It was during this month last year that I began my trekking journey. So glad that I took to trekking which has opened a new world for me, a world of fun, serenity, friendships and that connect with myself and nature. This monsoon I decided to celebrate my trekking anniversary with another monsoon trek.
I was all set to go for the trek to Garbett point , Matheran which was organised by my old trekker mates Sai and Jaal.I had been there last when I was a school kid so I was really excited to go there again (but really speaking, every trek gets me excited!)
So I took the Karjat local early in the am at 6 and rested and looked around to see if there were any other trekkers.I saw a couple of girls who were on their way for a trek and surprisingly,they did not even know the details about the trek they were taking!I got talking with another girl during the journey and found that Mary was also on her way to the same trek.We got talking and were so engrossed in doing so that we nearly missed our station!Thankfully we got down at Bhivpuri just a few seconds before the train left the platform!I heard the sentence in the trek details....If you miss the train ,you miss the trek.We just almost missed it! But then,I later found out that they did wait for those who missed their trains so we waited for two other groups that did not make it on time.There were a few familiar faces at the station and many new ones among the 42 trekkers.We had breakfast of spicy missal-pau and hot chai-coffee and left for the trek after the introduction round.There was a cool breeze blowing and dark clouds hovering about in the sky so we all thought that this would be a wet trek,but that did not happen.When we began there was a slight drizzle and after that our raincoats stayed put in our backpacks,and yes,I nearly lost my head buff while packing my raincoat away!The way towards Garbett point was picturesque and there was a cool breeze blowing but yet the sun's heat was also hash so we had a halt at the nearby school on the way and some trekkers made the most of the well we passed by.The school was in a dismal condition and I really wish there were better facilities provided for villagers for better education.
As we kept ascending, the route got a bit tougher and there were rocky patches towards the end.Mary was finding it difficult to make the long climb and luckily she got to hitch-hike on a local villagers bike.The village lads were an enthusiastic lot and they tried to follow us and posed for pictures as they climbed on trees to pluck black berries.Before that we halted at a plateau where we went on a clicking spree as the place was too good to be true!We were literally surrounded by mountains and we could see the Garbett point before us.We had our lunch and after that it was time for games.Interestingly one of my trekker friends,Once we reached the plateau area we played games like City walk, Hanuman-Krishna(the most hilarious game!) and the number buzz .Thanks to Jaal and Sai who brought out the kid in each one of us. We all enjoyed the games and at the end of it all I had an ache in my jaws after all that hearty laughter.When I went back to school on Monday I taught my class kids the above games and they too loved them! So,after the game session we began our ascend once more and on the way saw a tree with green fruit which the boyz used for playing catch.The final patch was a bit steep and rocky but we made it with the help of our leads and once we reached the top it was a great feeling.The view from the top was excellent and more than that on our way up we could actually feel ourselves being pushed by the winds and hear the winds echoing in our ears.Once more there was a photo session and a few games of catch with the green fruit-balls.
The view from the top of Garbett point was breath-takingly beautiful!We all felt at peace and did not feel the tiredness and fatigue of the long climb up.The area was fenced and once again we could see the beautiful mountains all around us.After another photo session we made our way down towards Matheran.We walked for a bit with trees surrounding us and reached the tracks of the famous mini train. We took a ride through long winding roads and reached Neral station where we had tea and snacks(batatawada-sambar and meduwada-sambar)and then bid our friends adieu.I enjoyed the last bit of company with a few fellow trekkers on the local train to Thane.Mary was unwell as the long trek and the ride through the ghats had made her nauseous.Reached home earlier than expected and was really pleased.Had a warm,relaxing bath and a sound sleep.It was surprising to know that the next day I did not have any ache in my body or joints and that was a wonderful feeling.Back in my class I shared my trekking adventure with my class kids and taught them three of the games we played at the trek.How they loved it!Looking forward to more exciting treks and gaming sessions with my trekker friends.
I was all set to go for the trek to Garbett point , Matheran which was organised by my old trekker mates Sai and Jaal.I had been there last when I was a school kid so I was really excited to go there again (but really speaking, every trek gets me excited!)
So I took the Karjat local early in the am at 6 and rested and looked around to see if there were any other trekkers.I saw a couple of girls who were on their way for a trek and surprisingly,they did not even know the details about the trek they were taking!I got talking with another girl during the journey and found that Mary was also on her way to the same trek.We got talking and were so engrossed in doing so that we nearly missed our station!Thankfully we got down at Bhivpuri just a few seconds before the train left the platform!I heard the sentence in the trek details....If you miss the train ,you miss the trek.We just almost missed it! But then,I later found out that they did wait for those who missed their trains so we waited for two other groups that did not make it on time.There were a few familiar faces at the station and many new ones among the 42 trekkers.We had breakfast of spicy missal-pau and hot chai-coffee and left for the trek after the introduction round.There was a cool breeze blowing and dark clouds hovering about in the sky so we all thought that this would be a wet trek,but that did not happen.When we began there was a slight drizzle and after that our raincoats stayed put in our backpacks,and yes,I nearly lost my head buff while packing my raincoat away!The way towards Garbett point was picturesque and there was a cool breeze blowing but yet the sun's heat was also hash so we had a halt at the nearby school on the way and some trekkers made the most of the well we passed by.The school was in a dismal condition and I really wish there were better facilities provided for villagers for better education.
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