Valley of Vigor

‘I kept my bag aside, laid back on a rock, closed my eyes and heard only the stream on my left. In the shade of a huge rock and a little breeze from trees I couldn’t see, I spent a few moments with just the sound of the stream echoing the happiness in my soul.’

We will come to this beautiful moment soon which occurred during my recent adventure to Sandhan Valley. It is located in Igatpuri region of Maharashtra. Unlike my other trek experiences so far in Maharashtra this one was very different in many ways. Basic being that it isn’t a climb, it is only descending in the valley of shadows, and yes that’s what it is called.

My usual trek partner cousin – Sanish, wasn’t free this weekend when this trip was planned. In my head I knew I wouldn’t go without him, though my mom thought it was stupid to think so, I knew I wouldn’t go. He had some work pressure which I was well aware of and hence full week I had spent time to convince my mind that I won’t be travelling this weekend.

And then in the afternoon of the night we were supposed to leave I tried my luck and called him for a final yes or no and to my utter disbelief he said yes, yes he can make it! There was no bound to my joy as I was being blessed with a travel I had convinced myself of missing out!

I could see how tensed Sanish was though he tried his best to hide it. I knew what all was at stake for this trek to happen. I somehow wanted to fast forward the night and get to the time we start walking in the wild because I know nothing bothers us both once nature elopes us.

Next morning after breakfast we started the trek. If anything like what they call paradise exists then the first part of Sandhan Valley is how I feel the entrance of this paradise would look like. Holding us tight from both sides are huge rock structures, stone path in the middle with a few trees and the soothing stream waving at us every now and then.

Since I was ahead in the group I got time to search my spot and relax. Twice I found the perfect place to just sit back and look at the mountains. First, it was me and Sanish, where we lied down on a flat rock and looked up at the beauty of the huge rocks above us. And the second one was when I found a rock cut like a small chair for me to completely relax with my legs up.

We walked and reached a water patch where there was no way but to walk through the water. And so the whole team work begins. Everyone packs shoes and makes a trail to pass bags.

There were tall guys in our group who went in the water and it reached their hip. I thought I will be swimming this through or since I don’t know how to swim, perhaps just drown! I wasn’t of any use in the whole passing the bag trail thanks to my height. But there was water in front of me, I couldn’t resist and I stepped in.

The water was above my chest. I got some grip on my legs and stood still. The water felt cold and I looked up. The huge rock mountains on both sides made a curve. It felt like looking in a mirror as they reflected my smile.

This bag task was almost done, after a while we all wore our shoes and began to walk again. We then reached the patch where we had to rappel down. This time around, the rappelling was very different.

Unlike how I could see the end of my rappel in AMK and in Bhairavgadh (Moroshi), here I couldn’t. There was a curve to the rock. And to my surprise, perhaps because I was happy high with the water patch I rappelled at ease and with speed. Sometimes your body surprises you and it’s a beautiful feeling!

After being overjoyed with two unique experiences it was time to calm down and this is when I relaxed beside the stream. Post which we had lunch and began to walk down again. There were a few difficult rock patches where we had to do the same ‘pass the bag first and then go down’ game but we did it all quick and had only to walk until we reached the village.

IMG_20180421_134737477_TOP — **Nilesh** and his friends helped us find our way down. Sadly expected money from us in return though we provided food. This gave me reassurance about the Masters I have enrolled myself into and the work I wish to do in future. Hopefully I help make some difference to our society.

We reached around 7 pm and there was quite some time before we all dozed off. I was missing my usual talkative buddy with whom such a situation would be ideal to talk our hearts out. I felt silly now that I didn’t make enough efforts to talk the people I was with. But none the less I learned something new.

I learned how to marinate chicken. Since my mom doesn’t cook non vegetarian food, I took this as an opportunity and I am so happy I didn’t really goof it up much. I hope I try it once before the memory of learning how to do it washes off.

Next morning as planned we got up, sipped some tea and got into our vehicles to Asangaon station. The ride was about singing all bad songs with silly lyrics one could think of. It was one hilarious ride. And like all good treks that end with food, this one did too. We hadn’t had breakfast, so this one ended with hot and spicy Samosas!

I haven’t mentioned it much but I did miss more than a few people.
This has made me realize that I should have a post with profiles of people I trek with.

Stay tuned to get introduced to all my amazing trek mates.
Also don’t forget to check Insta @nisha_navgire for pics with poems on this trek!

April 28, 2018

A Tantalizing Trek Tale

I love bike rides. It has a different charm. I and my usual bike partner cousin were on a roll as we sang through the whole drive. From Sukhvinder’s “Oh ho oh ho” to “O mere dil k chein” our playlist had a smooth ride with our bullet.

We finally parked our bikes at 4am and were given an hour before we left for the trek. Almost all as expected dozed off. I looked at my friend and in a blink we knew what we were up to next.

We both did our own bit of research and found the best place to lie down and star gaze. The view was mesmerizing. It was last in October that we star gazed. We both have less understanding of the stars but same awe for their existence.

Eyes up at the sky, mind drowned in thoughts, without realizing I went into the world of stars. What a beautiful nap and dream it was !

It was dark, we all had torches and a few were ahead leading the way. As we walked a bit ahead we spotted a Night Jar. It looked stunning. A musical night bike ride, soulful star gazing with a nap and then the Night Jar, this trek surely had the best start!

The kind of trekking I have done and the average experience of the group I go with is quite good. We use harness and equipment only when it is really essential. Bhairavgadh (Maroshi) is one where we decided we will use it and hence a suggestion to anyone who is reading this and would wish to go, kindly take all safety measurements.

There were two people ahead who climbed the harness part. When I reached I couldn’t find them. I thought they must have gone ahead so I climbed all the steps and reached the top. I shouted their names but no avail. I was scared for minute.

People down said they have come up. There is no other way than these stairs, where have they gone then? I didn’t wish to go right at the top of the fort all alone so I climbed back down.

I saw that my group still hadn’t got all members up the harness. I decided to walk up again and find my two mates. I climbed up the stairs again, shouted their names but couldn’t locate them. More scared than before I climbed down again to get someone with me to find them.

I and a friend climbed up again and finally met the two. We saw the top most part of the fort and four of us began our journey down. As we did our entire group was up by the harness. We four were asked to climb up again for a group picture at the top of the fort. We hesitated a bit and then finally gave in.

This is my first ever trek saga where I got bored of a fort. Not because it was boring, because I climbed it a total of four times. However, the time spend at the top of the fort was worth it. And no don’t get me wrong, the fort is not at all boring. It is full of adventure and the scenic view is class but just make sure you climb up only once!

When I was waiting for my turn to rappel it down, the sun was right above my head and I was sweating like a pig. I had bought all my sun protection things, caps, glares, scarfs etc. It all lay in my bag down which I could reach only after rappelling. And there were a few people who were yet to go down before it were my chance.

Melting in the heat I realized that how we all have the necessary resources to face a storm in life. But it is locked up in the depths of our hearts and by the time we find it we have lost it to the storm. Let us therefore always be prepared for a storm and never let it win over us.

For me personally climbing up a mountain is easy as compared to walking down. This is because when I am climbing up, it is all up to me where I set my feet to head up. When I have to get down, it is not so easy. And this becomes a tad more difficult when I have to rappel it down.

The first step is the most difficult. And during rappelling especially for the first step my feet felt heavier than an elephant! I let go of this stupid feet thoughts and imagining why my feet is feeling heavy and rappelled down. And to my own surprise I did well.

Almost all of us were exhausted and so were our water resources. To our surprise an old man appeared out of nowhere guided us to a water body and disappeared again. Lord works in his own way and this old man proved that to me.

We all drank water to our hearts’ content and filled bottles before we left. We had lunch in the middle of the jungle and started to walk down. I wished to reach our bikes before the heat killed me and walked down as swiftly as I could.

I and two of my friends reached down without taking many water or shade stops and hence reached a good 45mins before the rest. This made me regain the lost energy. I was happy with the whole trek and didn’t expect much more but life is about surprises. And a kala-khatta gola in the crazy heat ended my thrilling trek on a high note!

March 31, 2018

My First Snow Trek

I had many beautiful experiences this summer. I have learned double fold from each experience. Brighu Lake Trek which I did in May 2017 with Wilson College Nature Club was one such experience.

Brighu Lake in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh has an elevation of 4300 meters (14,100ft). It is said to be named after Maharishi Brighu, one of the seven great sages. The lake is to the east of Rohtang Pass and Gulaba is the nearest village.

We walked to first base camp on first day, then to the second the next day. On the third day we did Brighu and came back to our first base camp. Doing this trek in three days as planned was an achievement for the group as well as a mental and physical success for me.

YUVI — ‘Little motivation goes a long way’

I and a few others walked ahead almost the entire two days when we climbed to the first and the second base camp. It was green, there were streams, and everything was serene. The guide who was with us, Yuvraj gave me a tag line. ‘Chhota(small) height, big fight’ as I look small but kept walking ahead without expecting breaks instead helping him guide all.

He noticed the evident fear on my face on the day of Brighu climb and kept saying that even if I wish to, my shoes won’t let me fall. My shoe grip was perfect for this trek. My face still had fear written all over it.

‘Junko Tabei, from Japan is the first women to climb Everest and also the first women to climb the highest peak on each continent. You look small like her only. You can be her, common Junko, kare le(do it)’ I smiled and kept walking. This motivation helped me in the most difficult part of the trek.

On the third day when we began climbing Brighu I began with confidence but soon fear overruled. Trekking on snow made me face my biggest fear-death.

I do trek otherwise on mountains around Maharashtra and so was confident. But, soon realised the confidence trekking in Maharashtra came from the fact that if I slip from a mountain, I might fall in place, or roll down and break a bone but won’t die. Slipping in snow can cause death for sure as no one knows where or when I’ll stop.

I was in the middle of the climb when I slipped on melted ice. ‘Aah, I am slipping, I’ll die, help, help, help’ I almost cried howling. I could see white death bed to the left side where I was slipping. I panicked.

‘It’s all in your head, the fear and the confidence.’

Mustafa (centre) who was ahead came rushing in. ‘I can’t move, I’ll slip, I’ll fall, there is melted ice everywhere, where do I get grip’ I said, still howling.

‘Just move your rambler stick a bit ahead and take a big step towards my leg, that’s it, I have caught you, don’t panic’ he said. It wasn’t easy but I did as he said. I dodged the white dead bed. I faced the fear, I survived. I walked further and reached the best part of it all.

Now the white death bed to my left and become a slide front of me0l. We had to move in the same direction as the slope, so we glided. I realised the difference between slipping and sliding. Since, I was ahead I had the fun slide twice. Now, the confidence overruled.

‘I’ll take the rest and start moving down. You guys reach the summit and head back soon.’ Anish Cheta (photo credit Sandesh Lad) said when Brighu was hardly few minutes away.

‘It will take hardly some time; don’t miss it after coming so close to it.’ Yuvraj our guide said as we all echoed him.

‘I have seen the lake the last time I had come here. Sir has asked me to do the right thing for the group. By the time you guys come I’ll take who are tired and can’t make it ahead half way down. It will save time’

We walked ahead. I think only half the number we began with, reached Brighu Lake. Some couldn’t do because of their shoes, some because of their fears. I saw the lake, it was beautiful. I couldn’t believe I made it. The lake was frozen but my eyes had water flowing. I felt blessed at the moment but there was a bigger lesson in store as we walked down.

There was a flashback of my climb to the first base camp till the last step reaching Brighu Lake playing in my head. I realized how selfish I had been. I enjoyed the breeze, the stream and felt serene while there were people struggling the entire time. And Cheta(means elder brother) let all the efforts taken to reach Brighu let go when it was hardly a while away, for the group.

I felt horrible. I decided to change this. I saw a girl struggling right ahead of me. I took it upon me that I’ll get her safely down. I decided to use my new found confidence and learning into practice. I tried to motivate her and helped her, the entire snow walk down. When we reached the first base camp, I felt better, at peace, grown as a person from within.

Brighu Lake will always be special for me as my first snow trek. I have definitely learned double fold from this single trek, in my entire trip to Manali.

September 16, 2017