Team-BHP - Mumbai - Lonavala - Rajmachi - Mumbai

Gang of Boys ( 14)
Avinash J, Avinash H, Bharat, Biji, Glenn, Harshit Imran, Malik, Milind, Nitin, Prashanth, Pradeesh, Vishwanath, Vishal

Part I – The Burning Train - 1st Aug’08

After almost 2 weeks of planning, hundreds of mail exchange and numerous
fanatic phone calls finally the day arrived - 2nd August 2008 - our first
night trek. The scenic rajamachi fort around 150kms away, from the concrete
Mumbai, we were all set to conquer it.

As per the original plan we all were supposed to meet at CST station at 9:00
PM sharp, to board a train to Lonavala, but plans are meant to be not followed. And we being no different did exactly the same.

But yes Avinash did stick to the plan and was there at CST at 8:00, nope don’t come to conclusions here - he is not punctual, just that his college was around the corner.Malik started calling me from 7:00 PM when should we leave for CST, I was still in office since Prashant secretly told me we catching the last train at 11:35 PM, Actually Malik was feeling the pressure from Avinash since that poor chap was alone at CST

I left my house at 10:00 PM and met Imran at Bandra station at 1030 and we reached Churchgate station at 11:10 PM, We then caught a taxi to CST and reached there by 11:20 PM

Was trying to reach out to Prashant & Vishwanath on their cell but they where busy somewhere else eating J

NOW Listen to the best part:-
Everyone (12 members) met at CST at DOT 11:30 PM

NOBODY had booked their tickets

The ticket counter was closed and the last train to Lonavala was there on the platform

11:32 PM we rush to the closed ticket counter and requested the counter to give us tickets, he said he cannot provide us with tickets since we will miss the train but somehow we managed to bargain with him and he gave us the tickets

11:34 PM We staring running towards the train which was on the 15th platform, Prashant the great was running like Michael Jordan!

11:34:45 PM at the nick of time we all managed to board the Train

Mr. Avniash Jadon was at Dadar station now we didn’t know whether the train will halt at Dadar and we requested him to drop off or come to Kalyan . Poor fellow was saying he wanted to come, then we started confirming with other fellow passengers and they said it might stop at Dadar and the train did stop at Dadar and we had Avinash too

Phew!! ! I loved this part of the trek isn’t it one of the best!! ?

Part II : Train Journey

We parked our bags on the racks and; half of the group was on Top berth and the remaining below

To kill time we decided to play Dumbshera, we had some excellent musicians who had brought their Flute along, you would have wished if you where born deaf because these 2 Vishwanath and Vishal where just too good with the flute, I don’t know how good they play their guitars though they claim to play it the best

As we continued playing Dumbshera turn by turn and when it was Prashanth’s turn we all had gone crazy he almost picked up everyone from the group and asked us to break up their name to reach out to some conclusion but finally we realized that it still didn’t match the movie name and we where just laughing and laughing but finally we did manage to get the right movie

The other group always targeted me since I was bad in dumb-shera but hey guys I have improved every time. .. . .

We had a lovely time playing dumb-shera and we reached Lonavala station at 2:15 AM

We all off boarded the train and we all posed for a Group Photo

Part III – The night at Lonavala Platform

As the plan was for a night trek the moment we stepped out of Lonavala station it was raining heavily and it was dark with no street lights and directions so we decided that we to spend the night at Lonavala station and then move towards Rajmachi early morning

We moved back to one of the platform and parked our bags on the vacant benches on the platform; few of us took some nap around

It was raining continuously with cool wind blowing, the sounds of the Train engines making it impossible for most of us to get a decent nap

And also the ladies cloak room was filled with men in the station and it was stinking!!

I was trying to get some nap but on the other side of the bench were Bharat and Pradesh discussing music and some blah blah, suddenly after some time I could hear the sound of camera click’s “Oh God this Pradesh was out with his sax toy and once again into his lustful act of clicking snaps” he also clicked few snaps of mine in the sleeping pose at the platform (I hope he doesn’t use some photography trick and show me sleeping with someone else)

Was unable to get sleep so got up and started listening to some music from Bharat’s ipod

Most of us where unable to get a decent but Bharat had a good nap around 5:00 AM

We gathered at 5:00AM over Tea and had some biscuits along with it

Part IV: - Our first step towards Rajmachi – 2nd Aug- 6:00 AM

Around 6:00 AM we decided to head towards Rajmachi from Lonavala , the moment we stepped out of the station it started raining very heavily and all with our bags we where drenched from head to toe

Some of them didn’t carry wind cheater and umbrellas luckily 2 of us had an extra umbrella but it was of little use
We walked for almost for ½ hr and halted under some shelter near the bus stop we could see a canteen there and went there

The waiter was confused soul we asked for Vada sambar he says that’s not there , Idli sambar got over some few where lucky to get others like me landed for the Missal Pav

We picked up some plastic bags and had our clothes packed into it since otherwise our clothes would have got drenched in the bag itself

We started heading towards Rajmachi around 7:00 AM once again we kept moving we crossed the Mumbai Pune Express highway from below and head towards the valley

After sometime we came across a broken monument we started clicking photos it had a big river around very gooood scenic beauty

A little ahead we halted at a water fall where some of them had a nice bath under the water fall and Pradeesh once again removed his Toy out and started his photography session

The topless dudes where all posing for Mr Gladracs from top and all where looking Studs

The trail was awesome greenery all around and we could breathe the fresh O2

In midst of the trail we came across a lot of small waterfalls, flowers, the sound of waterfalls, and just greenery all around

Around 12 we came across a small river where we had halted for a Tea Break and once again Vishwanath, Milind and Vishal where busy bathing, Vishwanath was like a kid just lying in the water.

We had also asked the Tea Stall guy to arrange food once we Trek down Rajmachi fort
We all posed for the photos but the poor localite used to always shake the camera after he clicked and finally one of us had to reclick the photo

In the whole journey from the start Avinash, Biji and me where always behind the group its because we where gossiping of the good old days, You must listen to Biji stories it was hilarious ( P.S - We where trailing behind because you will never see a shepherd leading the group from ahead)

We met a localitie and he said it will take 15 mins to reach the Rajmachi village but it took us an hour ( Looks like this localitie are used to this 15 mins std time , just keep a note on this localite I will let you know what he did us )

We had almost walked 20 KMS

Part V – Trek up to Rajmachi Fort from the village base

It was around 1 PM we reached the Rajmachi village base but Biji , Avinash , Imran , Malik and me where the last one to reach the village base
Seeing the Rajmachi Fort which was on Top of the Hill which 3000 ft high seem impossible for us to walk up but the localite said it you could reach up in ½ hr I was wandering HOW?
But then we had to move since if we would have stopped then it would have been difficult for the legs to keep pace again

We continued moving up and we where getting the feel of the white clouds touching our facing ! The climb up was very cool but the other side was just steep and scary
We could see some children climbing down approx around 100 school kids where there it was nice to see those now days

We reached the top 3000 Feet in a short span of 30 mins and the scene was terrific, beautiful, amazing,

The entrance to the fort had knee deep mucky water for 4-5 meters what a way to enter the fort

We removed some clicks there

We then moved on top of the Rajmachi fort and we could just see clouds around us all the photos just White Background, The scenery was one of the most amazing

The christening of the Group Name started here
Pradesh our ace photographer just uttered looking at the clouds it just looks like White Smoke and the Group will now be name “WHITE SMOKE” amazing name Thanks to Pradeesh Cheeerrrs to White Smoke

We started moving down to the base and near the entrance of the fort Pradesh slipped and his camera had a minor damage though its not a major one at all its repairable

We reached the base around 3:00 AM had our lunch at one of the localite place DAL , Potato sabhji , Roti and Rice AMAZING FOOOD ! !

Everyone had their lunch like good boys silently

Part VI 3:45 Trek towards KARJAT

We hired a local guy for 300 Rs to show us the way to Karjat

Imran , Prashant and me(as usual) walking at our own pace and we in 10 mins we where lost , We screamed AO AO no response , **** where are we now didn’t know what to do , Prashant called up Vishwanath but no clue where we have to go

We seen a heard of cows running our direction we gave way to the cows and from behind there was a she shepherd we asked her did you see some group going this way she said yes, She was blushing a lot I thinking Vishwanath had winked her on the way J ha ha ha

We found our way luckily Bharat and Imran waited for us

The trek down to Karjat started becoming difficult it was steep rocky slippery what not ! !

In between this guide said he is going now the Trek to Karjat would be just 30 mins now from here and he went ( Remmember I told you about a locaite who said it just 15 mins to Rajmachi base HE WAS THE SAME ****ER )

Our legs where badly hammered imagine walking from 6 AM , NO sleep last night ! !

It was getting tough for Biji every moment his shoe which had heavy and high sole was making it more miserable for him

We managed struggled to find our way down to Karjat , Thanks to Bharat and Vishwanath who where using all their brains and thanks to some sensible people who in the past marked the way with White Arrow marks making it easy and safer to feel that we are on the right path

In between we came across a cave I didn’t have the energy to go up there but there was group doing rappelling

Finally around 7:00 PM we reached the Base of Karjat

THIS IS WORLD RECORD ! ! ! 12 HRS from 6am from Lonavala Satation TO Rajmachi TO Karjat in just 12 HRS ! ! ! Almost 60 KMS in Just one DAY ! ! ! !

Cheers to WHITE SMOKE ! ! !

Part VII – Karjat back to Mumbai

We took a 12 seater Auto who literally robbed us he took 250/- for dropping us till Karjat
Some of has bad cuts at some wrong places you must see Bharat’s sexy moves after the trek
We all changed at Karjat station
We caught the train to CST at 830 PM and we all reached home safely

We all reached home safely we very good memories and new friends

CHEERS TO WHITE SMOKE ! ! ! ! ! !