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.