Yes! It all began here and this journey was the reason i fell in love with travel and nature . Now, this lifestyle has become a part of me, this part that i'd never want to loose.
I used to travel now and then, mostly to adventure sports and backpacking but trekking was out of the question. Being aware that Mt. Kalsubai was a difficult one to climb and would be more dangerous during monsoon I kept this trek on my blacklist: which I would never try. Days went by and life was going on, I started preparing for a half marathon when one of my friends invited me to go along with him on Kalsubai trek. I was hesitant to say no and was unable to reveal my fear of heights. Hence, I said yes. Let's do this!
Soon we planned out a trip to Kalsubai trek and we planned it during the monsoon just to feel the kicks and enjoy the breathtaking experience of it.
The day I was experiencing both nervousness and excitement finally came, we boarded the train and our journey started. I could see everyone around me thirsty and ready to dwell in the beauty of nature. Most of the participants were first timers and but prepared ourselves to be safe and avoid chaos. Train started and we began to get to know about each other while playing ice breaking games. In no time strangers became friends and we were surrounded by jokes, laughs and fun. Energy of new friendship and excitement didn’t let anyone sleep before midnight even after knowing that we have to get down at Kalyan Junction around 4:00 AM.
We woke up early in the morning the next day and had to freshen up in the train itself. Monsoon showers already started; Ponchos and rain covers for bags were going to be the part of our journey as a shield. We got down at the station and waited for our private bus which we booked. Even the waiting time was utilized for selfies and group photos which will be catering as the memories for everyone in the future.
Crossing small streams and slippery rocks on the muddy path we continued our trek passing by many waterfalls. In no time after 2 hours of trek we were at a certain height where only clouds and fog with heavy wind and rain were visible. Here was the challenging part, carrying all the weight we had to climb the old constructed wet iron ladder which was moving opposite to the wind and rain. Helping each other we moved forward with the only aim in mind to reach the top. The locals who were returning were surprised to see us climbing up at that time and warned us not to stay at the peak during the night as no one dares to stay and return back due to heavy winds blowing at the range of 70-80 kmph
Being together as team made a good bond and finally reached the peak.
Got in the train and started relaxing. Knowing that we will all be going back to the busy life tomorrow i.e. Monday blues, we decided to keep the night longer. No one slept and everyone was enjoying sharing their experiences and moments. I saw how strangers we were when we boarded the train and now bonded together in a strong friendship.
I was not the same person upon my return; this journey gave me immense confidence losing all my fears and made me understand true meaning of Nature’s beauty. Now I’m all set with my backpack to explore more adventurous treks to get closer to the nature.
Soon we planned out a trip to Kalsubai trek and we planned it during the monsoon just to feel the kicks and enjoy the breathtaking experience of it.
The day I was experiencing both nervousness and excitement finally came, we boarded the train and our journey started. I could see everyone around me thirsty and ready to dwell in the beauty of nature. Most of the participants were first timers and but prepared ourselves to be safe and avoid chaos. Train started and we began to get to know about each other while playing ice breaking games. In no time strangers became friends and we were surrounded by jokes, laughs and fun. Energy of new friendship and excitement didn’t let anyone sleep before midnight even after knowing that we have to get down at Kalyan Junction around 4:00 AM.
With backpacks on our back, tents in our arms and rain covers as our shields we boarded the bus and started our journey to the base village (Bari) of Kalsubai in the chilling climate early in the morning. We enjoyed the drive from Kalyan Jn to Base village. Though there’s sleep in our eyes we were mesmerized by the greenery and morning beauty.
Finally we reached the base village, there was a board indicating the height of Kalsubai Peak at the entrance. “Picture toh Banta hai boss”:P
As soon as we entered the village local people approached us and invited to their hotel for breakfast. Just hearing the word “khana” made the hidden hunger to come out. We had hot tea and yummy poha which is quite famous.
It was the time for final instructions to start our trek. Being aware of the trail, I was leading the team and my friend was trekking at the back to make sure everyone was together. The trek began from the Arch welcoming us to the peak.
Every step towards the top was the real beauty of Mother Nature. Cool breeze with monsoon rain didn’t give us a chance for us to get tired and the pleasant feel just kept us moving. Sound of small birds, rustling of leaves and waterfalls still runs in my head giving serenity.
Trail was covered with muddy path and rocks were slippery due to the continuous rain. Didn’t feel like using rain covers and started my trek in drenching rain which gave me immense feel. On the way, we had plenty of petty stalls operated by locals for selling nimbu pani (Lemon Water) to the people who were tired. Irrespective of the jadedness we had it for the taste and instant boost.
Crossing small streams and slippery rocks on the muddy path we continued our trek passing by many waterfalls. In no time after 2 hours of trek we were at a certain height where only clouds and fog with heavy wind and rain were visible. Here was the challenging part, carrying all the weight we had to climb the old constructed wet iron ladder which was moving opposite to the wind and rain. Helping each other we moved forward with the only aim in mind to reach the top. The locals who were returning were surprised to see us climbing up at that time and warned us not to stay at the peak during the night as no one dares to stay and return back due to heavy winds blowing at the range of 70-80 kmph
We didn’t fall back as we knew that’s where the real adventure was and that gave us the challenging experience. Soon after we climbed the ladder and moved forward, the nature started showing other side of her as mentioned by the locals. The winds started blowing harder with heavy rain and became difficult to move. We didn’t leave a single chance to move forward when the wind slowed down. After trekking 5-6 hrs we reached the camping area which was just few meters below the final peak.
Unloaded the luggage and tents at the small pit shop available there and relaxed for a while and had hot tea and Maggie noodles. After a bit of relaxation we kept our luggage in that pit shop which was more like a small open hut with just the roof and big iron rods on the top to withhold the roof. The aluminum sheets which were kept as walls flew away due to the wind. Soon with the charged energy we decided to summit the remaining part of Mt. Kalsubai. We kept our entire luggage at the camp area and moved towards the peak but the heavy wind kept hitting us hard and was making it difficult to walk. Holding each other’s hands we moved forward and found there was one final ladder to reach the top.
Being together as team made a good bond and finally reached the peak.
Yes we did it to the “Highest peak of Maharashtra- Mt.Kalsubai.”
With the little space and speed of the wind multiplied, it was very dangerous to walk even a step alone as the wind might blew you away to the valley below. We decided to hold hands together and moved forward throughout. We relaxed near the temple and sat together taking selfies. We started descending to the camp area to pitch our tents and hit the bed.
Story abhi baaki hai :p
Real fun started. We were not able to pitch tents in that wind so decide to pitch it inside the hut which gave some protection as a shield from heavy wind during the night. As soon as we started cleaning up the area to setup the tents, we were welcomed by Common Krait a venomous snake which left all of us in panic. In no time we came out of that state and some of the guys came forward to move it away and changed its direction.
Before pitching tents we decided to have dinner. We took the packed dinner and snacks making it a potluck to celebrate our journey. As there was no electricity there we took out the torches and started pitching the tents in hut and tried to accommodate everyone in the small space available. We played music, danced and finally decided to hit the bed so that we would be able to wake up early in the morning to start our journey back to base village. But the sound of heavy wind and rain left everyone with the little fear, made it difficult to sleep but we didn’t have any choice but to accept and dwell with the nature.
We were already awake by the time the sun started rising and freshen up. We packed our tents and luggage and had hot tea and Maggie. Everyone started sharing their experiences about how terrific it was to sleep not knowing how heavy winds would be. Seriously, the night camping on the peak was terrific and risky but it was worth the experience to grab such a challenging moments.
We headed back to the base village, our hearts filled with joy of accomplishment. Every step towards the base village gave us a flashback of the yesterday’s memories. We captured all the moments in the camera. We reached down sooner than we climbed and decided to take bath in the water stream which was looking very similar to a mini waterfall. It was so soothing to get refreshed after the journey. After we got ready we headed back to railway station. We started missing our Hyderabad and biryani :p. Soon we halted at the nearby Dhaba and ordered biryani, but you will never get the same yummy taste anywhere else other than Hyderabad.
Got in the train and started relaxing. Knowing that we will all be going back to the busy life tomorrow i.e. Monday blues, we decided to keep the night longer. No one slept and everyone was enjoying sharing their experiences and moments. I saw how strangers we were when we boarded the train and now bonded together in a strong friendship.
We reached Hyderabad and finally the time came to say bye to everyone hoping to meet them again soon. Exchanged our contacts and captured moments which were our take away from the trip.
I was not the same person upon my return; this journey gave me immense confidence losing all my fears and made me understand true meaning of Nature’s beauty. Now I’m all set with my backpack to explore more adventurous treks to get closer to the nature.
I remember a quote told by someone long time back and would like to share with you all now-
“A walk in the nature walks the soul back home”
I thank to each and everyone for being the part of this wonderful journey, and thank you all for reading my story. Love you all, Love Nature <3
Raghava Venkata :)
