Pavani ChithariFollow my cap!
Was the 1st instruction by trek lead at the crowded station. Following and reaching our mini bus to start our journey towards Lohagad fort! The unfamiliar faces in team were almost familiar by the time we reached the base to start the trek.
May and July are just two months apart but the difference in the visuals in Maharashtra is clearly visible, it’s the rain which adds the beauty, which changes the nature, which gives the hope to the dried and forgotten souls to bloom again!
Even the strongest and toughest rocks will turn into the most sensitive while allowing the rain pass through it, nurturing and growing the lush greens through them!
Do touch them to feel the change, you can sense the life in them!
It’s just day 1 and just the beginning of the trek in Maharashtra, the feeling of being satisfied is already 100%.
Crossing the Ganesh and Hanuman gates of the fort, we have reached a place where there were stairs to the top the fort where the fort is hidden behind the clouds, its beauty is playing hide and seek with add on of finest drizzles. Standing at the entrance literally tuned my soul to the vibration of nature, hitting the right chords by making my heart sing the most beautiful classic tunes ever!
There was a point where people started moving left and right, this is where a hero enters right? Heheh yes it happened! he literally told the others – Bro, that’s not the right way to the top, and let me followed him in the right path.
You won’t believe? then see by yourself 😛
They some how know the place well and was the most cutest!
There are few places which made me stop and think about. There was an opening where I don’t think either it will be exposed to enough light or any other resources, but still the place is magically blooming, that’s what is the monsoon magic right!
And the epitome of patience, strength, devotion, purity and beauty was sitting right in the middle. Letting the windy rain celebrate his presence and spreading the glory in all possible directions! It’s Mahadev mandir!
The landscapes are most beautiful in windy rains, the fully grown tall greens are dancing and giggling in the directions of winds together!
Passing through the gentle breezes from caressing grass to the wind roaring at its top on the fort.
It was time to descend and one thing was pending which I have postponed.
Love for Makkabutta + Monsoon + Maharashtra is real!
Enjoying the great views of Visapur and Lohagad fort from stay, dancing along the infinity pool with the team, followed my bonfire and hot dinner!
Nothing can be this perfect and was equally excited for next day. 3:00 AM was the target time to start for the next day. It’s gonna be forest trails!
Day 2
Before forest trails, it’s going to the jump, cliff jump to be precise ending up in water, yes I felt my nerves screaming with fear, but gotta push myself to try.
We have reached the place, it’s raining already and the secret waterfalls was walk-able distance from the place we parked.
Everything was alive!
Heart shaped leaves are everywhere hugging everything and drooling over every possible being around them. Most naturally growing creepers during monsoon!
Feels like they will hug us if we sit there for some time! It might have happened the same with them 😛
It’s a walk through the road paved through most beautiful scenic view with foggy hills showing waterfalls in front and winds walking along us!
Even though the views are beautiful but each step towards the waterfalls reminds the jump causing chills in my spine. Walking through the forest stepping on pebbles and crossing streams.
reached the place with life jacket, saw people already jumping and a queue is formed waiting for my turn.
No backing out, no backing out was the thing running in my mind. Climbing up with the support of ropes to reach the place to jump from, every step was stronger and was in control until I have reached the uncle, and I had a confession for him before he tried to push. I confessed that ‘I can’t swim, push me without giving any heads up.’ The conversation felt funny later when I recollected.
Standing there watching the flowing water below and knowing that nothing is in my control and I will be pushed anytime. I did not realize the temperature outside until I touched the flowing water. 2 sec under water was complete blank until I was hit by the rope to swim back to the land. My eyes were still closed till I was out of the water. The rush within is finally at rest.
It’s 11:30 and we have reached the base of Andharban post fueling up and few stretches to start the 16km trek to explore the forest trails!
After walking through the entrance gate and following the team. We have reached a point from where a bridge is seen, after zooming in more, have seen people crossing the bridge and zooming out to see the most tallest hill covering the entire sky visible and water flowing through the possible ways. It was just the beginning. That where we gonna head next.
Rains are the most magical! It is different when it contacts different elements. It will be the beautiful dew on the trees, cold showers on humans soaking in the pores of all the exposed skin, when mixed with earth it will form the earthy dough seeping in and out, when on hills it slides down like foam forming the waterfalls. Sometimes it flows muddy and sometimes like white foam, sometimes through the gaps of rocks and sometimes over the rocks.
It’s Andharban Forest!
The leaves are the most greenest. The muddy pathways and branches of the trees forming the arches and creepers forming the most beautiful views walking through the forest.
Only sounds we can hear are water thrashing the rocks at different intensities at different places. Sometimes its low, sometimes its high. Sometimes its very near letting us touch them, cross them and even drink!
The terrains replicated same like the flow of water, it’s plain at times, it was all rocky and steep at some places, it was all earthy and flat for sometime, it was with flowing waters most of the times. But the common wonder everywhere is the beautiful sounds of water, refreshing, soothing and overwhelming!
At a stretch the path where it was dense with long tress being the roof, covering the sky, teams divided in groups where we bumped into another group, a lady in 40’s lead the path sharing how she ended up in this trek with her gym mates to explore the monsoon, where I almost forgot that I followed them for 1km and realized I must join my team where everyone were picture ready! Most joyful monsoon picture ever with THE TEAM!
After much needed chai break and about to reach the village in 5kms more, we restarted descending and landed up at a point where we saw the most beautiful view, it’s like the unknown cake which looks beautiful outside and unknown inside, once it was sliced to see the beautiful layers of fillings inside, looks delightful right. This place is like a section of hill with so many layers of waterfalls with green fillings and frost of clouds on top till the unlimited sky!
It’s the most satisfying after the completion. It was around 8 pm where we freshened up to have dinner and some chatter putter with teammates and off to bed to have best sleep ever till 4:00 AM.
Day 3
It’s the last day event to see the Devkund waterfalls. It’s always Devkund’s decision to allow you inside or not. The place has gateways where the place literally allows us only when they want to, the flow in the stream decides our entry.
We cannot challenge the place to enter in, we can only understand better to enter safely and understand way better to feel the beauty of the place!
It was night trek till we reach the first gateway! The trek leaders of HTC are more attentive, excellent decision making, present in the moment, they went too and fro to understand the pressure of the stream before allowing us, they’ve portrayed great leadership skills ever!
Finally, at 6:00 AM the leads who stood along the rope with equal distance to support us invited us to cross the first stream to enter the place. Holding the rope as tight as possible and crossing the stream covering till knees with each step stronger than ever on the rocks beneath the stream. Instructions were clear during crossing, do not lift the leg during next step, because the pressure will make it harder to put the foot down, the smaller the footsteps, the better the grip!
Trek distance is 6kms, the first view was the bigger picture of green carpeted hills with waterfalls!
And a section of the hill after further walking is so fulfilling, it looked like the natural right proportion of hills and waterfalls and greenery at one place. If ever someone wants to draw a picture of hills and waterfalls in monsoon, it would be definitely this place!
Crossing multiple streams with different heights, we have reached the another main stream where two way ropes were provided to cross, me being 5’ 4” height the level reached almost till my chest and pressure felt moderate with support of two way ropes, followed by a climb to up hill. Sneakers and chikki’s time finally arrived with a stream of fresh water, was the perfect snacks break!
Actual climbing has started when we almost near to the Devkund waterfall. My lungs and heart started screaming to take a quick break and was completely relaxed when the terrain is bit curvy.
Devkund is almost 1 km away is what I heard, one last small stream with visible small to moderate rocks to cross. There branches are like waving flags pinned to the ground away from the parent tree, my eyes followed the waving branches to the biggest and longest trunk of the tree where the tiny branches are getting distributed in various directions. A massive waterfalls sliding down the biggest hill and half of the fall is getting diverted in the air while reaching halfway. The wind is heavy making the branches move like waves carrying the mist of the waterfalls. The stream under is just melting away to following the terrain. Seeing the whole picture made my heart skip a beat! That is not Devkund waterfall yet but the place made my heart skipped a beat!
I wasn’t ready to move from that place until my trek lead reminded to move forward for Devkund without crowd. Moving forward happily knowing that I can revisit this place while going back to base.
It’s 8:00 AM. I can hear people screaming with joy and the intensity of sound of waterfalls was getting high as I was approaching! Searching for the complete view I selected a place to sit there watching the flow. The flow has no end, the start of the flow is unknown, it’s like falling right from the sky to through the hill opening and continuing all the way to the pool of water below bouncing back and splashing the existing pool of water, with the massive rugged curvy terrain behind. The air is completely filled with the cool mist and the winds deciding the landing of rain droplets.
The mighty Devkund finally, allowed us! It’s soul satisfying!
It was time to go back! Had one last view without any distractions 🙂
And realized that I was exposed to rain for 3 continuous days. Felt refreshed and the childhood fantasy of getting drenched in rain for longer times fulfilled to the core!
Meeting all the lovelies again all the way back and reached the base to freshen up to start back to location to head back home with loads of fun, friends and memories!
Forgot to mention, this time I finished trek with proper trek shoes and trek pole, felt major difference compared to previous treks, it’s easy on legs, haven’t experienced any pains post trekking. I Would definitely recommend to get them if you plan trekking anytime!
The trip was planned with HTC which is – BB combo – Lohagad, Andharban and Devkund. Woman friendly and perfect for solo and travel groups. Trek leaders are most experienced, friendly, guided us well to complete the treks successfully, in fact the best view of Devkund was possible only because of their presence of mind, planning and best decision making skills. They lead the path and took care of entire team by checking on each of us constantly. Warmups before trek, music and bonfire at stays, instructions and briefs before each trek, their approach is completely professional in all aspects!
The best team ever!
