There’s no blessing greater than being able to spend a day or two in the wilderness, away from the mayhem of the city, one with the elements of nature. The urge to unravel the unknown on your own is fascinating. So I reached out to friends and on Facebook.

Rahul was my co-conspirator in planning. He intended to bring his wife and three year old kid along too, for the trek wasn’t supposed tough. Also with us was Murali, another old timer.

On the D-day, it was just the three of us. We drove out via Ghodbunder road and then Ahmedabad highway, the rains greeting us in full glory. The clouds were hanging low, within touching distance. We had a customary stop at Vitthal Kamath to stock up our bellies before the burn.

We took a left from Manor to leave the hectic highway. The Manor-Wada road was padded with green of different shades. It’s a beauty to drive or bike on. At the toll, we asked for directions to Vaghote, the base village. Soon, we arrived there, parked, and were geared up to go.

A two kilometre walk through the countryside, dotted with ponds and paddy fields, brought us to the base. Here, after some curious question and answer with an ancient villager, we found our way to the lake. The mountain beyond it was enveloped in clouds. We decided not to take any villagers for guidance, trusting our instincts, route markers and some good samaritan to help us be on the right track.

After crossing the dam waters, we entered the forest. There wasn’t any other person on the route, and the sounds of the forest entranced us. Rahul interrupted it with his chirping from time to time, and the heavens opened to soak us in nature. The initial climb was easy till we reached a fork. We took the path to the left and lost track of the markers. We encountered an abandoned sole, and made the incorrect assumption that we were on the right path. Soon we were deeper in the jungle with nowhere to go to.

We were horribly lost and I decided we needed Google’s help. Pop came out the phone in the downpour, sheltered in a flimsy Ziploc. I had entered Kohoj in Google Maps early morning, hoping that the place had a GPS marker. To my pleasant surprise, not just the fort, but the entire trail was visible! I thanked the person who marked it, and retraced our steps. We arrived at the fork, and found the clearly marked trail going up the mountain.

The route was steep from here. With the rain creating rivulets through the stone and mud, it wasn’t beginner level. There wasn’t any exposure, but endurance and the experience to walk in such terrain was required. I was happy we didn’t have any newcomers, and especially Pooja and Pratham (Rahul’s wife and son), for they would have been miserable.

I was enjoying myself, able to feel my heart thrumming within me, my muscles working overtime. Rahul was skipping ahead of us, his ultra-running fit body moving up the slopes with ease, while Murali and me toiled. After what seemed like eternity, but was actually only a half hour, we were on Kohoj plateau. It was 12, three hours since we started. We were walking in the clouds.

A brief rest, and we were on our way to the top. We met some local boys, who spoiled the silence with their cacophony. They were there to work near the two temples. We decided to let them go ahead, and slowly climbed the broken steps of the fort to the top. The ghostly humanoid figures, which are the talismans of Kohoj, greeted us. I wanted to climb atop a ridge there, but it was slippery and I chickened out. 

It started raining, and all of us were famished. We decided to walk back to the plateau. Here we found a small ramshackle shed, which was too dirty for my taste (I would rather eat in the rain!). But we had our lunch there anyway. Theplas disappeared down our gullets in no time.

It was now time to descend. Rahul took the lead and was running, hopping down boulders. I was cautious, determined to make it a no fall trek!  We reached the lake in an hour or so, and couldn’t resist taking a dip. Rahul swam a few short laps for the camera. Murali somehow managed not to drown, as he tried his hands at swimming as well. Or being rescued. The confidence that he showed initially, disappeared as he gasped and choked, while we were wondering whether he was laughing! I stayed in shallower waters, my backside resting in the soothing waters, enjoying the show.

The tread back to the car was uneventful. More rain and traffic greeted us on the highway, but Rahul showed his Schumacher skills, and we were back in Mumbai at around five in the evening.

The joy of the wild was in us, and we would seek it again soon.

Details:

Date of Trek: 28th August, 2016

How to reach Vaghote - base village: Drive to Manor from Mumbai. Take a left, on to Manor Wada road. You reach a toll junction. The trail starts less than a kilometer from there. A white house on the right with a shed can be used for parking.

Trek Difficulty: Moderate

Time: 5-6 hours