When you sign up for an event titled ANDHARBAN TRAIL
– A Jungle Book , You do (think you ) know whats in store
Like they say in Landmark Forum – You know what you
know, You know what you don’t know , but you don’t know what you don’t know.….
The trip's ‘fun’
element starts at the very beginning , when I realize I have forgotten my rain jacket
for a monsoon trek !!!! This dismay is greatly softened by the fact that there
are many who have deliberately chosen not to carry their rainy gear with the
intention of getting wet. Blame the delayed Mumbai monsoon for this !!!!
With the (not
so) tiring overnight bus journey , liberally laced up with enthusiastic Antakshari singing , erratic dozing off
(inspite of the music) and the long wait for breakfast (thanks to few other groups reaching the lone
refreshment spot at the same time) notwithstanding , our group of
51 starts the trek with much gusto and enthusiasm. This is after the mandatory introduction round
Scintillating scenery , Overcast skies , clouds flitting across the sky , Beautiful greenery (about a zillion shades of them) , the smell of wet earth and the multiple small waterfalls make the trail extremely enjoyable. The entire thirteen km trail was peppered liberally with multiple Ascents and Descents / ups and downs .We get the first taste of things to come when a light drizzle starts . . . steadily increasing in volume until it becomes a continuous downpour.
Through this all we gradually get nearer to the best part of the trail . . . . walking across three(major) waterfalls !!!
Scintillating scenery , Overcast skies , clouds flitting across the sky , Beautiful greenery (about a zillion shades of them) , the smell of wet earth and the multiple small waterfalls make the trail extremely enjoyable. The entire thirteen km trail was peppered liberally with multiple Ascents and Descents / ups and downs .We get the first taste of things to come when a light drizzle starts . . . steadily increasing in volume until it becomes a continuous downpour.
Through this all we gradually get nearer to the best part of the trail . . . . walking across three(major) waterfalls !!!
Now ... exciting as this may sound, the continuous rains
had increased the force and volume of the Waterfalls considerably and what was
to have been an enjoyable stroll across the water body literally became an
adventure. Full credit to the Trek leaders who managed this part beautifully by
stringing across support ropes and helping trekkers to navigate the falls
regardless of which group they belonged to.
It was not named Jungle
trek for nothing . . . . . . At a height
of approximately 3000 ft above sea level and in spite of the rains being only
intermittent barring the initial downpour, in many places along the trail, the
path was so dense and dark that the sun-rays never reached to ground even at
noon time. It made sense as a group to keep each other within vision as it was
very easy to get lost if we deviated
from the route. The thirteen km trail ensures that you endlessly keep trudging
through the dense thickets with moss
laden paths . creating a colourful collage with the red mud and the
bright flowers. The trek in most places entailed walking on ridges offering breathtaking view of the Kundalika Valley, Bhira dam and
the mountain ranges of Tamhini ghat. For
a city slicker (pardon the slang !!! )
the breathtaking beauty of the ghats . . . the forests . . . and the water bodies are
elements of creations which have to be
experienced .
Few
unforgettable moments like . . . 1-The much looked forward to “Dabba Party” at
the local temple and pool, where everyone devoured the contents of their
respective Lunch Boxes. The highlight being of course the awesome combinations
in which the food was devoured. Puris, Puliyogarai (tamarind rice) , theplas, cakes
and bananas. Plus side dishes like
random chutney, pickles and crunchies to keep company and enhance the ‘lunch’
experience.
2-
Of course the extempore jump into the water and dancing near the base village.
The
bonus element to the entire trek was, being accompanied by professional
photographers involving drone photography, go pro equipment et al., since we
get to relive the entire trek/trail again
and again.
The fag end of the trip had an awesome comedy moment when I cooly walked away from the Bus with someone else's bag.It's a good thing it was sorted out a bit later at the cost of a late night round trip by good old kaali-peeli taxi (at 1.30 in the night !!!!)
The fag end of the trip had an awesome comedy moment when I cooly walked away from the Bus with someone else's bag.It's a good thing it was sorted out a bit later at the cost of a late night round trip by good old kaali-peeli taxi (at 1.30 in the night !!!!)
Thank
you Team Tattva Adventures for yet another fantastic experience. Great fun and
lot of learning on the You
know what you know, You know what you don’t
know , but you don’t know
what you don’t know.…. aspects of life.