Saturday 29th September, I felt a strong urge to go for a trek, wasn’t sure how many will come on a short notice.
Then I realized why it had to be a group for trek, if I ever wanted anything, I with my strong desire and commitment to acquire had accomplished it alone too. Trek was no different after all. No doubt group is fun to be with and is equally important and helpful. And no it was not to prove a point, It was the passion and burning desire to trek, and my love for the mountains that finally overcame all the fear and resistance for the trek and I decided to go all alone, I strongly felt that I can do it, whether any ones there or not.
Here determined to go solo trek, I decided on Prabalgad, not that it was easy, but very near to Mumbai off Panvel, as I wanted to reach back early.
I left early in the morning and left for Borivali ST Bus depot at 4:50 am. I enquired about Panvel bus and there was a bus at 5:00 am, which went to Pune, passing via Panvel bus depot. I boarded it and reached Panvel at 6:25 am. Here I enquired about bus to Thakurwadi. There was bus that went to Thakurwadi at 7:00 after which there was one at 10:30, I didn’t want to miss on this one at 7:00, I reached Thakurwadi at 7:25 am.
Without wasting much time I started my climb, I had enquired that there was an adivasi ( tribal ) hamlet on the first plateau at approx. 1000 ft, you have to pass through here and then ascend further up to reach the Fort.
There was a defined road, the story goes like the British wanted to develop Prabalgad around the line of Matheran, but due to shortage of water at the top dropped the idea, but there was a tar road that was built long long ago, which had be reduced to loose rock and pebbles and landslides had change the demography of the road, but u can still make out that there was a road here long ago. I did follow this road and at some places you need to take the path through the dense vegetation made by the adivasi traveling to and fro from the hamlet and base village.
Taking small breaks in between reached the first plateau, here I crossed the village and moved further getting lost twice on the way, didn’t waste much time any way, I hired the services of a local guy to show me the way. These guy was really helpful and with his slippers really managed to climb like a pro. It was zigzag path through the dense vegetation and with the rock and boulders on the way. The climb was very step, exhausting me on many occasions and I had to take break in between. Here I would like to add a note of caution that you have to very careful about where you are stepping, the rocks and even the huge boulders are prone to land slide as I happen to get the first hand experience on them, one of boulder on which I sat for relaxing gave way and slid down, I manage to get off it in time, here I put some rocks beneath the huge boulder to support it so that it might not go further down and disturb the way below where I was supposed to go down back.
Finally reached the top at approx. 2320 ft, here we met an old adivasi man who was catching crabs in a really innovative way, he fixed dead crab meat on the stick end and lured other crab to come out of the borough trying to eat it, as soon as the crab came out the adivasi would grab the crab by pressing the back of the crab and then holding it carefully and then breaking the clutches and then put him in his bag.
We went further ahead to explore the fort, but to my dismay and the whole gad was covered with dense vegetation and grass or small plant reaching to my neck, could not make much of the place, where we were or what was the fort like. Prabalgad fort is very huge, to be covered in short time, and time was also running out as I had to catch the 1:30 pm bus back to Panvel or if I missed it I will have to wait up to 4:00 pm, so decided to come back down.
On my way down I took rest at one of the small stream to get fresh, here I saw a glimpse of a mongoose below me, it was searching for food when, maybe he noticed our presence and quickly disappeared behind the rocks. Having had some snack and getting fresh with the cold water from the small stream was very refreshing and here there was cold wind blowing. It was very pleasing and I did wanted to wait for some more time.
Anyhow we reached the first plateau, here we enquired if we could get some tea but were disappointed and we carried further down. Our way down was very tiring as I was very much exhausted I had covered the whole trek without much breaks, so went slowly taking much needed occasional breaks in between. While coming down my adivasi guide pointed something on the tree branch ahead and stood still, it took me few second to realize that he was pointing to a snake on the tree, it was a shiny bottle green coloured small, maybe 3 ft long snake and its head and say 1/3 body was hanging out facing toward us, maybe trying to feel our vibrations. As the saying goes “ discretion is the better part of valour”, we moved to the corner of the path and moved slowly not to disturb the snake. Finally reached the base village, but it was 2:30 by then and I had to wait for the 4:00 pm bus, here I went into the Zoia spa and resort (Formerly Appolo Nusi Wellness Retreat) at the base village, here I had a mango juice as I didn’t feel like eating anything and got fresh.
When I reached back to the base village at Wadorli, attendants at the resort, were like you are alone for the trek, every one was surprised and maybe didn’t want to believe that one person went alone for the trek, the second question was have you done Prabalgad earlier, I don’t know, my reply in negation shocked or surprised these people.
Yet people need to understand it’s the determination of one person that move the mountain, you will call be unreasonable, but there is assaying “A reasonable person adapts according to the world while the unreasonable person adapts the world according to himself, and the progress of the world depends on the unreasonable person”.
I went and waited at the road to see if I could get some lift to the highway, lucky me I got a maruti alto and this guy dropped me to the highway where I caught a six seater to Panvel bus depot, from Panvel I caught back a bus to Borivali and finally reached home by 6:30 Pm.
Overall expenditure inclusive of food : Rs. 300/-
Then I realized why it had to be a group for trek, if I ever wanted anything, I with my strong desire and commitment to acquire had accomplished it alone too. Trek was no different after all. No doubt group is fun to be with and is equally important and helpful. And no it was not to prove a point, It was the passion and burning desire to trek, and my love for the mountains that finally overcame all the fear and resistance for the trek and I decided to go all alone, I strongly felt that I can do it, whether any ones there or not.
Here determined to go solo trek, I decided on Prabalgad, not that it was easy, but very near to Mumbai off Panvel, as I wanted to reach back early.
I left early in the morning and left for Borivali ST Bus depot at 4:50 am. I enquired about Panvel bus and there was a bus at 5:00 am, which went to Pune, passing via Panvel bus depot. I boarded it and reached Panvel at 6:25 am. Here I enquired about bus to Thakurwadi. There was bus that went to Thakurwadi at 7:00 after which there was one at 10:30, I didn’t want to miss on this one at 7:00, I reached Thakurwadi at 7:25 am.
Without wasting much time I started my climb, I had enquired that there was an adivasi ( tribal ) hamlet on the first plateau at approx. 1000 ft, you have to pass through here and then ascend further up to reach the Fort.
There was a defined road, the story goes like the British wanted to develop Prabalgad around the line of Matheran, but due to shortage of water at the top dropped the idea, but there was a tar road that was built long long ago, which had be reduced to loose rock and pebbles and landslides had change the demography of the road, but u can still make out that there was a road here long ago. I did follow this road and at some places you need to take the path through the dense vegetation made by the adivasi traveling to and fro from the hamlet and base village.
Taking small breaks in between reached the first plateau, here I crossed the village and moved further getting lost twice on the way, didn’t waste much time any way, I hired the services of a local guy to show me the way. These guy was really helpful and with his slippers really managed to climb like a pro. It was zigzag path through the dense vegetation and with the rock and boulders on the way. The climb was very step, exhausting me on many occasions and I had to take break in between. Here I would like to add a note of caution that you have to very careful about where you are stepping, the rocks and even the huge boulders are prone to land slide as I happen to get the first hand experience on them, one of boulder on which I sat for relaxing gave way and slid down, I manage to get off it in time, here I put some rocks beneath the huge boulder to support it so that it might not go further down and disturb the way below where I was supposed to go down back.
Finally reached the top at approx. 2320 ft, here we met an old adivasi man who was catching crabs in a really innovative way, he fixed dead crab meat on the stick end and lured other crab to come out of the borough trying to eat it, as soon as the crab came out the adivasi would grab the crab by pressing the back of the crab and then holding it carefully and then breaking the clutches and then put him in his bag.
We went further ahead to explore the fort, but to my dismay and the whole gad was covered with dense vegetation and grass or small plant reaching to my neck, could not make much of the place, where we were or what was the fort like. Prabalgad fort is very huge, to be covered in short time, and time was also running out as I had to catch the 1:30 pm bus back to Panvel or if I missed it I will have to wait up to 4:00 pm, so decided to come back down.
On my way down I took rest at one of the small stream to get fresh, here I saw a glimpse of a mongoose below me, it was searching for food when, maybe he noticed our presence and quickly disappeared behind the rocks. Having had some snack and getting fresh with the cold water from the small stream was very refreshing and here there was cold wind blowing. It was very pleasing and I did wanted to wait for some more time.
Anyhow we reached the first plateau, here we enquired if we could get some tea but were disappointed and we carried further down. Our way down was very tiring as I was very much exhausted I had covered the whole trek without much breaks, so went slowly taking much needed occasional breaks in between. While coming down my adivasi guide pointed something on the tree branch ahead and stood still, it took me few second to realize that he was pointing to a snake on the tree, it was a shiny bottle green coloured small, maybe 3 ft long snake and its head and say 1/3 body was hanging out facing toward us, maybe trying to feel our vibrations. As the saying goes “ discretion is the better part of valour”, we moved to the corner of the path and moved slowly not to disturb the snake. Finally reached the base village, but it was 2:30 by then and I had to wait for the 4:00 pm bus, here I went into the Zoia spa and resort (Formerly Appolo Nusi Wellness Retreat) at the base village, here I had a mango juice as I didn’t feel like eating anything and got fresh.
When I reached back to the base village at Wadorli, attendants at the resort, were like you are alone for the trek, every one was surprised and maybe didn’t want to believe that one person went alone for the trek, the second question was have you done Prabalgad earlier, I don’t know, my reply in negation shocked or surprised these people.
Yet people need to understand it’s the determination of one person that move the mountain, you will call be unreasonable, but there is assaying “A reasonable person adapts according to the world while the unreasonable person adapts the world according to himself, and the progress of the world depends on the unreasonable person”.
I went and waited at the road to see if I could get some lift to the highway, lucky me I got a maruti alto and this guy dropped me to the highway where I caught a six seater to Panvel bus depot, from Panvel I caught back a bus to Borivali and finally reached home by 6:30 Pm.
Overall expenditure inclusive of food : Rs. 300/-
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