Hereby starts another feather on the cap – the series of my travelogues! 

Kalsubai is the highest peak of Maharashtra which falls in the Nashik district. The giant stands at 1646 meters above sea level and is unique in itself, whose base village is Bari. This was my first trek ever and I am glad I took this up.  

This event was organized by the ‘Go Adventure’ Team based here in Hyderabad. They are a bunch of amazing and wonderful sports fanatics with whom anyone can gel with in no time. The ‘Go Adventure’ Team had already split us into groups of two each with around 15+ people. There were four organizers, two allotted for each batch.  

We had to catch a train to Manmad on the evening of Friday which was the starting point of our journey. And then there were our organizers who introduced themselves to us. The journey became interesting once we had settled down. The organizers had planned everything well in advance, which I understood when they were trying to engage us during the travel. 

The base village Bari is about three hours journey from Manmad, via the Mumbai – Nashik Expressway. Being our first such trek [atleast for most of us], the sights were breathtaking for us and pretty usual for others. We reached Bari at around 1 10 pm after our breakfast. The weather had been cool and pleasant. We were all set and started our trek at around 1 20 pm. We crossed a small river bed and were headed to the start of the actual trek, for which we walked for a while. The views around had been breathtaking. There were so many small streams of waters flowing atop which made the views spectacular. The massive mountains had all been covered by fog throughout.  

This trek happens to be of an easy grade with the trail spanning around 4 km [one-way]. The initial trail was slippery owing to mud because of rains. And then it was rocky for a while. I was glad there were flat surfaces intermittently for it helped us relax for a while. And few took the opportunity to click pictures. I wanted to enjoy the silence and the peace around. And the weather changed after some time. It drizzled and became windy, which gradually increased. There were stair cased trails towards the higher points. We witnessed a lot many people climbing up and down, along with school going kids. It appears to be a daily trek for the shopkeepers here who mentioned they climb every day and set up their work at different points on the mountain. This was surprising to me. One of the reasons people climb here is a small temple on the peak, which seems to be revered a lot.  

As we climbed up, it was so magnificent to see the way we started and where we belonged at the moment. I could see the fog floating around along with the wind. It was all foggy on the top. It would have been even more exhilarating if the fog had cleared so that the entire view was clear. Nevertheless, it was awesome. At around 5 pm, we embarked on our way back. The descent was easy and completed in lesser amount of time. The challenges were with the muddy and the slippery areas along with the staircases, where one needs to be careful enough. One also needs to be wary of the surroundings, for monkeys are prevalent here and tend to grab on to the plastic bags even if you provide them with food. They tend to gather other fellow monkeys along. So, we need to be careful here. Carrying a stick would help though. 

It was so beautiful to witness the stillness at 7 30 pm in the evening when it was not even dark. We finally reached the point from where we started at around 8 pm. 

We then headed to a small restaurant near the Bhandandara Dam where we had some decent food. The ‘Go Adventure’ Team then made us head towards a flat surface near the dam where we were taught how to set up the tents. This was something fun and a whole new experience in the dark. We were provided with neat mats as well. It was good to be camping around. The camping plan was initially on the top of Kalsubai but then we seem to do this owing to the bad weather conditions.  

It was early morning the next day when we started off for the Ashoka Waterfall, one of the other spectacular places around. We were supposed to do rappelling but were restricted due to the heavy water flow. The sound of the waterfall was so refreshing and the sight simply beautiful.  

It was time to head back for we had to catch a train from Kalyan.  

This trip will remain one of those enthralling experiences ever which taught me a lot about myself. This trip familiarized me with lot many things, I never thought I would get to know one fine day. The trail was easy but the endurance level was of a moderate level. Treks are not something to be tagged along just like that. For a beginner, there needs to be some thorough groundwork done.  

• Know about the trail expected by researching online and talking to the organizers/experienced trekkers. 
• Anticipate the weather conditions and how worse they could get. This is necessary for being prepared in the worst of conditions. 
• Keep the necessary things ready with you [torch, extra clothing and the like]. 
• Carry at least two liters of water and keep yourself hydrated throughout. 
• Do keep energy bars/boosters like snickers, dry fruits and the like in order to regain energy. 
• Ensure good shoes that help in trekking. 
• Acquaint oneself with the entire itinerary.  
• Work on building enough stamina. 

Treks are wonderful, beautiful weekend getaways and the best option to break the monotony of life. They teach you a lot and you are a different person at the end of it. I can think of the below; 

• Tell one about his/her endurance and fitness levels.  
• In the lap of Nature, we are away from the shackles of our everyday life.  
• Face our worst fears and help overcome them. 
• Face unexpected circumstances and find our way out. 
• Enjoy the calmness of Mother Nature.  
• Any trip is made wonderful by the lot of like-minded people you meet. One gets to make friends for a lifetime. 
• Leave all our worries behind and think of the path ahead.  
• Help improve our focus. 
• Help us frame a better perspective on life and the way we approach it. 
• Turn us into better photographers. 
• Transform us into storytellers. 
• Live a minimalist life and survive unforeseen [and probably extreme conditions]. 
• Last but not the least, treks are addictive. One just can’t wait to go for another one.  

I just can’t thank enough the ‘Go Adventure’ Team for organizing the trek in an effortless manner. I would recommend this team for any travel, any day. They do an awesome work. 

Happy Trekking and Hiking.. Nature awaits you! ❤ 

P S – The credits of the photographs lie with some amazing people I met during the trip!