Trek Dates:- 24 to 26-Jan-2009
16 members from Deccan Trekkers have successfully completed DT’s first trek in Sahyadris to Rathangad. Let’s read what Snehal, a first time trekker with Deccan Trekkers had to say about this trek …
We planned to cover Ratangad and Harishchandragad in a span of 3 days from 24th Jan to 26th Jan, with the gang of 16 people (14 guys and 2 gals among us). Out of which 7-8 first time trekkers including me. This was our first trek in Sahyadris. Our plan was to reach Ratangad first, stay there for the night, next morning descend down and proceed to Harischandragad via katrabai pass (though it didn’t work as planned).
We started from Hyderabad, gathered at Secunderabad station, where food packs were distributed. We boarded 6.00 PM Ajanta express on 23rd jan to Manmad. We reached Manmad on 24th by 7.00 AM. Everyone got freshen up here and we packed our water bottles, 6 liter for each person as well our breakfast (All- time favorite Mumbai food Wada Pav though it was not good I loved it as I tasted it after a long time). We have taken tea and few people busy in trying the hands on their own photography. After this adventures journey started to our next destination, which was Igatputi. We had a train at 8.30 AM for the same, by mistake out of 16, 13 persons tickets got reserved for 23rd date, and we realized this just few minutes before the departure time. Then Ragu and LSP with his twisted ankle rushed to get the ticket for the general class. Leaving 3 persons wth few bag packs in the reservation bogie few of us started walking towards the general compartment with our bag packs. On the last moment LSP and Ragu managed to come back with the tickets, I managed to get the place with my marathi and tried to get more seats for rest of us. Before nasik almost each one of us got the seats. We have taken our breakfast in train itself. We got down at Igatpuri somewhere around 10.30 AM, Everyone has taken the tea and few snacks as the breakfast was not sufficient. From here we were suppose to go to Shendi directly. But as we reached almost close to 11.00 AM in morning there were no direct buses to Shendi from Igatpuri bus stand.
I got the information from the tea stall that we can get the transportation only from Ghoti. Till ghoti we reached via auto We packed up our lunch from Igatpuri and packed bag packs properly. We managed 4 persons in 1 auto and paid 50 bucks per auto. From there we have taken a tempo kind of transport It accommodated 16 people. Which dropped us to Shendi near the Amruteshwar lake. It’s actually a dam. We reached the Shendi around 1.30 PM and we decided to take the lunch at Shendi itself and then start the journey via boat towards the Ratanwadi.After first time experience of travelling in tempo everyone got freshen up in lake water. We have taken our lunch (spicy sabji though) and pack-off around 2.30 PM. Before that everyone have made their glucose water ready and we boarded the boat.It was wonderful experience to travel in boat half an hour journey. The lake water was deep greenish, cool and still. It was an awesome view to see the Sahyadri hill ranges image in water. We reached to the Ratanwadi around 3.30 PM, we had a talk with one local guy in the boat he took us from the bank of Ratanwadi to the main village.We crossed fields, also the path that was full of magenta, violet colored flowers; it’s been another beautiful view to see fields covered with such beautiful flowers.
First we went to the Ratanwadi temple to take the darshan. This temple is almost at the border of the village. Then we hired a guide, actually guide is not need to Ratangad trek as its a simple straight route till top, but as we had a plan for the Harichandragad as well and there is no sufficient info on blogs we have hired a guide for combined trek by negotiating and managed to get for 800 for 2 days. Then we started our trek to the Ratangad almost around 4.30 PM, which made us sure that we will not be able to make till top before the sunset. Our plan was to reach the top before 7.00 PM. But I would say I would not have been so thrilling if everything would have worked out as per the plan. We could able to climb up to the 40% of the top by 6.00 PM and I gave up here itself. I was the last person to reach this point. Till this point a small puppy also accompanied us, I don’t know what attachment he had got with our group, he was not going back at all. Somehow we have shushed him off.
We have taken some rest here and started again we got information from the people going down, that there are some stairs after some distance. So everyone was relaxed that ok fine we have staircases. It was getting dark by then and we have started the trek in the torch light, we have divided ourselfs among groups and was very cautious to be in group and also be at the reachable distance from other groups.
The darkness was one of the most important factor because of which people like me (first time trekkers) were giving up at many points. Another point was we had packed the 3 days food items so bag packs were bit heavy. We reached the point where we have to cross the staircase, we shocked to see that it is a iron rod stairs and its shaking as well there is no proper sidebar. Amit was the first person that climbed up the shaking staircase, which doesn’t have sidebars that too he has done this without torchlight and with his bag pack, hats off to him.With great teamwork we managed to cross both the staircase and then we thought we reached the destination. But no we have to cross another narrow path where at a time only one person can go. We crossed this and came in small cave.Taken some rest here till the time everyone crosses the top and then we climbed to the top cave where there was already one college gang. There are only 2 caves. 1 big cave can accommodate around 25-30 people and other can accommodate 8-10 people. There is open space as well.
We reached the top almost by 9.00 PM, not bad 4 and half hours trek considering the darkness that too with 7-8 first time trekkers.
We got the settled in the cave and we got freshen off and taken our dinner. The snaffy roti and Rajama masala/Chana Masala never tasted so good to me at least. We got the desert as well at the hilltop the bun cakes (off course carried by me). LSP, Ragu, Guhan tried to start ghost stories and scare me while having the dinner but it was a flop show. After dinner everyone was so tired everyone wanted to sleep. But before going to sleep 5 people discussed, as they were first time trekkers and has opted for the option to go back to ratanwadi and then reach to pune somehow and not going forward to the Harichandrabad.We have informed this to the trek leaders as well. But the basic funda of the deccan trekkers is never split into the group and take the quick decision based on the situation. (Which I came to know from this experience, as I was also among those 5 members who gave up on first day itself).
I got very good sleep that night. Next day morning few of us got up around 6.15 to capture the sunrise from the cave. I cant explain the view in words which we have seen, I was speechless, its really worth to reach that top and see such a wonderful nature in front of your eyes when you woke up with rubbing your eyes. 3 sides of hill ranges are surrounded by the Amruteshwar lake. Watching and capturing the sunrise was one off the best part of this trek.Slowly everyone got up around 7.00 Am. We went and searched for the water sources on the top, we got few water kundas, from which we can use, the water for refreshment.
Once everyone back to cave around 8.00 AM, LSP and Ragu made a announcement that we are going to stay at Ratangad for one more day and canceling the plan for the Harischandragad, instead we will explore the ratangad and enjoy the camping in night. I was amazed so see that everyone agreed to this decision. Such a great gang, which cares for each and every individuals with them. As we had a lot of time by then we were relaxed. We have taken our breakfast. We also made our coffee off course individuals sponsoring their own 1-cup water, the milk powder coffee never have tasted so good.Almost by 10.00 AM we have finished off our breakfast and coffee and photo session.By now we were ready to explore the surroundings. As we cannot leave our baggages just like that in cave, we have taken a decision that somebody will stay back and rest will go. LSP with his twisted ankle opted to stay back and guard our bagages. Ragu was the first person to climb up the peak. He asked the group to follow the route and climb up. I took the wrong route and I was going alone by that way, where I saw a snake after which I could not climb up. Somehow I managed to go back to the cave. Other people have enjoyed climbing till the niddle hole point. Also while coming back they discovered the drinking water sources. Entire gang came back and relaxed a bit and we have taken our lunch. We have mixed rajama masala and chana masala together and heated it up. We also managed to toss our masala roties. It was such nice experience to eat the hot food. After Lunch some of us played the cards and few were just sitting and chit chatting. Meanwhile there also came another gang from NasiK, that gang has undertaken a good work to collect the garbage from the hill tops; they also had one snake friend among them. They catched one snake in bottle, which scared a laksmi a lot. Thank god I was not there to see another snake.This Gang occupied the half space of the cave and because of which we had to move into the inner cave, which was full off rats. That night at least me could not sleep, as rats were moving freely around us.
After 3.30- 4.00 PM in afternoon the gang of 6-7 people who could not reach till the peak point in the morning got ready to go to the top. Ragu has taken us via the way, which was almost like a footway, and easily walk able to reach to the top. Its bit lengthy though I preferred this. Before reaching to the niddle hole point we found another route, which is a proper stone staircase, which goes towards the village called sangamwadi/sangameshwar(don’t remember the exact name). These stairs are so proper that you can walk very easily. At last we reached the top most point. Which I never thought I will do it. Exploring the Ratangad top points we started our journey back to the Cave. While coming back we have seen Sunset view. Watching the sunset was one of the most wonderful experiences. While coming back we have checked the drinking water source, and collected some water. The water was so sweet and clear that we were able to see the bottom of the kund.
Meanwhile the gang, which stayed back in cave, has tried the same staircase, how risky it will be to go down. Lakshmi was one who was most scared of the staircase way, after this exercise she was very much confident enough to climb down. The time we reached the cave there were almost 3 gangs who occupied the open space below the cave as well. Then we realized it was almost kind of a picnic spot.
We have played a dumb Shiraz, I would appreciate Guhan for breaking all the english movie names, He has done a gr8 job and we could easily find out many movies.We have taken our dinner as Maggie. We thought of having bone fire at the open space below the cave, but as that space was also occupied we have dropped our plan. The second night was scary night with rats surrounding. Next day morning we woke up by 7.00 AM, got freshen off and taken our breakfast and bell rang for pack up.All of us ready to go back by 10.00 A.M. I was most worried about the staircase way as it was shaking and in night I could not the height but now I can easily see that, my legs were shaking.But as our bag packs were almost empty as we were just carrying our garbage, 2-liter water and other stuffs only. We have taken rest only at 2 points while coming down and then everyone realized it was a really a easy trek.Only darkness has added the effect. We managed to come back to village by 12.30.We came to know that the boat is already there and waiting for people, we have started to walk towards the bank of the lake. Almost 2-3 km. and we thought the boat will come any side but we were wrong some other gang occupied the first boat and we could not catch it up. So we decided to take the lunch and wait for the second boat, which will come approximately after 1 hr. After lunch and rest we realized that we are on the wrong side of the lake and we started to walk so that we will reach to the other side. It was so painful to walk after the lunch. We managed to catch the next boat, it was overloaded though 16 of us and 10 more guys from other gang. The small puppy accompanied us from the temple till the lake bank. We have given him some cheese slices. I don’t know he got so attached to our group, that when we boarded the boat and our boat started he was there and trying to just get into the water. I was able to see him for long time there.
We reached the Shendi by 3.30 and then we came to know that there is no direct bus, which can go to Pune. We have to rush to pune before 10.PM, as we had to catch the train to Hyderabad from there. With Amit’s and my marathi we managed to get 2 private cabs. 2000 per cab to reach Pune. As there was no other option we had to go with this. The 4 hours journey was very painful, as both the cabs were overloaded and no space to move your legs as well. We managed to reach the pune station by 9.40 PM and we boarded the Rajkot express. Had our dinner in train and got up in morning by 7.30-00 AM. At last we reached Hyderabad by 10.00 AM morning. Most of us got down at Hafizpeth signal stoppage, getting scattered for their own destination home sweet home, off course having the sweet memories of the 3 days and waving the hands to each other saying bye -bye and also plans for next trek in mind.
Overall it was one of wonderful experience for me with such a huge entho gang.
Experience shared by Snehal Kulkarni
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