A memorable trek

I love being out in the natural world, among rolling hills, splashing streams, mysterious jungles and gentle meadows, whether it is a hike, a trek or climbing to the top of a mountain.

“Great things are done when men and mountains meet; this is not done by jostling in the street.”
(William Blake)

 

In the Sahyadri ranges, around where I live, there are many forts, from the times of Chhatrapati Shivaji and even before that. Climbing mountains to reach these forts and exploring them is a very rewarding outdoors activity. Especially if done in the company of great friends.

Recently I was feeling a bit low.  You know how it happens, there are small issues and problems that keep cropping up in your life and nothing seems to go quite right. There is always that one more thing that needs looking into and clearing up. “What now?” is the feeling one gets.

Then I got this message out of the blue from an old friend, saying he was coming to India and would I join him and other friends for a trek? As they say in Marathi, I was ready on one leg! I had not trekked for a while so was a bit apprehensive of my trek-readiness but my friend assured me that I’d be able to do it. Suddenly things started looking good. The trek was a few weeks away so I had now something to look forward to. 

The day of the trek arrived. It was a cold winter morning. We all gathered at the common meeting point from where we’d travel together to the trekking trail. It was fun to get to see my old friends, some of whom I’d not met in a long time. Some were new faces to me but we became friends soon. The typical journey till the trekking point consists of telling silly jokes, singing of cooked-up lyrics and generally having a fun time.  

The trek itself was a climb up to the mountain top. As we went higher we could see the azure waters of the nearby dams spread out below. There were thick bushes with all kinds of wildflowers. Occasionally we disturbed a lark or a chattering bulbul.  

The mountains are truly great teachers. They teach you a lot, let you travel on their backs, and show you things you could not have seen otherwise from the ground below. This is also the time when you come to appreciate the company of your friends and your fellow trekkers. The mountain path was narrow and steep at times, with slippery stones and dust which could send you tumbling down if you were not careful. With the help of expert trekkers in our group all completed the trek safely. 
 

On the mountain top was complete silence in which you could hear the swish of dried grass, the buzz of bees and dragonflies. In the distance the waters of the dams shimmered in the afternoon sun. We shared a lovely potluck lunch, shared stories, jokes and songs. Everything suddenly seemed insignificant, including everyday problems and worries. You literally leave those behind you.

Climbing down is harder than climbing up, but we managed that too. What’s a mountain when you have good friends along? We were all in this journey together.

When I got back home it was a with a feeling of renewed energy, the confidence of knowing you have friends with you, and that if I could do this trek I could tackle all those measly problems quite easily. They did not seem to matter much anymore.

“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”

(Sir Edmund Hillary)

As I took one last look at the Sahyadris I wished I could build a little home in the foothills and live here and look up at the peaks every day.

Recently I came across an interesting site https://housing.com/. Do take a look. It might just help us find the home of our choice. 

Note: All photos in this blog post are clicked by me.