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.

Exploring the Sahyadris

hey!! come weekends and I am always on the look out to get out of this city to explore the hill forts of Maharashtra or go cycling along the Westren Ghats in the Sahyadris (The Deccan Plateau of Maharashtra). It amazes me to note that there are so many people i know in Mumbai who are not aware of the Sahyadris and the places around Mumbai to go trekking or for any outdoor activity during the weekends.
The Sahyadri, with its rugged topography, rocky mountains, pinnacles, great historic hill forts (most of which were conquered by Shivaji), huge lakes and rivers and extencive forest region are a virtual paradise for trekking, climbing, rappelling, Cycling ( Its great on the ghats and fun) and camping. This range preceds the Himalayas by a 100 million years. The caves and forts are great places of visit here. Some of the caves have paintings that dates back to times BC. The Monsoon especially is a great time to trek in the Sahyadris.
It is its most beautiful during this time of the year with its numerous waterfalls cascading down the slopes. A great time to do waterfall rappelling. Thus, monsoons add a special charm to your whole trip. So if you are an outdoor person and adventurous too then go exploring the Sahyadris. believe me you will not regret it.
read along my experiences in the Sahyadris.and other trips in my travelogues............