Lingana climbing in moonlight - 25/26 December 2015

About Lingana

Lingana is a stand-alone and not easily accessible pinnacle (belaag sulka) in the vicinity of Raigad & Torna. It pretty much stands on the border of Pune & Raigad districts. Shivaji Maharaj used this fort aptly to lock down political prisoners. More later. After Maratha power centres split between Pune, Kolhapur & Satara, Lingana was neglected. The Brits blasted off the steps so that it is not "misused". In the 1970’s a Mumbai based group summited it after it remained unclimbed for more than a century. Since then, it has been summited many times including laypeople like me. Winter is the only season when it is relatively easy to summit. 

The Explorers

Our group leader Anand Kenjale & The Explorers team (Sunil, Santosh and Yugandhar) have been doing this since 2007. There is no disclaimer for this write up but rather a credit statement that whatever you read below was possible only because of The Explorers. The fact that they passionately supported our request of night climbing with a view of offering us a once-in-a-lifetime experience though it called for additional hard work for them. All 4 of them were operating with clinical precision. Not even once we felt as if we are doing something great. They made it so easy for us. There was no compromise on equipment quality and quantity. Each one had his complete set. No sharing. The food - both at Mohari, the packed lunch was super. The tea prepared in the cave was heavenly. And lastly, they were so confident that they simply let us be us. Not even once unless asked were there unnecessary instructions as to "take that hold", "move to your left" etc. No spoon feeding. 

Objective

I got introduced to climbing only recently and I was looking forward to this trek as a practice session to sharpen the newly acquired knowledge (I won't say skills yet). And Lingana offered plenty of it. Various accounts state Lingana climbing portion to be ranging from 650 to 1,000 feet.

Our route marked on the original photo by Pranjal Wagh. http://www.rational-mind.com/लिंगाणा-एक-स्वप्नपूर्ती-2/

Moonlight Climb  - Red arrows upto the cave

Sunlight Climb - Blue arrows.

Moonlighting

We were a group of 7 participants, 4 without any rock-climbing/rappelling experience and 3 who had only preliminary experience. The 4 Explorers mentioned above were of course trained and seasoned climbers. Anand and the 6 of us started from Pune at 3 pm on 25th for Mohari. Sunil, Santosh & Yugandhar had gone in the morning itself to tie-up the route. As per the itinerary, the trek starts at 3 am. While in the car, a small keeda bit one of us. Today being a full-moon night, can we do night climbing? It quickly caught the imagination of all of us.

After reaching Mohari, we watched the sun set and the mountain winds ignited that small spark into full blown fire. Yes. It will be thrilling to climb in moonlight. Anand & the explorers had climbed in the night earlier but with novices like me it was their first time. Anand did a quick recci to check if we are really ready to do it? Equipment (torches) and mainly the will-power. It could be intimidating. You could feel sleepy etc etc. We all were more than willing to go. He then ascertained the direction of moon. It should be such that it lights up the climbing path. Check. It did. He then called Sunil to tell that we want to do this “chavat-pana” or mischief (sorry there is no real equivalent english word) of climbing in the night and whether it is manageable windy to climb. Sunil was a little cautious. He told Anand to check with him before starting. If the wind condition further worsens, better to stick to the itinerary. In Mohari itself the wind current was very strong. Anand asked us finally again that multiply these windy conditions with 10 to figure out how windy it would while climbing. YES. We are ready. Ignorance is bliss.

 Moonrise at Mohari

Our Group waiting for dinner at Mohari

After a delicious dinner of nachanichi bhakri, very well made spicy vegetable curry, green chilli thecha, kadhi and rice, at 730 or so, we were already packing up. Equipment - seat harness, helmet, carabiners, mitten’s, descender and tape sling were distributed to each one of us. Anand quickly demonstrated how to go about using this while climbing and rappelling. Extra stuff was kept in the car. Each one was supposed to ideally carry 2 l of water + packed lunch for tomorrow + warm clothing + sleeping bag + equipment. A small problem arose. The villager who escorts groups till the traverse flatly refused to do this “chavat-pana”. He couldn't come back all alone. So after a little back n forth, Anand managed to coax one companion for him with an additional compromise that they need not come till the traverse and we were set. While Anand knew the route very well, both ends of the group needs to be covered. Especially in the night.  

Boratyachi Naal & the Traverse

So at 9~930, here we were walking towards Boratyachi Naal, the narrow gorge that makes up first part of the trek. The moonlight was so bright, we used our torches only when required. After about 45 minutes of walk on a plateau we were at the mouth of the gorge. The 2 villagers bid us good bye here. 25th was recorded as the coldest day so far of the season in Pune at 6.6 degree celcius. It is usually slightly cooler in the mountains, but the woollens were now troubling us. I got rid of my jacket and replaced the woollen cap with the helmet to protect from loose falling rocks. We started descending the Naal with Anand leading us. This route is made up of boulders of all sizes and the slope is of a decent gradient. 

We reached the traverse which is bolted and roped. Far up in the dark in a random direction of Lingana, I saw some lights flashing at me. I responded with same signal. That was our team of 3 experts sitting in the cave. All of us tied our tape slings at this point and started traversing towards Lingana. We had to self-anchor at a couple of patches but the rest of it was a good trail. I landed hard on my bum once mistaking a loose dry grass spot for solid ground. There is little scree just before you reach the pass at base of the rock-patch. We whistled and flashed lights towards the cave to signal our arrival. We cannot start climbing unless the belayers are in their respective positions. After some time we noticed 3 lights appear up in the dark. 2 started descending. It was an unique sight.     

The climbing begins

Didn't check the time. So overwhelmed. But it must be around mid-night. All of us got ready by tying up our harnesses. Mittens and the descenders were not required now. Anand checked whether everyone is properly fastened. I was asked to be the dispatching man. That means, I will be the last guy to climb which I don't really like to be. So, I walked up to the dangling belay rope, shifted the self-anchor from the line to a piton. My job was to attach the belay rope to the carabiner of the climber, tell the climber to pull the fixed rope and not the belay rope, unfasten the climbers self-anchor and launch the climber by signalling the belayer. I started climbing after shouting “CLIMBING!” for the 6th time. It was windy. The bag was weighing me down. After a couple of steps, I kind of froze not able to move. Anand, who was to climb after me, shouted telling me not to linger on one place till it becomes impossible to push. With this prod, my inertia broke and I started pulling myself well. Quickly reached Sunil, the belayman. We had come just slightly above the quieter tight pass below, but the wind current had gone up exponentially. I had to shout while speaking to Sunil with whom I was shaking my hands with. It was dark, so I could not even see his face clearly. Unique atmosphere to get introduced to a stranger. There were 2 more such introductions left.

Sunil self-anchored me to a rope till we reached a place where the second top-rope was placed. Now I was waiting as the other 5 were going up one by one. By the time we came up the second top-rope, the wind was much stronger. Our noses started running though we were sweating from the efforts of the climb. Santosh was our second belayer.

Climbing in the moonlight was easy. Thanks to our experts. The whole fort looks amazing lit up in white natural light. But far away, you don’t get to see the panorama. No pictures. Sorry.

Again after a brief self-anchored climb, reached the 3rd and the last top-rope for the day. After a painful wait in horrible wind, where we could not even keep our eyes open to protect from the dust partciles, I finally attached myself to the belay and went up to be received by Yugandhar. It was terribly dark. I saw all 5 of them crouching in a small pit partially encircled by a natural short wall. After I came off the belay and stood unanchored, I felt I will be blown away into the valley. Like how you find your way to protection in a storm or a blizzard, I walked those 5-6 steps like a drunkard towards that pit where all of them were sitting. If this is the cave, these people were talking of, I am going back now. But how? The nose was now running like a river. Standing there at edge of the pit, I felt that in another 5 minutes, all my internal organs - the intestines, lung, heart etc will get sucked out of my mouth by the wind. I have been in such strong winds but it was for 2 minutes at the most. Here we were waiting for the leaders to tie up the rope that will take us to the cave for more than 10 minutes. It is a short traverse with a huge exposure. 

Prisoners cell err The Cave 

Once inside, all our hopes of a quieter night dashed. There was no respite from the wind even inside the cave. This cave was chiseled out during Shivaji Maharaj’s days. It is cubical in shape with the front open to a huge valley. It is about 12x12x12 feet in dimension. It is apparently here where the prisoners were kept. 

It was 2 am. We quickly managed to pull out our beddings in the dark. I would have loved to relieve the pressure off my bladder but the thought of doing it self-anchored in stormy conditions was a put-off. I was sleeping on the extreme end near the inside wall warned to keep some distance for mice curious to see what food you all are carrying. So all the equipment and bags were tied to hooks using carabiners. One hour into the (so called) sleep, Rishikesh, the man sleeping at the other extreme at the open end, got up complaining that his bed sheet is torn off. He was sleeping with his boots on and wind was so wild, probably it cut it off where his boots had pinned it down. We exchanged places. Anand initiated a riot of laughter saying “Who wanted to climb in the night? Hope you got it?”. I was now at the mouth of the cave. And now the wind started playing the same games with me. It wanted to tear off my sleeping bag now which was fluttering like the jari-patka. It was unbearably cold. First, I got inside the sleeping bag and wrapped myself tight including the head. No use. Got up. Walked across the cave to my bag. Wore my jacket. Again, zippered myself inside the sleeping bag. No use. Got up. Walked across the cave to my bag. Got my monkey cap and picked up my socks. Still no use, but there was noting left to wear. Lied down in one position so that the sleeping bag remains tightly wrapped around me. I have camped at sub-zero temperatures but never had felt so cold. There is always a point in every trek where you feel why the heck did I come. This was it. Getting thrashed by wind - your body feels literally getting thrashed - for more than 5 hours now was getting on my nerves. Now you know why this was a prison. And for political prisoners. You can say, you have parked them on a hill-station, they have been provided with food & water. But in reality, they are getting bashed up 24x7 by the wind. Just step out of your room in a bad mood and you are gone.

Climb further up

We got up at a lazy 730. The view outside was amazing. There were tightly spaced mountains creating a configuration of narrow gullies. When the wind blows, it gathers momentum passing thru this maze of tunnels and thus creating a tornado effect. I missed a beat seeing the edge of the valley just outside of the cave and realising that i was sleeping just 5 feet away from it. Brushing teeth was optional, but for the other mandatory chores, Santosh took the first batch 4 of us around the traverse beyond the water cisterns. Surprise. Its not windy here at all. Just a few meters from the cave but on the other side of the Lingana wall. There was a narrow pathway where you can get done with your business un-anchored. The etiquette is to dispose off your waste in the valley using a sheet of newspaper so that the place remains clean for other users. After washing hands with icy cold water and paper-soap, we returned to the cave. A firewood stove was used to prepare tea. Since our plan had changed, we had to do with no breakfast. I had 3 cups of tea with biscuits and some other tid-bits. 

If you are not living on the edge, you are occupying just too much space

We charted the day with a target to return Mohari at 4 pm. Started climbing. There were 4 belay patches today. All of them, bar one, were relatively easy or we had gotten used to top rope climbing. The one that was difficult was a type of chimney where you had to do a little bit of Yoga to go up. Hence the explorers had named it Ramdevbaba patch. This also was the highest top-rope patch at approximately 50 feet or so.

While waiting for others to reach at the ridge saw something that I hadn't seen earlier. So breath-taking that didn't even strike to me to take a snap. The wind current was so strong, I could only equate it to the force and sound of a large waterfall. We could not even stand up steady despite of the anchors. A huge eagle appeared from no where and started gliding graciously. She was completely at ease and seemed to be enjoying the glide. Not for nothing, the eagle is to the skies what a lion is to the forest. The flow lines and shading of her feathers, the muscular body etc was distinctly visible. What made it breath-taking was the fact that she was flying below the level where we were sitting.

Summit

After the belay patches, there is a nice ridge which you walk across, climb again a little and finally reach the summit in about 2 hours from the cave. All the while barring some exceptions, you are either self-anchored or tied to a belay. The Summit gives you a feel of topping a Ladakhi 6,000 m peak minus the snow. The top offers a very good view of the surrounding. You can see the contour of the Jagdishwar temple on Raigad. The mighty Torna is on the other side. The Jaripatka was unfurled. War cries filled the air. After a quick photo session, we started our journey back. 

Rappeling

We had to rappel down on 5 patches. Same route as we came up. First 3 were up to the cave. At the first patch, took a little time to remember the technique and doing it right. Next one was easy. The last one before lunch was 140 feet and it took forever to come down. While rappelling we were encouraged by spectators in the gallery. A group of people were nicely sitting in a row on the Rai-ling plateau and watching us descend one by one.

Had packed lunch. Packed Shrikhand and Chapati. After all were done, we started for the last 2 patches. After the cave, we had to rappel down with our complete baggage plus a coil of rope. The immediate one after lunch was 170 feet. On this patch you don't see the receiving man for the first minute or two. As you start getting nervous, you see him discouragingly far away. On the last patch of 120 feet, though it was not the easiest, the confidence and the speed goes up tremendously to complete it easily. 

Thus far, I have worn a helmet on many occassions but last 2 days was the first time I actually used it. On many occasions, small stones loosened by the climber above landed on my helmet at tremendous speed. And a couple of times while climbing a tight lane, hit my head on the overhanging rock above. Not wearing a helmet can turn out to be fatal.

For the entire trek, we saw (didn't meet) only one another group from the top who had come prepared with rope coils etc but they returned from the base. Probably they were going to Raigad.

Standing on an elephant head

 One of the shorter, easier rappelling patches

Santosh & Yugandhar at the dispatch station of the 170 feet patch

View from base station - Spot the rope

Good bye - Lingana until next year

We started for Boratyachi Naal split in 2 parties. The climb up the gorge is easy and uneventful but tiring. We walked up to Rai-ling plateau to see what we had done in the last 24 hours. This is a must for all summiters. You can see the entire Lingana pinnacle in one frame. From the plateau, it looks impossible to climb. After getting vowed a little by ourselves and a photo session we started walking back to Mohari. The second party also had reached by then. It was a boring walk of 45 minutes wondering did we really walk so much yesterday night?

 On Rai-ling plateau

Bye!!

Bye.. Bye..!!

At Mohari, we freshened up, changed, stuffed our bags in the car. Had similar dinner. Though we were hungry and the food was delicious, couldn’t eat much as we were content with bliss of completing a difficult trek. 

PS - Some more snaps awaited

   

1/2 Marathon - Beginners musings

I took up to running in September 2015 after returning from an incomplete Ladakh trek. In the 3 months, I participated in 2 half marathons which were timed. The first one in October which I completed in 2:39 and the second one in 2:02 in December. It was good fun learning the finer aspects of something we all do all our life. 

As usual, this post is not about how to become a competitive runner simply because I am not one yet. It is about the beginners mistakes I did and learning from these mistakes if I have to start training again for a half marathon what would I do and not do. 

There is a second disclaimer that what worked for me might not work for others but still there would be many points which you might empathise with me on.

So lets start.

Don't read: I registered for the half marathon even without running a kilometre. Still bad, even before running a single kilometre, I googled for training plans, schedules etc. All was depressing and they were unanimous in saying that I should not run the first HM before months of training. Some even advocated a year or more of training. My race day was just over a month away. So I mentally wrote-off the registration fees & started running extempore for fitness. Don't time the runs. Just run in moderate pace within your elastic limits. Keep pushing the limits further incrementally. 

Pre & Post run stretching/exercises: As I started adding distance, it was imperative to stretch so that you are in good shape for the rest of the day and for tomorrow's run. I googled for exercises. Again I found it difficult to follow using the diagrams & instructions. So after trying a few days and not making any sense of it, I switched to suryanamaskars. They proved to be very helpful. Suryanamaskars with extra emphasis on the legs. But I am still looking for expert training on warming up and cooling down.

Set a realistic target: Things got better and I started timing my runs to discover that I am running 10 kilometres in about 70 minutes. Emboldened, I decided to run the race. I did an accountant's extrapolation to figure out that with a some more effort, I can probably complete the HM in 2 hours. But I will have to push really hard. It was not very motivating in further practice runs from a 2 hour target perspective but I kept going.

Shoes: I had 5 year old badly worn-out trainers. I decided to gift myself a pair of running shoes only after completing the race. 

Taper: Didn't do anything a week before the race. Only suryanamaskar's.

The first race: Excited to run, I wrote to a 2-hour pacer telling him that I will be joining him. He was a perfect gentleman who politely asked me tone down my ambitions. Got up at 4 am for the race starting at 6 am. Had a roti with tea. Packed a small sack with banana's, dates, water bottles and what not. A sack! How stupid. Reached the race venue a bit late to discover the chic-o-bloc parking lots. Had to park really far away. reached the start line huffing and puffing seconds before the flag off. And  even before we could settle down started running in the midst of a huge pack. As per my strategy then, I had 20 minutes of slow warm-up run followed by picking up pace. It was consuming wading thru a block of runners of varying pace and it was demotivating seeing the faster ones overtake. The 2 hour bus was never to be seen. As I approached the halfway mark, the 2:30 bus overtook me. It further dampened my morale. I started feeling tired and hit the proverbial wall which I was told one hits anytime post 15 kms. Thoughts of giving up came in my mind. Walked quite a bit distance. Now what. I must complete the race even if I walk the remainder distance. After some hydration, I could start running slowly again before setting visible targets until where to run before I walk again. Recovered, I ran at a frustratingly slow pace to complete in 2:39. 

Post race: Sent an email to the pacer telling him of having learnt a lesson. Running 10 km is completely COMPLETELY different than running 21 km. My left knee, the clutch knee was broken. I could neither drive nor use the stairs for 2 days. I gave up mentally on running. Not my cup of tea. 

A few days later learnt about an event being planned, the Olympic triathlon. The keeda woke up yet again. My knee is getting better why not try. And one fine morning without thinking about it as usual registered for the triathlon. Since my knee was still hurting, I started focussing on swimming. Did a bit of cycling, a little bit. Gradually started running again. Got better in a month to do all 3, cycle, run and swim on one of the days. The knee was still hurting but far lesser than what it was on the race day.

As I felt I was preparing well for the Triathlon, the event was cancelled. There was this marathon in December. Focused my effort on the 2nd HM. 

15 days before the HM, did a punishing trek walking about 11-12 hours in 2 days.  8 days before did a gruelling 3 days of rock climbing activity. The calfs and hamstring was hurting. 

Good shoes: Invested in good running shoes. Really good. The ride quality difference is the same as it is between that of a sedan and a SUV.

Longer practice run: Wanted to do a 17 km run but could run only 13 km. Ended up with chaffed nipples. Didn't know about it. Painful.

Did not taper: With the hurting calfs and hamstrings, did bursts of 3 km runs at top pace. Timed about 6 minutes a km. Stopped just 2 days before the race. Was feeling better. When I bettered my last day burst to slightly less than 6 minutes, yet again like the last race started dreaming about an under 2 finish. Sheikchilli.     

Focus: Again set a target of 2 hours but was too ashamed to talk about it given the history. Broke down the route into first 6 middle 9 and last 6. Before the race day, mentally ran the race over and over again marking time at important milestones. Marking places to sip water, places to sip electrolyte, where to pop in a date etc. Marked places where I should be in the first 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes. I should be at 12 km in the first hour if I have to make it under 2 was the clear takeaway of these many mental runs. 

Posture & form: Watched videos of professional marathoners to learn how to 1) relax while running, 2) Maintain an upright posture, 3) Manage more frequent strides than longer strides, 4) mid-foot landing - how to pick up the coke bottle while running, 5) where to train your eye-sight on, 6) what to do with your hands, 7) How not to bounce and swiggle etc. It was very VERY helpful.

Bib: Based on previous experience for better ventilation decided to pin the bib on the running shorts and not on the T-shirt.

Knee caps: I had taken to using a knee cap for my left knee but decided to use one for the right knee as well.

Hydrating bottle: Used a waist wraparound bottle holder instead of a sack. It was filled with natural electrolyte. Nothing artificial. NO Sack this time.

Taped nipples: Used vaseline and band-aid to protect nipples from chafing.

Race day: Got up at 4. Did pranayam and other breathing exercises to charge the lungs. A set of 12 high stretch suryanamaskars and I was all set. Had a chapati and a banana just before the race. Was feeling just perfect. I pictured me running like a stag, jumping in air.

Reached the venue good 10 minutes before flag-off. Started at the head of the pack. Just behind the professionals - the Kenyan's, Ethiopian's etc.

Unlike last time, started with a burst. The pro's vanished and I could not see them after 2 minutes of trailing them at high speed. Had the usual starting pain and creeks. These subside after 5 minutes. Keep going. The take-off was super. 5 minutes on, I saw the 1:45 bus overtake me. The fear of 2:00 bus trailing and overtaking me any moment now gave a nitro-boost. I imagined that I am a pro athlete myself and how should I be seen on TV if the camera's are covering me. This improved the posture and form and helped on the speed. 15 minutes into the race, I was gliding effortlessly. The pack got thinner. I was sipping 4 swigs of electrolyte every 3 km as planned and water at every water station.

I lost my step-counter and watch at the start line so didn't have anything to check the time. So, it was our humble cops whom I asked what time it is to figure out how I am doing. 6 km in 30 minutes. I am on plan. It was dark in a few patches, so it slowed the pace a little. I met a good runner running along side and motivating his friends who were trailing him. He told me he is eyeing under 2 for his entire group. We kept running along side for quite some time. He proved to be a good pacing help. 12 km in 1:05. Slipped a little but can recover. At about 17 km, I felt slight pain in my chest. I slowed down to figure whether it was muscular or internal. After ascertaining it was muscular, pressed the gas again for the final assault. 

Last 2 km and it is 1:50. Can I make it under 2. TIGHT.. Started pushing very hard and entered the stadium. School kids had lined up the entrance and felt like an athlete giving high fives to them while running the last part on the synthetic track. Reached the finish line. Huf!! I asked a technologically wired participant who came in just behind me what he thinks his timing was? 1:59:14 ! And how does he know to micro-seconds. Did he get the message already. He smiled and pointed to his phone. Wow!! Have I too made it under 2? 

The suspense didn't end until 1130 or so. 2:02 it was.. 

Rajgad to Torna, November 13 & 14, 2015

Lots of good blogs are available about this Rajgad Torna ridge trek*. So as usual, I will focus on my experience - a rather unique one this time. Treks seldom go as per plan. This trek was no exception. Normally Pune to Pune route is made up of 7 steps / 2 days in this sequence - Pune à Gunjavne à Rajgad à Torna à Velha à Gunjavne à Pune.

Based on estimates, Gunjavne to Velha, the trek part, takes approximately 9 to 10 hours. Remaining part in a vehicle takes 4 hours. Add another hour or so rest/breaks. So Pune to Pune done without a night halt should take approximately 15 hours. A majority of trekkers prefer to halt at Rajgad for the night. Very few trekkers do the reverse, Torna - Rajgad.
For those who don't know, Rajgad is pretty much a tourist spot attracting hikers and revelers in equal measure. But Rajgad to Torna ridge is isolated. At best one or 2 groups pass the route during weekends.

* It is actually a hike but we are so used to using the word Trek, can't do without it. 

The plan

We planned to follow the well-established itinerary. Camp atop Rajgad and start early morning next day for Torna over the ridge that connects the 2 forts. We started from Pune for Gunjavne village at Rajgad base after Diwali lunch on Bhaubij. We were a group of 8. We were carrying home-made ready to cook khichadi and curd for dinner. Also, there was cooking apparatus with us which we were not sure of carrying all the way to Torna via Rajgad. So immediately after reaching Gunjavne, we were looking for cooking help atop Rajgad. We met an enthusiastic Santosh (97627 49143) at the restaurant at Gunjavne who promised to cook our khichadi using his utensils on the fort. He also carried our tent just in case there was no room to sleep at the Padmavati temple. He proved to be very helpful as you will read ahead.

Gunjavne to Rajgad (Padmavati machi)

Gunjavne to Rajgad Padmawati machi is an easy climb. The weather during Sun down was just perfect. Padmavati temple was occupied by a few other groups. We managed to get space to lay our sleeping bags bang in front of the main deity of the temple.

We started with some yummy kanda-bhaji (not bhaaji) and plastered it with dahi-khichadi. Attempted to sleep but it was crowded, suffocating & warm inside. Among the other people in the temple, 3 of them were consistently coordinating their snores. Pretty loud. Couldn’t even take the proverbial 40 winks whatever they are. Had to be content with 5 or 10 :-) that too after midnight when it became cooler.

Back to Gunjavne

We started for Torna next day at 530 am. The core of the trek. 10-15 minutes into the trek one of our group members was unwell and decided to abort the trek before it was too late. 6 of the total 8 continued with the trek as planned. 2 of us, the unwell member and I, turned back after ruling out all other possibilities. 

On the slopes while walking back to Gunjavne, bumped into a chatty tourist guide by the name Rasal (forgot his first name). Without any context, out of the blue, he told me that it takes about 5 to 5-1/2 hours to reach Torna from Padmavati temple. I don't clearly remember how it started but I surely didn't ask him this question. Why could he have told this to me? I didn't pick any signal then and left it at that. Reached Gunjawane at 830 am after an easy descend. Either gave away or finished most of the food - boiled eggs, bread, fruits etc - which we were carrying with us as it was no longer required. 

Leap of faith

Started driving back to Pune. While in the car, I started thinking when would it be next that I will get an opportunity to do this trek. It was on my mind for very long. Next month, may be next weekend?? With whom? The trail is isolated. This is not a trek which you can do on the fly. Glanced at the car clock when realised we have reached Pune in an hour. It is only 945 am and the whole of Saturday is ahead of me. Why leave the agenda unfinished then? Why not do the trek today itself?

Did quick calculations based on Rasal’s estimate of 5 hours to find out that if I walk really fast, I should be able to finish the trek by 6 pm when it just starts getting dark. Worst case add a buffer of 2 hours. 8 pm. Also, since Torna is visible all along the trail and I am walking in broad day light can be done all alone. Within 5 minutes of this thought entering my mind, I decided to turn around on a lark. Sounds a little crazy but certainly doable! 

Dropped the unwell colleague safely home and without even switching the car ignition off started driving back to Gunjavne. 10 am. This node was of highest resistance. Had I stopped to think as to what to do, I would never have completed the trek.

From LET'S SEE! to LET'S GO!

While driving back alone in the car, my rational brain engaged my mind in a duel. My mind was hell bent on doing the trek today itself and the brain had a lot of valid reasons to call it off - Walking all alone on an isolated trail, wild animals, physical fatigue of going back & forth, scorching heat, running out of time and getting stuck for the whole night in the middle of nowhere etc. Those who knew I am planning to start the trek NOW were vehemently supporting the brain. The minds’ drive was only getting stronger. It had only one answer to all these doubts. LET’S SEE!

By now, I had crossed the second point of no-return - the toll gate at Khed-Shivapur. I bought a return ticket resolving that I am not going to let it go waste come what may. It means finishing the trek and secondly returning on the same day. Return toll tickets are valid till midnight on the same day.

The reasons to call it quits were still streaming in. Finally my mind lost it and told my brain to SHUT UP but relenting on the idea of going solo. It would be utterly stupid to walk all alone for 5 plus hours on an isolated trail. So I am going to try to get a guide but if I don’t get one, plans don’t change. I still start walking towards Torna. As I was still in the car, in between the dissuading phone calls from well-wishers, managed to call Santosh to check if he can organise for someone to walk with me till Torna. NEGATIVE. He told me Saturday being rush hour, no one would be interested. While I was holding the line, he even checked with a couple of his friends around. “Sorry. Bad luck. Can’t help.” He suggested I go to Velha and climb Torna. Thank you! But not something that I wanted to do. I was well past my final point of no-return. I told him not to bother and that I was coming anyways.

There is only one likely worst case scenario - running out of time. So for an emergency situation of having to spend the night on the way, I retained the jacket in the bag. I was hoping the walking pole should be good enough to deal with the other unlikely emergency - wild animals if any.

No more discussions. Enough! LET’S GO! 

Gunjavne to Rajgad again

I was doing Gunjawane – Rajgad route for the 3^rd time in the past 16 hours - climbing for the 2^nd time. Some familiar faces - People whom I had met on the fort the previous day and the limbu paani vendor started asking me “What’s wrong? Why are you going back?”

Little after I had started climbing, Santosh called back and told me that he can join me up until Torna. He had managed to rope in someone to look after his business in lieu of a cut in the money I had agreed to pay him. GREAT! All set. The trek was mentally over. Now, only the grueling physical part. Reached Padmavati temple in an hour of starting at 1220 pm. Had pithala bhakri and a large bowl of curd with lots of sugar to tank up for the long haul. 

Rajgad to Torna

1255 left Padmavati machi. It was a rather easy trek. Plain and downhill at the beginning. We walked very fast. Crossed Sanjivani machi rather quickly. Torna looked not very far. Sanjvani machi (Rajgad) to Budhla machi (Torna) is apparently only 8 to 10 kms from Rajgad over the ridge. Most of it is a cake walk. Around half or even more than half is tree cover, so the sun didn't bother much. When it did, it was burning though. We didn’t take even a single break despite Santosh suggesting more than twice to do so. In the process we disappointed the owner of the only house that’s near to the second pass where you have to cross a tar road which we did at 245-3 pm.

Sanjivani Machi, Rajgad

Torna as seen from Rajgad & the ridge connecting the 2. Spot the Budhla machi.

As we were nearing Budhla machi, I suddenly started feeling hungry. VERY VERY HUNGRY. The non-stop fast walk under bright sun had taken its toll. I had preserved an apple to be had before beginning the final climb for Budhla machi. I was so terribly hungry that I started mis-stepping. It was then we decided to halt and finish the apple, the only food item in my bag. To my surprise there was no apple. Probably, the bag had eaten it. Luckily, I had packed limbu-paani at Rajgad in one of the water bottles. The two of us finished ½ liter between us in one or 2 swigs each. Still hungry, I slowly dragged myself up the budhla machi. Yippie. 430 pm, we were on Torna – 3.5 hours after starting from Rajgad. The rock patch was much easier than what I had heard about it. It was then I realised that Rasal had estimated 5 hours to reach Torna, Budhla Machi and not 5 hours to finish the trek at Velha. Alright! No gripe to bear. After all, it was because of him, I was doing this trek.

Rajgad as seen from Torna

Got slowly to the other end of the fort. We knew there was a shack there and I was longing to have a double kanda-pohe and 2 cups of tea. But to our dismay, the shack was in shambles - broken. No kanda-pohe, No tea. Gulped a lot of water instead and started descending the mighty Torna at 515 pm. Though hungry and dog tired there was a spring in my step. After the rock patch, we were almost running downhill towards Velha - as if approaching the finish line of a marathon.

The finish-line

I now started thinking about the most difficult part - the logistics to get to Gunjavne from Velha in a vehicle. It is a 45 minutes drive. And where would our 6 "Sahayadri scalers" who had started in the morning be? They must be on their way to Pune. I knew, I was trailing them but didn’t know from so close until I got a call from them telling me that they were waiting for me at our regular restaurant at Velha. And waiting for not an atrociously long time. In fact the last member reached just about 10 – 15 minutes before I did. So nice of them. I felt relieved to have company all the way to Pune. The spring in the step got spunkier after hearing from them and I literally jogged down the last 500 meters or so. Finished the trek at 630 pm.

My step counter read about 51,000 steps till then. For a perspective, approximately 65,000 steps make a full marathon. 

Ordered the customary Missal signifying the end of a trek but couldn’t eat it as the Adrenaline pump was still whirring even by the time the jeep arrived to drop us back to Gunjawane. Drove back to Pune. All this effort to utilize a humble toll -ticket. At the end of the day, was glad that I didn’t waste it.

PS - Read the "About me" page. Each and every learning applies to this experience. 

K2S (Katraj to Sinhagad), May 1, 2015

K2S (Katraj to Sinhagad) Night Trek, May 1 2015.

Having done K2S during the fag end of monsoon last year in daylight, the night trek was always on top of our list. There are a lot of good blogs about this trek which one must read to get a feel of the trek. On this short post I will focus on our experience and certain takeaways.

Safety: Right before we begun, we had this question playing on our mind. Is it safe for a small group made up of 3 couples only to walk down all by ourselves? Safety from animals & anti-social elements? The answer was a resounding YES from the few professional trekkers I spoke to. However, a slightly bigger group is advisable in the event of injuries or other emergency. Despite of being a weekend closer to a full-moon night, there were only 2 small, all boys, groups we came across. For safety we were carrying a garden sickle just in case we are in a scuffle situation. Luckily we didn't even have to think about it.

Scree: When we had done this trek during monsoon, going up and down the hills was relatively easier because the gravel layer was tighter as it was holding water. In summer, it is loose & very slippery taxing your feet and thighs. Good shoes and at least one walking pole comes handy. The gradient is medium to steep particularly on 2/3 hillocks. Darkness adds to the above 2 factors resulting in a much slower pace.

Drinking water: There is no water on the way. 3 liters per person is recommended in this season.

Mental toughness: Even in day-light, this trek is mentally taxing especially as you get closer to the destination. Going up and down the slopes gets on to your nerves. Earlier when we took our first break we were debating what % of the distance we have covered by now? The answers were all different using different yardsticks like looking at the tower decked by a red lamp on Sinhagad, or by bench-marking it with the 6 hours we took while we did it in day-light or depending simply on how sleepy you are. Walking in the dark adds to the mental toll. The destination is a mirage. During the last couple of hours the tower seems nearer when suddenly we start going away from it. Just slightly but this is good enough to break your morale. 

Directions: It is easy to find your way. There are only 3 rules. 1) Keep walking towards the top of every hill on your way. No traverse to be taken. 2) Never leave the beaten track. Keep following the arrows. 3) Keep going in the direction of the light house. I guess it would be difficult to trek S2K as there is no lighthouse to guide you. 

City lights: You are indeed in a very inaccessible place isolated enough to scare a lone trekker but never far away from civilisation. City lights from Pune on your right and hamlets around Khed Shivapur on your left give you company all throughout. There was blaring music annoying us from one disco source from the Pune side and there was some devotional music (bhajans) from the hamlets which was definitely loud but not annoying. Animals emanate loud noise to intimidate the opponent and allay threat. I guess humans do it for a different purpose – to attract attention. "Hey look at me, I am cool, I have arrived". I am sure this music must be disturbing the wildlife on these hills. We are encroaching on their territory. Should I still say you are never far from "civilisation"?

Lamps: We trekked just 2 nights before a full moon night. We could manage a good part of the trail without having to use artificial focused light. In fact lamps turned out to be a nuisance at times as one had to continuously adjust to the artificial sharp light, dark shadows there of and natural soft moon light.

Sleep:  While we were resting after hill number 8 or 9 or 10 - difficult to tell what number – one by one each one of us pulled out our sleeping bags and decided to take a 15 minutes power nap. Probably because of the rest, a few of us started feeling very cold and feverish. 15 minutes got snoozed to another 1 hour. I too slid in my sleeping bag. I have slept during treks but it has always been in some shelter like a tent or a temple or a cave. But this was right in the middle of no-where, under the open sky, on a slope that blew cool breeze. We could hear an animal barking not very far away from us. It was certainly not a dog bark. A nocturnal bird too was making its presence felt. The sky was clear but not pitch dark for the stars to shine brilliantly. I spotted shooting stars on more than one occasion. Someone made a wish to take us to our destination but it was turned down looks like. The sleeping bag can be cozy even when the day temperature is in the 40 degree range. The warm surface below the sleeping bag was ironing out the strained back. I thought I am here lying down half awake-half asleep for the last 15-20 minutes when we suddenly heard a commotion. A group of 4 trekkers came up the hill and were startled to see 6 people crouching as if waiting to attack them at an isolated point. This straight out of a “just for laughs” show minus the laughs woke us all up. It was then I realised that we all have been sleeping for the last 2 hours. I was not only sleeping but snoring too. Emitting noise to allay threat. Now I know why were we not attacked by that barking animal. 

Post sleep trek: It was 415 am. After watching the moon set, we embarked on the final phase in pitch darkness. We were dependent on the lamps completely now. Reached the destination immediately after sunrise. Hitched a triple seat ride on a motorbike up to Sinhagad parking area to return with a jeep. In case you are looking for transport at an odd hour, may try reaching out to Yogesh Khatpe (98504 56039), the jeep operator who dropped us back to Pune. Reaching home in the morning, I had another weekend duty waiting. Taking my 11 year old son to the swimming pool. I volunteered to join him. 35 minutes in cold water did magic in healing the broken furniture. All major pains were scrubbed off. 

All set for another experience.

"Sahyadri scalers" at the destination. Sinhagad in the background.