Ahhh where do I start? I dont believe in going to treks arranged by someone else, somehow I feel not-in-control of the happenings and Im not comforatble somebody else messing up my fun :)
After a long gap i decided to go on a trek organized by a team rather than planning it out on my own. a huge team of 70+ people turned out for the trek, a bit too much i guess to really enjoy an outing. havent visited raigad before, so was keen to join myself.
the day started a bit too early , at 5am, went to pickup stop by 6 and had to wait for the bus to arrive for another hour, rain had already started and we were already drenched before even the trek began. anyways it was just the starting and nobody knew what it has instored for us further.
reached raigad by 12.30 sumthng, via hinjewadi-paud-tamhini ghat-nijampur-mangaon-paachhad. the view via tamhini ghat was real deal, the place-to-go in monsoon, but as we were with a crowd, cudnt ask for photo stop.
anywayz, reached raigad, and the climb starts right from the first step itslef.
had read that we had to climb about 1400+ steps, but at the end im sure it wouldnt have been more than 7-800. at least it didnt seemed so.
the visibility was not more than few steps, too much fog. rain was in full force, we were already drenched to the chaddi in that torrential downpour :) so had no worries of keeping ourselves dry. after numerous steps and those many waterfalls on the way, we reached the maha-darwaza. we had some opportunities to click few snaps , as it was raining cats-n-dogs (whatever that means :)
by the time we reached the top, the visibility was really poor, the fog, the rains and on top of that cudnt put on my spects (no wipers on that :), what a waste. rhea started to shiver by that time, and my mood was gone to do anything more here.
without visiting any of the famed spots on the fort,somehow the organizers found out the place to eat, the mtdc one. fully drenched in the chaddi-soaking-rains , we sat another hour and half till the guys at mtdc tried to arrange the food. and food arrived in parts, first rice, then roti, then daal and then sabzee. what fun it was. changed wet clothes for the kid, i had no chance and desire to change into sumthng comfortable.
it was already 5pm. and outside it was raining like never before and night was already started settling in. few of the clever ones decided to get down by the roapway to avoid getting into further trouble and further wetness. (but what did they knew...)
the roapway was another kind of experience(with 110 rs each), gives you a bird's view of the fort walls, shows you the view that cant be matched with anythng else in the world, gives you an idea of the grandness of the fort, but... it takes you down in less than 3 minutes flat. what fun.
had to wait another hour till the remaining adventurers carried on with the fun and climbed down the way they came up. the bus came,we sat inside, settled and then the counting started, they messed up counting thrice, as 70+ people were there and two buses. after three tries they gave up and decided to move, so much for "organizing".
it was pitch dark by this time, about 7.30 sumthng. the journey started back, after another few agonizing hours (still in dead wet clothes) somewhere in tamhini ghat , the bus decided to take a break. sumthng broke down, literally and they decided to get the ladies and few men into one bus and taken them home, whatever happened to the remaining ones( another bus was supposed to reach them by 3am sumthng). reached hinjewadi by 1am , came home by 1.30 and the last surprise was waiting for us, no power at home. so no hot water. screw the bath i said, just changed and slept, and that was the end to it.
end to a perfectly screwed up trek.
the parting shot...
After a long gap i decided to go on a trek organized by a team rather than planning it out on my own. a huge team of 70+ people turned out for the trek, a bit too much i guess to really enjoy an outing. havent visited raigad before, so was keen to join myself.
the day started a bit too early , at 5am, went to pickup stop by 6 and had to wait for the bus to arrive for another hour, rain had already started and we were already drenched before even the trek began. anyways it was just the starting and nobody knew what it has instored for us further.
reached raigad by 12.30 sumthng, via hinjewadi-paud-tamhini ghat-nijampur-mangaon-paachhad. the view via tamhini ghat was real deal, the place-to-go in monsoon, but as we were with a crowd, cudnt ask for photo stop.
anywayz, reached raigad, and the climb starts right from the first step itslef.
the visibility was not more than few steps, too much fog. rain was in full force, we were already drenched to the chaddi in that torrential downpour :) so had no worries of keeping ourselves dry. after numerous steps and those many waterfalls on the way, we reached the maha-darwaza. we had some opportunities to click few snaps , as it was raining cats-n-dogs (whatever that means :)
without visiting any of the famed spots on the fort,somehow the organizers found out the place to eat, the mtdc one. fully drenched in the chaddi-soaking-rains , we sat another hour and half till the guys at mtdc tried to arrange the food. and food arrived in parts, first rice, then roti, then daal and then sabzee. what fun it was. changed wet clothes for the kid, i had no chance and desire to change into sumthng comfortable.
it was already 5pm. and outside it was raining like never before and night was already started settling in. few of the clever ones decided to get down by the roapway to avoid getting into further trouble and further wetness. (but what did they knew...)
the roapway was another kind of experience(with 110 rs each), gives you a bird's view of the fort walls, shows you the view that cant be matched with anythng else in the world, gives you an idea of the grandness of the fort, but... it takes you down in less than 3 minutes flat. what fun.
had to wait another hour till the remaining adventurers carried on with the fun and climbed down the way they came up. the bus came,we sat inside, settled and then the counting started, they messed up counting thrice, as 70+ people were there and two buses. after three tries they gave up and decided to move, so much for "organizing".
it was pitch dark by this time, about 7.30 sumthng. the journey started back, after another few agonizing hours (still in dead wet clothes) somewhere in tamhini ghat , the bus decided to take a break. sumthng broke down, literally and they decided to get the ladies and few men into one bus and taken them home, whatever happened to the remaining ones( another bus was supposed to reach them by 3am sumthng). reached hinjewadi by 1am , came home by 1.30 and the last surprise was waiting for us, no power at home. so no hot water. screw the bath i said, just changed and slept, and that was the end to it.
end to a perfectly screwed up trek.
the parting shot...
