Natureful Songiri

Just now after watching the pics shared by Rahul, I felt like writing the blog. He has captured the entire trek so well and so beautifully... that I am back into trans mode re-ascending Songiri :)

Yes. Songiri is a small hill in Karjat area near Palasdari. Nevali is its base village. As always Amol found it out and rest of us followed. I called it a small hill, because it took us 3hrs to ascend it and reach the top. And 3hrs for DHs meaning for a normal person it will be 1.5hrs... :P that is because DHs do a lot of time pass in photography and ascend very slowly :) And this time it was a loss of stamina as well. So it was slowers than the usual ascend. 

22nd Jun 2013:

So, I want to jump directly to the treking experience because I was very doubtful about my own stamina this time as I have put on weight and my BAU/routine involves 0 physical activity. So I am a total fatigue person now.. since last yr the time I have moved to LnT Powai workplace.

With all enthusiasm as always, I did my packing after reaching home on Friday night. And found that I am not able to find my rain jacket. So I pinged on HewittKatta and DH whatsApp grps and finally got one from Abhijeet. By the time I completed my packing it was 2am. And then I tried sleeping after putting the alarm on for 4am. 

I didnt know when I slept, until I heard my phone ringing 15mins earlier than the Alarm time I had set. I was surprised to see Reshma calling up. I attended and heard her voice almost after more than a yr. She was coming for the trek this time and she wanted shoes. I said I have it, and she was suppose to reach my home by 5am, and it was 3.45am now. 

Anyways, she had already woken me up, and I didnt went back to sleep, and started to get ready. 

Reshma reached my home on right time. Or rather Abhijeet (her hubby) dropped her at my home right on time :) The good or bad part this time was that, Mr. Amol (our all time trek leader) was not going to be with us, until we reach the base village :P..... so that way we had no one with a stick in hand banging behind us regarding meeting the timelines ;-)

So instead of starting at 5am frm my house, we started me and Reshma started at around 5.20am.in my car [Pls dont tell this to Amol :P ]

But we still reached on time to Belapur below Rahul's house at 5.45am. 

As per the plan (which kept changing till the last min), I was to park my car near Rahul's house and then Reshma, Myself, Rahul, Ankita (Rahul's wife) and Ninad were to start for the base village Nevali in Ninad's car. 

But Mr.Rahul made us wait for 45mins... below his house, !!!! God knows.. or rather only Ankita knows what he was doing... or rather what THEY were doing... 

Thank God Amol was not with us... else he would have gone MAD :) and HIGH possiblity that Rahul and Ankita could not have made it to this trek :)

But they were saved as Ninad, Reshma and myself were lenient and waited patiently for them.

Finally I guess around 6.30am or so, we started from Belapur in Ninads car. Point to mention is that for a change Ninad was ready and present on time. 

We were late and we were rushing. Reshma was getting calls and bashing from Amol on the phone :) for yet not reaching the base village. We were suppose to be in Karjat at 8am. 

From belapur we took the Mumbai Pune express way so tat we can go faster. Else we would have gone thru old high way. Then we took the Shedung exit and then straight on old pune high way.  

In the Car.

While the drive continued... clouds did some favour on us by showering. Though not whole heartedly. And Ninad played his boring gavthi songs....So all of us got bored and we switched to  my pen drive. 

Then on old pune highway, We took the karjat turn, and onto the Karjat Khopoli Rd....This road is very bad and under construction. Sooner came the left turn to Palasdari village and their local dam there. 

This road into Palasdari village is very narrow and on the circumference of the dam. The village is also very small. 

On the way, while in the car.

As per Amol's plan and instructions, from here we had to pass Palasdari village and station and then take the road to Avalas and Nevali village. But the villagers mentioned to us that it was a end of the road, and vehicles cannot go ahead. The villagers showed us the first glimse of Songiri... and it was just there... we kept seeing it already since long time, and didnt know that was it. 

So we parked the car in Palasdari village. Amol and Sumit(new entrant to DHs) had already reached Avalas village and were sitting near some Temple there. 

In Palasdari Village. The Dam behind. 

Having tea n Parle G

I called up Kishore to check where they were. Yes. there was another car coming from Pune with 2 more ppl viz. Kishore and Kiran. We gave them directions as to how to reach where we were and then we moved ahead in the village to find some breakfast. But we didnt find any. So just had tea and parle G biscuits from a local shop there. 

Here while we had tea... we came across a funny guy... who was very touched by the Vat Savitri festival which was there the next day, and pakofied Reshma :P

Later in 30mins Kz (Kishor) & Kiran arrive. And there we finally started to walk towards Avalas village. We were almost and an hr late. 

Walking over the tracks

Central line train.

To reach Avalas, where Amol was waiting for us, we had to cross 2 railway lines and walk for 15-20mins from Palasdari. And we finally met Mr.Amol Chaudhari and Sumit. Now our group was complete and it was 9am. 

Walking towards Avalas Village

Finally met Amol in Avalas village

We started our walk towards Songiri at 9am I could say. From Avalas to Nevali and then climbing up the hill begins. The hill is actually not that high. But taking in consideration our degraded stamina and 2litre water and telephoto lens and slr and etc and etc.. on my back... I was totally down with palpitations no sooner than 20mins from the begining of the ascend. :( I had expected this. 

Turn from Avalas to Nevali

Trek Started

Anyways.. जब हौसले बुलंद हो तो ..... bla bla bla bla.... got it na...

Nature kept motivation and driving me as always. So palpitations... sweats mosquitoes... sunburns... are all overlooked... :) Its only when I reach back home I notice all this.

If you see the pics in the beginning of the trek and by the time I reached the top, u will notice.. how badly I and we all got tanned. 

So now.... we were climbing up the hill. The ascend is actually not difficult. Its simply perfect for being the first trek of this monsoon season. Good Choice Amol.  

So here we climb up one hill, and then walk over the ridge parallely and then reach actual Songiri hill and then climb up the main top of Songiri. 

As it was a good enuf steep ascend, we gained the height very soon. And the railway lines and platforms and the Nevali, Avalas and Palasdari villages started appearing tinier. 

The clouds played hide and seek with us, and the Sun kept us burning consistently :( 

We kept walking hoping for some showers and cold breeze... dehydrating and saving water that we were carrying on my backs. Also we had had no breakfast. 

After one hr of ascend, we stopped at a place and unpacked our tiffins to munch a bit. But somehow I could not eat at that time. Reshma had got gluconD... that helped.

Once we reached the top/plateau of the first hill, it was a straight walk for few mins. This plateau is just like KAAS plateeau..Land was fully covered with flowers and greeeen grasss... and then Finalllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyy we had some cold showersssss.... felt really nice... 

Flowers on the plateau 

Flowers on the plateau 

Cloudful

Songiri visible from the plateau

We could see the Songiri peak approaching us.. covered in clouds... here we spend quite some time in photography and finding the right way up. Finally Ninad go it.

We walked over the ridge and then jumped on to Songiri hill and then traversed it straight and then again straigt steep ascend. Again here we were confused. Amol Kz and Kiran went ahead to find the right way up. 

This was a point from where we could see the top just in front of us very close, but it was very steep climb and were trying to get the right way up there. 

Again, finally Ninad went ahead and got the right way (which actually I had showed him :-P ) 

This last stage of climb is steepest of the entire route. But not difficult. It was good enuf to give the trekking feel. We could see the ruined fortification here. We stopped and took many pics and panaromas here. 

Finding the right way up

Climbing the last patch

Climbing the last patch

THE last patch

Last Patch and then on the top

A turn to be taken 

 It was BEAUTIFUlLLLLL...... Now we were on the TOP! It was 11.45am in my watch, So we took 2hrs 45mins to reach this point.

Reshma Ankita myself and Rahul did a lot of posing and photography and time pass here. While Amol Kz and Kiran & Sumit had moved ahead. 

The grass was greener & fresh like a new born baby. The wind had started blowing welcoming us on the top. The sun had taken rest and the clouds were creating the well deserved shade for us. 

We went ahead to reached were Amol and others were there. And that point was even more rewarding. 

And Now on the TOP.

The KING Seat - Kiran n Amol

 I saw Amol and Kiran were sitting on a stone which protruded out form the hill. I called it the KING SEAT. It was the of the type that I always keep looking and asking for in every trek.

We all sat down on the carpet laid by the lush green grass.... breathed in the freshest cold healing air and felt the content and rewards of all the efforts that we put to come up there :)

After a LONGGGGG time.... a trek completed and was on a place like this where I love to be.

We did some photography, and  started for our Lunch. All of us opened our tiffins. And attacked on it. I still was not able to eat it. So I had very little and drank good enuf water. 

Aakramannnn.....

 I had already announced that we are not going to start our journey back untill 1am. Because I wanted to live there on the top :)

After our lunch I occupied the KING SEAT. It was stone, on which I sat, released my legs into the valley... from where I could see the Palasdari Stn, the Nevali, the Avalas and the Palasdari villages ... the Palasdari Dam.. the railway tracks.. the tiny toy trains... the clouds foolind around... and on.. and on.. and on...

After spend some time there... absorbed the moment, the thrill and the views... and came back to where all were sitting. 

We all lied down with our tummy full (though not mine)... looked up in the sky, looked down in the valley... gazed the shorter hills around... and spend the time chatting... joking.. laughing... 

Suddenly the winds started blowing crazily... the grass on the hill.. moved so well with the wind.. creating nice patterns.. it was worth watching.  

और क्या चाहिए !!! .... इसी के लिए तोह Trekking  करते है  :) I was full content.

ok... like this the time passed, and it was 1pm. We started preparing for our descend. 

We were suppose to descend thru other way , which will take us direct to the Palasdari and we bypass Nevali and Avalas. 

Now... while we started and  were descending the 1st stage frm top, which is the steepest of all, we were touched by the coldest showers/ clouds and winds..... it was superbly cold... and rejuvenating... 

किती खुश करून टाकला आम्हाला पावसाने ....आनंदाने आम्ही बगडू  लागलो अस म्हटल तरी वावग ठरणार नहीं .

yes..... the TREK PKG was COMPLETE now.... rains made its attendance at right time, in right quality.

So while descending we trekked direct down from Songiri Hill itself. We didnt go on the other hill, which descends to Nevali village. 

So, this descend was shorted, but steeper. Again Ninad was very instrumental this time and keen too... in finding this way down. Though at one point, we could have got lost - had we followed him :) 

On the way down, we took as usual our trade mark pics...i.e.e JUMPING pics. 

Within less than 2hrs we reached the railway tracks near the tunnel post Palasdari. Then we walked over the railway line... keeping ourselves alert. This was the track of through trains the Pune, not the central line track to khopoli, hence the freq of trains was to be less.

After walking for I think more 20mins, crossing the local central lines track as well, we reach back to Palasdari village by 3.45pm. 

From here we went to Khopoli in 2 cars. Ninads car and Kz's car. @Khopoli .. Ninad took us to the Ramakant Hotel, which is suppose to be popular for its BATATA WADAS.

We ate like dogs... in there. I ate 3 wadas... and they were big in size, spicy in taste. The batata subzi inside was white in color, not the yellow color as usual. 

And then from Khopoli... Kiran took Bus to Pune, Amol and Sumit took a bus to Panvel, Kz went to Pen in his car, and rest of us in Ninad's car came back to Belapur. 

From Belapur, back into my car.. Reshma and myself, reached Govandi by 7.30pm.

There I was back home ... from a wonder trek after many months carrying back no pains and sprains.. and only loaded with naturefull memories and pics.

Thanks Amol... once again... for arranging this trek.