Chandragad To Arthur Seat : Life is either daring adventure or nothing

One fine Saturday evening when I was busy searching restaurants for dinning with my buddies , I received a call from zeenath , our treklead from offbeatsahyadri  , asking us to join for a pilot trek in the mahabaleshwar region .. I agreed instantly.

I was to join zeenath , priti (another trek lead from offbeats) and the group in panvel as ascend was from konkan region and descend in mahabaleshwar …sometimes journey from pune to Mumbai is more tiring then the trek itself ,but joining pilot trek with zeenath and priti was far more tempting …zeenath and priti have been trekking since last 4 years every weekend and sometimes even for weeks continuously …with experience of more than 350 treks , if there is anyone you would want on a tough trek with you its these two amazing trekkers ( we don’t recognize zeenath and priti as girls J)

So cought late night bus from pune at about 12 reached panvel by 3 ..zeenath  and vishal joined in from lonavla, priti had bought a vehicle . reached base village shelarwadi at about 5 in the morning ,even in the month of February it was dam cold

First destination was the chandragad and then we had to descend and change the route for Arthur seat (suicide point in mahabaleshwar). Chandragad from a distance looked more like a small hill but when we started climbing we realized how demanding it was …60% steep climb on a slippery soil and thorny vegetation …took 1 hrs to climb …we were accompanied by two villagers , one of them was just 12 yrs old boy Vitthal ..reached chandragad and sun was shining hot , climb has exhausted us a bit , biscuits and  water had to be consumed …vitthal showed us the further route ….”cross these two mountains …then one small mountain and we reach ghoti …just half an hour walk from then” ….. expanded eyes , mouth wide open  was our reaction …we managed sarcastic laughs …you must be kidding ..kid J

chandragad from top ..on the way to arthur seat

Descend was more difficult …one wrong step and you rech base much faster than everyone else J ..we slipped ,collided on numerous occasion  reached shelarwadi by 11am …we were told to reach Arthur seat before it gets dark …as jawali regionis famous for its leopards … the same region was  strong hold of Marathas …no outsider would dare step in this region because of its fierce and dense forests …we now knew the answer

sliding down the chandragad 

Started towards Arthur seat first 2 hrs were nice walk along the jungle but then we started climbing through hot and humid forest ..route was so small it would allow only one to pass …deep valley was on the other side ..one bad step and you are gifted to the forest forever .

electol saved our life 

Streams had stared to vanish as we climbed up …humid climate has started taking its tool …climacool shirt which I was wearing was dehydrating me at much faster rate …for the first time I saw zeenath getting tired and asking for electrol …I asked priti to turn back as it was almost impossible to reach Arthur seat before down ..but giving up is not what priti knows ..all of us were seasoned trekkers , I was the least experienced of them all …vishal and kedar (from mumbai)  have been trekking since ages , kishore is a seasoned rock climber and then zeenath and priti , most experienced of us all ….but the  jungle was far more experienced .

My lower back was paining , I had to stop for water after every 100 meters ..sleep deprived body was deteriorating at much faster rate ..but we kept on walking … I felt like killing priti for not turning back …we were about to commit suicide …vishal kept encouraging us …vithal and his other mate were busy walking ahead ..while we kept on consuming gallons of water they didn’t had to take even sip of it ….vithal told us he does this everyday and takes just 1 and half hour …we had already taken four

He kept telling us ..”ghoti is just nearby”  , we started imagining having tea and nice lime juice in one of the houses in village ghoti …vitthal kept nodding his head and smiling  …jungle  was so dense , we had to use long knife ..called koyata in marthi to cut the branches and tall grass …finally after 6 hours of ascend reached ghoti …and ghoti is not a village as we have dreamed …just a point :P …”few days back a leopard followed the villager back to his house from this point” , waw what a great time to tell such a tell

At ghoti took a much needed break …slept for just 15 minutes …zeenath told me that I slept as if I was dead …fresh air after long long time …cold wind …and from nowhere a huge quanta of energy surged in my body …I was up and ready to trek once again …all pain has vanished …mountains are just amazing , they try to kill you one moment and love you back the next , you just need to keep faith in them …they wont let you die so easily J

Arthur seat was now visible …still far far away …and it was already 5 pm …few more minutes and sun would start going down …and now there was no visible route ..just dense forest …much denser than what we covered till now ..branches so thik even koyata was not much effective  .. I don’t know how many snakes we stepped on , how many wild animals saw us as their meal …and then nature has opened its own defense …plant with thorny leaves …thorns like needles …the moment you touch them give you pain as if thousand ants have attacked …and pain vanishes in next 5 minutes until you touch it again J

still far away ...arthur seat from ghoti

Now only last patch was remaining …one steep climb and a small rock patch   ..we were covering distance real fast now ..we didn’t want to dine with leopards that night , we were running out of time sun has already started going down ..last rock patch was 10ft atmost but even that tested someone like priti …for the first time people of mahabaleshwar saw someone coming up from the suicide point J …astonishment was on everyone’s face ..just before than last sun ray we reached Arthur seat …we had done it ..our driver asked us “you really climbed that route ??”

Finally after 9-10 hrs of tremendous ascend we had completed the trek and smile was on evryones face and priti said “ I was not sure if we will make it till down ”  :P …but that’s what great leaders go …even in dismay never let their team down …hats off to zeenath and priti J