In the previous post you read how Raghu and I summited the highest peak of Maharashtra named Klusubai. I'm here to recon the route of a trail race. I want to build a route here about 60 km long on which trail races can be organized in the future. Today is the third day of my stay in Bhandardara under Nashik district of Maharashtra and today I have to finish the recce of the entire route in a single day. I have drawn the route on the map but have never seen it, so Raghu will be with me even today and will help me in finalizing the route.
Just a few kilometers after leaving the dam built on the Krishnavanti river, today again the leopard's paw marks were seen on the way. We saw the mark, talked and clicked photos and headed towards Bari village. The sun is already strong at 8 in the morning. Bari village: We reach Samrad village from where we can see Ratangarh mountain. Till now we have walked about 11 km and now we have to leave the road and climb the mountain.
The sun is strong and the water brought along has also become very hot. I feel like drinking ice water. Reaching the base of Kalsubai range, we start slowly climbing up the mountain. Due to the strong sunlight, the black colored mountain here has become very hot due to which we can feel the hot steam on the whole body. After walking 24 km in 6 hours, we reach Alang-Malang and the base of Kulang mountain. A lot of tourists come here but today we did not see a single tourist.
Stopping in the shade of a tree, we dry our sweat and look at the valley below. Below we can see Bhandardara Dam from where we came here. Moving further, we enter the fort built on Ratangarh mountain, which was built when India was under the British. Seeing the gate made of huge stone rock provides a very supernatural experience. After reaching here, I feel the temperature is a bit fine...maybe because of the humidity present in the fort.
Coming down from Ratangarh, we see a temple of a local goddess where we move ahead with folded hands. By the way, Raghu had told me the name of the goddess, which I do not remember at all. The cave present here in which the temple is located is oval shaped and while standing inside the cave, the view in front is very beautiful. We sit here for half an hour, dry our sweat, drink water and leave again. Raghu says that there is water a short distance from here, we will refill our water bottle there.
After about 3 km, we reach a water pond, seeing which Raghu quickly starts filling his water bottle while I start asking him a lot of questions about the cleanliness of the water, to which Raghu just says, “This The water is coming from the womb of the mountain… drink it, nothing will happen”. Believing what he said, I also fill my bottle and wet my head.
Now we are crossing Madan Khind so that we can reach Pabargarh via Samard village. It is 3 o'clock in the afternoon and the sun will set in the next 3 hours. Saying this, I increase the speed a little. Raghu says that you walk very fast and do not even get tired, to which I say that I live at 2450 meters and stay there and train to walk, that is why I am able to walk so fast here, but the heat of your place makes me feel bad. Wants to kill.
Via Uddavane village we reach the base of Pabargarh where we see some local women who are going to cut fodder for animals from the forest. On the way we see a well from where the local motorists draw water to irrigate the fields. And finally we succeed in tracking 50 km. Along with 50 km, pinkish redness has also started appearing in the sky, which means that sunset is going to happen soon.
Well, now there is no need to worry because there is about 7-8 km left from here and the entire route is going downhill, so now we walk while enjoying the setting sun. From the top of the mountain, Bhandardara Dam is shining silver on the earth. After another 2 hours we finally reach Shendi village where Krishnawanti Campsite is. As soon as I sit, I start vomiting and after a while my stomach gets upset and I have to go to the toilet again and again.
Raghu is making me drink lemon water and I am telling him that the water we drank from the mountain did not suit me at all. At night, while eating fruits, I say that today has been a very long day, to which Raghu says that I have walked 58 km today for the first time...before this I have trekked only 21 km. We both laugh a lot looking at our sore feet. That's all for today, see you in the next post where you will be told about some other village. Till then stay healthy and keep smiling.
Disclaimer: This post is originally written in Hindi and I have used Google Translator to tranlate the Hindi text in English. All the photos have been clicked by me from GoPro 4 and edited in Lightroom/photoshop.