Harishchandragad trek and Kokankada Rappelling

 Adventure Getaway, Adventure Sports  6 Responses »
Sep 162010
 

In this year’s post-Christmas glow, add in the sparkle of adventure on the biggest rock face in Maharashtra.

Wide Aware announces a three day high adventure experience to charge your spirit – valley crossing and rappelling on the tallest rock face in Maharashtra – the Kokankada.

Yep, you got that right. This is the tallest rock face in Maharashtra – a breathtaking exposure of 1800ft under your fragile body held to safety by a rope and altitude of 4671ft above sea level. You do a 1200ft long valley crossing and then descend by means of a series of rappels to the base of the face. Believe me, you don’t want to miss this. Seats limited, so get in touch with Raka immediately if you are planning on coming – 09869433342.

The schedule is as follows:

Day 1: Kalyan to Khireshwar by tempo and trek to the top of Harishchandragad

Assemble at Kalyan and reach Khireshwar for lunch. Begin the 4-5 hour trek to the top of Harishchandragad and reach at the top of the fort by the evening tea.  Harishchandragad is one of the more challenging of the most popular hikes in this region. The fort has historical significance and a temple of Harishchandreshwar with a stone water tank in front of it. Accommodation is in caves. A short orientation walk later, settle into your cave for the day, and have an early night post dinner in preparation for the next days excitement.

Day 2: Valley Crossing across the Kokankada and Rappelling down from Bhavanidhar

After an early morning and breakfast we have a quick instruction session with the equipment and techniques explained for both the long and technical activities to follow. This is followed by the traverse. Kokankada is in a C shape, and the traverse is set across its two ends. Thus, during the valley crossing, you have the highest exposure possible in Maharashtra, without actually flying. The wind, the sheer scale of the surroundings, and most of all, the swaying rope holding our life safe present an unforgettable physical and emotional challenge. This is followed by a long rappel down the rock face – so long that you have to do it in stages to be able to maintain technique and safety. This day is an experience in the insignificance of man in front of a mountain, as well as the determination in man that makes him conquer one. We spend the night under the sky at the base of the Kokankada.

Day3: Trek back to road head and return to Mumbai

Wake up to nature, and hike for an hour or two back to the road  head. From here, the tempo will take us back to Kalyan. Expect to be back by evening.

Dates: Three day batches starting everyday from the 25th to 27th December 2010

Minimum Age: 15 years.

Charges: Rs. 3,5valley-crossing00/- per head (inclusive of travel – Kalyan to Kalyan, stay and food, adventure activities – equipment, instruction and safety support).

Booking procedure: Call/SMS RAKA on 09869433342 or VIDYUT on 09892469127.This will reserve your seat for 2 days till you complete your payment. Registration will be confirmed only after complete payment and we are not responsible for any availability problems in case of delayed payments.

Payment information:

Choose whatever option is the most convenient.

  1. Courier a cheque (payable in Mumbai) made out in the name of “Wide Aware” (Address: A32/501 Yogi Park, Yogi Nagar, Borivali West, Mumbai 400091)
  2. Deposit cheque into our HDFC Account (Name: Wide Aware, HDFC Bank, Current account no: 02278310000028, Branch: Nehru Road, Vile Parle East)

Please do not deposit cash into the account without first speaking with us. Please inform Raka whenever you initiate payment – whether it is a cheque sent by courier or depositing a cheque into the account. This email needs to clarify the mode of payment, amount and participant names, ages and total number of participants.

Registrations strictly on first come first serve basis, as the batch size is limited.

 Posted by Vidyut at 1:04 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

Monsoon Hike to Rajmachi Fort

 Adventure Sports, Hikes, Monsoons, Outdoor Adventure Trips  5 Responses »
Jul 272009
 

You wanted a more “trekking experience”, we bring it to you. Be prepared to go to Rajmachi Fort on the 15th and 16th of August 2009!

This is a more basic experience than our usual vehicles from Mumbai to Mumbai and resort stays that happen in open programmes.

We will be meeting at Karjat station ticket window (bajaar peth side) on the morning of the 15th August, and taking local transport to Kondivade after a famous breakfast of Karjat’s wada-paav. From here, we begin our hike to Rajmachi Fort. We pass Kondana Caves on the way, but this time, its just a lunch halt on our way to the destination. Remember to bring packed lunch.

We climb up to the fort and reach in time for late tea.

The rest of the day is spent settling ourselves on the fort and exploring.

We stay in the temple or a village hall overnight and wake up leisurely to spend some more morning time absorbing the timeless essence of the fort in the misty atmosphere of the monsoon.

All food is local.

Post lunch, we hike down to Kondivade, and head back to Karjat.

Please note that this is going to be a low budget hike, and we will be charging you from Karjat to Karjat. How to get to Karjat is yours this time, though we suggest the classic monsoon hike transport – local trains. You can co-ordinate with Raka if you like and plan to meet and catch the same train at Dadar or a station on the way to Karjat.

From Karjat to RajmachiCharges for this hike are Rs.650/- per head for the two days and include:

  • Transport (local) from Karjat to Kondivade and back on the next day.
  • Breakfast at Karjat – wada-paav and chai
  • Food and stay on top of the fort

Please note that this does not include the food/packed lunch to be eaten on the way at Kondana Caves. The reason for this is that we want that typical mixed food that comes from opening different tiffins. You may bring home cooked food, or buy to carry stuff of your choice, but it is your contribution to lunch ;)

Age group: 15 years and above.

Difficulty level: Moderate

Trekking time: 4 hours + halt times

See pictures of Rajmachi Fort

 Posted by Vidyut at 11:30 am  Tagged with: , , , ,

Baby Names?

 Uncategorized  2 Responses »
Jun 212009
 

Its time I started thinking of what I’m going to call my little bean. Since we are in India, there is no question of knowing if its a boy or girl till delivery. I was thinking of simple and interesting names that may be Indian, yet don’t have religious connotations.

Two syllable names would be nice.

Do you guys have any suggestions?

BTW, it did drizzle slightly this evening, which promptly put me in a tizzy about finally heading out. I’ve been cooped at home for days now, finding the heat and humidity outside unbearable in my condition, and wanting to see something unbound by walls.

Raka and I went out to a Jogger’s Park called Jhansi ki Rani in Borivali West. Its newly opened (about a week or so), and you could almost smell the newness of it, but its quite nice. There is a central lake thing which is quite empty at the moment, but I guess the upcoming monsoon should take care of that.

Typical jogging track flooring in red and yellow (when its grey, its road paving tile), plant beds in concrete borders next to the walking track, and so on. What was nice was the drizzle, the benches facing the lake and the old hindi music on speakers along the track. We walked the obligatory round or so, and choose a bench to sit on. Played games as we waited for the rain to intensify – it didn’t. I guess it wa better than nothing.

Nice birds around. Unfortunately, no camera. Without making an effort about the whole thing, we saw herons, cormorands and kingfishers. The park was so spanking new, that the rain puddled on the fancy floor, because no one had thought of drains yet and as we were ready to leave, we spotted some emergency digging happening. Good for them.

The crowd was nice enough as much as looking can tell, and as an experience of freedom from the relentless heat, it made my day. Some corn and coconut water later, we were back home, nowhere near dripping, for all our ‘get-drenched’ plans. Damp. That was the descriptor of our state after over an hour and a half in that drizzle. Whatever. It was fun.

Cheering the rain on!!!

If it continues, we have plans lined up. Splashing on the terrace of our building, clicking cloud photos when its not raining; heading off to Gorai to watch the sea and generally walk around, going to a couple of other parks nearby; going to the National Park…… Raka plans to go on a weekend hike next week if it rains…..

Bring on the rain!

 Posted by Vidyut at 9:22 pm  Tagged with:

Parag Sahastrabuddhe’s accident

 Outdoor professionals  No Responses »
Apr 302009
 

To those who don’t know what this is about, Parag’s death on a trek to Triund took the mountaineering community by shock. An experienced mountaineer, climber and overall fit person of 42 years of age, falling of a track described as jeepable was incredible.

I spoke with some of the people who were on the trek when the accident happened, and from the conversations, this is what I gathered happened.

The group was returning to Dharamkot after a successful trek on the 25th of April 2009. The trail wide and even – no risky areas as such. Parag was walking with his wife with other members of the group in front and behind. His wife was maybe a few steps in front when she heard a sound and turned to see Parag slumped and rolling over the side of the trail. She raised the alarm. At that point, the trail was a slope with bushes and other things he could hold on to and stop his tumble quite easily, but he made no attempt to do so, or perhaps he went through the gaps through coincidence. A little further, the trail became steep and precipitous and he went over the edge to fall about 700ft below.

Instructors from the group hurried down to reach him in 10-15 mins and found him badly injured. An experienced mountaineer and medical doctor was with the group and he descended to reach him almost immediately after the instructors, and quickly and efficiently fashioned an emergency stretcher to transport him to the hospital. He was rescued and rushed to the hospital within one and a half hours, but he didn’t survive.

He had been cheerful and apparently healthy before this happened and had, in fact, taken the previous night’s campfire by storm with his energy and enthusiasm for singing.

For those who don’t know Parag, he was one of the mountaineering enthusiasts from Mumbai. He began his mountain forays with the well-known club Girivihar in Mumbai about 20 years ago. The last 20 years had been filled with a variety of experiences ranging from simple hikes in the Sahyadri to being a part of the climbing team for the civilian expedition to Everest in ’98. He had done his Basic and Advanced mountaineering courses from the Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering in Darjeeling. He participated in a bicycle trip from Mumbai to Leh, climbed peaks in the Himalaya and Sahyadri and enriched the community with his expertise and enthusiasm. He certainly was no stranger to mountains.

No one understands how a person with his experience fell over a trail that had no real difficulty in walking, or why he was unable to arrest his tumble down the slope after falling, and the only explanation seems to be that he must have lost consciousness for some reason, which caused his fall and his inability to stop himself from going down the slope.

I guess we will never know.

 Posted by Vidyut at 11:23 am  Tagged with:

Mountaineering and conservative clothing?

 Uncategorized  No Responses »
Nov 182006
 

I travelled on a local train yesterday (its rare). In the ladies compartment, there was a bunch of about 12-14 Muslim girls chattering away to glory. All of them wearing a burkha. They were going on a picnic somewhere.

They seemed quite educated in terms of conversation, some topics even included affairs – typical girly stuff. Quite unexpected, considering their clothing, but it suddenly made me awake to the fact that they still were young college girls, with all the usual interests.

I got a call from a team member, about some equipment requirements for the AECS students programme, and had a brief discussion about mountaineering equipment and the set up we’d be using for the rappelling at Sanjay Gandhi National Park. One of the girls noticed and asked me about my profession. I explained the best I could, in terms of relevance to their interests. She was curious, and I elaborated in the directions she probed.

More girls caught on to this conversation and there was genuine interest about outdoor adventure. We spoke about adventure options near Mumbai including hikes to forts, mountaineering opportunities near Mumbai on the many forts and rafting possibilities. Most of them were keen to experience adventure, but some were apprehensive about the response they would get at home.

Surprisingly, a girl in full veil was completely gung-ho. She wanted to come on a rock climbing expedition. I was skeptical. Considering her clothes, i wouldn’t have thought that her family would allow her to pursue such “tomboyish” interests. She however was confident that her brother would also want to come along and seemed to think that together, they could convince her dad as long as other females were present as well.

I pointed out the clothing factor. Burkha is a definite no-no, as wearing a mountaineering harness makes trouser-type clothing essential. She said that she would wear trousers and a burkha on top, and simply remove her burkha when needed. After all, if she could trust someone with her life when she was climbing, surely she could trust the person not to have “evil intentions” about her for that short period of time. They all giggled uncomfortably at the thought.

This girl inspired me with her extremely practical approach. I saw in her a willingness to follow her dreams, while conforming to cultural expectations – an admirable combination of assertiveness and cultural identity. I doubt if I’ll even meet her again (she took a card, but the rest of her gang was not as sure about climbing). What remained with me, was her practical attitude. Somewhere down the line, we assume that people who are conservative also lack the spark it takes to go beyond standard expectations in hot pursuit of a desirable goal. This girl wore the burkha, bacause it was a cultural thing and she had grown up expecting it to be the clothing of a modest woman, but could see that here was something she really wanted to do, that did not allow it, and was equally willing to be practical, even if the idea seemed strange.

She had laughed when I said that the burkha looks confining to me “It is strange for you. For me, it is normal, like those aunties wearing saris everyday. I think they will wear salwar kameez, if they want to ride a horse on a hill station too. Why wouldn’t I?” Definitely progressive thought and a valuable insight into the mind of a “category” of people I was not very familiar with.

 Posted by Vidyut at 2:13 am  Tagged with: , , , , ,
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