Here are the snaps -
And those who are patient enough to read
the whole thing here it goes-
Finally a long cherished dream fulfilled -
to trek in the dense jungles of the Koyna Warna basin on the Ghats
between Chiplun and Ratnagiri. I had to do it solo due to lack of company and
postponing this plan for almost 3 years. Thanks to Savio who helped me a lot to
plan this trip.
I stared on 25-Oct-08 on my bike to Koynanagar via NH-17
(Mumbai-Goa highway) which would be my first base before I venture into the
unknown dirt road to a small village Patharpunj which is off the main Chiplun
Karad road via Kumbharli Ghat.
The dirt road is some thing to write about
and exactly the type on which I would like to ride all day long. It started at
the base of a hill and within some time climbing through dense forest came to
the mountain top which was a huge plateau and gave a good view of the
surrounding mountains. After some time again it went around the huge massif
with the route being densely forested and very bad and rocky at some stretches.
Finally after some asking around I reached the Patharpunj village which would
be my home for the next 4 days.
It was a nice little village with around 20
houses. I fixed my place to stay and the guides who would be with me for the
next 2 days for my trek. After which 2 boys showed me around the village. It
was a nice guided tour indeedJ.
After having a simple meal of Aloo Dal, Bhakri and rice at 7:00 pm it was time to sleep.
Next day we left early at around 7:00 am with the 2 guides Raghu and
Pandurang along with 2 dogs who would warn us about any danger or wild animals
nearby. This season I was the first
trekker to have come there so the trails would not be well marked due to the
overgrown jungles during the heavy monsoons there. All the more fun I thought. I
was all enthu by seeing that finally a long cherished dream to trek in these
dense jungles would be fulfilled.
Initially the route out of the village was
well marked. After some time the fun started. We could only proceed further on
gut feel and the guide’s previous experience. The route alternated between very
thick jungles to a walk in the open plateau full of overgrown grass. Pandurang
had to use his sickle many times to cut the route for us due to the creepers
and overgrown bushes blocking our path. The walk through the thick jungles was
very satisfying with almost no sun reaching the ground, cool breeze blowing
with the typical scent of forest and very clean air to breadth.
We also spotted around 7 Bisons (Gaur Yeda
or wild buffalo as the locals call) but unfortunately they were very quick in
running away into the jungles before I could click a snap.
We finally reached the spot from where we
could see Parchitgad at around 10:00
am . That was a very good timing (3 hours) since we had taken a short
cut directly through the jungle which
avoided the tiring walk through 2 “Sadas” or volcanic stony waste which is the usual route.
We explored the ruined fort for about an
hour. There was an old temple at the top with 4 cannons. At the other side there
are 7 water tanks cut out from the rocks which have crystal clear cool potable
water throughout the year. The fort was full of overgrown grass and nothing
much to see except the ruins. But the walk through the jungles to reach it is
anytime worth it.
After filling our bottles from the tank we
started for the toughest part of the trek at 11:30 am . That is the track from Prachitgad to Kandhar Doh
waterfalls deep within the woods near the back waters of the huge Warna Lake
The jungles here are so dense that once
even though the gap between me and the super fast guides was around 50 feet I
could not spot them through the dense growth of creepers and bushes. I had to
call them out and by hearing their voice and estimating the direction was able
to catch up with them again.
It was a very long (5 hours from
Prachitgad) walk to Kandhar Doh waterfalls and I was almost at the end of my
cardiovascular and muscular endurance when we finally reached the base of the
water fall at 4:00 pm.
I relaxed at the campsite which Raghu and
Pandurang setup between the rocks near the waterfall. In the mean time without
taking any rest they took out their fishing nets and went traversing the river
to catch fish for our dinner and also to take some back to the village. I was
just resting my over tired legs, cleaning up the bloody mess of my legs due to
the leeches, and enjoying the lush green valley. It was as if the time stood
still – just staring at the jungles around and hearing the countless bird
chirping around the trees. An ideal getaway definition for me.
It was getting dark so we started preparing
the fish for dinner and also the good old MTR rice. After a quick dinner in the
dark it was time for much needed sleep. I was sleeping on a very flat rock away
from the camp fire but very comfy. But as the night progressed it started
getting windy and cold so I shifted to a very cramped space by the campfire
where the guides were sleeping and had a good nights sleep although my bones
and muscles aching to the core.
Next morning it was time for us to get back
to the village. But not before seeing the majestic Kandhar Doh falls, which was
just 10 minutes hopping through the big rocks from our campsite. I was completely
mesmerized by the beauty of the falls and the lush green surrounding valley.
Something like a Jurassic park movie setup. I just sat there and gazed at the
scenery for 2 hours without realizing that it was 10:00 am and time to move out, until Raghu came and told
me about it.
After a good 4 hour walk through very dense
forest and crossing numerous streams which invariably used to be our break
points for resting and filling up water, we reached Patharpunj village at 4:00 pm .
In between we took a break near Male
village where Pandurang got Desi daru to celebrate the success of our trek. We
all had a nice time sipping Narangi by a small stream sitting in the shade of a
tree.
After reaching the village all I could do
is layout my mattress and go to sleep. I was dead tired; you can say the most
tiring trek I have ever done. The whole evening and night went in resting and
recuperating my tired legs and knees which were paining a lot.
A small earthquake shook the whole village
in the evening when I was sitting on the door step of the house. It is a very
common occurrence there since Koyna region is a very active seismologic site.
The next morning went in resting and
sitting by the village school observing the village kids playing on the field.
When do we get such time in our crazy fast paced city life where we observe
some thing without any other thoughts in mind or any sense of time?
By 11:00
am I was again refreshed and decided to go for a short trek to
Bhairongad fort. There is a dirt road all the way to the temple (5 km) after
which the trek is only ½ hour. The dirt
road was as usual at its best with dense forest. The temple was under
construction and the eerie charm of the old one was absent. I was disappointed
and carried on with the trek to Bhairongad Fort. Within no time we reached the
col between the upper and lower fort. Instead of going to either of them (both
of them are in ruined condition) we went to the water tank behind the upper
fort and sat there for an hour just enjoying the valley view and the
surrounding mountains, Kumbharli ghat and small village down hill.
Evening was spent relaxing at the village
school and atop a hill from where you get a very good view of the Patharpunj village.
A very nice ending to one of the most difficult treks I have done.
Next morning I left for Mumbai with one of
the villagers who wanted a lift till Patan. I wanted to enjoy my last few hours
in the jungle so we went real slow taking lot of breaks and clicking snaps.
Bhaskar also showed me some good points from where I got some real good shots
of the landscape.
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