Part1: Journey to narivali (A story in making)
It all heappened with me when I was in third year. We were eight punters to begin with and left with only three due to unavoidable cribbs. We all three were and still are avid trekker with passion for trekking in our blood. We three(rahman aka raimi,akhilesh aka macchu and me), thought that we`ll show the other leftovers the way we can do it (aur apni lag gayi). We have anyhow determined to have the trek inspite of five friends turning their back on us and switching the plan from bhimashankar to harishchandragad. We set out in the evening for kalyan. But the time has already started playing with us.
Time start playing
We reached kalyan just after a bus for harishchandargad left the station. What`s the cirbb? The cribb is that the next one is after 2 hours. At nine we took the bus for harishchandragad. While buying tickets we came to know that our imformation about the location of harishchandargad was bit flawed and it is much away then what we were expecting it to be. We did`nt have enough money for the tickets, so we had decided to take a return journey from murbad to kalyan. We thought that all was over and it would better be next time. On murbad someone told us that there is another trek called siddhgad nearby. We were again on a plan and the final plan for siddgad had been decided. But the last bus for nearby village has already left at 9.00 pm and we were 30 mins late. The next bus was also after 2 hours. So at 12:30 we were heading for village narivali.
Part2:Night walk(wrong turn)
From narivali we had to walk for about 2.5 hours to siddhgadvadi, the base village. For our bad luck again, the time was already 1:30 at night and there was no villager to tell us which direction we should head to. We saw a "damar road" leading us to siddhgad. We took that road and after 4 kms walk we were on a spot where a small monument has been built. A hoarding was there, reading some freedom fighter has been shot dead by britishers at this place. We decided to stay there and begin the trek at early morning.
Part3:Next morning (wrong gets going, going gets wrong)
We started climbing as soon as first sun-ray striked. We were on very high note, the forest was really thick and the paths were very trecherous. After some walking we realized that probably we were on wrong spot as we were still on seeing any fort like structure. We kept on moving till we reached a steep climb. We thought that we should climb it and from there the right direction can be easily spoted as from top it is easy to make out which peak has the fort. This part of climb was about 45 feet high and really very tricky with steep falls. We were real rock climber for that moment. When we finally made it we saw that we were all surrounded by steep mountains from all over and still the fort was not visible anywhere, a perfect trap . The time was 11:00 am and the temprature started rising up. We had a narrow path coming from somewhere and going to somewhere. We decided to first look at right hand side direction and found that it was going nowhere. We then took left side. After walking for 1:30 hour we gave up as that way was also leading usnowhere ending abruptly and lost inside the jungle. We got back, the time was 1:30. We then decided to get down from the same way. No way, the rock climb was meant for only climb as we were like standing on the wall thinking to slide down. The rock were also so burning from the heat that it was very difficult to have your bare hand on them. We again took the left side and near the end saw a dry waterfall going down. After little hesitation we decided to use this way to get down. After some minor difficult descent for 50 mins type, we were negotiating three large steps like descent, the last one of which was of 25 feet straight down. we tied our sleeping matress together to a rope. On the third step we gave up us that was too down straight. We again came back,looked for some way if there is any and finally on the same step after hours of rattling around in the woods and by now water was running dangerously short. This time we had used the "junglee bales" for the rope. On the third step, I was to go down first while other holding the rope as there was no spot to tie it up. This plan was also got ditched as how the third guy would come down. Finally we decided to get one down and wait him to reach somewhere for rescue. Macchu got down and we two started praying for our life. Macchu has no water and only a lighter. We also has only quarter of a bottle left. The time was 4:30. We slept there for some time. When I got wake up I saw the a painting of a skull and remains for puja there. I got really scared as what the hell one does here. I told raimi that it`ll be better if we were on the top again and wait there for any signal. We got to a small open ground where there was remains of bonefire. We finally camped there. When darkness falls. Slowly slowly we saw the sun go down and the gleamish moon up on sky. Never ever I saw the moon with so much fright. We somehow kept the fire on, going inside jungle for woods. All alone at night on such a spot. In the middle of nowhere . The water was so scant by that time that we were taking only spoonful ot it. Throat was choaked without water and full of fear. That spot was so vulnerable for any attack as we were in open and prone to attack from any side. Someone already warned us of the leapords and snakes in the jungle. At 10:30, I screamedf for life and told raimi that we`ll not gonna be there for the whole night as either thirst will get us or fear will not let us.
Raimi gave nod. We decided to go down using the same rock climb till we find its safe. We were so desparate to get down that we were on the same way in complete dark where we did`nt dare at full day. We trekked down for some 3 hours type and stopped at a place from where the steep descent starts. The time was 1:30 am. We were very tired so we somehow managed to get our eyes closed for some time.
Part4:Second morning (from death to light)
When we woke up, the time was around 4:30 type. The light was at the horizon . We certainly don`t have our fate decided there. We started climb down in strong winds. That part was like from demise to reincarnation. When we finally touched the ground the relief was very visible on our face. We have won the battle, but again lost the way. After walking randomly we got the road. We almost walked like dead to the village. When we got there, the whole community was waiting for us. Some praised us, some booed us. They told us that our third partner was rescued by a cattle grazer from the jungle after he ran 2 hours endlessly in the jungle, we got him down on the wrong end somewhere I don`t know for god sake. The villagers came for us near the base for 2-3 time and gave signals but for no avail. They did`nt dare to enter the jungle at night. Macchu got back in the college by night and was already on the way with rescue squad(with those very leftovers, remember) for us. The arrived again three in number, but with bag full of medicine, foods and water and with firm determination to get to us anyhow. We stayed there for sometime and finally started back. Giving our thankful goodbye to them we also has some sad things from villager:
1) One villager got dead from a snake bite on the same jungle 3 months ago.
2) Leopard had a cow from village just 10 days ago.
3) One trekker met with horrendous accident while trekking siddhgad, but they were on the right path. Little over enthusiast for rope climbing took their toll.
While we were on our return journey, I was so thanking of the god, so fonding of water and so loving of life.