[JoseVijay]

Beautiful place for trekking. Mesmerizing Pics. I noticed somethingelse also here: The High Tension Electricity Lines. That was some amazing engineering in those parts of the world.

[TaureanBull]

Beautiful trek and very good photographs. Good to see XUV in action.

Would love to see more photographs of XUV!

[Jignesh]

Helo SDP,

That is really quick work. You managed to process the pictures & post the complete travelogue here in three days.

Anyways the pictures & narration are good as usual & I am really sorry for playing a spoilsport & dropping off the trek last minute. But the burn injury was really bad & it still hurts.

Also need to appreciate KD for performing a fantastic role of trek lead & guiding you all through the trek route. Just a question, how did you managed to gather strength to drive your car after such a trek?

PS: The opening picture of your Car with beaming headlights looks really good.

Thanks,

[SDP]

In that group of 5, there were 3 DSLRs. So we can expect Arun and Kailash to share how the trek was from their own individual perspectives.

And mind you, those two are significantly better with the camera than me.

[Turbo_Torq]

Great photologue SDP. Fabulous shots, honest! captions with just the right dose of humor - you summed it up nicely.

I used to fret upon the idea of trekking up until recently (yesterday to be specific!) when I went on a quick trek with my relatives. It's cliched now with every other guy having trekked to some place or the other yet the triumphant feeling you get when you ascend to the mountain-top is nothing short of addicting.
So, had I known about it earlier, I'd have loved to join you guys as well.

[TaureanBull]

On second thoughts, I was wondering if its safe to leave the cars there for so long? Or was there some security? I saw a bus in the last pic while coming back.

What was the length of the trek?

[engrohit]

Oh man, I so wanted to join this. Nevertheless, I am sure there's another chance coming up soon.

Very good pics and excellent crisp narration with now well known humour.

Originally Posted by SDP

And mind you, those two are significantly better with the camera than me.

Well that's putting lot of pressure on those poor souls. Come on guys, post some pics so that we can judge whether SDP is only being Humble or what.

[Musaafir]

Very good 'hikelogue' SDP. Brings back the memories of my trekking in mid 1980s. We had done this trek in the summer of 1984 (on the way to Jeevdhan/Chavand) and then again in the monsoon of 1985 (enroute to Ratangad). The two journey experiences were totally different, so much so that the same route and place appeared like from two different worlds. Try this trek again in the monsoon and you will be amazed.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by TaureanBull

On second thoughts, I was wondering if its safe to leave the cars there for so long? Or was there some security?

I don't think there was any security or that it was needed. People there would have no inclination to steal from you.

[Cartman]

Flashback #1: ~ Mid 2012: "Climb around mountains and be happy that you've reached the top? Seriously? That is your idea of fun?" These were my words to a friend who was going on and on about his trekking experience. I didn't even bother to understand what he meant.

Flashback #2: ~ October 2013: [on the whatsapp group]

Dodge_Viper (KD): You guys should trek sometime. It is easily the hardest physical activity you'll put your bodies through.

Me (Being smug): I workout. I doubt it'll challenge me. Working out the legs is far tougher than climbing around some stupid mountains!

KD: No way, trekking is tougher!

Flashback #3: 21st December 2013 - Trek Day

We had conquered Naneghat. On our way down, we halted to catch a breath. I saw KD, sipping water, looking around, almost as tired as I am. I tell him "I admit. This is way tougher than hitting the gym for an hour. I'm sorry!" KD doesn't say a word. He looks and probably thinks in his head "Told ya!"


So, how did a fat guy swallow his own words in a single trek? Read on!


Trek ideas were flying left, right and centre. KD had just finished an amazing trek to Harishchandragad and was itching for another one by the year end. Jignesh was lauding his efforts on the group and casually asked him when he'll be taking us for a trek. "How about Saturday?" KD asks. SDP is the first one to confirm. Followed by me and Adi. Jignesh wants to join, but he's being held back by his family since he's got a terrible burn injury on his leg. Meanwhile, amansanc confirms he'll be joining us.

A day before the trek: The topic discussion shifts to something I LOVE! FOOD! We're discussing what food we should be carrying. The electral, glucon-d aside, we do need food, right? KD's gone out and bought some Theplas (More on that later), we get some corn and peanuts and cheese. Aman has purchased some cucumbers and tomatoes (which to my knowledge are still inside the plastic bag he bought them in).


Trekking Clothes - CHECK!
Hoodie - CHECK!
Shoes - CHECK!
Bandages - CHECK!
Camera - DOUBLE CHECK!
Food - DOUBLE DOUBLE CHECK!

We're packed. Locked and loaded. Time to set an alarm and jump out of bed the moment it rings.

Trek-Day 3:30am: I'm up. I'm not feeling sleep deprived even though I've slept only for a couple of hours. That's a good start, I say! We're ready by 4:45 am. We've managed to devour a sizable portion of Top Ramen. Tummy full. Time to pick up KD and Aman. (Now both of them had decided to come over to Mulund station. Also, both of them managed to board the first locals from their respective places.)

We reach SDPs place by 5:30 am and we're off to Naneghat. We're accompanied by trucks, trucks and more trucks. And a truckload of fog along the way. (Special mention to the Morimotos SDP has installed on the XUV. Amazing throw and spread!) One little halt just before we reached Naneghat, the silhouette of the mountains were amazing!

We reach the trek site. The first thing I tell Sanjay, "The gate is as wide as the car!". We drive in a bit, decide that the XUV can't go further, promptly turn around and park. Time for breakfast! YAY! We hog on some bread, spread and some cheese. Pack everything back in our bags, and we're ready to go.

And it begins!

I'm not really go into a lot of details of the entire ordeal but will share certain things that I noticed about my fellow BHPians

SDP: He's a powerhouse. I was awestruck looking at him keep on going. If there was a "star" of the trek, it HAS to be him. Also, perfect motivator.
adishenoy: He's my elder brother. 'Nuff said.
KD: I'm glad he talked us into doing this, It was well worth the sweat and the pain.
Aman: I have to salute this guys dedication. Getting up at 2 odd am to board a train from Vile Parle and to come all the way to Mulund is applaud worthy in itself.

Some pictures:
Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.


My first view of the destination- Nanacha Anghta


Some pictures of the "conquerers"

adishenoy


KD and his "Ekach Lakshya" pose


SDP with Nanacha Angtha in the background


Amansanc



Now, coming back to FOOD! Once we'd finsihed about 75% of the trek, we halted near the cave. And then 5 men gorged on food like savages. We managed to cook (??) up some weird food combos that day. I think the one that beat everything was thepla + sandwich spread + cheese spread + boiled corn + achaar (topped off with more cheese spread). Goes without saying, I was the one to gorge on this monster. BURP!




The final bit:

The coin pot


Posing next to the pot



Some random landscapes:

Originally Posted by SDP

And mind you, those two are significantly better with the camera than me.

Originally Posted by engrohit

Well that's putting lot of pressure on those poor souls. Come on guys, post some pics so that we can judge whether SDP is only being Humble or what.

SDP's going to make us all eat humble pie! I could barely walk uphill with carrying nothing in my hands. Sanjay managed to do it with a camera in one hand.


Coming back to why I swallowed my words:
Let me tell you this. Treks are deceptive. One moment you think you'll be able to do it, and the next you've given up all hope. It's not something you'd want to do daily. But to think of it, this is exactly what the human body was meant to do. We tend to underestimate what two arms, two legs and a slab of fat in the middle can actually do if you push it. More than the physical aspect, it's about pushing the limits with your mind.
It zaps all your pre-conceived notions about yourself. You'll find your arrogant self gasping for breath in a couple of minutes if you aren't paying attention.

That was a long one!

Cheers!
Cartman

[mohanKV]

Beautiful place, pics and experience. Will keep this location in queue for future trips. The vast landscape picture is the Best of the lot. Absolutely desolate and awesome.

[SDP]

Originally Posted by Cartman

....
Coming back to why I swallowed my words:
Let me tell you this. Treks are deceptive. One moment you think you'll be able to do it, and the next you've given up all hope. It's not something you'd want to do daily. But to think of it, this is exactly what the human body was meant to do. We tend to underestimate what two arms, two legs and a slab of fat in the middle can actually do if you push it. More than the physical aspect, it's about pushing the limits with your mind.
It zaps all your pre-conceived notions about yourself. You'll find your arrogant self gasping for breath in a couple of minutes if you aren't paying attention.
...

The whole post is brilliantly written. Especially loved the quoted portion.

Although I have used words like 'conquer', the truth is, trekking is really a humbling experience. As Adi mentioned, its a reality check about your overall health & fitness. And this was supposed to be a easy-grade/medium-endurance trek.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by Cartman

Jignesh was lauding his efforts on the group and casually asked him when he'll be taking us for a trek.
It zaps all your pre-conceived notions about yourself. You'll find your arrogant self gasping for breath in a couple of minutes if you aren't paying attention.

Hello Cartman,

Thank you for reminding. Yes it was me who requested Kailash to take us along with him on his next trek expedition. Unfortunately I missed the event due to burn injury.

Anyways, good to know that you guys had fun & also each one of you realized their true fitness levels. Given our lifestyles, we have lot more to do when it comes to our general fitness & energy levels.

Your pictures are getting better day by day, but what I want to appreciate here is your writing skills. I am eagerly waiting for join you all during the next trek. By the way here is my first experience with trek - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ndar-fort.html

Thanks,

[Desmosedici]

Awesome pics and narration. For starters we can go to Lonavala and do the Korigad Trek which is not demanding at all and can be done in 30 minutes. Later we can try doing Sandhan Valley near Bhandardara, Camel Valley near Igatpuri and Lohgad near Malawli, a little further than Lonavala.

[Dodge_Viper]

First an apology for the delayed response .

Brilliantly written as usual by SDP, and boy we just discovered another hidden talent of cartman apart from photograpghy - writing! Beautifully written.

First and foremost, I can see lot of references as me being the trek lead, but in reality I was always at the last thanks to my great stamina(!). It was SDP who came in his cheetah, hiked like a cheetah and then took us back in his cheetah .

Not much of photos from my side, and since it's beautifully narrated already, I am wondering whether should I pour in my 2 cents!