Surprise trek!!!(?)

So with the 24th birthday coming in few hours, the adulthood( or as I say, buddhapa) starts to freak me out. The birthday fever starts rising with shopping for formal clothes (or as I call them, clothes which depicts slavery).  Someone like me wishes to be around mountains before stepping into adulthood. ( as if I am gonna get settled down with my life in few days…blah!) As usual, the plan changes at the last hour and few of my friends and I head tonwards another neglected mountain near karjat.

A neglected place near Karjat, Raigad, Maharashtra is actually a surprise as almost all of the mountain range till Karjat is ruined by mass tourism. However, this place gave a pleasant surprise to what we thought. With a 1 hour train journey towards Karjat, half an hour six sitter ride (aka tumtum or dukkargadi) , we reach at the base of the mountain.

As usual, this was a pilot trek, (Means no one in the participants know the route). But this was hardly an hour trek.(for someone who just runs towards the mountain top, it’s not  a trek). The whole route till the top was more of a common sense, with few spots which might be challenging in extreme heavy rains. (Which were not) The trusted trekking guide websites advise to carry a 30 ft rope and we laughed our hearts out during the trek for this advice as there were ladders put up for the so called risky rock climbing patches.

Knowing that it’s a small hike, we spent time as much as possible to take photos (doesn’t hurt being a narcissistic tourist during picnics). Despite of the stupid hike,we were gifted a really serene view for the whole time.

With an hour hike, we are at the top of the mountain. The whole mountain has no historical construction except 3 water cisterns, out of which only one had potable water. (Problem solved, we can camp there). The mountain top was really small, with an idol of the local goddess. With practically no one at the top other than 6 of us, monsoon clouds and small mountain top gave a feeling of being in natural lounge. ( those who have had this experience can feel it, those who haven’t, I pity you!)

 

The heavy rains came, kind of kicking us out of the mountain ( You have to be through the heavy rains of sahyadri without any raincoat to feel it). Within  half an hour, we are at the base, enjoying the streams and occasionally small waterfalls.

You know you have spent your day well when you have had waterfalls and this view with an hour hike. Life sorted, if I may say!

The location, as usual, remains undisclosed. Deal with it.

Happy adulthood!!!