"How are we going to prepare for the upcoming Himalayan trek ?" asks Suchita one day looking a bit worried "We have not tried our shoes, our hiking clothes and dont even know if our stamina is good enough"
She was right !! I thought. We really need to be sure of all these factors.
Lucky for us there was a group of trekkers visiting the Kalsubai ranges on that very weekend which would provide an excellent practice run. Mt. Kalsubai is the highest peak of the Sahyadri Ranges. It is said that the view of this majestic mountain is an amazing sight in Bhandardara. It is also known as the Everest of Maharashtra, as it is the highest peak in the state.
We booked our trek with an amazing group of people we have come to love - Traveltrikon.com
On the designated day we reached Dadar Mumbai at 11 PM night and commenced our journey with the group.
The journey from Mumbai through to Kasara through Mumbai-Nashik highway takes approximately 5 hours. We reached Bari Gaon at approximately 4.30 AM and waited for an hour more till there was proper dusk.
At approximately 5.45 AM we commenced our movement towardsthe base village to freshen up and have our early morning breakfast.
Early morning walk towards the base village
The villages of Bari gaon offer food services if pre-ordered inclusive of breakfast and lunch. We had taken the services of Dharamveer Khanval, Ph. No: 9923442273 ; though the food was strictly OK
After a brief introduction session and an idea of do's and do not's we commenced our trek towards the Kalsubai peak. The trek under ideal conditions takes approximately 4 hours to complete.
It is very essential to carry least 2 liter of water person for this trek.Moving through the base village
Crossing a stream to commence the trek
There are a lot of hawkers selling lemonade, biscuits, water bottles along the way ; though it is still advisable to carry your own water.
Right from the beginning, the trek leaves you spell bounded with the beauty which surrounds you. The lush fields, the flowing rivers, the exciting mountain ranges standing ahead of you create a sense of excitement.
The sights go on improving as we go higher and as the trek continues. The toughness of the entire route also increases from easy to moderate with more inclinations.
Half way through the trek and ladders and stairs cut in stone lead the path.
The precariously placed ladders and the uneven steps make the trek more challenging and exciting !!!
The sights however keep on getting better and better with each passing minute
As you start approaching the Kalsubai peak there is one last inclined ladder as the peak and the Kalsubai temple becomes visible.
The name kalsu bai has given to the mountain on the woman who used to live in this mountain according to the villagers living at the base of kalsu bai mountain. It is said that a woman name kalsu bai was punished by the villagers and forced to leave the village, that woman climbed this mountain and started living on it and died there. That's how the name of this mountain kalsu bai came.
The views from the top of the mountain are incredible and leave you mesmerized.
The climb to top of the mountain takes approximately 4 hours. However it is only half the journey won. The decent takes additional 3 hours and is even more tiring than what one thinks to be.
We managed to reach the base at approximately 2 PM. After freshening up at a village hand pump and having lunch at the base village, we commenced our return journey back to Mumbai.
* Do visit our blog www.alifeinslowmotion.com for other travel stories as well :)
Frequent searches leading to this page:-
maharashtra track package, maharashtra honeymoon package, maharashtra tourism honeymoon packages, honeymoon packages in maharashtra with prices for couple, honeymoon packages in mahabaleshwar with price