So just five of us finally arrived at Panvel ST depot for our first monsoon trek this year. The trek we all decided was Prabalgad & Kalavantin durg which is near Shedung phata in Panvel. After about two weeks of email intimation and follow up and last minute cancellations, we were just five to finally make it - Tushar, Sarvesh, Akshay, Zian and me. As it eventually turned out, we were glad that we were just five! ;)
We arrived at the meeting point on time, packed some food and drink supplies and went searching for transport to the starting point of the trek, which is Thakurwadi village. From this village we have to trek upto Prabalmachi, the base point of the trek. Here, you have two directions leading to Prabalgad and Kalavantin durg each. Very simple trek, as described by Tushar in his event inviation mail. I am quite sure we all would think twice before relating 'simple' with this trek.
When asked for fare, the rickshaw fellow claimed Rs. 250, which did not seem reasonable. He justified about long distance and we did not look for better offers so just got inside his tamtam and set off. Midway, when we asked him how much more time, he replied just 15 minutes. This was when had set off just 5 minutes back. Bloody bugger billed us a penalty for not surveying the market properly. Anyways, we all said, and asked him about the details of the trek. He told us a few things which seemed all glib lies, of which we were not aware back then. When we reached the starting point we could see two paths leading to different ways. He told us to take the right path, which eventually turned out to be very wrong. Left was the right path, if only we had known earlier!
We were lost a few times on the path we took, and never could see a clear trail. The path was dense with bushes, most of them having spines which pricked us often. It was a steep path and we were getting exhausted soon. Akshay started suffering with cramps in stomach which made him take halts often. We were also not sure if we were on the right track or not because it seemed that we are reaching nowhere. At a point in time, we had to take a call if we should drop this trek. But, we all are clear about this one thing related to trekking - that above all, it is about teamwork! So, we distributed some of the stuff Akshay had in his bag among us while Tushar held his bag and set off. In some time Akshay was fine and could trek properly, leading the way most of the time, the way which itself was wrong.
We crossed black rocks often seen at water falls, small waterfalls & water bodies, lush green fields and trespassed farm lands which had compounds made of spiny bushes. We could even see people ascending Prabalgad and also Kalavantin durg, sometimes heard their voices clearly as if they are very close to us. Yet, we were just not able to find a way. Ultimately, at 30 minutes past 1 we decided to chuck it; we would have lunch and set off our return journey. So we finished most of the food we had brought along, collected all the waste in a polythene to throw away at dumpyard. Before leaving, we all took a power nap of about 15 minutes. All this while, we had been very enthusiastic about clicking pictures all the way, it's needed to do a little show off and for personal possession. While setting off back we were discussing if we should tell our friends this true story or should we make up some excuse or should we lie that we made it. We could not lie that as we did not have any pictures of the landmarks as testimony. We were not able to come to a conclusion about what to tell others, but, we told ourselves that we are coming back here soon to conquer it!
As if God had finally sent his help, we came across a local guy while going through some unclear trails. We asked for directions and he offered his help in return. We would be leading us to the wadi, the base point of this trek. On the way we enquired everything we wanted to know and the guy oblidged. We reached the base point and he bid goodbye. Now, we could clearly see trails leading to Prabalgad and Kalavantini durg each, and also the way upto this point. It was a very clear trail, suitable for humans to tread comfortably. It was a path with scenic views of Sahyadri mountain ranges and the villages close by. We also came across a few wind points and just could not resist enjoying ourselves there and also doing some solo, group and scenary photography!
By the time we reached the starting point we had decided for a retake of this trek with the same people on third Sunday of July 2011. Earlier we had a painstaking feeling of regret that we were not able to find the correct trail, leave alone completing the trek. But we had learnt our lesson while descending back to base. This was our first real failure and we are going to make it our stepping stone for all future treks. Key learning is to be very sure about directions, and when not, get a local guide. Prabal almost had us in all sorts of trouble, but hopefully for this time only. And what fun is a trek without facing any of it! Never mind Prabalgad and Kalavantini durg, we are coming back soon to conquer you and it would be one of our eternal accomplishments, for sure!
Rohan I loved the last Lines
ReplyDelete"Prabal almost had us in all sorts of trouble, but hopefully for this time only. And what fun is a trek without facing any of it! "
And yes it was fun.
Whatever it was about the Auto richshaw person, yes he very well misguided us, but to be honest we did not stick to the ground work we had done and as a coordinator for this trek, I feel sorry for the failure and take the complete responsibility for it. But I am more than pleased to have the company of sporty people who took this failure in a positive way.
They say that often the Journey is more absorbing than the destination. Now that’s not an excuse or a compromise you settle for, or a reason that explains why we could not reach the top. But that helps you enjoy the moment and every moment of this trek was memorable. So was the journey, although the directions were wrong.
The first mistake, as Rohan has said above was to take the path in the Right. Even though we did that we managed to reach the plateau with a path that is generally taken by the cattle for feeding. (Off course we didn’t knew that then).As per my homework we had to reach the Village which is a place called ‘Wadi’ having 5 to 10 houses of the local people. But from the cattle path we had reached a place with only a couple of houses. That is where we messed up. We never reached the ‘Wadi’ before we called it quits. Moreover there was thick dense forest all over with a fewer open places and some green fields on the plateau. We were never moving up. Every time we came to an open field we could see both our targets the Kalvantindurg and the way to Prabalgad, but just could not figure out which one to approach and from where.
But in its own way, It was thrilling, shrubs all around you, poking time and again. One shocking moment of it was when Akshay as Rohan has said was leading us all blazing guns always 4-5 feet ahead of us shouted out loud , ‘Oh *&*%^%......’, took two steps back with a petrified face and a spilt thought of what he had stepped on . He had stepped on a femur which rocked as his foot landed and what followed was a skeleton. I was behind him and just as I saw it the backbone for a moment I was terrified too. But I managed to hold myself, just to realize that it was a bullock’s skeleton and not a human as a couple of feet ahead were the skull with the beautiful curvy horn on it. Must have lived in awe, but unfortunately didn’t die in honor. The skeleton and the fencing on the farm fields explain that the road is taken by the cattle for feeding.
It was 1.00 pm already and we decided to take lunch and descend back. And we met the local guy who showed us the ways, but by that time it was too late.
But we returned from the right path, the more human way if I can say that. Certainly more windy with rain showering on us. This path has the view of the trail below and also of the sahayadri ranges.
Little did we knew about what we had actually done till we arrived at the base. We had taken an incredible almost circumferential route along the complete mountain of prabalgad and kalvantindurg from 9.00 a.m. till 4.30 pm with 2 stops a 30 min lunch break and a 15 minutes peace break at the top wind point. Now that’s somewhere around 10 kms roughly with up and downs……..that’s a good feat in itself.
But along the descend, we started developing a concept of returning back to achieve the targets and we are doing it most definitely…
After all we are the STARZ
S- Sarvesh
T- Tushar
A- Akshay
R- Rohan
Z- Zian
And STARZ don’t find it difficult to reach the TOP
So Prabalgad and Kalvantindurg
We still have some scores to settle......
We were very lucky to have met the local guy who saved us a lot of trouble getting back down. Also we would not have known the correct way if not for that chance encounter. Imagine that somehow by sheer dumb luck we had taken a left instead of right(on the plateau when we were lost), we could have ended up at Prabalmachi and still completed at least one of the two. BTW, now we know an almost untraversed route to the plateau which very few people except the locals and cattle can claim. Overall an enjoyable and educating experience. We sure will conquer the twin forts next time
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