नवसकाळी २०२०

।। श्री आशापुरी देव्यै नमः ।।

In early days of calendar year 2020, Covid-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic was declared. It was soon followed by worldwide lockdown and consequentially, trekking to all mountains / forts / hills was banned.

Last year, had started with this activity of trekking all days of नवरात्री, at 9 unique locations. "Can it be continued this year?", "Will there be 9 different options available?", "Will anybody join 👥?" were some of the uncertainties. सिंहगड was relaxed, but only on weekdays. तळजाई was allowed, but only from the west. And probably, खंडोबा टेकडी was never tagged 'prohibited'. Any other place was off the radar.

नवरात्री नवसकाळी.. 9 days, 9+1 hikes

वर्ष दुसरे, २०२०

Day Grey 📖, तळजाई: With its east entry gate ⛩️ closed, this flat hill-cum-jungle was still accessible from the other / this side. Heavy rains 🌦️️ in the last days meant some parts were slimy and few trees 🌳 had lost their balance. But abiding to the forecast, it did not rain during the schedule to make matters worse. जंगल में मोर 🦚 नाचा, किसने मैने देखा, a creeping snake 🐍 and birds ️🐦 🕊️ in varieties, were some of the highlights of today.

Day Orange 🍊, खंडोबा टेकडी: Unlike yesterday, I was not to be alone today, but the comrade was slightly off schedule and also went a bit in another direction. Also, being a Sunday 🌞, it's a no-brainer that it would be crowded out there, but that was still an understatement. So every next time, it will be any but weekly bank holiday. Having had to wait ⏸️️ atop, savored salient view of the target for next 5 days while also encompassing the adjoining hill, that is hardly any away from k2s pave. Yes, 'home to सिंहगड (via खंडोबा टेकडी)' is now on the charts.

Day White 🦷, सिंहगड: Living upto the color of the day, it was all cloud ☁️️ cover, as viewed in any or all the directions. Significantly, nothing beats the moment when clear enough weather provides glimpse of गडांचा राजा, किल्ले राजगड ⛰️ and स्वराज्याचे तोरण, किल्ले तोरणा 🚩 in the south-west, as distinct islands 🏝️️ floating above the white.

Day Red 🚨, सिंहगड + potato point: One of the weekdays had to comprehend nearby potato point, which has always been a special attraction, given its windy nature and having a rock-carved 🗿 शिवलिंग at the top of a potato 🥔 shape, 12-15 feet diameter. Certainly, it was to be a full-grown grass 🎋 hike, it existing as a less known / commuted point and the time period being lockdown-in-monsoon types.

Day Royal Blue 🧞, सिंहगड: It's not perfect (nobody / nothing is) but accuweather 🌀 🌡️️ is far more accurate (as its name suggests) than any other application / website that predicts any such immediate future weather conditions. Following those pointers everyday, also (other reason to follow) helped a lot in not including evenings, which indeed, turned-out pouring ⛈️. Aside, Wednesdays are new Saturdays for some of the regular सिंहगडites.

Day Yellow 🧀, सिंहगड + circuit: For sure, it was not going to be the same to-n-fro on all 5 days at सिंहगड. As was Tuesday's potato, today's diversity was descend via deserted smooth-n-clean घाट रस्ता 🛣️️, the routine exercised to welcome new year since last 2 ✌️️. But this time, all it added to the regular routine was only 45 mins 💪. Another reason behind going long today was - Thursdays have always been crowd-wise spoilers. Yet it had a nice-to-meet-you factor with co-founder of Swachchand Adventure Foundation.

Day Green 🐢, सिंहगड: It's well known that during नवरात्री, many people 🎎 trek सिंहगड on all the days (Yes, this time including forbidden weekends. Trick was to reach the base before 4). Implying, the crowd would get heavier. Indicatively, 'should evenings be considered?' struck. But, having production issue and a product release along with budget 💶 discussion for next year 📆, makes it all-but-easy, to plan anything for the later part of a working 👨‍💻 day. So, devoid of choices, the planned 'नव सकाळी / संध्याकाळी' got itself transformed to नवसकाळी 9️⃣ 🌄. Nonetheless, today's evening observed a bonus round of सिंहगड, as a colleague could not join any of the mornings. Read (रेड) above about pouring evenings 🌧️️; today was one well prepared ☂️, when city 🌃 was dry as if other hemisphere.

Day Peacock Green 🦚, खंडोबा टेकडी: No, today was not a Sunday, and it worked in favour of undergoing relatively negligible 🚷 mob.

Day Purple 🧃, तळजाई: That's when you miss your regular trekking shoes 👟 the most (due to Friday evening). Easily, Coasters aka CTR are value-for-money. It seemed to have heavily rained here last night, and yet, its ajar gate meant today were less chances to witness any fauna at तळजाई. Most importantly, nothing better could have ended the 9-day streak, but उकडीचे मोदक 🧄 and मटार करंजी 🥟.

Barring the bonus trek, it was overall 4398 meters of elevation gain, a few inches 📏 short of half Everesting 🏔️️ (more details on Everesting in this SRT blog), while covering 83.5 kms of feet 👣 distance during 9 days of colors' celebration, till विजयादशमी..

Be silly. Be kind. Be weird.

There is no time for anything else.

Valley of Flowers

।। श्री आशापुरी देव्यै नमः ।।

Valley of Flowers.. Himalayan, where rivers never give-up

Utilization of the newly introduced WhatsApp feature of status updates, helped in finding new friends as trekking companions, which I must admit, is, if not impossible, at least, not an easy 😔 task. One of society 🌇 members then asked, "We are planning an easy grade Himalayan 🏔️ trek in August, care to join?". Given its unpredictable weather, there is never and nothing easy in Himalaya. We'll shortly come to that.

Even thinking about exploring the new horizons, especially at higher altitudes than Sahyadris, pumps-up the adrenaline 😍. And so, started the research. Recognizing it as nothing-to-worry-about, let's-go-for-it, I signed-up.

August 2018

The least we knew anything about कांवड सावन यात्रा that stalls everything happening / not happening in and around हरिद्वार 🕉️, made us 😟 nervous enough on options to reach our base camp 🏕️ at ऋषिकेश. Thankfully 🙏, it was one of its last days. Otherwise, earlier batches took beyond eternity as to what is needed for 20-22 kms, had many just walked.

Evening was well spent at the bank of enormous, pious and enchanting Ganges, also privileged with गंगा आरती 🕯️. Next day was a road 🛣️ journey from humidity to gelidity, towards the mountains ⛰️, through valleys, along the river अलकनंदा, followed by another evening encashed at holy temples ⛩️ of जोशीमठ, catching and capturing 📷 love-at-first-sight views of the surrounding ranges.

The following day, we had another short road journey along the same river, to the north ⬆️, गोविंदघाट, from where we were supposed to be on our own. Handing over our luggage 🎒 to mules 🐎 and always aware that the first 4 kms (till पुलना village) can be arranged, we had 2 group opinions 🤼‍♂️ if to avail or not. While one was trying to convince the other, we agreed (few reluctantly) on our way up, all 13 kms by feet, along लक्ष्मण गंगा, to our camp for the next 3 nights, घंगारिया. The path 👣 was well trodden, built to comfort of pilgrims; and views were, needless to mention, mesmerizingly beautiful 😇. The second half (after भ्युंदार), as is usually the case with any mountain, be it Himalaya / Sahyadri, was steep, and steep like anything 😓.

Valley of flowers, Legge grave and not-to-be-missed river bed were on the charts for next day. Beauty of this region is its variety 🌸🌷🌼🌺over time ⌚ and space 🏞️. In the midst, it also has a grave ⚰️ of Joan Margaret Legge who had come to India to study flora of this spellbinding National Park but had died doing so. Then, the river bed made to the pick of the day, clutter free, smoothingly chill and refreshingly sedative.

Next day was to be (+ लक्ष्मण मंदिर) हेमकुंड साहिब, the गुरुद्वारा, the highest point of this expedition at an altitude of ~4200 meters, open only 4 months a year. After ascending a steep slope of more than 1200 meters in this weather and altitude, as if we had rightfully earned it, we relished ourselves to mild gurbani 🎼, sweet prasadam and much needed लंगर. Although we had heard about it, it was jaw-dropping yet to discover the sikhs 👳 dipping themselves in the adjoining, ice-cold, हेमकुंड lake, when we were shivering in our jackets 🧥, gloves 🧤 and mufflers. Having spotted the state flower, ब्रह्मकमळ, postponed any possible disappointment to the later point of time. And thankfully 🙏 again, the weather 🌥️ had very much favoured us till now.

Next destination was further north, बद्रीनाथ, after descending the same, first day's route from the other side, from घंगारिया back till गोविंदघाट. And so it happened. A landslide and roadblock at लामबगड was awaiting our arrival 🛬. It was imminent 🤔, not everything can be so perfect. This meant either we return or stay in a गुरुद्वारा nearby to resume our journey as and when it got (less likely) cleared. Interviewing ❓ about the possible options to get to the other side, revealed us a small trekking route over the same mountain. We unpacked it all and packed only what was needed for 2 days, stuffed the rucksack in the bus 🚌 and carried a small backpack with us. In no time, we were heading towards बद्रीनाथ after descending to the other side of the mountain and hiring a local transport. Few were adamant and stayed back only to join us the next day as the road was cleared. The eventful day ended after visiting one of the चार धाम and warm hot HOT water bath 🛀 in one of its pools (कुंड).

Flag 🇮🇳 hoisting on Independence day at freezing बद्रीनाथ camp started the following day in high spirits towards our next adventure, वसुधरा falls. Attractions on the way included गणेश गुफा, व्यास गुुफा, भीम पुल and origin of सरस्वती river, from India's last village, माना. Fall of the ~400 ft falls was thundering loud. Slowly and intermittently we were delighted 😀 to have perspectives of snow-clad mountains 🏔️ from all the directions, which were most of the times immersed in clouds ☁️. This was nothing less than exceeds-expectations rating 🏆. 

The last day was then to hope least for another landslide. This time, we just had to walk that landslide prone area amidst the flowing water, trembling stones, a few falling rocks, all risk-free. 👏 Hope, there are better alternatives today. 👍

That ends in short, my first trek in Himalayan region in 🙇‍♂️ देवभूमी उत्तराखंड. Luxurious, spacious and well-equipped by Himalayan standards. 85 kms of feet distance with 3600+ meters of elevation gain in 5 days.

|| जय बद्री विशाल ||

मोरगिरी

।। श्री आशापुरी देव्यै नमः ।।

मोरगिरी.. the lost frontier or ?

One of the many ways to identify climb-able mountains ⛰️ is 1. to use Google maps 🗺️ in Terrain mode. 2. If a peak is surrounded by marked roads in two or more directions, there are high chances that it also has a trekking route paved to the top. 3. If there is no pin 📍, zoom in to check if Maps reveals more. 4. Learning about options (if there are multiple) and to work out a starting point🏁 then needs a bit of blog surfing, which also helps in realising if it is technical (needs ropes / helmet / harness etc).

One such discovery, a ruined fort, was lesser known मोरगिरी 🦚 in Lonavala region.

31 March 2019

Sujeet asked if the fort will not be a difficult grade, and can consider Advit (his 4 yr old young son) too. Will be a stupid waste to discuss and question his endurance 💪. Suggesting him based on my blog learnings, Karle family and couple of more joined for the adventure. Next time, when you read 'discovery' / 'adventure' like words, you'll know what I mean.

After the bumpy ride till the base at south of the fort (almost all the mountains have this unwanted feature - bumpy roads), we parked at a farm house 🏡 and kick-started. While all was good till we reached / climbed half of it, we least knew better was yet to come. Sarcasm! 😜

Came the traverse and we took left / went in the West direction, strictly according to the trodden route, downloaded from one of the blogs. Failing to observe an anticipated diversion to the top, even after going a few extra steps 👣, we gave up on West and opted for a U-turn ↪️. Time was to check for an open door in the East. We failed and gave up again. For some time, we rested on an open ground, Chhaya rightly suggesting, gazing at the waving flag 🚩 at the top, teasing and provoking us at the same time.

Definitely, we did not yet / never wanted to give up on the way to top 🆙. So, it was time to pull-up the socks 🧦 and explore. Redoing the West, diverting from the point where we were earlier / now expecting a diversion to the right, we decided to discover our way to the top, no matter what. Through the trees 🌳, their dangling branches and thorns, webs. After a while came the ascend without any sight of a walk-able option as we were surrounded by nothing but stick-like, dried-up, Strobilanthes Callosa. Ok, let's keep it simple - कार्वी. 🎋

With a Never Give-Up attitude, began the adventure through those white pegs, having Advit repeatedly moaning, मला हा गड नाही आवडला. After battling through the stems, we found ourselves over the East ridge, which means it was time again to go West towards the top. The ridge was relatively easier. Please note the use of word 'relatively'. 😉

Now we were facing a 20+ feet rock patch, another geographical structure not having a walk-able / climb-able option. Rahul and his height 🗼 managed to climb it, but was it worth it? Was there actually an option to descend from the West side (which we had missed earlier today)? After sorting it out, he pulled-up rest of us, one after the other. Soon, we were atop and celebrated the triumph 🏆 with शिवगर्जना.

In this all chaos, a friend on a short US trip was getting all notifications about our proceedings. Keep wondering why? I still am. 😏

Descend was (again) relatively easier, but still required cautious efforts negotiating the rocks, loose soil and Strobilanthes Callosa. After the descend till the traverse, realising where we had lost it, the U-turn we did, was hardly 10-15 steps away. 😢

Directly jumping to the end of story now. During all this, none of us got physically injured even in the slightest manner, which was an achievement 🥳 in itself after all the adventure we had. Only thing we lost was Yojana's bottle 🍾 full of besil seeds (सब्जा) soaked in water, and the time ⌛, which meant we had to drop our next activity involving तुंग fort (कठिणगड).

All is well, that ends well जे म्हणता ते हेच. 🙃

PS: If you ever wish and plan मोरगिरी (from south), when at traverse, keep going left, till you observe a small white signboard indicating 'go right'. Hope, it is still there.