Backpacking with the Hill Shepherds

On a trek in the Garhwal Himalayas, I came back with lessons in micro-financing and community-owned tourism

It started off as my much-awaited trek in the Garhwal Himalayas and turned into an impressive first-hand account of a small, yet smart, initiative. The setting: Nanda Devi Sanctuary Trek against the backdrop of the spectacular 7,816-metre (25,643 feet) Nanda Devi peak, the second highest peak in the Indian Himalayan range.
But first, a peek into the history of this trek that has a direct bearing on the present. The Nanda Devi Sanctuary Trek retraces the pioneering steps of mountaineers Eric Shipton and H. W. Tilman through the Garhwal Himalayas in 1934. It's their exploration of the inner sanctuary that set the stage for all subsequent mountaineering expeditions. Till 1982, when the entire region around Nanda Devi was declared a national park and all human activity banned inside the inner sanctuary. The well-meaning conservation efforts had a devastating impact on the local economy.
In this backdrop, the Nanda Devi Campaign, led by (the locals) was launched in 1990s. After a long struggle, in 2003 the region saw the opening of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) for limited ecotourism activities. The people of Nanda Devi, however, faced the daunting prospect of managing a community-based tourism trade with few of the resources, experience, and expertise enjoyed by the big tourist agencies.
This struggle has now moved into its decisive phase. And the big challenge? Capacity building and training of local youth---to ensure that the gains of this labour are not lost on the community.
Taking up this challenge is Mountain Shepherds, a cooperative initiative that was borne out of the Nanda Devi Campaign. To begin with, Mountain Shepherds has taken upon itself to train the local youth from Uttarakhand Himalayas at the prestigious Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) at Uttarkashi to become local guides, porters and technical experts in search and rescue operations during trekking expeditions in the Garhwal Himalayas.
Leader of this initiative Dr Sunil Dutt Kainthola, says: “We are trying to evolve a model of community-owned tourism where the community is not a mere beneficiary but among the main stakeholders in the tourism enterprise of the region.”
To this end, Mountain Shepherds also directly plans treks to the sanctuary and takes care of your trip right from the time you land in Delhi. Thus our trip to the sanctuary was also ensured in association with Mumbai-based Odati Adventures.
From our first halt at Rishikesh, we are driven to Joshimath where Mountain Shepherds has a home stay facility. Here, we get introduced to our trek manager Mangal and his team of three main leaders Lakhpath, Hookie and Govind. These local boys were among the first batch of 38 boys to get trained at the prestigious NIM, through Mountain Shepherds initiative. The trained boys have pledged that they will develop tourism as envisaged in the Nanda Devi Declaration, which chalked out the biodiversity conservation and eco-tourism guidelines in 2001. Says Kainthola: “The boys who currently operate under Mountain Shepherds, which is headquartered at Lata village in Chamoli district, will eventually become partners in Mountain Shepherds”.
During the trekking season (June to October), the local boys earn about Rs 20,000-25,000 through portage. Their families earn similar amounts through selling carpets and about Rs 10,000 through home stays. Of this, Mountain Shepherds--which will soon be converted into a private limited company--earns a minimal profit which it then gives back to the locals in the form of micro-financing.
One such local boy, Mukesh, drove us from Rishikesh to Joshimath and thereafter to Lata Village in his own vehicle which he had bought through micro-financing.
After an overnight stay at Joshimath, we were driven 25 kms to Lata winter village. The road here is in good condition and along some curves we snatch views of great mountains like Dronagiri, Hathi Parbat, Bethartoli, Mrigthuni and Nanda Devi. The drive follows the Dhauli Ganga upstream.
We reach Lata Winter village, a small dainty village alongside the road, in the Dhauli Ganga valley. Most women here are seen cleaning rajma (kidney beans) one of the agricultural cash crop that is grown in this region. At Lata we also meet our 15 member porter team. Among these are experienced expedition porters like Kundan Singh who has walked with the renowned author Bill Aitken (who wrote ‘NandaDevi Affair’) and trained local boys like Sandeep, Gautam, Sidhu who accompany us on the trek.
We immediately organise our backpacks and do a short trek of 1.5 km to Lata Summer village situated at 2317 M / 7646 feet, the traditional gateway to the Nanda Devi trek.
Interestingly, Lata and its neighbouring village Reni is where the Chipko movement and thereafter Nanda Devi's ‘Jhapto-Cheeno’ campaign under the leadership of Dhan Singh Rana took shape. Unfortunately we were unable to meet Dhan Singh Rana but were fortunate to meet his mother Gwanchi Devi who still practices traditional medicine and his brother Raghuveer Singh Rana. Before we set off on our trek we pay a visit to the Nanda Devi temple and seek her blessings. After getting a taste of the village hospitality, we head into the forest above, frequently snatching views of the now diminishing village below. We reach our first camp at Kanuk at 10,640 feet.
As I walk with the porters, I realize for 17 year old Gautam and 14 year old Sidhu, trekking up and down from their home village Lata is a child's play. It's just a way for them to spend diwali vacations and in the process also earn some money through portrage. “Our school reopens on 12 th and so we decided to come along on this trek,” Says Gautam Rana who is currently in class 12.
Very few like Gautam and Sidhu are fortunate to continue with school. Some like 20 year old Sandeep have had to drop out of school after Class 8 and take up portrage or do agriculture of cash crops like Rajma, peas or potato to support his family. But, Sandeep says he is not sad of dropping out of school as he is now armed with an NIM certificate that will help him move forward. Most of these local boys have also learnt to speak little bit of English, as many of them have been with foreigners on expeditions. As they say you learn better when on job… it's true of these locals. The boys are well versed with their land and their history and most of them are able to converse well with the trekkers. While on one end they prefer the hills, they are also keen on knowing what is happening in the cities and especially more keen to know about Bollywood from us.
After a good night stay, we leave Kanuk early next morning and take a steep walk uphill towards Lata Kharak (Kharak also spelt Khark means a meadow in Garhwali) situated at 3689 M/ 12174 FT. We reach the top after a four hour steep ascent walk and only happy to spot a long log hut and we end our day's walk here resting. After lunch we decide we have lots of time to explore and decide to walk around Lata Kharak. From our log hut we can see the Chaukhamba range, Neelkanth Peak and Nar /Narayan Peak, Mana range, Hathi Ghodi Parvat, Barhmal peak and the Kuari pass area.
The boys then walk us up to the view point 'Saini Kharak' which is about an hour of walk from our log hut. As we climb up to the view point, the peaks of Dronagiri, Bethartoli, Nanda Ghunti, Trisul, Devisthan, etc. begin coming into view. The Rishi Ganga gorge below is one of the most formidable gorges in the Himalayas. We keep walking along the ridge over broken boulders. This is the most trying stretch of the trek. After short walk over here, we can see Nanda Dvei in its full glory. Peaks of Nanda Ghunti and Bethartoli Himal look like they are a stone's throw away, but the Rishi Ganga Gorge reminds us of the toil that one may have to endure to get there.
After a good night's sleep with temperature below freezing, the next morning we set off for Dharansi Pass which is at an altitude of 4250 M / 14025 feet. One hour away from the pass and the weather turns wicked and we are forced to return back to our camp Lata Kharak.
The next day we take a steep descent towards Kadvi Chaun through thick forests of Birch and Fir fighting our way through a heavy snow fall to our last camp Tolma, a small village on the slopes of the valley. Tolma is also our porter Govind's hometown and he has organised one-day home stay for us, thus ensuring that Tolma's locals have an equal opportunity to earn through tourism. The lessons of community tourism have been learnt well, surely.

You can check out my photographers click on the link below :

http://picasaweb.google.com/subanusha/NandadeviSanctuaryTrekNov2007?authkey=rwO4TyN8k0E

Been There, Done That

In a world where most bridges have been crossed, most roads have been traversed and many mountains have been conquered, there are still new challenges out there for adventure travelers. Chamsher Kangri, was one such peak in Ladakh that was a challenge for my mountaineer friends Jayesh and Sridhar Iyer. They attempted to summit this peak twice but due to unavoidable circumstances had to return back. This year finally on August 9, 2007 they attempted the peak for the third time and were successful in summiting it.
‘Chamsher Kangri’ Peak, one of the three highest peaks in Ladakh stands tall at 21,500 ft (6620 mts).
Infact, they have also got a t-shirt made for themselves that says Chamsher Kangi Peak 21,500 ft---been there done that. I am equally elated and proud of my friends like they are.
Ladakh is a mountaineer’s delight with numerous mountain ranges all across the region.
Chamsher Kangri lies about 240 kilometres from Leh in the Rupshu Valley around the Tso Moriri Lake. It is near the Tibetan border in Ladakh.
To know more about Jayesh and Sridhar’s experience you would have to wait like I am doing. I do not know how long that would be.

(The above pictures are of Jayesh and Sridhar at the summit-Chamsher Kangri Peak, Jayesh and Sridhar along with their guide and lastly Sridhar showing off at the summit with his GPS reading 6503 mts)

The magnificent and enchanting Harishchandragad

Many times life becomes boring, so routine and aimless. This is the time one feels like running towards the edge. In the movies people find love on the edge, while avid trekkers like me find life on the edge. Talking of edge, the one trek that really takes you towards the edge is Harishchandragad. So when I got to know that Jayesh had Harishchandragad on his itinerary, I was excited. I was going to be doing it after almost two years.
For the locals it is a pilgrimage while for the trekkers it is the magnificence that gets the adrenaline flowing. Equidistant from Mumbai and Pune, this location could be reached from Kalyan. In all we were 15 of us. We had hired cars and we took off from Mumbai at around 6.45 am from Bandra and on the Eastern Express Highway. From Kalyan, the drive was along the Ahmednagar-Kalyan road. The road traverses through the beautiful Malshej ghat. And during the monsoons the experience is most astounding. You drive along the waterfall that’s pouring from the rocks on to the roofs of the vehicles passing by. Harishchandragad guards the left edge of Malshej ghat.
As we drover along the Kalyan road we stopped for breakfast at one of our regular joints ‘Prajyot’. Everybody hogged on some tasty bhurji and omlette pav along with some tea. After breakfast we continued our journey towards the base village Kireshwar via Khubhi Phata.
Although I had been to Harishchandragad four times, this was the first time that I was doing it in the monsoons. The best part of this trek is that each time you go here it seems different. Harishchandragad is a long trek and in the monsoons it is also slightly difficult. The difficulty arises in the rock patch that one needs to traverse to get to the top point.
Considering I had not been to ‘Harish’ for so long I realized the place had changed drastically. I remember the first time around I had come to ‘Harish’ we had traveled by train to Kalyan and had to take an ST bus to Khubi-Phata and from Kubhi-Phata we had walked all the way to Kireshwar-the base village. But now there was a good road built from Khubi -Phata to Kireshwar and we could drive all the way that saved us of almost 45 minutes of walk to the base village. This village is at 4 km from the foothills of the fort.
We reached the base village around 11 am. We parked the cars and carried only the essentials for the overnight trek.
We took some rest at the base village and took off on the trek at around 12.30 pm. We had assumed we would take atleast 6-7 hours to reach the top. ‘Harish’ is a tiring trek but fun. The best part of this trek was that the weather was pleasant and it was drizzling when we took off for the fort. Mid way into the trek it started to pour. Our first halt was Tolar Kind where we stopped for lunch. We had a wet lunch that consisted of Theplas, Khakras and Rosgulla. After lunch we immediately took off. Walking few minutes from Tolar Khind, we come across a rock-patch on which railings are fixed. This is the most difficult aspect of the trek for the first timers. Despite the railings fixed there is some amount of fear that everyone goes through. The fear of slipping down and if you do then it is a straight drop. We had no such problems we managed very well on the rocks.
After ascending the railings, we come to the plateau region on which less dense forests are seen. From here, we walked for another to 2 hours and reached the temple of Harishchandreshwar- the temple of Lord Shiva. It was slightly difficult to spot the temple as the entire place of foggy and we could not see beyond a distance. Then suddenly we spotted a villager who led us to the caves.
Note: On this way, many arrows help in indicating the way.
As against our assumption of six-seven hours we actually made it to the top in five hours flat. While some from our group had already reached the caves with Jayesh, Yogit and Myself along with a few others reached about half hour later.
The cave was a blessing in disguise we were lucky to have got one large cave for ourselves as there were other trekkers too.
Once inside the cave everybody changed into dry clothes to feel warm and better. We relaxed by playing dumb-charades, singing and general chit-chat. For all the first time trekkers, the experience of traversing the rock patch and reaching the top and staying inside a cave was an exciting feeling and a completely different experience.
After relaxing for a while… Yogita and myself along with Jayesh got ready to prepare dinner for the gang. The menu was soup and dal kichidi along with some garlic chutney and masala papads. The sweet dish was Kaju Katri barfis. It was awesome!! Once after dinner we sang for a while and once the sleeping bags were given out nobody could wait to get into the cosy bag and doze off. The next thing I remembered was waking up at 6 am. I called for some tea from the ‘local mama’ who had parked himself in the next cave. The local mama actually provides for tea and also can get food prepared for you if you want.
Slowly and steadily everyone woke up by about 7 am and we once again got ready to prepare breakfast. It was Poha for the morning. Shuchi volunteered to make the morning breakfast and she made some tasty poha that left everyone licking their fingers.
By the time we finished breakfast it was around 9.30 and we decided it was time to pack up and start our journey back to the base village. On the way we had planned to stop at the Harishchandreshwar temple and take a good look at the historical temple and then proceed to climb down.
We set out from the cave at around 11 am and headed straight to the temple. The temple is marvelous example of the fine art of carving sculptures out of stones that existed in ancient India. Around this temple there a few caves & ancient water tanks. The river Mangal Ganga is said to originate from one of the tanks located close to the temple. There are three main caves near the temple. The cisterns near the temple provide drinking water. A short distance away, there is another Shiva temple. The fascinating thing about this temple is that it has been carved out from a single huge rock. Along side there is a huge cave filled with water and there is a ‘Shiv Ling’ in the centre. This cave stands on two and half pillars. The water it is said is filled through the 365 days of the year and is ice cold and never dries up.
The other interesting spot that one must visit on a trek to Harishchandragad is Konkan Kada. But this is possible only when you trek in the winters. Konkada according to me is India’s answer to the Grand Canyon. From Konkan Kada one can get a breathtaking view of the surrounding region and the setting sun. This cliff is a 900 ft vertical fall shaped in a sort of semi-circular edge. The wind tends to be very heavy here and due to the obstruction by the cliffs, it sweeps up vertically against the wall. It is said that a rainbow as a circle can sometimes be seen from here. That is known as the Broken Spectre... It can be seen only when there is a bit of mist in the valley, and the sun is right behind the person facing the valley. After a complete tour of the temple we quickly proceeded to descend the hill. The rock patch wasn’t a problem for us, we tackled it carefully and quite comfortably. It hadn't rained much during our whole trek down.
We were at the base village by 5 pm and completely famished as we had not eaten anything after breakfast. We ordered for good sumptuous lunch that comprised of dal, chaval, chapati, sabzi and achar and hogged it as though there was no tomorrow. Once we were done with our food. We were all ready to head back home. Many of them changed into their fresh clothes and got into the cars and we headed back to Mumbai.
All in all it was a great group and a memorable experience for me.

History of Harishchandragad
Let me now briefly take you through the history of Harishchandragad. The fort is quite ancient. Research indicates that remnants of Microlithic man have been discovered here. The various Puranas (ancient scriptures) like Matsyapurana, Agnipurana and Skandapurana include many references about Harishchandragad. Its origin is said to have been in 6th century, during the rule of Kalchuri dynasty. The citadel was built during this era. The various caves probably have been carved out in the 11th century. In these caves are idols of Lord Vishnu. There are two peaks atop the caves these are Taramati and Rohidas.
Great sage Changdev (one who created the epic “Tatvasaar”), used to meditate here in 14th century. The caves are from the same period. The various constructions on the fort and those existing the surrounding region point to the existence of diverse cultures here. The carvings on the temples of Nageshwar (in Khireshwar village), in the Harishchandreshwar temple and in the cave of Kedareshwar indicate that the fort belongs to the medieval period, since it is related to Shaiva, Shakta or Naath. Later the fort was under the control of Moguls. The Marathas captured it in 1747.
(Source Wikipedia)

Team of 15:
Nitin, Shuchi, Anindya, Myra, Vinod, Ashutosh, Kawaljeet, Manasi, Vikat, Samidha, Zen, Shweta, Jayesh, Yogita and myself –Anusha.

Monsoon trek to Prabalgad

Last Sunday we trekked up to Prabalgad in the Matheran range. It was truly our first monsoon trek as it was pouring. Until Saturday evening we were not sure if the trek would be happening as the weather had taken a turn and city of Mumbai and interiors of Maharashtra was witnessing very heavy rains.
Although Jayesh was sure that the situation would ease by the evening and as decided we would be going on the trek, there was still some amount of apprehension. Hence we gave ourselves time till Saturday 6 pm to take a call. 25 people had booked the trek with Odati Adventures but, surprisingly none of them even called to check if the trek was called off. We were expecting that. All the same we were pleasantly surprised when nobody called. Atleast we were assured that all of them wanted to definitely go on a trek. God was kind and the rains subsided and our plan stood firm as usual.
As decided we met up at Bandra Station (west). We were in all 25 of us and there were four cars. It was a mixed group of bankers, consultants, entrepreneurs, social activist just to name a few.
We left Bandra at the said time 6.45 am. As usual our first stop was at 'Shree Dutt' at Panvel for some hot mouthwatering Maharashtrian breakfast like Poha, sabudhana khichdi, vada pav, sheera and misal pav. We halted for about 45 minutes finished with breakfast and immediately headed to Poinje, from where we had to take a left to Prabalgad.
The Weather was still pleasant and it wasn't raining. It was indeed a good weather to do this trek.
Prabalgad is a nice spot closer to Mumbai. A distant cousin of Matheran, Parabalgad has all the ingredients for making of a hills station; Forest on top of the hill; at 2300 feet above sea level; quite nice weather round the year; chirpy birds all around; but what's missing is a resident water source on top. I like Prabalgad especially for its forest. It is an amazing trek through the forest.
Prabalgad can't be missed if you are traveling via Mumbai to Pune cruising through the national highway, the gigantic V-Shaped to the west of fort is visible. The gigantic fort is not alone; next to it stands its smaller cousin Irsalgad. This fort has a canoe shaped crown. Prabalgad can also be seen from Matheran's Sunset point.
To get to Prabalgad by road one has to take a turn at the Poinje Phata. This road branches out from the Panvel road, just six kilometers short of the Panvel crossing. From Poinje, we got to the base village called Thakarwadi. Considering the fact that twice before despite knowing the route we have managed to get lost. So we hired a guide from the village thinking he would be better than us. Unfortunately we were mistaken they were worse than us. But you know what? I think getting lost on a route is what provides the fodder for excitement.
Before proceeding on our trek we applied Odomos as there are horse flies and once they get you they can really suck your blood out. Jayesh our trek leader had warned us of the same. Just as we were ready and started on our trek light showers began. It was good weather.
Except for Jayesh and myself everybody else was trekking up to Prabalgad for the first time. But everybody walked so well. We trekked up slowly and the best part of the trek was all 25 of us were in one group walking together. The pace was good enough lest some people deviated and were left all by themselves.
I forgot to mention there was Ali with us a 10 year old enthusiastic kid. At first I was not sure he would walk all the way up with us though his parents were there. But he surprised me totally, he did not crib once and enjoyed the trek to the fullest. He told me stories of his various trips. He was a pleasurable company indeed.
As we trekked up the rains got heavy. It was fun. We had to cross two streams. As we got up close to the fort and had another half hour 45 minute to get the fort the weather had turned bad and unfortunately the path to the fort also got washed way. We had to take a call whether to reach up the fort through an another slippery path or no. It was going to be difficult. Therefore Jayesh took a call it would not be worth taking that risk and we decides to walk back the same route.
The fort has some ruins of stone walls and ramparts. There is a small water tank and a Ganesh temple.
There is not much of a history on this fort. Except that in 1826, freedom fighter, Umaji Naik, along with his companions, had made Prabalgad his home for a brief period.
On our way back we stopped for a wet lunch at the plateau. Everyone was so hungry that they did not mind having a wet lunch. But one can't complaint, the lunch was awesome. It comprised for some homemade 'Theplas' (a gujrathi dish), with some excellent coconut chutney and curds. There were also kachoris, chaklis, and 'Nankatai' biscuits and last but not the least we also had 'Rosogullas'. After a sumptuous meal we had to quickly start trekking down. It was already 3 pm in the afternoon and rain had not stopped. Our fear was that the streams would swell up and then crossing the stream would be a difficult task. We were right. Our fear was almost coming true. When we reached the first stream it was frightening. The water was gushing through. We had no choice but to cross the stream. Expression on everybody's face was one of fear but no one actually spelled it out. Not even little Ali. He seemed only too excited to cross the stream. After deliberating on how are we going to manage, Jayesh took a call that we would form a human chain and cross it. Precisely, what we did. We formed a chain –one girl-one guy- and holding each others upper arm tightly. The only thing we had to remember was not to let loose even one arm. We followed the instructions right and the next we knew was all of us were on the other side of the stream. We had crossed it easily.
But that was not the end. We had one more stream to cross. This was slightly bigger and the distance was slightly more than the previous one. We used the same tactics and it worked very well. In not less than ten minutes we had cross the second stream as well. All fears put to rest we continued our walk leisurely to singing along the way to the village. We reached the village at 6 pm. I managed to get a room in one of the village houses for the women to change our wet clothes. The men managed to change at village gym. I also managed to get some tea made for all of us. Having got into our dry clothes and sipping hot tea was an absolutely blissful experience. We were now ready to get back home to the big bad city life… did we have a choice …well no… but what a way to end the week..amazing.. it certainly has left most of us I am sure with happy memories of adventure.

Pictures by Jayesh Morvankar

Everest-The Hard Way: a Chat with Sir Chris Bonington

It’s every mountaineers dream to be on the World’s highest peak-Mount Everest. Mine too! I was therefore excited when I was invited for a lecture by Sir Chris Bonington in Mumbai. I am late in my posting on Sir Bonington. I met him almost three weeks ago.
He is one of the world’s greatest living and most successful expedition leaders in the history of mountaineering. He has several firsts in his life. In 1970 he led the expedition that climbed the South Face of Annapurna and in 1975 achieved success on Everest - the Hard Way, up its huge South West Face. Four strong expeditions had tried and failed. He reached the summit of Everest in 1985 at the age of fifty but the challenges that now attract him are the few exciting unclimbed peaks that are left in the World's further ranges he says.
He has established himself as an outstanding motivational speaker. More recently, he was invited by the Himalayan Club of India and High Places Management to deliver a lecture on his experiences. Listening to Sir Chris Bonington talk about his long career as a climber was encouraging and delightful. At 73 he still is so fit and gets as excited as any of us mountaineers get with the idea of climbing. He now spends part of his time passing on many of the lessons he's learned on the world's highest and hardest climbs and the rest half is spent climbing.
According to him the climbing principles and business principles are all identical. What's interesting about his lectures is that he largely uses his own expeditions as examples to talk about motivation, leadership, decision making, obstacle tackling etc. For most he prefers using the his 1975 Everest expedition as a case study and a model as according to him that's the expedition where he was the expedition team leader had to overcome several challenges to be successful. While using the 1975 expedition as a n example he actually takes the audience through the expedition. Setting clear objectives, risk management, delegation and a democratic style of leadership are all elements of the approach, which he presents to audiences of climbers or business people alike.
Considering the fact that today increasingly Indian companies are looking at outbound management as an important learning technique for their employees. Most companies callot two of three days in a year wherein they take them on a offsite and through adventure activities try and achieve team building and leadership motives. That explains why there were quite a few corporate executives apart from ofcourse mountaineers at this gathering.
A successful; climber does not fight his environment. He or she must become attuned to it, interpreting the signs and taking appropriate action. He needs to adapt his strategies to the changing realities of the elements, the terrain and the capabilities of the other team members. Indeed climbing provides a strong metaphor for many, at times traumatic changes that today are taking place throughout work place. Bonington through his talks underlines the lessons to be learnt and to help build a strategy for life-not just to survive-but to succeed and prosper.
When I asked Bonington how did it all start for him he said that his own objectives were set at the age of 16, when mountains first excited his imagination. “The pattern of lichen on rock, a few blades of grass, the dark, still shape of a lake below, the form of the hills and clouds above might be the same view seen by the passenger on a mountain railway, but transported to his viewpoint among a crowd, he cannot see what I, the climber, can. This is not an elitist ethic, but rather the deeper sensuous involvement that the climber has with mountains around him, a feeling heightened by the stimulus of risk.” I could quite relate to what he was saying as most of my friends who are not mountaineers or even remotely would not think of walking even 15 minutes think that I am crazy when they see that at a drop of a hat I could drop everything and just go climbing.
But is it really worth all the hardship, pain and grief? Some ask. Bonington says: “ I myself ask this question to myself sometimes. And I realize I've got to be realistic. An awful lot of my friends have died in the mountains and I've had lots of narrow escapes myself, but at the end of it all I'm prepared to take that risk for the sheer quality of the life I lead. Maybe it's a very selfish approach, but I think it's probably the one of most extreme adventurers.” I truly agree.
Having said that, Bonington is quick to point out that risk management is extremely important. “It's not a matter of doing something dangerous dangerously, it's a matter of going into a potential high-risk situation and using all your skill, your knowledge, your experience to neutralize the danger element and come through it. Climbing is an evolutionary process. The wise put in their apprenticeship.” Bonington's apprenticeship was served first on the hills of Britain, but within a few years he was earning a reputation for difficult ascents in the Alps, the traditional training ground for the world's best.
With regard to leadership one valid point that he made and which I felt is true to all professions is the fact that being a leader does not mean authoritative or dominating on your peers but that person is a true leader who consults his team gets their opinions on issues. He says: “When you are a leader you are dependent on the respect that your team has for you. And this is true of all jobs. Simultaneously the team members also need to feel consulted and feel their opinions are respected”.
According to him leadership is about caring for every individual member of your team and not about only achieving your final goal. Infact in the 1975 expedition Sir Bonington towards the end decided to pull his name out of the summit. Although he was the expedition leader he did not summit the Everest in that expedition. He says: “When I chose to pull my name out of the summit. It was very easy for me to do it because for me at that point in time it was important to have a harmonious achievement rather than fulfill my personal ambition.”
Sir Bonington’s style of presentation is very good. He says” describing and telling a story has all lessons and experience within it.” “Leadership is all about working as a team to achieve a common goal. This is precisely what he did as a leader of the group in the 1975 expedition.”
He actually took us on his ascent of the South West Face of Everest in 1975. He mentioned that it was the largest and most complex expedition ever to leave Britain, tackling what is arguably the most daunting challenge in the history of climbing – ‘Everest the Hard Way’. Five strong expeditions had already tried and failed.
He first took us through the planning process and then on to the climb itself, setting the scene, giving all the relevant information but then asking the participants for their solutions to the problems involved. Later he would explain how he solved the problem. The questions examined are ones of leadership and dealing with people rather than climbing tactics. He used many of the powerful images of his expedition that were interesting.
During the course of the discussion he brought the participants back to their own work day challenges and encouraged them to compare these with the issues that we explore on the mountain. This approach I found got all the participants in the hall excited and involved. I realized that for all of us it seemed like we were also part of the expedition and that were climbing as well, exploring different ways to deal with issues as they occur in the course of the expedition.
Exploration of the unknown is a theme he returns to again and again in Quest for Adventure. This expression of personal exploration is also a theme that carries weight in a business setting. Bonington aims to inspire others to tap their hidden potential in other walks of life. It's not just motivating for the audience: “The best stories are not just for telling the world, they're also stories you savour yourself as a bit of your own personal life's experience.”
Despite the risks, and the high price he has paid though the loss of dear friends, Bonington's appetite for climbing remains. There's certainly no shortage of challenges left. Bonington's best guess is that "there's enough pioneering climbing to last another 50, 60, 100 years.

Wheeling Charms: A Cycling Travelogue

Cycling along Madh Island-Manori-Gorai-Uttan

This Sunday I had an awesome time cycling along Northern Mumbai coast line Madh-Manori-Gorai-Uttan. I can still re-live the thrill, excitement and the exhaustion of the trip.
Cycling is a blissful activity. I recently read in some newspaper that cycling should become mandatory and people should use more of cycles thereby help keep the environment and the traffic congestion at bay. I completely endorse this view. I wish all of us could use cycles for short distance rather than just hop into our cars and drive down to the market which is just ten minutes away from home.
The cycling trip last Sunday was organized by Odati Adventures. This was the first of the cycling trip that Odati organized in the beginning of this monsoon. Odati is known for its Mumbai Heritage Cycle rides for local history buffs on weekends. Here’s where the story of the city’s evolution unravels though it’s buildings. The ride starts at Eros Cinema, around Oval Maidan, Kala Ghoda, Ballard Estate, CST, Marine Drive and Colaba. These rides are organized in Winter and Summers only.
On this latest cycling trip to Madh Island-Manori-Uttan we were a bunch of 12 enthusiastic men and women. It was a mixed group comprising pf people from all walks of life. There were social activists, bankers, stock market specialist, tech geek etc.
Our first meeting point was Andheri station at 7 am in the morning and from here we headed to Jayesh’s place at Yari Road to pick the bikes. Jayesh owns and runs Odati Adventures.
After having selected our bikes, we tried them out and got all the minor adjustments like raising the seats, lowering the seat etc etc done. We were now ready to set off on our day long cycling expedition. Expedition sounds like a very important assignment right…but it was, as most of them in the group were going to be cycling long distance after a very long time and without any regular exercises. So you can imagine the strain that most of us are going to be putting ourselves through. But luckily nobody was even thinking of things like will I be able to do it? What if I give up half way? etc. Everybody was excited and wanted to chill out and get away for a while from the daily rut.
We started at around 8 am for Versova Jetty which was 3 kms from Jayesh’s place. It was quite an amazing ride passing through the fisherman’s colony at Versova. You could smell the fresh sea breeze as you ride along. At the jetty we got our bikes on to the boat and reached Madh Island. From here we biked across all the way to Marve
By now we were all famished. Many of us had not even had a cup of tea in the morning. So we decided to halt for breakfast at a decent joint called Mantra Hotel before we reached Gorai Jetty. After searching all along the way we were lucky to find one decent joint. As we waited for our breakfast to arrive Jayesh narrated some of his amazing Himalayan trek experiences. We all got talking and were trying to get to know each other better. Finally the breakfast arrived we gorged on some Egg Bhurji, Omlettes and Vegetable Sandwiches and tea and fresh lime juice. After a nice sumptuous breakfast we headed straight to Marve-Gorai Jetty.
The dark black tar road and tall trees on both sides was welcoming. The ride was enjoyable as there wasn’t enough traffic as well. The weather was pleasant. We covered quite a distance (almost 10 kms) before we reached Marve-Gorai Jetty. People on the streets couldn’t get their eyes off us as they saw one after the other cyclists zooming past them. As we passed some fishermen’s village kids were excited to see us and were running alongside waving at us.
Once at Marve-Gorai Jetty we now had to load the bikes once again on to a boat and get to Manori. As we waited for the boat to arrive we spent time relaxing on the sand and enjoying the sea breeze. The boat arrived in about 20 minutes. Getting the cycles up the boat and getting it off was quite an experience. And mind you one had to do it on his/her own. There was no time waiting for the boat men to come and help you load the cycles on to the boat or get it off the boat as there was a huge rush of people wanting to get in and get off the boat.
It was a 10-15 minute boat ride. We alighted at Manori Jetty and decided we would ride upto Uttan Village in Thane District. The drive down the Manori-Gorai-Uttan belt is remarkable. The place was familiar as one is so used to driving down in a car during weekends here. We passed the famous ManoriBel and Dominica Resorts.
Gorai is known for its beaches and East Indian population, though in recent times the beaches have become polluted. Till the 1980s Gorai was known for its clean beaches and palm trees. Gorai has a large East Indian population. As your drive down the road towards Uttan you come across many houses. The one thing I noticed on the gates of most of these houses is ‘We Oppose SEZ’.
This serene Gorai – Uttan belt, the Mumbaikar’s ideal spot for picnics could be the next Nandigram in Maharashtra. The lush green countryside, an abode of over 1.25 lakh Catholic farmers and fishermen, is caught in the net of the SEZ Act and is in the process of being handed over by the State Government to Pan India Paryatan Limited (PIPL), the group that owns Essel World and Water Kingdom, to be developed into a Recreation and Tourism Special Economic Zone. The locals are beginning to realize the impact this development is going to have on their lives and are planning to fight tooth and nail against its implementation. The Bombay East Indian Association is spearheading the opposition to this proposed SEZ.
The weather was pleasant and it was also drizzling. While most of the ride was smooth at one spot there was quite a climb which took a toll on most of us. Nevertheless we all did it without a huff.
We rode almost 27 kms one way upto Uttan. Uttan village is a quaint place and has a lot of resemblance to Old Goa villages. Uttan situated on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea is about about 90 kms from Mumbai.
We reached Uttan at around 1.30 pm. We halted at the end of the beach for a while. As we parked ourselves on the cemented bench each one of us realised how difficult it was to sit down as our backsides were aching terribly and we yet had another 28 kms to get back to where we started from. I almost thought my butt had disowned me. The pain was unbearable as I sat down. But then it was camouflaged with our jokes and talks. After resting for about 20 minutes we decided to head back. By now we were all famished and just wanted to have some good lunch. Luckily we found a small time hotel. We immediately halted here and ordered for our lunch. After a sumptuous meal we headed straight to Manori jetty which was just 20 minutes away.
Our journey back was the same route. The only difference this time around was that we had to be extremely careful while riding as there was tremendous traffic on the road and the roads were wet as well. Nevertheless it was good and thankfully none of us had any injury or accidents. We reached Versova Jetty precisely at 6 and were at Jayesh’s place at about 6.15 pm where we had to drop our cycles and head back home to get back to work the next day….that was certainly a sad feeling. But nevertheless we were all rejuvenated thoroughly after having ridden 57 kms in one day.

Team-mates: Jayesh, Ashok, Aara, Anusha (myself), Gautam, Salil, Farheen, Shweta, Jay and Vikram, Pooja and Uday.

Pictures By Jayesh Morvankar- Odati Adventures

Come along Cycling this weekend

Watch out what you could do this Weekend and the Weekend after that

Hey the monsoon are about to set in and we at Odati Adventures gear ourselves up for some monsoon adventure. This year we are beginning with a Cycling trip. If you have little time to visit Goa and want to experience its relaxed air, cycle in Madh – Manori islands. With great roads, little traffic and the constant companionship of the sea, this ride will make your day’s worth.

Date of Cycling Trip: June 17
Departure from Andheri Station West sharp at 7 am
Confirm by Friday June 15th
Cost: 825 per head (inclusive of food and cycles and transportation)
Level of Difficulty: Easy


First Trek of the Season
Monsoons in India, especially the West is a breath taking phenomenon. To experience this truth there is nothing better than get drenched in the first showers and soak in the spirit of outdoors. With the monsoons knocking at the doors, this is the best time to hit the terrain. The grass has just sprouted and dust cleared of all the foliage. The fresh smell of soil lingers in your head much after going back to the urban life. Welcome to our first trek for this season begins with Ghangad / Dhangad in Lonavala Region.

Date: 23-24 June
Cost: 1425 per head (inclusive of transportation, food and stay)
Confirm before : June 20
Level of Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Scaling the Rocks

It was the end of summer and as usual I ended my summer by hitting the rocks at Manori, a beach site in the far flung western suburbs of Mumbai last Sunday. Wondering what I was doing well I went Rock Climbing with a couple of friends most of whom were going to be climbing for the first time. I was as good as a first timer because I was going climbing after a very long time (almost a year) and I felt I had lost confidence and would have to start all over again.
We couldn't wait to feel the air below us and the sheer rock above. We started at 7 am in the morning from Malad station and headed straight to Malad jetty from where we had to take a ferry to Manori. Not a tough task on a Sunday morning to get to Manori. Every ten minutes there is a ferry to Manori. From Manori you could take a rickshaw or bus and ask for Ambedkar stop. After you alight here it’s a 20 minute walk to the rocks. It’s an amazingly isolated place with the rocks to us. Jayesh from Odati Adventures was our leader.
A trained mountaineer from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttaranchal, Jayesh is a regular climber although he says he is nit as regular as he would like to be. It was a nice 20 minutes walk to the climbing site which is away from the main beach site.
Just as Jayesh was fixing the ropes for climbing, we settled ourselves comfortably on the rocks watching him and the equipments that are used for climbing.
As a hobby rock climbing first came to Mumbai in 1970s, but not many were interested. It caught on in the 80s with many people sitting up and taking notice of this sport. Now lot many people are coming into this adventure sport. There are accountants, ad-men, corporate executives and students among them, all charmed by the unique thrill and challenges of the sport. It is said that If you do not have enough of mental strength to complement physical fitness, rock climbing may not be your cup of tea. Once the lead climber is on the way up, suspended a few hundred feet above the empty space, he needs to have total concentration to make split second decisions. The decisions made on top of the steep rocks add to the excitement and adventure, since each climb is unique.
One must take care of a few important things before climbing. The best attire for climbing is a T-Shirt tucked into track pants and proper climbing shoes. Most outdoor activities company that conduct rock climbing do provide with climbing shoes.
Jayesh provided us with the gear such as helmet and climbing shoes. He gave us the necessary instructions and also talked to us about a few climbing techniques that are currently prevalent. Well the climbing techniques vary from rock to rock. While rock climbing there has to be a balance and rhythm in ones movements. The first and foremost requirement for a climber is balance. If at any point of time while climbing, the climber has to pull out his climbing equipment on the way up, he should be able to do with ease.
We were told that there is something called Bouldering.
Bouldering is supposed to be the purest form of climbing, since no climbing equipment are used here. Although hands and feet do most of the work, safety equipment like ropes and body harnesses are mandatory in rock climbing. It is physically exhausting, and the climber has to keep this in mind before deciding on the route. The lead climber's calculation about the route and the duration of the climb has to be perfect.
We were to climb a 30 feet rock. Jayesh first demonstrated to us how to climb. He climbed like a lizard. It was absolutely effortless climb and climbing seemed so easy. It’s only when you attempt it yourself that you realize how tough it is. I made three attempts but unfortunately could not go climb right to the top. I missed shot of five feet. But nevertheless an attempt at climbing after a year was an enchanting experience for me and for the entire group.
One thing i must mention here is that while i had climbed rocks earlier but during this climb Narayan Iyer, a banker climbed brilliantly. he was the only one who reached the top point and climbed the complete 30 ft rock. And who says bankers are boring. Well out of our group of six three were bankers and one was a lawyer and it was a fun trip.
Rock climbing has also given rise to artificial wall climbing, otherwise known as sport climbing. This is an attempt to re-create the rock climbing experience in a controlled environment. There is one artificial wall constructed at the Dadaji Kondeo Stadium at Thane (West) to train climbers for competitions.
Climbing walls also provides a year round alternative to ourdoor rock climbing. It also offers a training facility to climbers, introducing beginners to rock climbing in the safest possible environment. These walls offer an excellent way to improve fitness and provide a feel of adventure. Sport climbing is, in a way a better alternative for those who are scared to climb the actual rocks. Climbing walls have moveable holds attached to the climbing surface. These can be adjusted to varying degrees of difficulty of the route. During rock climbing, one has to learn how to avoid accidents. There could be two types of accidents, one, which is natural and unavoidable and two the man made accidents. These can be caused because of over confidence, lack of concentration and wrong decisions, lack of knowledge of equipments lack of experience etc etc. While climbing presence of mind is the most important and a cool temperature are very much essential and the lead climber should have these qualities.
Rock climbing is slowly and steadily gaining prominence in our country. Artificial wall climbing has contributed to increase awareness about it.

Terminology in Rock Climbing:
Anchor Point: The point of protection for the lead climber

Anchor: Protection that secures the team to rock.

Ascenders: Mechanical cramming devices that grip the rope. They slid in one direction and grab in the other.

Belay: To secure the climb with the rope.

Coll: A method of packaging a rope in order to carry it.

Crux: The most difficult move or section of the climb.

Edging: A technique in which, one places the edge of the boot in such a way that allows them to share the load.

Face Climbing: Climbing on face holds

Free Climbing: To make progress without placing any weight on rope systems or artificial protections.

Grade: A rating of the overall difficulty of a climb.

Jam: A camming action performed by climbers, using body parts to gain purchase in the cracks.

Jug: A huge face hold.

Lead Climbers: The person leading or going first, lead climbers climb above the belay.

Rack: A compliment of climbing protection carried by a climber.

Rappel: To slide down on the rope, controlling with friction.

Top Rope: A belay which is above the climber.

Essential Equipments:

The climbers are totally dependent on this to secure them to the rock. All equipments is tested to at least half in strength before it comes to the market. In case of technical equipment, the weakest link is tested at two tonne. The equipment from Indian manufacturers are not tested to any strength.

Climbing rope: Made of nylon fibres, and has a sheath and a core area. It comes in length from 45 m to 60 m. A 50 m length usually suffices of most climbs.

Harness: A belt made of nylon tape which is wrapped around the thighs and the waist of the climber. It is the connection between the climber and the rope. In case of a falt, it distributes the impact over the thighs and the waist.

Shoes: Smooth high friction, rubber soled, skintight shoes. For beginners attempting easy climbs, normal tight fitting P T shoes with flexible rubber soles would do.

Chalk Bag: A small pouch tied to the waist of the climber, contining Magnesium Carbonate. When applied to the hands, it absorbs the sweat, making it comfortable for the climber to grip small holds. Rs 250 each.

Crabiners: Metal safetycatches, they work like large size safety pins, with the gate spring loaded for easy opening and automatic shutting. There are two types: Screw locking and plain.

Descender/Belay Device: A climber has a choice of many kind of descender and belay devices in the market. These are friction devices which absorb the shock of the falling climber. They also impart friction while descending.

Tape slings: Nylon tapes which are either stirched or tied together with a knot, they can be made of various sizes, they are used for jamming in the rock crevices.

Friends: Camming devices, which contract on the pull of the trigger and expand as they go into crack. They come in various sizes.

Helmet: A climbing helmet is an absolute.

Major Climbing Areas around Mumbai:

Mumbai: There are innumerable climbing areas in the western ghats and many exciting climbs on the pinnacles around Mumbai. The following areas provide convenient and safe climbing. Kanheri Caves. Borivili National Park--The boulders in the Borivili National Park offers some interesting in dvariety climbing.

Mumbra Boulders : It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the base of the Mumbra boulders which lie above the town on the right hand end. The nursery boulders have some interesting problems to offer and are ideal for a beginner.

Manori Rocks: Between the Manori beach and Gorai beach. The main stack is called the 'camel'. The rocks are between four and 10 m high. They are of good quality and have something to offer to everyone.

Trekking is not tough…………if you know how to walk right

Hiking or Trekking? There is a vast difference between hiking and trekking. Hiking applies to shorter route and plain walks while trekking applies to more rigorous walking along different terrains and altitudes. But trekking is not tough as one thinks it to be. If you know to walk then you can trek as well. Walking along a trail around with a backpack does not require exceptional skill but does require certain amount of physical fitness,planning, the right clothes, shoes and above all old common sense.

A first time trekker should start with easy effortless trails of one hour or so and then work your way up to longer, more difficult treks.The difficulty of any trek or walk depends on the hilliness of the terrain, and altitude. Most walking trips, tailored for moderately active people, cover gentle terrain at low altitudes, and many have optional shorter routes. One can also take breaks along the trails. This applies to treks in Maharashtra or anywhere in South India.

Himalayan treks where the altitude is over 8000 feet and can extend upto 18,000 feet needs mental conditioning and excellent physical fitness. Most professional outfits organizing these treks can assess your fitness levels. If in doubt, be conservative, especially when it comes to the dizziness and shortness of breath associated with high altitudes. At high altitudes, altitude sickness is one of the first and foremost things that one needs to take care of. I would recommend further reading on altitude sickness and one can also contact your organizer for the same before going on a long trek.

Essential Skills
Skills needed for trekking apply to any outdoor sport. A course in basic first aid wouldn’t hurt, but the least you can know is how to bandage a wound and detect the signs of dehydration and heatstroke. Learn to understand the weather conditions of the day.

Gear UpThis is the basic that an individual should understand while trekking. The right backpack is a must. Have a backpack which fits well on your back and does not ‘hang’. Therefore choose a backpack with multiple pockets, padded shoulder straps, and large zipper closure. And make sure it’s the right size: When properly adjusted, the base should sit on your hips and the top should be at least one hand-width below the base of your neck. A fit backpack on your back is half the battle won while trekking.

The rest half of the battle is won with the right clothes and shoes. Wear loose clothes like tracks or cotton slacks or trousers with a loose T-Shirt. Avoid wearing denims especially during monsoons. If it gets wet it gets very heavy thus making it difficult for you to walk. On a Himalayan Trek a multipurpose jacket which can take the cold as well as the wind is a must.

While on a Himalayan trek it is recommended that you wear woollen or synthetic blend socks designed to wick moisture away from the feet, as wet feet is the primary cause of blisters.

Footwear designed specifically for trekking offers better support and traction. Choose a pair that’s a half-size larger than your street shoes to allow for some swelling as you walk and to accommodate slightly heavy hiking or a towel socks.
That little tingle of friction you feel on your foot before you get a blister. Don’t ignore the feeling: Take off your boot and wrap your foot with a light cloth before that tingling evolves into a full-fledged blister.

Some things to keep in your day pack: first-aid kit; water bottle; Swiss Army knife; topographic map; compass and sweater or a jacket. Jacket is advisable while trekking in the monsoons in Maharashtra and ofcourse it is a must while on a Himalayan Trek.
On any trek avoid carrying electronic gadgets like walkman or the likes. These require ample batteries and they amount to lot of weight. This is very essential to note on a Himalayan Trek. Many electronics refuse to work below freezing or in cold conditions. Cold electronics gadgets consume more battery and hence you will have to carry extra batteries and hence extra load. Each pencil cell battery will weigh about 50Gms and if you plan to carry even five extra pairs that add 500Gms, besides the problem of disposing them. Used batteries are considered to be one of the biggest environmental hazards. These also attract the attention of locals / porters and may induce them into theft. Protecting your electronics from the elements may pose another challenge.

Carry batteries only for your camera. Carry the essential amount. The rule is always that know what you want and only click those that will also save you from wasting rolls (incase you are not using a digital camera).

Some basics to bear in mind:

• Walk straight and when at slopes never sit and climb down it will get more painful.
• When tired please avoid sitting down on the trail. This will only increase the tiredness further and make it difficult for you start walking again
• Always carry salt and sugar with you and mix it with your water. An easier option is to have Electoral or Glucose mixed with your bottle of water.
• Never gulp water when you halt to take a break only sip water.
• Whenever you feel uneasy immediately make it a point to tell your trek leader or your organizer. So that things do not get out of hand.
• It’s always nice to keep a small notepad with you to jot down your experiences and also details on the place.

Pls Note: While most of these apply to a normal local treks, there are few specifics for Himalaya Treks. In this note I have jotted some most important things for the Himalayan Treks

Happy Trekking……………..

Escape to Rajghad

It was going to be yet another boring weekend and after undergoing perpetual stress at work I as usual wanted to get away from Mumbai. I ganged up with eight other friends who had a mutual feeling. Just as Shivaji escaped from custody of Aurangzeb at Agra to come back to Rajgad his mountain capital, we too decided to escape to Rajgad.

So as planned we set off from Mumbai at 7 am on Saturday morning. Speeding past the ExpressWay way we wanted to reach the base village Gunjavane by 11. We had a stopover before we reached the base village. Most of us were famished and therefore we stopped for breakfast and a cuppa tea at one of the food courts on the ExpressWay. We munched on some light breakfast and quickly proceeded on our journey towards the base village Gunjavane, a small village at base of the fort.

Rajgadh as the name suggests is the 'King of all Forts'. About 85 kms from Pune, this fort has great historical relevance, as it was Shivaji's favourite fort and is first mountain capital. At the base village we parked ourselves at 'Shivteerth Rajgadh Pratishton' a nice homely hotel kind of place. Most trekkers stop here to park their bikes and vehicles and have a quick bite. We received a warm welcome from Balu Pawar who works here. We made our selves comfortable. I had carried enough lunch for all of us but we decided we to have a light lunch as we wanted to trek up feeling light. So we ordered for some 'Poha' and tea. While, we were waiting for our order we noticed the complete model of the 'Rajgadh fort' that has been built by the locals. One can get a complete view of how the fort is structured and which are the various places to visit when atop the fort.

Pawar gave us a complete rundown on the history of the fort and explained each and very place in the fort. There is also a small museum that the locals have built in this hotel. It houses photographs of Rajgad and few memorabilias of Shivaji's times which the locals keep finding when they get on a cleaning spree. In the meantime lunch had arrived we had lunch and rested for about half hour before we started on our trek.

There are several routes to get up to the fort. If you want to really do it the easy way you can travel by bus for two hours to Wazheghar, Bhutonda or Pali from Pune and the it will take you right to the foothills of this legendary fort. The adventurous freaks that we are, we decided to trek through the most difficult route that is the 'Chor Darwaza' route (it is also the most preferred route for trekkers), otherwise there is an easier route through Pali, which while being a cakewalk is a longer one too.

We started our trek at 1 pm leading to the Chor Darwaja of the fort. This route represents a good trek. It is shorter but slightly tough. You will realize it when you climb but it is fun at every stage.

We reached a plateau in one hour and climbed some shorter hills on the way and suddenly came to a steep rock patch. This is where the actual climb starts. Steps have been cut into the rocks and also protected by railings. Imagine what would it be like if the railings are not there!!! and Finally after all that fun climbing along the steep rock patch, we reached the Padmavati Machi in two hours.

Rajgad fort, which is 1350 mts in height consists of three long ridges leading from the central 'Bale Killa' (the central place), which is almost 500 feet high and really difficult to climb. Then you have the Padmavati machi/ridge towards the south is where the main temple and water tank is situated. It offers a good place to stay! Then there is the Sanjivani Machi ,Suvela Machi. TheSuvela Machi is one of the strongest places on the fort. The third machi - Sanjivani is very beautiful too.

We parked ourselves at one of the temples as few other trekkers occupied the other two temples. It was around 3 pm and we had enough time on our hands to take some rest and explore the fort. The view of the sunset from Rajgad is really awe inspiring as the sun sets behing Torna fort surrounding the entire ridge and valley between Rajgad and Torna with a orange halo for a brief period that seems like eternity. Rajgad connects to Torna vide a ridge and this is a complete day’s trekking taking about 6 -7 hours of trek.

After sunset we prepared a good sumptuous dinner which included ‘Theplas, Jeera Rice and the typical Maharashtrian ‘Usal’- made of sprouts. We had candle light dinner and after dinner decided to step out into the open and sleep under the open skies. At rajgad, You lie down and look up at the skies you see so many stars, a rare treat for city living Mumbaiites. We ended up doing a little bit of stargazing. trying to inform each other as much as we could. At around 11 pm the tiredness of the day’s activity set in and we slept wonderfully amidst a natural surrounding with the wind playing it’s night song on an otherwise silent dark night.Like everyone else, I just had to get into my sleeping bag and within minutes was fast a sleep.

Next morning (Sunday) we were up by 6.30 am. Prepared tea and decided to set off to for Balle Killa, which is a 45 minute climb from Padmavati Machi. It is very difficult to climb. However railing on the way up help to make the climb possible. Once you have reached the ancient Gates that mark entrance to Bale Killa, the sense of achievement is universal as one glimpses into a beautiful view of the lake from the top. We spent time talking about the place clicking photographs. One can see the whole of Sahyadri’s from the top of this fort. The vision includes Torana, Raireshwar, Mahabaleshwar, Pratapgad, Raigad, Lingana, Bhatghar, Tung, Visapur and Sinhagad.

We could not explore Sanjivini Machi and Suvela Machi as we did not have so much time. All of us had to get back to our jobs, which mainly provides our daily bread and butter and there was no shying away from that fact. Having got a good reason to come back yet again, we started descending at around 11.30 and by 1.30 we were at Pawar’s hotel where lunch was waiting for us. We all had a quick wash and gorged on the great authentic Maharashtrian lunch. At 3.30 we took leave from Pawar and back to our Qualis to head back to our houses in Mumbai.

Rajgad is truly a place to visit and remember the greatest Maratha King. One must visit the fort and enjoy the nature and the beauty of the great fort.

How to get there

* When in Pune, get to Swargate and take a bus to Welle and alight at Margasani stop and then proceed to Gunjavane, which is 4-5 km walk-Local transport can be available

* From Mumbai take a bus or train to Pune and get to Swargate from here take a bus going towards Wellhe and alight at Margasani. Alternatively if you are fortunate you can take a bus directly to base village Gunjavane or Vajheghar.

The buses to Wellhe are frequent.

Visapur: Easy and Relaxing Trek

I had not trekked for almost three weeks and I had to do something this Sunday. I therefore decided to go to Visapur in the Lonavala region for a trek with another friend. I was told it is simple and relaxing.
Visapur is one trek I had always wanted to do but never did for a long time, although I had trekked Lohaghad-the sister fort of Visapur several times. This Sunday we decided to take off to Visapur.
Visapur is near Bhaje Caves and adjacent to Lohaghad. Both Lohaghad and Visapur have great historic importance as they played a leading role in guarding the ancient trade routes and have been saviors of Bhaje caves. While a lot is known about Lohaghad there was very little I gathered initially about Visapur. Despite the fact that it is a very large fort with the presence of a large plateau, very little is written and talked about Visapur. It is only when we reached the top that I realized the vast expanse of this fort land.
At the base of Visapur is Bhaje caves. Thee caves have been carved out in the same mountain as Visapur. It is a stretch of 18 caves and are amongst the oldest monasteries excavated by monks of the Hinayana order
To be precise Visapur lies in the Nane Maval region, which was under Nizamshahi after the dissolution of Bahmani rule. It went into the hands of Mughals in the treaty of Mahuli, between ShahajiRaje and Mughals. Then Shivaji captured almost all forts here till 1660.
The walk up to Visapur is lovely. An ideal trek for a fresher, getting to Visapur is not a difficult task. By train one needs to alight at Malavali station. A local guide from here is a good help.
If you travel by a Car, the vehicle can be taken right upto the base of Visapur. From the parking lot you walk a few distances and then you will find large steps going upwards these steps leads one to Bhaje Caves. Mid-way through the steps there is a diversion to the right and that will lead you to Visapur. We pass initially through the thickets and then climb up. We pass few huts in between and a small village that house three or four huts only. Once can see the fortification of the Vispaur fort from here. As we climb up further we come across a stream. As we cross the stream and climb up further we reach the crumbled fortress.
As we pass this fortress we sight a hillock on the left.
We sight some caves on the hillock and one of these caves has a cistern filled with water. As we walk ahead keeping this hillock on the left we sight another hillock on the right. Walking in between these two hillocks and walking straight ahead until we come across some rock-cut steps. As we climb up further we come reach the huge plateau of the fort and the fortification around it is amazing.
What’s even more amazing is the clear geometric shaped fort walls that are yet so intact. The main characteristics of this fort is the strong fortification that has been built and the vast plateau that it has. During Shivaji’s time this fort was considered one of the strongest forts. As we walk along the fortification and we glance our sight to the left we spot a huge big carving of Hanuman on a one of the walls. The image is chiseled out of rock. Caves lie nearby this image.
The total climb from the base to the fort is about 1.5 hours. However, once on the top of the fort there is lot to explore. It took us almost two hours to explore the entire length and breadth of the fort.

Wondering why so late???????

Well you would be wondering why I am writing about my experiences so late. To tell you the truth I have wanted to write about it for so long but just that I have never had enough time to ponder on my experiences and then put it down in words. Finally I decided to do that now. I
Amongst my best experiences, Arunachal is one trek I will never forget for various reasons such as a) not many people would ever think of going to Arunachal, b) Being a chronic asthmatic I am happy to have succeeded in completing my trek without any fears.
I am a chronic asthmatic and have always avoided high altitude treks. I always kept avoiding Ladhak out of fear that I will never be able to do it. However, when I was told about Arunachal by my friend Jayesh who runs the company Odati adventures I was excited. I was definite that come what may I will do this trek. I had made up my mind that worse case scenario if I am not able to even do the acclimatization trek then I would get back.
It was a challenge I had taken up. As precautionary measure I had taken with me four Asthaline Inhalers and also strips of Deryphyline Tablets. To my utter amazement I did not use even one inhaler and also did not have to take any tablets. I was hale and hearty going up to 14,500 feet.
That’s when I realized it is not about physical strength but all about mental strength and confidence in yourself. All my fears of high altitude are gone.
To be very honest being an Asthmatic has not stopped me from leading a normal life. Adventure sports like trekking, rock climbing and rappelling has kept me fit and in turn these have also reduced my attacks. Finally, now that I have done Arunachal I am definitely hoping to do Ladhak this July.
Look forward for lot of my other travelogues on my blog.But also remember travelogues are not all that i am going to write about. There would be other things to read on my blog as well.

see ya ..............have a great day

The land of the Rising Sun: Arunachal Pradesh

view of Kameng River and braving it out in the snow on our way to the Indo-Bhutan border

For a Mumbaikar attempting a great escape into the splendid isolation of Arunachal Pradesh, it was a bit disconcerting to come across a lake named after Madhuri Dixit. Because for the locals, the Sangestar Lake is now Madhuri Lake, thanks to a song from the film Koyla that was picturised there.
It was also annoying (though sometimes sweet), to have to keep explaining to the locals that the mere fact that I live in Mumbai does not make me Shah Rukh Khan’s close personal friend. And finally, Arunachal’s No. 1 hit song drove me straight up the wall. It is by Himesh Reshammiya.
Fortunately, these – and the Maratha Regiment at the Bum-La Pass that I was only too happy to keep happy by exchanging notes on ‘back home’ – were the only reminders of the crowded, congested city on the other side of the subcontinent that I call home. For two glorious weeks, I was in a fresh, cool, unspoilt environment that is Arunachal Pradesh. And I will never forget the experience.

Adventure : Arunachal

Situated on the north-eastern tip of India, with Bhutan on the west, China on the north, Myanmar on the east and the states of the seven sisters on the south, Arunachal Pradesh is our very own land of the rising sun.
It is not easy to get there – especially the West Kameng district where I went trekking. You must fly to Guwahati first, and then drive along the River Bhramaputra to Tezpur from where, after an overnight break, you continue to Bhalupong, a town on the Arunachal border. Before you go, however, you must apply for an Inner Line Permit – essential for a sensitive border state like Arunachal.
Documentation done, our adventure began with a climb to Jamiri, en route to the Dirang Valley, wandering past the Kameng River as it meandered down the mountainous terrain, fed by umpteen streams and waterfalls. About four km from Bhalukpong we stopped at Tipi, which hosts the Orchid Research Centre. The Orchidarium features more 500 species of orchids – Arunachal is the orchid capital of India, and scientists at Tipi have created several new hybrid species.

Onward & Upward
Onward from Tipi, clouds gathered at eye level, and the road twisted against the mountains. For someone fresh from the congestion of Mumbai, the journey was like a benediction: fresh, clean air, and a long distant view. Never mind that it was a long trip to Dirang, we loved every metre of it.
After a trip to the Dirang Zhong (fort) and a night at the tourist bungalow, we detoured slightly to visit India’s only yak farm before climbing up Tom Hill, which, at 9,545 feet able sea level, gave us our first view of the snowcapped mountains on the border. This was our acclimatisation trek: the plan was to trek to Sania on the Bhutanese border (13,500 feet).

Snow Trek

The trek was an awesome experience. The weather was strange. Three kms in to our trek and the weather takes a complete turn. It starts snowing. It was a completely new but frightening experience. But, thank to our guide and Tashi and the other porters who kept our spirits high and did not let us get de-motivated. Three hours into the trek and the entire group had split. The idea of being together all the while had been lost. The weather further got worse and finally our trek leader Jayesh in consultation with our guide took the decision to wait at a Goat hut at ‘Dhonk Chi Phu’. From our hut the ‘Pemakoksum’ range of Bhutan was clearly visible. We were only three hours away from our summit point Sania (Bhutan Border) but we could not proceed as the weather was bad. It took us all of six hours to reach the goat hut (13,255 ft). Nevertheless everyone was happy that we atleast made it to the goat hut.

After the snowtrek as we were warming ourselves in the small goat hut, Jayesh our trek leader announced the change in plans. We realised that the weather conditions had led us to alter the plans a bit. The plan was to trek back the same route to Naga-Jiji (our base camp) and then from here trek down to a small village called Lubrang

Patriotism Unlimited

Lubrang, a village on the Indo-Bhutan border, had precisely 10 houses and a gompa (monastery), and that was all. Right ahead of us was the massive Gorichen group of peaks, standing guard over the border, and right next to us were the hospitable residents of the village, offering us their extremely potent local drink, ‘rakshi’.
The locals of this area belong to the Monpa tribe and, in their traditional attire – long, striped wraparound skirts and boots for women, trousers and jackets made of yak skin for men – did not look at all Indian.
After two nights in Lubrang, we began phase two of our trek, this time to Sela Pass and Tawang. Sela Pass, the second-highest pass in the world, is 14,500 feet above sea level and runs through a ridge along the Paradise Lake. Snow lined the road as we drove up to this pass where, in the 1962 war with China, our soldiers fought valiantly to keep the invading forces out. Tales of heroism filled our ears and we trekked to the nearby Jaswant Garh War Memorial, raised in memory of Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, Lance Niak Trilok Singh Negi and Rifleman Gopal Singh Gusain, of 4 Battalion Garhwal Rifles. For their bravery, their unit was bestowed with the battle honour ‘Nuranang’, the only Indian army unit to receive such an honour in the 1962 war.
Behind the memorial, on a clear day, there is a panoramic view of mountain peaks, including Bum La. Take it from me: this view is best enjoyed to the accompaniment of piping hot samosas and dosas from the stall manned by Army jawans.

The Great Escape

Downward from Jaswant Garh, the terrain changes. Green begins to take over. Do not, under any circumstance, miss Jung village and its waterfall on your way to Tawang. It can uplift the most jaded soul.
Tawang, seems to have a bit of an identity crisis. It is also known as Mon Tawang, Tawang Shyo, Towang, T’a-wan and Tang Shyo. This is where Bollywood begins to make its presence felt, but fortunately, I could escape to the Pankang Thang Tso (Tso meaning lake). The drive there is steep and often snowbound, but words cannot describe how beautiful it is.
We got to peek into China from here – though the border was infinitely less interesting than the gorgeous lakes and marvellous mountains. And on our way back, we stopped at the world famous Tawang Galden Namgyal Lhatse (meaning celestial paradise), better known as Tawang Monastery. One of the oldest and largest Buddhist monasteries in Asia, it can accommodates over 700 monks.
Unfortunately, like all holidays, mine had to end. But I will never forget the dawn-lit mountains, remote hamlets, sleepy villages, magical gompas, tranquil lakes and beautiful orchids of Arunachal Pradesh.