Panoramas from Peth Kothligad

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Malshej Miles and Glowing Smiles :-)

The Plot builds up

(Click here for "Maalshej Guts - The Movie" Photographs from paradise)

It was another week of mounting excitement for a walk amidst natural glimpses (not the usual bird watching) that was greening my head. Thereafter my main agenda of talks with my friends was trekking. The first experience of Vangani this season, was highly encouraging and I asked my team whether they were willing to tread again! The members were not certain initially whether they would have an off on Saturday when we were planning for the outing.

We had an email ring amongst us where in people were arguing between Trek, Movie, lunch, esselworld and well, others stated that they had some “Special” appointments over the weekends. I was somewhat disappointed when we were not able to freeze on an outing. That’s when I decided that I would go solo to Matheran.

That’s when my “intelligence agenct” in ex-office told me that a group from the ex- sister -concern, whose members were very close to me, were planning an outing. To their surprise (hopefully pleasant?? ) I inquired and got myself a berth for a wondrous trip to Malshej.

Friday night fury

I was almost disappointed when my client called for a meeting on Saturday. I told my boss that I had a personal commitment which I had to oblige (Like a good subordinate I revealed it to him the same evening). My way with words and fate helped me escape the clutches of a Saturday meeting.

After being cleared by my professional boss I had to face my domestic boss, not my wife, meri to shaadi bhi nahin hui hai, still safe and scot-free. It was my mom saying “tera character phisla jaa raha hai, you don’t stay at home in weekends, you are roaming like the wind, look at your niece you don’t even play with her (niece smiles and shies off to her momma) You don’t go to the temple and are going away from God and religion, And when I tell you anything you don’t respect it”

I smiled and asked her whether she could pack me a loaf of buttered bread…. She agreed and packed apples and chocolate too .. now that’s my momma!!

Saturday Morning Raga

Saturday as usual my alarm failed, but my mom was accurate and she struck more than six times at six o’clock. I was half awake when she reminded me that it was time. Quickly bundled myself and reached Bhandup station well before time. The best thing to do was admire nature and her creations sitting on platform one. But I found my creative imagination getting stressed with not many faces to see.. except…Thaaaat one.. that unforgettable face which passed me from the women’s first class!! Ahhhh She was the first good omen of the great day ahead. While she sped towards VT on the train, I walked in the opposite direction towards the ticket counter where I was supposed to meet Prafull and Sudhir.

The Fineart of "FACT" Fabrication

Soon the team was together, with the girls disclosing a very ancient fine art that they had written. The fine art of bluffing.

Alibi # 1 : For girls with conservative parents ( some of them commissioners of culture police) : Statement : “I told my dad that I was going for a magazine launch” . The only magazine we found there later was in the form of torn pages with the wada pav wallah. She did innaugrate one such Magazine to eat peanuts packed in it.. So effectively she did not lie.


Alibi # 2: A lady with an injured toe who cant be allowed for a rough trek … “Mama I am going to esselworld and I promise not to sit in the dangerous rides”. Ahem .. madam .. slight change in plan.. We are going to Water Kingdom!! No, not the plastic one but of real solid rock and pure non chlorine water!!! She ain’t lying again!

These great girls have lately resolved to write a book of bahaanas (soon to be a bestseller) to help other aspirants. However I am sure their parents are also maintaining a log of bahaanas and their corresponding connotations (soon to be a bestseller too).

Sometimes wind and sometimes rain

The weather got humid and the sun started playing hide and seek, threatening to ruin our outing. We finally reached the venue with our Ooh aah Wows echoing the valley as our vehicle sped past to the top. There we were catching the first glimpse of the vertical rocks. Just when I was wondering how are we gonna climb till there, I saw that there were plenty of waterfalls by the road side with some of them already occupied.

The beauty of the place was that we could see the clouds playing close by us and the temperature was cool. All we could see was different shades of green and grey, as though the other colours had disappeared from the spectrum. Prafull and I took the first splash and all of us were soon wet and brrr brrr shivering like a nokia phone on vibes.

We sent our vehicle down, back towards the base and decided that we would take a nice long walk and test all the waterfalls on the way.

On our way back we had our primate cousins who were closely supervising the passerbys for some goodies. One of them was lucky since he got a big bottle of bisleri thrown at him by a “good Samaritan” from our team in a valiant act of self defence ;-).

Studio Paradiso

The beauty of the place filled my heart with creativity and I managed to take few snaps with a different angle. Prafull and the rest of them were great volunteers. Few oblivious visitors were also a part of the picture frame, psst psst without their knowledge as you may see in the photo..

This was one of the days when everything went perfectly fine, Murphy’s law was defied big time. The weather further welcomed us with her cooling raindrops whose taste blended well with that of appam and foreign chocolates.

We were reminded by our group member that her “Magazine launch” was coming towards the end while the other member wondered that its too early to reach home from Esselworld. We finally added some more bahaanas to the list to save their days and we all set off towards our homes.


On our way back we raised a toast of Paani kam chai which Prafull also splashed me with due to reasons unknown. We promised that we will unite once again for another memorable day.......AMEN!

Regards,

Nagesh

Vangani Vagabonds

Game plan:

The plan was being formed over the past week like a brewing cauldron over the fire. Until the three chefs decided to unite over the weekend and make it boil over into a sumptuous experience. Although everyone was invited, it was the names of just these three wanderers that was written on the greens of Vangani, the starting point of the Sahyadris.

Here is how it started, Kunal and Raj MSNed me about a weekend plan to Matheran, which i topped with a proposition for a nice walk from Neral to Matheran rather than taking a cab or a train, where we could catch some scenic natural beauty and waterfalls where we could bathe in aqua pura before the mineral water companies could bottle it at the downstream(hehe and you thought that bottled water was untouched and contained only pesticides).

Destination Declared:

With the idea of trek being readily accepted, i was quick to present an alternate destination which is ideal for a one day tread, wherein we could keep the sunday to ourself and probably go for an oil massage if we found the slopes too tiring. I suggested Vangani, which is almost unexplored and has maiden natural beauty with very less footfalls. On clearer seasons Vangani is a star gazer's dream destination, since its skies give clear details of the visible cosmos, undisturbed by the glare of the bright city lights.

The risk however was that i had forgotten the trail to the waterfall where i had been about six years back with my sister's group and i had seen this place as absolutely rural. Nevertheless the three of us were willing to make this an exploratory trip with a promise to come back with a larger group after understanding the trails of this place.

Raj and i agreed to meet-up at 6 AM at Dadar station from where we would board a Karjat local. Kunal was scheduled to board the train at Thane.

The D-Day:

The dawn of Saturday gave me a shocking realization.. i had fallen asleep, the last night, trying to set the alarm in my cell phone only to be awakened by my buzzing body clock which woke me half hour late from schedule. I immediately messaged Raj. Quickly had my bath, stuffed things into my backpack and set off while trying to reach Raj on his cell. The cell was ringing and unanswered. It happened that Raj and i are such great friends that we got simultaneously late by about half hour and he was answering another "call" when he missed mine over his cell. He called me immediately after the other "call" relieved him and we met at Ghatkopar Station.

We were all set on a Karjat Fast. Kunal played kho-kho in the train from Thane and took two stations to get to the compartment Raj and i were in. During the journey over a packet of Lays we caught up with many things in our personal and professional life. I was getting tensed since till Badlapur the beautiful rural landscapes were far from visible. Finally the scene changed as though someone right clicked and changed the wallpaper theme from Urban Chaotica to Rural Exotica. The clouds over the skies grew darker and yes!!! it began to drizzle even before we could sing "Allah paani de".

As we disembarked from the almost hour long train sojourn, we could see the inviting hills at a distance which looked enticing wearing veils of grey cloudy chiffon covering their high held faces, like a beautiful damsels looking at strangers who have just come to her heavenly home.

Start with Wadi Paav byte (this ain't a typo)

When we came out of the station towards a direction shown by the newspaper vendor, we were invited by a couple of autorickshaw drivers asking "Dab-dabba? Dab-dabba?" (waterfall?). We were determined to walk down to the place which took us about half hour. All of us were famished since we had not troubled our Moms/wives/girlfriends for an early breakfast (i did not even try.. hehe. Mom was upset and had an argument with me the previous night, since i was going slightly away from her caring protection to an unknown place with known mischevious colleagues. But sweetheart Mom packed a full pack of chaklis and wafers and served me a very early tea).

As our stomachs started gurgling with hunger, we found a tiny stall with a man wearing a glove of besan (chickpea flour) paste, frying mashed potatoes coated with the same which was served pattied between . Hold on this ain't no continental dish, its our very own Batata Wada!! When we ordered for three we noticed that it was a winzipped, microminiaturized version of a Wada Pav. The vendor coyishly pointed to a school behind and said that the size was customized for the children there. Thats how we enjoyed our Wadi (not wada) Pau and strolled further.

Shower

A couple of directions from courteous villagers proved useful and soon we could see three waterfalls hidden in the greens of the hillock. We had a great bath there with the force of water pounding us to give a soothing massage. Raj almost got a Love bite from a native ( read crab in water). We climbed to the crest of the waterfall and lied down on the rocks over which there was a stream-lined flow of water. The sound of flowing water tickled our ears.

Trek

I had heard of a place called Nakhind which is supposed to be the starting of Sahyadris and western ghats. Surprisingly the locals did not know much of that place, however they showed us the way towards the hills where they knew that a tribal village existed. The hills looked pretty lonesome. The tar road came to an abrupt end and the trail started off into the paddy fields. At a distance we could see a waterfall which was much larger than where we bathed, much more hostile and unapproachable. The water from that was stopped and held by a manmade reservoir for irrigation. The flowing water was very clear. A farmer showed us the way going up the hill which was shrouded by wild shrubs and snakepits.

The trail started getting steeper and slippery, with Raj mastering the fine-art of mud-slipping on the way. Our heartbeats were as loud as the loudest sound there which came from the waterfall about a kilometer away. We had our own doubts about that place till we spotted footprints in the mud and an emptied biscuit wrapper that read "TIGER" in the middle of the jungle trail. Soon we could see the waterfall below us, and the reservoir dam was reduced to a tiny rectangle.

Spirits of the slopes (here is where the mystery starts)

Few paces ahead we saw a man dressed in white shirt and three boys. All of them carried sticks. The faint look on the man's face reminded me of stories of mysterious spirit wanderers of the forest, who sometimes serve as guardians and waypointers. However sometimes they are tempted to take other wanderers to their mysterious abodes and make them a part of their league.

We asked him what was lying ahead on the path "A village of tribals" he replied. We asked him from where they had come "Yaheen neeche se" ( from down there) he said pointing towards the way down. I asked "Vangani gaon?" . He nodded. My attention drew towards the far off peaks with a flat profile. The man said that those were natural caves, the trails to there were not as friendly as the foot-trail that we were treading, but we could easily scale it.

"We are going towards the same place and you may join us if you want... dont worry its an easy climb and I have also wandered on the ridge of the hill all over the place.. join us". I could not take my eyes off the peaks and the caves till Raj said that we couldn't since he had a cricket match the next day and wanted to play it (a)LIVE!

Village in the Clouds

After a forty five minute climb, with the other wanderers still around, we were pleased to hear chuckles in the approaching plateau which were soon claimed by their cute faces that came in sight. A whole set of energetic kids dotted a beautiful paddy terrace on top of the hill. It was one of the most beautiful villages i have ever seen, beyond my dreams. We followed the wanderers beyond the village and then watched them negotiate the slopes further till they disappeared and became one with the woods. Few seconds later we could see the man still inviting us, far away on the hill waving his staff at us. His voice could be heard clearly, We waved back and they were gone for good, perhaps to their abode without their guests.

We returned back to the village where the children were still shouting and waving at us. With permission from their parents i called them all for a photo session. Their scanty clothes and undernoursihment touched us deep, despite which they were full of happiness and content unlike the cry babies in the city. After the photos, i gave the eldest child a packet of wafers and watched them all smile. I told them to share it without fighting. I was deeply moved to see the kids line up in a disciplined fashion in front of their elder who would distribute the packet amongst them. The kids saw us till the beginning of the return path with their waving hands and chuckles, which soon merged with that of the waterfall. The descent was faster and soon we found ourselves waiting to get ourselves to the nearest source for lunch.

The walk in the clouds at the station unexplored proved to be very fulfilling to our senses and spirits. We resolved to visit the place again and move further towards the caves. As we returned, the sky cleared a bit and i could see another peak named Chanderi, which takes a two day trek to explore.

We reached the Station where Raj played music on his cell phone that sounded as loud as the announcement speaker. The crowd there was entertained for the next half hour when we waited for the Karjat-VT up Local. My gaze was still fixed at the far off peak till a girl on the platform was flattered thinking that i was watching her. Before she could pick up the wrong sign, I plugged my music player to my ears and waited for the red and yellow worm that turned into a train as it drew close to the station and took us home in its belly.

Hope another day at Vangani Returns soon with more friends sharing the privilege.

Sincerely,

Nagesh Pai

Announcement - Monsoon Trek

Agenda: Weekend walk in the woods

Day: Saturday and/or Sunday 9th and 10th July

Places under consideration: Vangani (Karjat route) or Neral - Matheran

Pirates on board till now: Kunal, Raj and Nagesh

About Vangani:

Vangani is known to be a trekker and a stargazer's paradise which leads to the starting ridges of the Sahyadris. I had been there long back for a one day trek to a nearby waterfall there. it was a good one hour walk from the station, but it was an easy one day trek.

There are two good places i have seen on the net which can approached from Vangani - Nakhind and Chander. Great maiden trekking treads to explore here which has not yet been vandalized by many footfalls. But the route will need to be understood from the villagers there.

In any case we must be prepared for an overnight in the rare occssion of things getting late. The woods can captivate you like the worlds best illusionist.


Option 2: Neral to matheran:

An offroad route from Neral to matheran will be nice and green during this time of the year. During my scouts hike in school, I recollect seeing the entire trail till Jumapatti station lined up with waterfalls.

This is a more known route, although we dont have a detailed road map, but it is well within civilization. Not sure whether this could be made into a one day trip.

Venturing into the unknown is the best adventure specially when we know that its not ferocious. Would be great if you can add your comments to this blog by clicking on the comments link below.

In both cases we will need to take the first train to Karjat

Add your inputs since we need to freeze on this soon. As of now Kunal Raj and i are sure to tread come what may.

Cheers!
Nagesh