Sunday, October 8, 2017

Andharban - The dark forest

Beyond the hot sultry summer, when rain start to pour down the subdued droplets reminscing the sweet smell of the mud into our subconcious mind , the very Monsoon becomes a paradise for trekkers in and around Mumbai. One of such a paradise trek route is the Andharban trek (Andhar meaning dark  and ban meaning forest ) . While it cannot be categorized as one the most difficult it certainly can be rated  as one of the most fascinating treks in the shahaydris.

The journey has all ingredients of a dream trek with breathtaking views , numerous waterfalls, flowing streams to cross , waterpools , reservoirs, plateau, green meadows and a dense forest.
We started from Mumbai at midnight reaching our base early morning . Post freshening and a sumptous breakfast we moved to the start point of the trek. We were a group of close to 75 people from sky adventures. The entry point itself was a sight to behold  as One had to cross an overfilled reservoir ensuring that the shoes are wet and conveying that the next 14 kms will be an integral part of the memory. As we went higher the fog engulfed us subsequently clearing with magnificent views of waterfalls and valleys. The further trail led to walking in stream of waters and finally jumping in a natural pool  


The pools , streams and waterfalls soon led into a dense jungle . Deep enough for light view but with sunlight blocked. The jungle led to a green meadow plateau and subsequently a very steep downroad with only large stones to rest our foot one. This was the most difficult and longest part of the trek. The rains had started by then and by the time we reached the foothills we could see a stream in sight. With No water and very less stamina we all just sat in the stream giving ourselves a new breath of life. Further down just before the base there was a huge reservoir . At the base we changed our clothes and were soon filling our hungry stomachs with an aching appetite. The journey back to Mumbai was filled with just the sweet memories of the adventure .




3 comments:

ROHIT PATIL said...

Superb blog and amazing experinece.. must visit.

Sumeet said...

A genius use of words to make the reader feel the journey as it was... great work. Looking forward to join the next trek. ☺️

ROHIT PATIL said...

Extremely superb experience..don't mind visiting multiple time 👌🏃🧗👣