ANDHARBAN TRAIL – A JUNGLE BOOK – JUNE 2017

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 !!!

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 !!!!) 

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.