Alang Fort Trek Experience by Param

Ek chota sa tribute to express my gratitude PB group...

I was out trekking over the weekend at Alang off the Kasara Nasik highway. It is apparently one of the toughest, most gruelling treks in Maharashtra. 

The 2 days and 2 nights were humbling, exhilarating, full of fun and adventure beyond my comfort zone.

To say that the way up to the camp site was fraught with danger would be an understatement - one wrong step and anything could have happened.. Some parts of the track were essentially where waterfalls would have been during the monsoon.  I  pushed myself to my limits and take all the tests that were being thrown at me - from the snapping of one belt of my heavy rucksack and trying to balance myself and braving through the increasing pain in my shoulders, back and lower limbs (knee and below), it gave me insights into my hidden reserves of strength and determination.

When we reached the campsite at 5.30pm and sat down to watch the sunset, my first instinct was to thank the almighty and every cell of my being for helping me pull through phase 1 of the test.

Watching the sunrise from the summit the next morning was both a divine and picture perfect experience. I prayed again to the almighty for the wonderful opportunity and also  give me the strength to experience a successful and incident free descent.

While the descent was trickier due to added pressure on the knees and back, a cant thank my co-trekkers enough for their constant support and encouragement as I had to take frequent breaks to keep myself hydrated and give myself a bit of rest every 30 odd mins.

The long walk to the waterbody and the time we spent as a group taking a nice cool dip was a rejuvenating experience. 

My learnings from the trek :

1. It is a small world - met Rajat, one of our gurus from Chiranjeev Gurukul (a community that is striving to bring back Eternal Indian wisdom into our lives in its own way) and had some great conversation.

2. When your heart and mind are in tune and conditioned to face challenges, nothing can stop you from achieving your goal / purpose.

3. Spending time in the lap of mother nature is the greatest blessing.

4. Love, gratitude and contentment are the highest form of emotions and when you pray with these emotions, you are heard.

NB - my body is still sore from the trek but every moment of pain also fills me with a sense of achievement.

Kondhane Caves Trek Experience by Pranay

 

Kondhane Caves Trek with Parvat Buddies
16th Oct 2021

By Pranay Agarwal

It was done. The deal was made; the guide and the driver were arranged. It was because of my mother’s insistence that my father (Sachin) finally saw the silver lining and sealed the deal. Each one of us had to carry our own bag; stuffed with things my mother (Dipika) said “was very important”. We soon realised that it was not only us going on the trip, our friend’s father and son; Sumit and Shaurya were also coming. I was all the more excited. We had to leave our house by 5:30 in the morning. We planned to sleep by nine o’clock. We tried to get some sleep as it was a two hour journey to the trekking area. We also picked the guide on the way. Finally after two long tiring hours, with our back slouched and our legs cramped, we stepped out of the automobile. We freshened up in the village, and after some time started our journey upwards. Shaurya was not used to such exercise but still climbed on, without complaining. Parin, our guide, was friendly and had a sense of humour. He showed us different spider webs, and the type of spider. I was fascinated by the size of the spider. When we first climbed, we found small gifts which the cows had given and we had to keep a good watch on where we step. We prayed to God for the weather to be cool and windy, not rainy, and definitely not sunny. Thankfully the Gods pitied us and the weather was just as we preferred. There were dozens of trees, with clusters of bright green leaves that provided us shade. Shortly after, my father gave a cry of exclamation. We hurried over, and we saw a sharp thorn that had pierced my father’s shoe that had caused him to cry. After much difficulty the thorn came out. We passed some streams, which my brother deduced was a perennial stream. We washed our hands and face with the cool, rushing water. Even though we were wearing shoes which had an amazing grip, we were slipping and sliding. After some time we could see the opening of a cave. It was actually a Buddhist temple, which Parin said was made in the first century BC! We stopped at a stall for some lemonade, and I was amazed by the taste of it. When we reached the mouth of the cave, I was stunned. Even though it was crumbling, and had been damaged, the carvings were undamaged and it looked fabulous. There was an ancient script on the structure. We didn’t know what script it was and neither does Google Lens. We climbed on the rocks and went to the rooms. We went to 2 of the many rooms. One of them was nothing fancy; there were what we thought were beds, and a dividing line between each of the beds. Parin told us that probably Buddhist monks would meditate in the room. The second one was interesting; there were different compartments, like a study. My dad clicked a photo of the three of us in different compartments. Finally we went to the waterfall. We took off our shoes and carefully went under the waterfall. It was wonderful. It was like an amazing full body massage. The force was so strong, it felt as if tiny rocks were falling on us, still I enjoyed it immensely. At the start, Shaurya was looking at us, enjoying ourselves. He wanted to come, but he was so scared of the stones. We tried to get him, but he stepped on some rock and ran back. He started moaning, when we tried to get him in the waterfall. Finally he came again, and this time, he didn’t moan. My mum wanted to go to another waterfall, but to get under it was difficult. At first my father said no, but my mother insisted, and finally my Dad asked Parin to check if it was safe. Meanwhile, we changed and started eating some of the snacks we had got. Parin checked the path thoroughly and announced that it was safe. I wanted to go, but I had already changed. Some minutes later my parents came, drenched, but an enormous smile on their faces. They quickly changed, and we started our journey downwards. I soon realised that descent was much tougher than the ascent. There was a higher chance of tumbling, and we had to use our hands’ support quite frequently. Now that the sun was out and shining, even staying for five minutes in the sunlight was torture. I was wearing my cap and sunglasses, but the heat was still scorching me. Once we made our way down, there was a long flat road, receiving the full burst of the sun. Luckily Parin had called the driver and within five minutes our car came. We got in, and the driver turned the air conditioner on full blast. We were having lunch at the village, and the villagers had very kindly, prepared a meal for us. Shaurya was in no mood to have Dal, Roti, Rice and vegetables, which was the meal we expected from the villagers. He thought that the food wouldn’t be tasty at all. His mind was set on having a meal from McDonalds. The villagers were really kind. They set mats for us, and got us our meal. I liked the food very much; it was not at all what I expected. Shaurya had decided that he would only fill half his stomach, and would fill the other half at McDonalds. We climbed in the car, and just when we thought we were going home, our front wheel got stuck in a hole. We had to get out of the car. The driver to reverse the car, but the front wheel did not come out. Finally after some time, and a lot of difficulty, it came out and we got in and left. For the first one hour, we slept and rested. We stopped at McDonalds, and ordered some a Mcflurry (an Oreo Ice-cream) and some fries. Only when I ate it, did I realise that even I was craving for McDonalds. We visited the restroom and came back in the car. Now that the three of us Ekansh, Shaurya and I were energetic we were exchanging tales, and were chatting about funny incidents. Finally my family and I got out of the car and went into our flat. Our journey was over. It wasn’t as tough a trek as we had done in Mount Abu, but it was definitely a trek I would never forget.

Kondhane Caves Trek Experience by Ekansh

 

My Trekking Experience

Kondhane Caves trek with Parvat Buddies

16th Oct 2021

By Ekansh Agarwal

From being captivated by nature’s beauty to climbing steep mountains, treks are truly an unforgettable experience in one’s life. Escaping from the noisy and stressful city life and venturing deep into nature’s lair is a unique experience altogether. Recently I had gone on a trek to ‘Kondana Caves’ with my family and friends. We set out early in the morning and witnessed the beautiful sunrise. On the way we reached an area where there was so much fog that the sun appeared white in colour to us and we were having confusions about whether it was the sun or the moon. After an hour or so we finally reached our destination. We put our caps and sunglasses on, strapped our backpacks and began the climb.

In the beginning, the trail was wide and not to steep. Gradually the path became narrower and the incline steeper. Our guide was extremely friendly and kept showing us different species of plants and animals. We frequently saw earthworms and tried to avoid stepping on them. Seeing the Giant Wood Spider and its web, we were stunned. The web was huge and it appeared slightly invisible and it looked like the spider was hovering in mid-air. We even saw funnel spider webs covered in dew drops. As we moved ahead our guide gave us some instructions which would make trekking easier for us. We had to keep our hands free all the time so that if we happen to stumble we would be able to support ourselves. He also told us that there was no hurry to get to the top and we had to ensure that everyone was on the right track. While some parts were easy, others were quite challenging. We also had to step on the right rocks so as to not lose our balance. Indeed the rocks near the stream were quite slippery and one of us almost fell. Finally we reached the caves and waterfall. The carvings on the cave were extremely detailed and we could not believe that it was created by carving stone rocks. The moss that grew near the caves was neon green and it looked extremely beautiful. The caves had separate chambers which we thought were used for meditation as it was a Buddhist cave. We also saw an ancient writing engraved on the outside of the cave. However, the most memorable event of the day was getting drenched and massaged in the waterfall! The waterfall refreshed us and due to the force of the water falling from top it felt like an excellent massage. We thoroughly enjoyed bathing in the waterfall and wanted to stay there for much longer. We changed, ate some snacks and energised ourselves and began our descent. The warm sun felt very satisfying as we were slightly wet. While climbing down we had to be even more cautious than when we were trekking upwards. This was because we could easily loose our balance and slip on certain rocks. After a slightly tedious descent we finally reached the bottom and let out a sigh of relief.

There was a village at the bottom of the mountain where we refreshed ourselves and had a scrumptious lunch which was enjoyed by everyone. The people living there were extremely helpful and friendly. As soon as we were leaving our car got stuck and after a lot of effort from everyone over there we got it out. We then set off and said our goodbyes. It was a tiring but exciting experience which we would never forget.

Nature Hike & Camping Experience by Joanne

PARVAT BUDDIES: Stargazing & Camping on 14-15th May 2022

I received a message about this trek and was intrigued when I read about stargazing. Furthermore, this was my first nature walk/trek and I was beyond excited to be able to join the group. 

I had already heard great things about the group, how warm and welcoming everybody is, and it was no surprise because my experience with the group was precisely the same.

The trek by itself is one memory that I’ll forever hold very close to my heart. Watching the sunset and how the moon shone in the night while it cast its reflection on the lake, was beyond beautiful. With the daily hustle and bustle of life, one seems to lose touch with themselves and this trek not only got me close to nature but also helped me spend time with people I love, interact with new people and lastly, get in touch with parts of myself that seemed to have faded away with the regular and the mundane. 

I would love to join Parvat Buddies  and be a part of their future treks. In fact, I want to go on higher intensity treks along with the group. Parvat Buddies are a lovely bunch of people and I’d love to make more memories like these with the group. 

Thank you for organizing this once again. It truly was magical and I’m already looking forward to any upcoming treks that I can be a part of in the future. Cheers!

Joanne

FiREFLiES and the Night Sky by Nevill

 Fireflies and the night sky

It has been a long and testing spell of summer this year and it was time to break this monotony; escaping in the Nature, away from the city. And doing so within the confinity of a short time span and limited endurance. For this, time and again, I look forward to my old friend Parin, and his plans at Parvat Buddies. Parvat Buddies is a young Mumbai trek group that offers amazing excursions that generally befit all ages and all fitness levels. Itineraries are very simple yet they leave you overawed with a direct tune-in with nature and a blissful experience for your senses. ‘I should do this more often’ is a common after thought. 

I took up this overnight weekend plan, and this is how it sounds – assemble at Panvel station on early Saturday evening, eat snacks, ride a 30 min taxi, spend the evening on a lake, walk for 2 hours in nearby hills, spend overnight at a tribal village, eat dinner, play games, get up early, enjoy tea and breakfast, start the return walk, taxi back to Panvel and reach home by Sunday afternoon. Highlight activity of the plan – watch fireflies at night.

And this is what I ended up doing for my weekend – a rejuvenating dip in the lake, right before commencing the trek; a 3-hour night walk mostly in total silence and darkness (as I like to walk without torches) through well founded village trails; fascinating visuals of the fireflies during the entire walk – at times lightening up entire trees in flashes and at times sparkling their branches in symphonies; constant ransoms of fresh ‘aamraas’ (mango pulp) upon finishing the walk; spicy and tasty home cooked food in a tribal village; laughter filled memory games with fellow group mates; sleeping below a starry night sky; rising to the morning ruckus of the domestic fowl; a heat-tested trek back to civilizations; and then to cap it all a refreshing dip in that same lake with least intentions of getting out.

Couldn’t have wished for any more off a simple weekend plan. And even after all this, I still had an entire Sunday second half to rest and relax, with my mind stuck on the ‘platonic aamraas’ that never materialized. However, I have less to complain and more to cherish; the shared bonhomie of the group, the newer faces I came across and the unfailing promise of Nature – as it never fails to rejuvenate one’s soul.

Gripped with city lifestyles and materialistic pursuits, we often overlook the inner connections with our existence. Thanks for such occasional departures lest we forget our love for Nature.

Regards,

Nevill Shah

A Poem by Vedant

After my exams, I thought of relaxing my brain,

To keep it fit,healthy and sane,

The next thing I did was- boarded a train.

My plan was to go for a trek,

With enough water that would refuel my neck.

We were a group of 8 people,

And our common aim was to climb the steeple.

We were walking on the tracks with eyes as sharp as an eagle,

Dodging all the stones that were coming in the middle.

The trees were waving their flags in glee,

While watching those one got hurt on his knee.

It was difficult for me to jump and land,

As the steps looked to be made up of sand.

If we slipped by chance we would have fallen into the valley,

With the path being as narrow as an alley.

The sky was complete blue and clear,

With flowers dancing in the wind looking so dear.

The steep climbs held the ladder,

While the walks were on tha lands which were more flatter.

The mountain had many carved and weathered rocks,

It was a rare sight to see shoes wearing socks.

The gusty winds had almost blown away my cap,

It was better not to follow the Google map.

Such a beauty the nature had got,

Which for a second made me thought.

Many people have lost their lives in war,

But this was the sight to die for!!

- A poem by Vedant Jogidasani

Date: 6th Feb 2021 - Hike to Peb Fort

Peb Fort Trek Experience shared by Tejas

I went to Peb fort for trekking on the 6th of February, 2021, with Parin Shah. I woke up at 4 in the morning, and reached the station at around 4:45. Then, I took a train up to Dadar. I met Deepika there, and we caught another train to Neral. This journey took around an hour and a half, and we reached Neral. There were two brothers, Vedant and Paranj, 10th standard and CA respectively. Vedant did not talk much, and Paranj is a witty guy. I also met 3 sisters, Sneha, Jaishree and Harshita. Sneha was afraid of all animals and whenever a horse or a dog passed by, she ran for cover. They were very jolly and we had a lot of fun. We ate outside the station. Further, we went to a point where the road met the train tracks via two taxis. There, we had a small introduction, some instructions were given and we did some warmup. A few moments later, our guide gave us a "demo" on how not to fall by showing us what happens if we fall (Paranj was not paying attention and he fell later ;) ). He cut his knee, and it was sore throughout. Credit to him for continuing bravely on the trek without complaint. Then, we reached a point on the tracks where a route was carved into the hillside, leading towards Peb fort. We followed this route. A minute into the trek, Harshita's sole came off, and she took an extra pair of socks and put it over her shoes. This jugaad saved the day. Other than a rocky patch and a few scary ladders, it was relatively easy and straightforward. There is a beautiful temple on the top of the hill, with an amazing view and a valley on both sides. We rested over there and took a lot of photos. Then, we began our descent. Other than some scree, it was pretty straightforward. Furthermore, after reaching the train tracks, we started traversing towards Matheran. I found a lot of lovely, small, wild flowers and I took photos. Along the path, we saw a brilliant rock painting of Ganapati. Half of the route till now was very hot due to the brunt of the afternoon sun, but we all had something to cover our head, so it was not too big a problem. Paranj fell somewhere around here.

Furthermore, we decided that we did not want to go to Neral immediately, as the girls were very tired and we wanted to eat. The brothers however had things to tend to, and they left. Just after they left, we stopped to eat starfruit, kairi, and bor. This salted delicacy tasted amazing as we were all hungry. Along the way, we saw the toy train chugging along. Also, how can I forget to mention the horses and the monkeys. We stopped at an inn to eat. After eating to our hearts content, we rested there for some more time, and went to view a garden. We wanted to see the sunset, and hence we left for a lake in Matheran. Everyone needed some motivation from time to time, small doses of which were provided by me. In some time, we reached the lake. Parin took us to a place that was away from the other chattering tourists, where we had some quiet to ourselves. We cracked a lot of jokes, and had immense amounts of fun. As the sun went down, we saw numerous heavenly colors. It was calm and beautiful. Parin had a tarpaulin sheet on which he was lying down near the edge. The girls were terrified that he would fall down! After the glorious sunset, which I cannot describe appropriately in words, we returned to the market. I told a few stories about Shivaji Maharaj, which, I guess, people liked. By this time, since the sun had set, we had to get our torches out. The sky overhead was star studded. We took a shortcut and reached the train tracks back again. Then, we reached the taxi stand, from where we took a taxi back to Neral. Aboarding the train, we reached home. 

I had one hell of a fun time with these guys. Everyone was really sweet and no one tried any stunts while trekking. Every part of everyone' body was hurting, but it was worth its weight in gold. We covered over 20 to 25 kilometers in a day and trekked, night trekked, jungle trekked, stargazed and had a lot of fun! I hope that I will continue to have such amazing trekking experiences!

-Tejas Paranjape

Date: 6th Feb 2021