started ringing as early as 5.15 am. The first was my alarm. Tho the bed-tea timing was 6 am everyone was skeptical of getting up so early and alarms kept ringing literally every 5 min. till 6 am. Dot on time came the bed tea. By that time half of the trekkers were still in their sleeping bags, and the other half were in the toilet either brushing, shitting or shaving. All shivering, doing everything but bathing.
7 was the reporting time for the morning exercise. We trotted till Subhas Chowk, a popular spot in Dalhousie which was 2 km from the hostel. Sanjay, Atul and myself were already acclimatized to the weather b’coz of our previous day’s walk so we enjoyed more. After a 20 min exercise session at Subhas Chowk we all returned to the base camp.
Breakfast greeted us and we relished the eggs and porridge. Next followed bidding bye to DW_15 batch who were due to leave on trek at 9 sharp. This was immediately followed by our Acclimatization walk. We had to fill our sacks with the 2 blankets provided and a full water bottle. Basically getting used to carrying weight.
The walk was to a place called ‘Panchpula’, located some 3 km. from Dalhousie.
We went by the so-called road, coz the road was all covered in snow. On our way we were treated to some breathtaking scenery. Snow-capped peaks with clouds as their blanket. Tall trees, beautiful scenes of houses situated on mountaintops far away et. al.
We reached the place, Panchpula in an hour and a half. As our instructor told us, the peculiarity of the spot where we were sitting was that sunlight touches base for not more than 5 mins. on any particular day. And when the winds start blowing, it’s not possible to remain put on that spot for more than 5 mins. As it is, without the wind it was already chilly. So no one dared to imagine the place with strong winds. After a brief formal introduction of every member we headed back. A group leader (Bhavesh) and a
Co-coordinator (Nikhil) were also elected by a unanimous decision.
Something about our batch. We were 41 in total of batch DW_16. Fathom this.
80% of our batch was from Mumbai. Out of which 80% was made of Engineering students. And 100% of those were from Mumbai. So it was a Mumbai majority in Himachal Pradesh.
In the evening Chauhan briefed us about the trek to follow. Because of the heavy snowfall at the upper peaks our route was to be altered. Instead of the cross country, mountainous terrain, we were to walk by the road. Mountains during winter can be a dangerous proposition. And with the first break of sunlight, as the snow starts hardening and melting as it happened in our case it becomes as slippery as oil on tar. But because of the road route, now our distances increased by 3-4 km on an avg. per day. Now we were to cover 35 km in 3 days. That was a bit dampener but only till we set out on the trek and realized that going by the mountain route is really not a good idea.
Then followed the normal set of instructions. Don’t expect the same facilities at the higher camps. Don’t act as individual groups but gel with others. No shorts allowed. No alcohol allowed (not even brandy and no rules bending even for females). Cigarette smokers were to smoke at 50 mtrs. distance from any of YHAI camps. Sounded a bit tough but what the heck, we all had better things to look forward to like the trek, than to worry about anything else.
Today, it was our batch’s turn to organize the campfire. Maharashtrians, more so Mumbaiites being in overwhelming majority, it opened with the song ‘Jai Jai Maharashtra mazha…’ After some cool performances by the .15 gang of guyz from St Agnello college, Mr Chauhan concluded the campfire with some of his trademark ‘shayaris’. Our batch earned the distinction of conducting the best campfire of all the groups so far (with only one group more to go)
Soon after, we buried ourselves into the sleeping bags, anticipating an exciting day ahead.
DAY 3 of the trek
Dalhousie to Kalatop
We were supposed to leave the base camp and proceed to the higher point by 9 am.
I must mention here that one consistent characteristic of our batch, courtesy girls, was being late. And YHAI is the epitome of discipline. When our batch didn’t leave by 9.15 am the Base Camp leader sunaoed us as to how ours was the first batch that has breached discipline. Everyone listened patiently, as if no one cared.
However, by 9.20 am we were making way through slippery snow towards our first destination Kalatop.
Something about Kalatop. Kalatop is the same place where the lovely film ‘1942-A Love Story’ was shot. Besides that, the peculiarity about Kalatop is its name. ‘Kala’ means black and ‘top’ means top. Put together, it’s a black top. The reason is quite practical. The jungle of deodhar trees is so dense that you can see the sun beyond the trees but the sunlight doesn’t reach the ground. The result, freezing cold conditions. Add to it winds that blow at speeds. Believe me you, there’s nothing as bad as winds in snowy condition. Even a gentle breeze penetrates your monkey cap and hand gloves. Enough to send a chill right down to your toes. And if you get wet in such conditions, then be prepared to brave out a tough night, one that you’re sure to remember for your entire life.
We were lucky not to experience the terror winds at Kalatop but nevertheless, the whole route was simply amazing.
Also in snow, with your woolens on, trekking can be quite an experience. The moment you start walking you feel hot and start sweating buckets. But even 5 min. of halt, after 3 hrs of non-stop walking, is enough to freeze you to the bone. One thing that all our guides and instructors kept warning was never remove your jacket in snow, however warm you might feel. You may not realise it but the sudden fluctuation in body temperature when it comes in direct contact with the cold can be quite destabilizing.
Never mind, our first halt was at a place called Lakadmandi. We had our packed lunch out there. Peppered with ‘red chutney’ provided by Sanjay, the lunch tasted better than a buffet spread at 5 star joints. On the way towards Kalatop comes a key Air Force base, called ‘Dayankund.’ It houses the radar tracking system for the entire Northern section. We had plans to visit the Air Force base which was 3 km from Lakadmandi but since it has snowed quite heavy in the area the road route was closed. The guide was also reluctant to take us there as it was too risky and so we had to drop the plan.
After some fun sliding in the snow, we proceeded towards our first night halt.
We reached Kalatop camp around 4.00 pm. The camp site was simply out-of-the-world. Two wooden cottages located on mountain cliff. You sit in the corridor and simply keep gazing at the marvelous range of snow-capped mountains straight in front of you. You sip tea sitting there, you eat dinner sitting there and you also shit there. All the while, the majestic mountains in your view.
That evening was were fortunate to witness one beautiful sunset. And the path towards the sunset point was where we had a swell of a time. It was like the mountain had steps on it. And because it had snowed heavy there you could easily jump 6-8 feet down from one step to another, and land on the soft cushion that the snow created. It was absolute bliss as we jumped our way down.
After dinner and campfire, we locked ourselves in the warm comfort of our cottage. Only to realise in the morning that the roof had a big hole. In the morning there was more good news waiting for us. The temperature at night had fallen to -2 deg. Lucky for us, there was little or no wind. The entire hilly area was infested with wild bears and other animals and so venturing out at night was strictly prohibited. If anyone had to, then only in groups.
Thus ended the first wonder-packed day of our trek. One thing I forgot to mention here. We learnt to wash our dabbas and utensils with snow. Since the cold water instantly numbed your fingers, snow was a preferred means to wash dabbas. And to our surprise, quite effective too.
DAY 4 of the trek
Kalatop to Khajjiar
After the dot-on-time bed tea at 6 am and breakfast that followed, we were ready to head towards our next destination Khajjiar. But late as ever. Again a customary lecture followed as how this batch had the worst time discipline. And again, courtesy girls in the batch.
Around 8-8.30 am we left Kalatop and started our march. Today we were supposed to go only by road as the jungle was out of bounds coz the snow had started melting. And as I mentioned earlier, it becomes very very slippery when the snow first hardens and then melts. On our way we saw bear pugmarks left, right and centre. Our guide told us that our previous batch was fortunate enough to spot a bear in the wild. For a good half an hour they were clicking photos of the bear who was standing on a high cliff right above them. For the next couple of hours, I spent my time looking up in the mountains, trying to located a bear. But that was not to be.
We had to first head back to Lakadmandi and then take a detour from there towards Khajjiar. Khajjirar is popularly known as Mini Switzerland. It has a huge ground, more of a glacier. What makes it comparable to Switzerland is the dense cover of deodhar trees that rise high to compete with the mountain tops. The Khajjiar glacier is surrounded by such majestic trees on all four sides and mann what a sight that is. No camera can capture the beauty as good as our eyes can. And no words can do justice to its magnificence. When it snows, the whole ground has a thick cover of snow. Though we couldn’t see that lovely sight, the simple thought made us realise its beauty.
By the time we reached Khajjiar it was 4.30 pm. We had touched an altitude of 8300 ft. The only place worth seeing in Khajjiar, after the glacier is an ancient temple. It’s probably one of the rarest temples in India that houses the wooden carvings of all the five pandavas together. After a visit to the temple we went to our camp. And we were greeted with yet another out-of-the-world view of the snow-capped mountains. The hotel rooms we were staying in overlooked the same mountains.
Directly behind our camping site was a beautiful temple of Shiva. Still under construction, famous personalities like Rajesh Khanna and Lata Mangeshkar have donated to this temple and their names are carved in stone there. The temple site has a mammoth Shiva statue that’s 81 ft. high. And the statue is located in such a way that the backdrop is the mountains. Now that’s a heady mix of scenic beauty. Truly amazing.
Here the camp leader informed us how difficult it is to procure wood for even heating water. Cutting or even taking wood of a fallen tree is a legal offence all over Himachal Pradesh. That explains how we saw numerous trees that had fallen all through our trek route. The trees can rot but no one is allowed to touch them without permission.
That’s one really positive step that Himachal has taken. Apart from banning plastic bags in the state, a rule that is openly flouted by the locals themselves.
This time, the hotel rooms were smaller and we had a great time amidst the confusion that ensued in trying to accommodate 15 guyz in one room. Breathing, rather snoring into each others ears. Feet within cms. distance from the one sleeping below, that was the scene. But the unexpected positive outcome was that the room became much warmer because of the crowding. And we had a peaceful night’s sleep as the wind whistled outside.
DAY 5 of the trek
Khajjiar to Mangala
We woke up to a bright day staring in our face. The sun had come out. That meant a more slippery road ahead for us. The guide had already warned us about the first hour and a half when the night dew settles on the snow and makes it ultra-slippery. As per him, if we manage to navigate the first hour in the snow then the rest would be a cakewalk. My adhesive tape had adored the feet of many femme fatales. Today we were to embark on a steep descent of almost 4000 ft. From 8300 ft to less than 4000 ft.
The sun was in its elements today. Luckily we encountered snow only for the first one hour, as anticipated by our guide. Then it was only mountains and mountains and mountains all around. But everything fell perfectly into place. There was sunlight but no snow. That meant little or no threat of UV rays harming your eyes. So no need of wearing protective goggles. And that meant we were able to enjoy the scenery with naked eyes. The climb down was fun, though steep.
On our way we encountered many small clusters of huts, forming a neat settlement. The highlight of our descent was the kids that dotted the landscape. At every settlement small kids greeted us with delight and a smile spread wide across. Amidst shouts of ‘Hello Uncleji’ and ‘Namaste Uncleji’ they happily posed for photographs. At one point we met an old lady who showed us four generations of her family. All at one place, together. And just try to imagine, that old lady, easily in her 70s and as nimble as a deer, effortlessly glided down with us till the base. The kids carelessly wandered on the mountains, choosing the steepest of edges to run around.
What to say about the ‘pahadi’ girls. No words are enough. It’s like beauty is their godmother. She graces them in every feature. A picture-perfect face. A fairy like complexion. And an hourglass figure. And believe me you, that’s an understatement.
We met one such fairy at a settlement. However eager we were to capture her in our camera lenses, we had to coax a lot to make her look up for even a second. Ultimately we succeeded. And we continued our descent with reluctant steps.
We came across a rich diversity of flora along the way. Bright red leaves. Snow-white tiny flowers. And green leaves with razor sharp, needle like thorns on their surface. Wish we had some knowledge about them. On our way, we had our lunch in a school compound. A school nestled in the mountains, at a height of around 6000 ft. There we had yet another heavenly lunch, peppered with red chutney.
Then onwards, for the next 3 hours, Sanjay, Atul and myself increased our pace and descended non-stop till we reached Mangla village. We reached Chamba at around
4 pm. Already waiting down for over half an hour was our 62 year old co-trekker. A retired Lt. Col. from the Army Engineering core. He had fitness and energy levels that’ll put to shame a young guy in his 20s, like me. The 62 year old gentleman was the first one to touch the base camp, way ahead of the 40 younger participants.
In fact there were quite a few inspirations, at least for me, in our batch. The first two were Sanjay and Atul themselves. The former 45 years old while the latter 47. Then there was a 61½ year-old Bengali babu who was had retired from the Indian Railways. Then a 40+ aunty from Delhi whose determination was worth commending. Though with a walking stick, at times the guide carrying her sack, always last, but she successfully completed the trek. Then there were a couple of Gujju guyz, one of them 38 years of age. Guess every trek has its own inspiration stories. Our group surely had its fair share.
Everyone suddenly seemed to have shifted into relax gear on touching the base camp at Mangla.
The 3 day trek was officially over. We had covered a total of 35+ km. Enjoying every bit of it. We were a bit sad and disappointed that our romance with snow had ended, and so soon.
That evening everyone decided to go to Chamba, a marketplace known for its chappals and a lovely Laxminarayan temple. We could see Chamba in front of our eyes from our base camp. It seemed to be at a distance of barely 10 min. walk across the fields.
But what we didn’t see from that angle was a deep valley that separated the two villages. It was a good 8 km ride from Mangla to Chamba. After visiting the temple and some token shopping, the college group from St Agnellos and us three decided to treat ourselves to non-veg fare. After 6 in the wilderness, chicken simply melted in our mouths. After our satisfactory fill, we returned. There too we lived up to our reputation and reached a good 15 min late than the cut-off time. This time I’ll blame the food and not the girls. As usual a customary dress-down lecture followed and we were allowed in with a stern warning that the bus next day will leave at 8 am sharp. Without any delay.
We slept sound, while snow capped peaks kept flashing in front of our eyes throughout. A deep imprint was already registered in our brains for good.
DAY 6 – Curtains
Mangala to Dalhousie
To everyone’s surprise, we all parked ourselves in the bus a good 10 min before the scheduled time. YHAI had hired a state transport bus. Masti, hungama and singing echoed in the bus till we reached Dalhousie. On the way we stopped at a dam, an NHPC project. We reached Dalhousie around 11 am. When we reached Dalhousie on the 1st Jan, Dalhousie was under a thick blanket of snow. Today, there was hardly any snow to be seen. The face of Dalhousie had changed completely within a couple of days.
Then followed the mandatory filling of feedback forms. I think most of them aired their honest views about YHAI and the trek. Because soon afterwards a verbal duel ensued between the oldest (Delhi) and one of the youngest females (Mumbai) in the group. Frankly wonder, who was more immature amongst the two. And no points for guessing, the reason was pretty silly.
Most of the members had to hurry up their packing as the bus to Pathankot was due to leave at 1 pm. Most of them had to skip their lunch in the process. Judging from our trek- trip where we visited Dalhousie, Pathankot, Chamba, Dharmashala and Amritsar, the bus frequency in the North is quite less and erratic. Also most of the times, the bus drivers and conductors scare passengers about bus timings because they want their bus to be full. Again there’s a very interesting reason to this. At least on the Dalhousie-Punjab route all the so-called state transport buses are owned by individuals. There’s a board with names of bus owners put up at the stand. So every bus owner thinks about his personal interest first, unlike pure State Transport buses for whom it doesn’t matter. Most of the times this purposeful misinformation campaign spreads panic among travelers.
Neways, so finally there were only a few of us left back for lunch.
Sanjay, Atul and myself decided to stay back at the Youth Hostels for the night and for once spend time at our own leisurely pace. The charges were bare minimum. Just Rs.60/- per head. That day we went for an evening walk to Subhas Chowk and that made our day. I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life there. Never before had I seen the sky basked in such a multitude of hues and colours. We were feverishly trying to push our cameras to the maxim, trying to capture the scene as close to the real.
Then we went for a stroll to Gandhi Chowk, a further 1-1/2 km from there. Soon we realized that we three were one of the handful people left in the market. And the time was barely 8 pm. The market was absolutely deserted. Day really ends early back there, especially in the winter. We reluctantly made our way back to the Youth Hostels and prepared for the second leg of our journey which was if not more, equally exciting.
To Dharmashala and Amritsar. But that’s another story altogether.
Thus ended our memorable trek of Dalhousie’06.
May I add, Dalhousie is one place that’s best experienced than read about. Best visited during off-season than during peak time. And your journey best left unplanned than match it to the clock.
When I look back, not even one week after it’s over I realise that I enjoyed every moment there. Not even once did the thoughts about work, or professional life touch my mind. I had gone with two people, almost twice my age. But never felt out of place or rather they never let me feel out of place. Met quite a few interesting personalities during the six days. Some smart, some shy, some aloof, some funny, some egoistic as*es, some wonderfully helpful, some youthfully old, some with beautiful faces while others with beautiful minds and heart…
But one thing common was, DW_16. Now, I am completely brainwashed by nature. And this is just the beginning. Inspired by this and made worthwhile by YHAI and my co-trekkers, I plan to do many more such treks in the future. For now, I leave you with a personalised slogan ‘ek ke baad ek, Trek ke baad Trek… chale chalo’
Ciao,
Dhaval
My Dalhousie experience (Published in DNA Newspaper on 25th January 2006)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
