Beyond the rest…

Finally I’ve read it. I’ve been trying to get hold of a copy since quite some time, at last got it delivered by Flipkart. Beyond the Mountain by Steve House is one of the most fascinating mountaineering books I’ve ever read. It starts with an account of a failed attempt on the Rupal face of Nanga Parbat and ends with a successful retry. Between these are many accounts of bold and daring ascents across the high mountains. Once you start reading it’s difficult to keep it down without reaching the last page. Steve House is one of the best alpinists today, and he seems to be also one of the best mountaineering authors. The style of writing is honest, and earnestly brings out the evaluation of the risks, decisions and outcomes of climbing in their chosen alpine style.

Thanks to Flipkart.com for making it possible to order the book here. In case you are looking for it, you can find it here.

The simpler you make things, the richer the experience becomes – quote from the book, couldn’t be more aptly said! Certainly, this one is beyond the rest…

For those who came in late… a dream comes true – Ratangad descent via Baan pinnacle (17-18 Feb 2007) – Day 2 & 3 Baan Pinnacle to Dehne

Baan towering above as we start descending towards Dehne

The beginning of the descent to Dehne from the Baan pinnacle base was the precursor of what lay ahead. The river bed was littered with crumbled boulders making route finding extremely difficult. While our guide (Mama) was searching for the route ahead, we noticed 3 rocks neatly arranged one above the other on a boulder. It could be nothing but a marker set by the Girivihar group that had climbed up by this route yesterday. Looking further down, we could see a series of the markers. It was the route indeed!

Our happiness would however be short-lived. A small descent and the markers deserted us. A short descent and Mama announced that we had lost the route and after a brief search he directed us into the trees on the left of the stream. It was thin trail climbing up to the ridge falling from the base of the Baan pinnacle. We traversed for some time through the forest with the trail getting thinner with every passing moment. I had estimated a maximum of 4 hours to reach Dehne. When we started from the pinnacle base it was 2 pm and I was sure to make it to the village before sunset – unless we got lost in the forest! There was also the concern about water availability. The river bed contained small pools of water which were not potable, and although we had enough water to last for the 4 hours descent, everyone was getting a bit worried with the thinning trail…

After a traverse that seemed quite long, Mama again announced that we had lost the route. In fact, the route had come to a dead-end. While Mama, Madhav & Apoorv went searching for the route, Girish & I discussed the possibility of being stranded in the forest for the night. If we were stranded, the river bed would be best choice to spend the night. We would at least get some flat & open space. To get to the river-bed would mean tracing the route backwards for about an hour, which meant we really would have no chance to make it to the village that day. At that moment, Madhav came rushing with the news that there was a route ahead & Mama had announced that the village would be three hillocks away. With renewed hopes, we started on the trail ahead to hit another dead-end some time later. This time the route had been blocked by a huge fallen tree and it was not possible to get to the other side. However, Mama located a route some 20 feet lower. It would involve sliding downwards on very loose and exposed scree to get to the route. By this time I had made up my mind to get to the village by night, so when Girish suggested going back, I refused and decided to take the plunge. It took some effort from everyone to get down, most remarkably Jayasurya!

With twilight approaching, we descended further, now steeply through firm rocks, till we reached a rock patch of around 25 feet with no way through. Mama had descended it and informed that there was a route ahead till the base of the stream. The sunset had already begun. I descended down the patch, and discovered that at the last 4 feet there were absolutely no holds – one would have to jump down! We quickly decided that we first had to get the sacks down and then descend one by one. Peter & Madhav took positions at intervals on the rock-patch & we started getting the sacks down. In the meanwhile, Mama had descended to a tree below & informed me that the base of the stream was just a little ahead. But, now our situation had worsened. It was now a race against time. With sunlight fading fast, I knew we had to get to the base of the stream fast. It took almost half an hour to get everyone down the rock-patch. By that time, the sun had made its journey down the horizon and we had to switch on our lights. Rajesh being the first to descend down the patch had made his way to the tree with two sacks. Mama made two trips to and fro and carried some sacks. This made things easy for us and saved some time in getting the entire group down to the tree. It was tough descending with a very thin trail through extremely loose scree.

As we regrouped at the tree, it was already dark. Further progress would now be very slow with the aid of torches & headlamps. As per Mama, potable water would be found at the base of the stream at a place called “Sondi” (actually what he meant was the base of the ridge), which didn’t seem far away now. But distances are always deceptive in the forest and especially in the dark. Nevertheless, we started for the Sondi. As expected, the progress was extremely slow, with Mama himself suffering from dull vision & the rest of the pack following slowly. Moreover, Mama was rendered injured in the left leg by a loose stone & Rajesh was with cramped legs. The route now wound downwards consistently through rocks, which was a big relief; the scree wouldn’t scare us anymore. After what seemed forever, we reached a wide, open & flat area within the waterfall – a welcome place. We stopped to take a bearing – the morale of the team was very low; we still hadn’t reached the base of the stream, it seemed we were heading to nowhere; we had exhausted all the water with us; however we had enough food to eke out the night. In the current circumstances, this seemed to be a good place to retire for the night. However, with no water supplies and an exhausted team, the night wouldn’t be an easy one. I was also concerned about Rajesh’s & Mama’s condition. We had to get to water, and water was at the Sondi.

Girish’s suggestion of sending a team of two to hunt for water seemed apt. Peter and I emptied two of the smallest rucksacks, packed everyone’s water bottles into them and headed into the dark below in search of potable water. Mama was walking half-blind, I suppose he had night-blindness, and I had to guide him through the rocks. Descent however was now swift as we were less in numbers. When we had descended a little, I peered into the night, saw the stream flattening & turning to the right. I strained my eyes to follow the stream ahead, and to my surprise, I realized the stream was flowing into the big waterfall coming from its right. We had reached the base of the stream and the combined river bed would lead us directly to Dehne. I knew we had made it to the Sondi as well. With hopes high now, we quickly entered the riverbed to look for pools of water. We got lucky with the second one! It contained water as clean as can be. With a flat river bed beside, there could not be a better place to camp for the night.

A splash on the face felt heavenly. Having refreshed ourselves, we set out to fetch the others. Mama was a little reluctant to go all the way up to get the others; but he had no option – he wouldn’t stay there alone with no lights. So, the three of us started climbing back with filled water bottles on our backs. A loud clang of falling metal to the left informed us that the team was having snack. In the dead of the night, the noise filled the entire valley. Earlier it would have alarmed us; now we were just too excited to get the great news back. Soon, we were with the team and having refreshed, we set out for our camping site. Slowly, we made it there and the team relaxed in no time. Girish, Peter and I debated the idea of continuing ahead immediately, however, decided against it, as the progress would be very slow in the night. Madhav, the tea-man, served hot tea & soup, and pain of the day was soon forgotten; we got into camping mood. A few of us went to sleep, as did Mama, while the rest prepared for dinner. It was 3 am in the morning when we finished; we had planned to start for the village at 6 am. It would be just 2 hours of sleep for us. I didn’t mind. We would be heading directly for Dehne in the morning – nothing else mattered. As I slid into my sleeping bag, I noticed the beautiful night sky above; the hill in the front towered above the twinkling stars in the glistening pool waters – a wonderful sight to behold. There was a slight chill in the air; just right to spend a day out in the wild. For once, I was glad we were lost. It would be a night to remember!

Almost night, in the stream at Baan base

The biggest pool in the stream

Camp at night near a pool within the stream

Everyone was up at 5 am and ready to go. The resilience in the team was amazing, a sign that everyone had enjoyed yesterday’s thrill. Twilight arrived as we started for Dehne at 6 am. Baan beckoned in the back, halfway up the Samrad plateau. We reiterated our desire to come back for a night at its base. Soon, Mama would part and take a right to go back to Samrad via the Karoli ghat. As the first rays of light struck us, we looked back to see Ratangad and Khunta towering above the Samrad plateau. We had descended around than 4000 ft from here. Ajoba started to become visible in the front. Dehne seemed a long way, and a break brought out rasgullas from Rajesh’s potli. They got devoured in no time.

On towards Dehne…Baan falling behind

Baan pinnacle – looking back

Baan and the valley to the left through which we descended

Khutha pinnacle appears behind Baan

Its sunrise….

As we neared Dehne, the thoughts of going back to our daily routines came flooding. That is when, Rajesh and I realized that the car would have been waiting for us since yesterday evening; our driver must be really worried by now. We picked up some speed and rushed into the village to see an anxious Rajesh’s dad at the local shop. It was easy to guess what had happened last night in our homes. We had been missing for the night, and the driver hadn’t called back; all relatives were worried and some headed to Dehne to retrieve us. We had become famous overnight (Girish, Wayne & Apoorv would receive a standing ovation back home!). Everyone assembled at the village and we knew the trek had come to an end. We would be taking back memories that would last a lifetime. But, Baan had planned to give us more. As Rajesh’s dad left in the other car, he mistakably took the keys of our car as well. By the time we realized, he already had a 15 minutes head-start. Our driver started after him by the local auto, while Rajesh and I went to the house with the only phone in the village. The phones were down, and we had to retreat back to the group. By that time, more friends had arrived to look for us with more equipment and the team had begun to cook lunch. By the time, our driver was back with the keys we had our lunch and were completely refreshed. As we drove back, memories of last night became highly animated discussions; there was a sense of achievement all over the group, indications that we had thoroughly enjoyed the trek. The plans for the next one were being made…

Quick details of the trek –
Team – Praphulla, Rajesh, Girish, Apoorv, Wayne, Madhav, Jayesh, Peter, Prajakta, Jayasurya
Date – 17th-18th February 2007

A few photos of the trek are here:

Ratangad (17-18 February 2007)

For those who came in late… a dream comes true – Ratangad descent via Baan pinnacle (17-18 Feb 2007) – Day 2 Ratangad to Baan Pinnacle

Morning came at 6 am with my mobile alarm waking up Rajesh. Our chai-waala (Madhav) was soon in action while the rest of the pack were getting ready for the descent.

I was still pondering over the route, when I had a word with Girivihar group leader. He recommended a descent through Karoli Ghat instead of the Baan pinnacle, as it would be easy. A little later, I made up my mind to continue with our original plans & descend through the Baan pinnacle route. As we were leaving, we were greeted by a group who had come all the way from Bangalore to climb Ratangad. They had got lost in the forest in the night & managed to make it to the top now. That explained the mystery of the moving lights in the forest in the night!!! Additionally, they had to make it back for the 9:00 pm train back to Bangalore. All that we could recommend was to make haste!

From the cave to Hanuman Darwaja

Kathra in front & Muda in the back

Cave at Ratangad

A round of Maggi and we were on the way to the Trimbak Darwaja at 9:30 am (quite late, as we had planned to leave at 8:00 am). We passed through the Hanuman Darwaja, to be greeted by the towering rock-faces of Kathra & Ajoba, massive rock walls falling steeply into the Konkan. We walked past the Rani-cha-huda, filled our water bottles at the water tanks a little ahead, and moved onto the west side of the fort. Passing the now dilapidated Konkan Darwaja, we crossed a set of neatly arranged water tanks to reach the base of the Nedhe (natural orifice in the rock face). It was at these water tanks that we got the first look at the Baan pinnacle, deep in the valley below. Peter & I sketched the route to Dehne village, which was visible in the distance; quite a long walk. A short walk along the edge of the fort through tall Karvi bushes led to the Trimbak Darwaja. The Trimbak Darwaja is the most well-preserved fortification on the fort (maybe because it receives a few visitors), with steps carved out in stone between huge enclosing walls.

Baan pinnacle seen from the way to Nedhe

Khutha pinnacle & Kalsubai in the back

Route to Samrad from Trimbak darwaja

Trimbak darwaja

Through the Trimbak darwaja

Huge enclosing walls below Trimbak darwaja

Descent from Trimbak darwaja

We descended the steps, each one about a couple of feet high, traversed the fort at the base of the rock face, and reached the col between the fort & Khutha pinnacle. It is on this traverse that one falls in love with Ratangad. While the impressive Khutha pinnacle beckons in the front, a look back leaves one awe-struck at the ruggedness of the natural fort walls. The Trimbak darwaja seems to be carved out of nowhere with natural bastions surrounding it. Below one can see all the way to the Konkan plains; more than 1000 metres below. No wonder the rulers of this fort never cared to add any massive fortifications on this side; Mother Nature herself is defending the fort here! At the col, the stream leading down to the left could be seen flowing all the way to the base of the Baan pinnacle, but it seems only rain-water would be able to trek that way. We had to descend a little through the stream, take a right, traverse Khutha at its base and descend further to the Samradwadi plateau fields.

Traverse under the Ratangad rock face to the col with Khutha

Looking back…

After the traverse at Khutha base, looking back

As I reached the other side of the Khutha pinnacle, the first glimpse of the Ghatghar valley left me enthralled. Backwaters of two dams, the 19th century Wilson dam and the 21st century Ghatghar dam could be seen reaching out to one another with the massive Kulang range towering above them. It was a treat for the eyes – the village Samrad at the base, the road leading straight ahead to Ghatghar village, the newly built dam; and above the range of lofty mountains starting with Chotta Kulang & Kulang on the left and proceeding to Madangad, Alang, Kirda to aptly culminate in the highest peaks of the Sahyadris, Kalsubai I & II. I was a little ahead of the pack when I reached here, and it seemed fit to take a little snack to make allowance for savouring the view a little more.

Kalsubai range & Ghatghar valley seen from way to Samrad…

After further descent, we stood in the first Samrad field (last for the Samrad villagers) and it was a little less than 2 hours since we had left the Ratangad cave – we had been pretty fast. Now, we had to take a U-turn, and traverse back all the way to the stream (the one flowing down from the col between Ratangad & Khutha) & descend further to the base of the Baan pinnacle. Since, I didn’t know the U-turn, I was planning to go to the village Samradwadi & hire a villager to show us the way. But that would take an hour more. As luck would have it, I noticed a villager moving in the trees, and Peter having tracked him down immediately, negotiated with him to show us the way to the Baan pinnacle. Soon, we traversed back on the plateau to the stream (and we realized the villager – Mama – had different ideas of Baan pinnacle. I had to show him my photos taken from the top of Ratangad to make him understand the Baan pinnacle that we were looking out for), and were greeted with the first views of the entire Baan pinnacle a hundred feet below. The pinnacle is a straight rock pillar a few hundred feet tall, shaped like an arrow –
a threatening view.

Taking a U-turn before Samrad, Khutha in the back

We’ve reached the stream that leads to Baan pinnacle base

We entered the narrow valley to be greeted by fragile rock faces on both sides echoing our voices almost 7-8 times. The rocks are extremely loose here, and we feared to talk loudly lest we might trigger a landslide. A careful descent of half-an-hour brought us to the base of the Baan pinnacle. One has to stick to the left side of the valley as the stream bifurcates at one point, and the one of the right leads to the huge waterfall of about 30-40 feet. There is a flat area at the base of pinnacle where one can pitch tents; the stream below will contain pools of water till November. The pinnacle itself is composed of loose rocks and will be a difficult climb. I lay on my back gazing at the magnificent pillar of rock. Risks had been taken and the unknown had been turned to known; our dreams had finally been realized. The valley was extremely fragile with loose rock faces on both sides, and looked spent in the aftermath of last year’s torrential rain, but mesmerizing nevertheless. I wondered how long this spectacle of nature will last. Gajar halwa was served to prepare the team for the further descent to Dehne village. This is where we were heading into the truly unknown, as even our guide had been through only once and that too more than 20 years before…(to be continued…)

Baan pinnacle – partly behind the rock face

View ahead as we start descending the stream

Gang at the base of Baan pinnacle

For those who came in late… a dream comes true – Ratangad descent via Baan pinnacle (17-18 Feb 2007) – Day 1 Ratangad

A flurry of emotions flooded the group as we sped on the Mumbai-Nasik highway towards Igatpuri. Memories of the Ratangad to Harishchandragad marathon two years ago, played continuously on three minds, Peter, Madhav & I; for Rajesh, it had been a 15-year long wait; for others, perhaps, it was just heading out into the unknown. All of the reference books had failed to shed any light on the descent route from Ratangad via Baan pinnacle. A quick breakfast at Diamond hotel near Shahpur, and we joined the long queue in the Kasara Ghat, owing to the ghat being closed for traffic in the night for widening work. An equally long line of pilgrims to Shirdi marched besides us – their trek would cover more than 150 kms over the next week. Luckily for us, the ghat had opened & we breezed past the waiting vehicles to reach Ghoti near Igatpuri, to be caught in another traffic jam – it was time for the weekly market (every Saturday) in Ghoti. A brief retreat to another road saw us at Vaasali phata in no time, with Kalsubai towering above us and extending majestically all the way to Kulang. On the other side, the Patta range was beckoning; I promised myself to return back soon, such is the magic of the Sahyadris here.

Soon, we were having a snack at the MTDC resort at Shendi just beside the Wilson dam on the Bhandardara Lake. Rajesh & I inquired for the ferry to Ratanwadi, but there was none, so we drove all the way to Ratanwadi. The ancient Amruteshwar temple was overwhelmed by the villagers with Mahashivratri celebrations, and unfortunately rendered off-limits for us. So, we set off immediately to our destination – Ratangad. The walk outside the village had been altered a bit, with the villagers building a make-shift dam on the Pravara River.

The river now held water even in February. A Shrike, a Common Kingfisher & lots of Cormorants could be seen along the river. Criss-crossing the river we climbed the hillock in front to reach the plateau at the base of the fort. After a short climb through the forest, and leaving the Ratanwadi-Samrad route behind, we reached the Harishchandragad bifurcation.

At the Bhandardara (Wilson) dam	Pravara river	Shrike
	Beautiful view of Ratangad from the fields outside Ratanwadi village	Through the river

Ignoring that route to the left, we climbed further to reach the ladders propped against the rock face below the Ganesh Darwaja of the fort. The chimney climb below the entrance had been avoided by the ladders, although the ladders themselves are decaying. The view from the ladders was mesmerizing – the Khutha pinnacle could be seen to the right with Kalsubai behind it; in the valley behind, the vast expanse of the Bhandardara Lake with Ghanchakkar rising behind it; to the left, the Agni-Baan pinnacle sticking out of the Kathra rock face. Carefully negotiating the ladders, we entered the Ganesh Darwaja & climbing a small rock patch reached the Hanuman Darwaja. Here, turning right instead of entering the fort, we passed the Ratnadevi temple & reached the cave.

Ladder propped on the chimney leading to the Ganesh darwaja	The Ganesh darwaja, just above the ladders	Towards the Hanuman darwaja from the Ganesh darwaja
From the cave to Hanuman Darwaja	The peak of Kalsubai	View towards Khutha from the ladders

At the cave, we were greeted by a group of four, who turned out to be veteran trekkers from Girivihar, and to our great surprise, they had just climbed the route from Baan pinnacle. The news from them was bad however – the route was in bad shape, had not been climbed for 2 years now and they had to cut their way through the forest to the top. I now had a decision to make, and I did the best that I could at that time – delay it for the next morning!!!

Bhandardara lake	Khutha pinnacle & Kalsubai seen from the cave
View from the top, Rani-cha-Huda on the left	Kathra in front & Ghanchakkar in the back

After some sandwiches & refreshments, out came the cooking equipment & within no time we had soup ready. It was night & surprisingly it wasn’t getting any cooler – Mumbai seemed to be much cool, with the rains lashing the East. Rajesh, as usual, was letting out food-stuff from his bottomless sack. Dinner was quite good, with Rajma masala, Dal fry, & rice, to be followed by a bout of Rasgullas (from Rajesh’s potli, of course). Cleaning sessions would never be more exciting with Girish & Apoorva giving lessons in astronomy (the sky was as clear as it could ever have been, shooting stars frequently zipped across, which is when we realized it was a new moon). Back in the cave, we got our beds (sleeping mats/bags) ready while the ones who missed the lessons (Rajesh, Praju & Jayasurya) went for their own session (coming back they would fight with Girish for the position of the Scorpio over the next two days!!!). Girish, Wayne and the Girivihar group decided to sleep outside the cave while the rest preferred the warmth inside. Peter & I noticed some lights moving in the forest below & concluded that they were some villagers from Ratanwadi out for hunting……(to be continued…)

For those who came in late… the Ratangad saga begins (16-17th February 2002)

On the night of 15th February 2002, we assembled at (Manoj) Tinna’s home in Kurla. Bhushan & Manoj (Bhosale), being assigned the task of procuring sleeping mats for the group, joined us in the nick of time to board the bus for Nasik from the Kurla ST depot. A peaceful journey of four hours followed. We were supposed to get down at the Igatpuri town bifurcation on the Mumbai-Nasik highway, and walk the 2 km to the Igatpuri local bus depot. The bus conductor was kind enough to take a detour of 4 km (2 km in and 2 km out for him) and leave us right at the Igatpuri bus stand. So, there we were, the only people at the Igatpuri bus depot at 3 am in the dead of the night, with around two hours to go for the bus to Shendi.

The trek to Bhimashankar, a month back, had triggered something within us. We knew we had to head for the mountains, and what better mountain to turn to than Ratangad. Harish Kapadia, in his book, Trekking the Sahyadris, describes Ratangad as a “Jewel”, and truly, the jewel still shines for us after so many years of trekking. It never fails to amaze us with the numerous trekking alternatives – I, still, have some unfinished business with Ratangad. So, we had chosen well!

Another trekking group joined us just before the Igatpuri-Pune ST bus started at 5:30 am. As the bus left Ghoti, there was a sizable crowd in the bus. This bus must have been a special one for the villagers at that time. There was a mirror mounted near the door along with two speakers one each side. It certainly looked like a much celebrated bus (Interestingly, I would see a bigger mirror and even bigger speakers in the same bus, when trekking here in 2009!). It took the bus around an hour and a half to reach Shendi. Shendi was a small sleepy village at that time, and very beautiful – right next to the Wilson Dam that forms the Bhandardara lake. There were few shops & fewer hotels. We had a quick breakfast at the only hotel beside the ST stand. Later, we learnt that the ferry to Ratanwadi would be leaving at 11 am, so we negotiated with a jeep driver to drive us to Ratanwadi. The other group would join us and lower the per head cost. We were a team of six trekkers, and theirs was a group of nine. Another trio of trekkers joined us, and we ended up being 20 people in (actually, half of us were, I should say, hanging out) the jeep (the driver had a friend with him), along with rucksacks. We are yet to repeat (and I hope we don’t) this feat again! As we left Shendi, the dam wall came into sight, and we couldn’t help but disturb our meticulous arrangement in the jeep, to disembark for photos. Soon, we were standing in awe at the ancient temple of Amruteshwar at Ratanwadi, much relieved from just being out of the jeep. The temple, completely built-in stone, had been recently painted in white, and didn’t look the part. It was sad to see such a beautiful temple losing its aesthetic appeal.

At the Bhandardara (Wilson) dam

At the Amruteshwar temple at Ratanwadi

Ratangad and its Khunta from Ratanwadi

As we started the trek along the Pravara river, the Ratangad massif stood in front, with the Khunta to its right, and the even more striking Kathra on its left. After a short walk along the river, we crossed it and started climbing in the direction of Ratangad. The trail was well-defined and soon we were on a small plateau from where the trail entered the forest at the base of Ratangad. From here, although the climb was steady & direct to the left edge of Ratangad, but rendered enjoyable by the continuous forest cover. Soon, we were at the climbing the last stretch with our sight on the ladders propped against the rock face above. At the base of ladder, we couldn’t believe the all-around sights that greeted us. The Khunta could be seen at the far right, with the highest peak of the Sahyradris, Kalsubai, in the distance. If we looked backwards, the vast expanse of the Bhandardara lake spread all across the valley. Pabargad loomed across the lake and the peaks of Ghanchakkar & Muda to its right. We were enthralled, and it would be some time before we decided to press on with the climb. A quick climb on the two shaky ladders led to the Ganesh entrance of the fort. Without the ladders, this would have been a good climb. The trail went to the right after the Ganesh entrance and climbed a flight of stairs at the edge of a rock face to reach the Hanuman Darwaja. We took a right before entering the Hanuman Darwaja, and walking beside the Ratnadevi temple, reached the cave of Ratangad.

The Khunta and lateral view of Ratangad	The ladders on the rock face of Ratangad	The final climb to the fort
The Ganesh Darwaja	At the Hanuman Darwaja	In front of the cave

After a short rest and a warm cup of tea, we decided to go for a fort visit. Bhushan preferred to stay back and protect our belongings from the continuously pestering monkeys (one was even trying to remove loose stones from the cave walls to get inside!). Walking through the Hanuman Darwaja, as we emerged onto the fort plateau, one of the most mesmerizing sights greeted us – the mighty rock face of Kathra right in front, and the huge wall of Ajoba behind it. Kathra stood quite close to Ratangad – so close, we could almost touch it. We walked over to the bastion opposite it – one of the best view points in the entire Sahyadris. Back on the track, we looked at the Rani-cha-huda (that’s what they call it), and headed towards the water-tanks. Four water-tanks arranged side-by-side was our primary source of water on the fort. Having refreshed, we walked ahead along the periphery of the fort to the dilapidated Konkan Darwaja, somewhat buried in the ground. Ahead, a set of peculiarly arranged water-tanks attracted us. Further, we climbed to the nedhe (naturally formed hole in the rock wall) for enjoying the magnificent sunset – the setting sun towards the Konkan plains, Khunta pinnacle to the right, Kulang, Alang & Madan in the distance and looking back, the entire Kalsubai to Patta range with the Bhandardara lake in the valley. Soon, it was time to head back, but we had one more task to complete. The descent, the next day, had to be through the Trimbak darwaja, which leads down to the Samrad village, and further to the Konkan plains. The problem was that we had no idea where the Trimbak Darwaja was. We had to locate it for ensuring a successful descent the next day. Madhav and I decided to give it a try. We descended back to the fort plateau and walked further towards the other end of the fort. Soon, the grass grew taller than us and I gave up. Madhav, however, didn’t. He pushed on, and soon I lost track of him. The search for the fort exit now was a search for Madhav. We crossed the tall grass patches searching for him and finally located him sitting relaxedly at the Trimbak Darwaja, waiting for us! We still curse him for imposing that frantic search on us in the dim twilight…

Frustrated as we may be, we couldn’t help but admire the grand fort entrance (or exit, for our purposes).The Trimbak Darwaja looked to be the most well-preserved structure on Ratangad – fully carved in stone and a flight of huge steps leading down a small gully. The sight of the steps leading down was thrilling – even in the fading twilight. The stage was set – we were going to descend to the Konkan!

Kathra from Ratangad	Rani cha Huda, just after the Hanuman Darwaja	Water tanks ahead of the Konkan Darwaja
In the nedhe of Ratangad	Kulang, Madangad and Alang	Sunset on Ratangad
Khunta from Ratangad	Trimbak Darwaja

We realized we hadn’t carried enough food, so Bhushan started cooking a meal of Nutrela (soya chunks) with onions. No one, except Bhushan and I, was brave enough to consume it! Each one of us was hungry but there was nothing to eat. The other group was cooking a complete dinner, and we thought of joining them. No sooner than they announced dinner was ready, someone inadvertently stumbled and knocked the contents onto the ground. Our hopes of having dinner were dashed. All that was left was the bhajjis, and we had to settle for a few of them. The group started cooking again (seemed like they were carrying too much stuff), and we decided to retire for the night.

The exertion of the day trounced over empty stomachs, and soon we were fast asleep. It was a peaceful night except a few disturbances by rats in the cave, having special affinity for Madhav (this would be confirmed when we returned to Ratangad many times later – the rats always went for Madhav!). Breakfast and tea in the morning was followed by a quick preparation for the descent. The other groups were inspired by our idea and they decided to accompany us. We traced the last day’s route back to the Trimbak Darwaja and started descending the steps. At the base, the route turned right and traversed the base of the Ratangad wall onto the ridge leading down to the col between Ratangad and Khunta. The rock wall of Ratangad on this traverse is an awesome view and the Khunta in front is imposing. The top section of the Baan pinnacle can be seen from here. From the col, we descended to the left for 20 minutes into a dry stream and left it to take a right at the base of Khunta. Further, a traverse at the base of Khunta (keeping it on the right) led to a descent to the Samrad plateau. The view of the entire range from Kulang to Kalsubai is unbeatable from here. An hour’s descent led to Samrad village on the plateau (Tinna saved some time by borrowing a villager’s bicycle and ferrying us one at a time to the village!).

As we waited for the other groups to arrive, we realized that we hadn’t had any food since last evening. The route ahead was an hour’s walk on the plateau to Ghatghar, and further a descent to Chhondhe village via the Ghatghar-Chhondhe pass. Luckily, we got a jeep that dropped us to Ghatghar in 15 minutes. Madhav volunteered to hang out and got himself painted red by the mud-track. Ghatghar was a different village at that time. There was no dam (the construction was going on at Chhondhe). Most of the village has been relocated now. Ahead of an ashram (school), a track led to the left and the edge of the plateau where steps has been constructed (in concrete, most probably for ferrying the dam construction equipment) to descend to Chhondhe. We started the descent grudgingly – everyone was tired (and hungry) by now. The short descent took our weary legs a long time to negotiate. We could see the signs of the dam construction on the way. Madhav and Jayesh discovered a biscuit packet that had not been yet consumed, and Tinna and I discovered a tin of rasgullas. We still debate as to what happened next – why did Madhav and Jayesh finish the biscuits as well as Tinna and I finish the rasgullas without sharing. Bhushan was walking much ahead, so he was out of this entire scene. We argued over both items when each duo got to know what the other had done – but soon settled it with attributing the cause to dire hunger.

Other end of Trimbak Darwaja	Steps leading down from Trimbak Darwaja	View back from traverse to the col
Moving towards the col	Khunta from Samrad village	Resting on the Ghatghar-Chondhe pass

When we reached the base, we learned that the ST bus stop was further 5 km away. No news could be more devastating. With weary steps we continued the march to the Chhondhe bus stop. When we reached there, we learned that it was election day and all shops were closed, so we could not get any refreshments – not even tea. We would have to wait to get to Shahpur for anything to eat. The last bus for Shahpur had left as well. In all these unfortunate incidents, one good thing happened – one tempo was leaving for Kalyan and the driver agreed to drop all of us there at a low price. All of us clambered onto the truck for an extremely bumpy ride to Kalyan. It was, however, rendered enjoyable by Bhushan joining one of the groups for a long bout of singing. Kalyan arrived at 9 pm and the other group went directly to the railway station to leave for Dombivali. Starved as we were, we dashed to a nearby restaurant for dinner – although we ate only chaat items. Soon, we were on the CST bound train with a sense of accomplishment and fond memories.

All discussion centered around the plans for the next trek….

Update – we later learned that there are two villages named Chhondhe and the bus was (at that time) only available at the lower one. Now, the Ghatghar dam is complete and the Chhondhe village is known as Chhondhe Colony. Ghatghar village has changed due to relocation to accommodate for the dam backwaters. The ashram (school) that was the indication to turn left for the Ghatghar-Chhondhe pass, is not located much earlier.

Quick details of the trek –
Team – Praphulla, Bhushan, Madhav, Jayesh, Manoj T, Manoj B
Date – 16th-17th February 2002

A few photos of the trek are here:

Ratangad (16-17 February 2002)

Trek to Chanderi stream

This is one trek that we don’t mind repeating every monsoon. It is, in my opinion, the best trek that can be done, nearby Mumbai, in the full fury of the rains. It has everything – a grand waterfall, a good climb along the waterfall, a thrilling climb on a ridge with strong winds doing their best to knock you off into the valley and fantastic views of the entire Karjat-Matheran range, of course, if the clouds permit.

This time the excuse was to take Rajesh’s group to the Chanderi waterfall. We were a group of more than 25 people, kids & elders. It took us around two hours to get everyone to the stream. While the elders enjoyed at junction of the Chanderi col trail and the stream, the kids climbed a little higher, to the point where the stream splits into two. The stream was at its fiercest that I’ve witnessed here. At both the places, the gushing water had created small pools almost 4-5 feet deep. Everyone had their bit of fun before it started raining heavily and the changing color of the water (due to mud being washed down by rains above) warned us that it was time to descend. The water levels had risen significantly, and it took some effort to get everyone across the stream at the two junctions.

Back at the base village, we drove to Saguna Baug resort near Neral for lunch, almost at 6 pm. This is a nice resort with Matheran & Peb as the backdrop. A great place to visit in the rains for a day picnic.

It was a perfect outing. What we missed was the climb to the cave…

That should follow soon…

Photos here:

NIM 2010 Course Calendar

NIM’s course calendar for 2010 is publicly available here.

I’m not sure if they have it on their official web-site yet (the site doesn’t work most of the time).

For those who came in late…

On the momentous night of 11th January 2002, five friends boarded the last Karjat bound local train from Kurla railway station. They were headed for their first trek together – to Bhimashankar. Little did they realize that they were about to embark on a journey that would last their lifetime.

We were a couple of years out of college, and in search of the perfect adventure. I had trekked a lot before and a few treks with Jayesh and Manoj (Bhosale, who would be conspicous by his absence on this trek). The rest were new to this world. The gear arrangements were make-shift and made at the last moment. We got down at Karjat in the dead of the night, and moved to the adjacent bus stand for the night. It was a cold night and we barely got any sleep. It turned out that the bus to Khandas was leaving quite late. So, we made friends with another group and hired a jeep to drop us at the village. The jeep journey of 35 km to Khandas village was a chilling experience, with the cold breeze rattling our teeth. Madhav, the brave, remained unaffected. While we could barely speak, he was merrily counting the milestones on the road, while partially hanging outside the jeep. After an hour, the jeep reached Khandas, and everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

Khandas was yet to rise for the day. The mild twilight had painted the sky in beautiful colours. The hill of Bhimashankar rose right above the village. We started walking directly towards the huge wall of Bhimashankar. Leaving the ridge of Ganesh Ghat to the right, we walked towards the base of the Shidi Ghat. On the way, we had our breakfast on fruits (of which only the carrots would be etched forever in Madhav’s memory), thanks to Tinna. It took us around an hour to reach the base of the Shidi Ghat climb. One look at the Shidi Ghat route and we knew it would be an exhilarating climb. The Shidi Ghat is a crack in the lower Bhimashankar cliff that leads to the plateau halfway up the cliff. The climb is along rocks and there are ladders propped at the difficult sections. We started the climb and soon reached the first ladder. Negotiating the ladder sections turned out to be simple, except at one place where we had to go across a rock with barely any holds. Nevertheless, Madhav & Manoj managed to get stuck at a few places, and had to be guided out.

Above the Shidi Ghat, a short walk on the plateau led to a small hamlet, and we started climbing towards the left. We could see Siddhagad in the distance and the shops on Bhimashankar in front. The route led into thick forest reminding us that we were inside the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary. After a good climb through the forest, we emerged onto the plateau of Bhimashankar. The view backwards was fantastic. We could see all the way to Matheran. A short walk to the left led to the bus stand.

The climb was over and we needed to find a place to stay. After inquiring at a few places near the bus stand, we decided to give the MTDC resort a try. We walked to the MTDC resort and had our lunch there. The MTDC staff was not receptive and were quoting exorbitant rates, so we walked a little ahead and negotiated with a local villager for a room for the night. The place was on the outskirts with not a single home in sight. The forest started immediately beyond the backyard. It would be a great experience.

For the evening, we visited the MTDC canteen again for snacks. Bhushan led us on a trail behind the canteen to a machan in the forest. The route to the machan was surrounded by thick forest, and we tried to sight the Shekru (Indian Giant Squirrel) in vain. Bhimashankar is known for the presence of these beautiful animals. After spending a good time at the machan, we returned to the MTDC canteen and had dinner. It was a new moon and the sky was decorated with numerous stars. As we sat in the verandah, we couldn’t help but keep staring at the wonderful sky. A long bout of the usual discussions on paranormal experiences followed, and we drifted to sleep. I think all of us, except Madhav, had a good sleep. Madhav, having chosen his high place beside the window, must have had a windy night that made up for the chilling experience that he had missed in the morning.

Glaring music from our host’s room woke us early morning. Jayesh wasn’t a bit amused, even though Koli songs were being played. After our morning ablutions, we decided to visit the Bhimashankar temple. Descending the steps in front of the bus stand we reached the temple. The ancient temple, made of stone, stands in stark contrast to the modern surroundings. Anyways, it made a good sight. There was a water cistern beside it which was now covered by a wired mesh. I remembered, a few years back, it used to be open, and we used to dive in for a quick swim. Bhushan and Tinna did the customary abhishek. I preferred to stay outside and observe the beautiful carvings on the temple walls. Having pleased the gods, we decided to visit Gupt Bhimashankar, the place where the river Bhima originates. A walk of about 30 minutes in the direction opposite to the steps led to Gupt Bhimashankar. This was an enjoyable walk through forest. Gupt Bhimashankar was actually a stream where water trickles down a huge rock. Someone showed us footsteps in the rock where the water trickles down – we were able to see none. Maybe we needed to be more enlightened! Footsteps or not, this place was magical – the real Bhimashankar, much more peaceful than the site of the temple.

Back at the temple, Bhushan tried to gain some knowledge of jadi-booti medicine from the adjoining shops. Later, we had lunch at the MTDC again, and packing our sacks, we started descending. At the middle plateau, we branched off towards Ganesh Ghat. On the way, Padar Killa greeted us, and I decided that I’ll be back for a climb here (that climb is still pending as on 2010!). Madhav managed to irritate some locals by inquiries on Padar Killa and the surroundings (which I’m sure he will still deny). The Ganesh Ghat descent was long, boring and tortuous to the extent that we’ve never ever been to Ganesh Ghat again (although we repeated Shidi Ghat a couple of times). At Khandas, we had tea and biscuits, and caught a six-seater auto-rickshaw (locally called tum-tum or vikram). Madhav had carried a thick walking stick, almost a small log, down from Ganesh Ghat. The auto-rickshaw driver didn’t know how to react when Madhav requested him, at Karjat railway station, to take the stick back to Khandas!

We caught the return train to Mumbai from Karjat. A couple of hours and we were back home.

It was a great trek and the memories are as vivid as ever. This trek paved the way for many more treks – in fact, we planned the next one on the trek itself. More about that trek in the next post.

On a sad note – Bhimashankar was a much cleaner place in those days. Recently, we did the Ahupe to Bhimashankar trek and I was shocked to see the garbage at Bhimashankar bus stand. Everyone seemed to be busy paying their respects to the gods, and at the same time, working extremely hard to turn the place into a garbage dump. While I had promised to return back to Bhimashankar every time I was there, this time, I promised that I will never go any place near the temple again.

Anyways, quick details of the trek –
Team – Praphulla, Bhushan, Madhav, Jayesh, Manoj T
Date – 12th-13th January 2002

A few photos of the trek are here:

Bhimashankar (12-13 January 2002)
(I had carried a film camera – sadly, digital cameras weren’t available at that time. So, the photo quality may not be as good as expected.)