Trek to Gorakhgad: 1st November 2009

Its been long that we (My Welingkars friends) were planning for a one day trek to someplace nearby Mumbai. We planned out many times in the monsoon but unfortunately could not go anytime due to tight lectures schedules all monsoon.

It was high time as the college was coming to an end in the next 2 months and assuming that we will not have any free Sunday, we (Myself and Mihir) finally made up our mind to bunk the least possible lectures and go for the trek. Looking for some professional group for trekking, we selected a group called Nisarg Braman who was going for a trek to Gorakhgad Fort somewhere near to Kalyan.

The same was then posted on our Google Group sharing the whole idea and plan. The response to our post was very disappointing as many of them did not want to miss there lectures and there were just 6 replies in total namely Myself, Mihir, Priti, Shweta, Chandrashekhar and Ranjit. Not affected with the response, we still decided to stick with the plan.

The gathering time was 6.45 am at Dadar Station early morning. More sadly, Priti, Ranjit and Chandu pulled off leaving 3 of us for the plan. It was too late to call this plan off, so we decided to continue inspite being just 3. And how can you expect late comers like us to reach on time ;) we reached not before 7.00am and obviously…..we were the last one to arrive at the point :) We must be 15-16 people catching a train from Dadar towards Kalyan. More people joined just in the way and now we were 23-24 people.

The mood was all set as we reached Kalyan and then catching a bus to Murbad. Singing Songs and few PJ’s , we reached Murbad.

Hey hey did I forget telling you my state going for the trek??? Well let me start with saying that this was MY FIRST. Frankly though Mihir made an effort posting details of the trek on the group, I never really bothered reading it! And agreed on it just for a sake of fun and adventure. I thought it would be a nice little experience and adventure going for the trek. But it all happen to change!.......

Ya… so we reached Murbad and has our breakfast there at a local hotel. The base camp was still a 10-12 from Murbad and so we got into a local jeep which took us to the base camp. This helped as during this journey in the jeep we started talking to other group members, the girls to be precise ;)

Reaching the base camp, our leader Rohit gave us a quick Introduction about Nisarg Braman . Then we all introduced ourselves to others in the group. Moving quickly ahead , we began our climb upwards to the Garakhgad Fort. We were 27 group members then.

Walking through the not so tall plants and bushes, I happen to realize that the path we are walking through is not manmade but is actually a channel through which the water must have rolled down during the monsoon.

In the next 5mins all of the group got scattered as few went far ahead moving fast and few were slow to be left behind.

It was just the start and I was already grueling the way up. Me and my PJ’s made sure that the people along enjoys my company. On the other side Shweta along side me, with Mihir a bit ahead.

Moving about 45min ahead, I was already breathlessly perspiring like anything. By this time Mihir was far too ahead and Shweta walking in front.

Another 30 Mins and I could see few of the members standing ahead, I was happy thinking that it was time to take the first official breather but just as I reached they started walking again!!! I was like WTF!!! I was totally exhausted!

The climb got steeper and steeper as we climbed ahead for the next 30 mins. Finally we reach out to a small plain land where all the group members we waiting for us and the one coming behind us.. As this stage I was totally fagged out and sweaty.

I really thought it was an end to the climb, but I was wrong again. Actually It was beginning of the ruggedest path ahead. I looked up ahead and I could see almost a 90 degree climb up a Cliff. It was really challenging specially for someone like me who has Vertigo problem. Remembering the phrase ‘When you don’t have options you do amazing things’ there was no option but to move ahead.

I was slow and heedful climbing and did not dare to look behind of the height at which I was. From the above it was Mihir who motivated me to move up.

Its was really challenging as the feeling of Adrenal rush was taken over by fear of height! I some how managed to the top.

We were there! And more importantly……I was there. I could not believe I had done something that I would have dared doing if I would have know from the start. Now I really knew what is TREKING! And the real meaning of it!

Still fearful of the height that we all were on, I made sure I don’t look down too much.

More than the accomplishment of making it to the top I was more worried about getting down. But with company of Mihir and Shweta and the other group members, I managed to enjoy my time at the Top :)

We then sat in a circle and shared our lunch.

I was fearful, but I knew the time had to come when we began climbing down the cliff. Now I had to face my fear, as I climbed down the cliff front faced, all I could see was deep deep valley. It was just one mistake between life and death. Thanks to Mihir and Shweta who helped me coming down. The only motivational thought coming to the mind that time was that, it was just the cliff as the rest of the path was not that difficult.

(Trust me guys there were few moments when I thought I almost fell down but thankfully it did not!)

Reaching down the cliff, I was relieved completing the cliff climb. But as I thought the rest would be easy, I was wrong again! The slop downwards was also difficult as it was slippery and shoes found difficult to grip the surface. Now it was Mihir, Me and Shweta along with 3 others were coming manag trying not to slip down. But dear Shweta, she slipped trice coming down (hahahahahaahahahaha).

In the next 2 hours we were down back to the base camp. Waiting for us was the Lemon Juice. Within 15mins all the group was down and we all giggled sharing our of falling coming down the mountain.Thankfully I and Mihir did not had any ;)

Getting into the Jeep again we were on the way back to Murbad. By the time we got down, the sun was already down and we await for the bus in the dark. Finally waiting for about 30 mins we got into the bus reaching Kalyan in the next 1.30 Mins. It was 8.30pm by now and we were all tiered and wanting to reach home the earliest.

Deciding to change the route, we three then took train from Kalyan to Thane and thereby getting into the bus directly to Borivali. The tiredness could be seen from our faces, as we hardly talked during our way home. Finally we were at home, by the time we reached it was past 11.00pm.

Not doing anything else , other than undressing myself, I was straight on to the bed.

Also would like to mention that that night was full of dreams of me falling off that cliff….scaring me to death!!!!!!!!