At the crack of dawn, I boarded a bus headed towards Lambgaon and got down at Chaurangikhal. The place is a pitstop for buses heading further into the mountains towards the far off Himalayan villages. It is also known for the Chauranginath temple. As I devoured Maggie and chai, I was in two minds whether to hike on my own or take help of a local guide.
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Come monsoon and the Sahyadris of Maharashtra get a stunning makeover. Emerald hills, roaring waterfalls, sprawling valleys enveloped in mist – its all just too irresistible! Here’s an account of one such gorgeous monsoon trek that I went on – Kalsubai – the highest peak in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra.
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October is supposedly the best time for Goechala trek. But the rains hadn’t ceased till early October that year and I was wondering whether I should have waited for a few more days? Walking in the incessant rains and slippery slopes of slush into the wilderness of the Kanchenjunga National Park, I was both thrilled and irritated at the same time.
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The sun was shining so bright right on my face and I felt completely drained as the heat sucked all the energy from my body. My bag felt so heavy and I, who always travels light, kicked myself for stuffing all those extra kgs into my compact backpack. Thoughts of not being able to make it to the camp, right on the first day of the trek felt very discouraging. I also doubted myself of whether I will be able to complete the trek at all. Packing right and packing light is so damn important!
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The best part about traversing the unpopular trails has its share of unbiased fun and the power to enjoy at your own discretion. The Nagalapuram forest trek is one such fairly uncommon, 1-day trek in the Eastern Ghats. Even at a moderate pace and stops to refill bottles or clicking photos, one can complete the ascent in about 3-4 hours. More often than not trekkers descend and camp at the base. The Nagala hill with their rocky faces and beautifully sliced gorges have levels of hills – the easiest peak being approx. 650 meter high. The trail can be trekked in several ways, by crossing the range from East to West or vice-versa, or trekking to and fro from the eastern/western side.
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This article was originally published on B-Change
A book, a movie or simply for the sweet sake of wandering, whatever may have inspired you to plan your first trek – go for it! It’s never too late to start anything that has been on your mind for long. However, to do something you’ve never done before and because trekking in the mountains is way different from a leisure stroll, you need a fair amount of groundwork. Inadequate preparations and half-baked knowledge can turn a great experience into an unpleasant one.
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