I have used the back space so many times as I tried to put down my favourite ..
I have concluded no favourites ...each holds a space in the heart
The trip to Sikkim is now 11 years from the past ...
I had vowed to revisit within 10 years ... well i'm past my deadline but as they say 'better late than never'.
Sikkim I remember for :
my first feel of snow (though snow fall i am yet to experience)
the white covered hills against the clear blue sky
grabbing a handful of cold snow & throwing it in the air
The biting cold when I dared to have a cold water bath at about 4 degrees.
The yummy 'momos'.
The very long hike up hill an down again
White water rafting.
The serenity of Rumtek monastery
Glad to have it on my list of places i have experienced and on my list of places to visit again.
Rajmaachi:
I recall both the treks to the place; one an excruciating long one & the other a cruelly fast one.
It holds place as one of
my favourite trek destinations. Both treks began at night from Lonavla ..both were led by COM ( Prof. Sudhakar Solomon Raj... he sometimes signs as Crazy Old Man).
Destination is Rajmaachi fort ... a Shivaji time fort on the Ghats of Maharashtra between Karjat & Lonavala. Its touted as the highest fort in the region.And thats where the commonality of both the treks end.
The 1st one was when I was in college my Final year BSc. It was a trek i was initially not supposed to be part of but wanted to be part of . It was a large group of 55 of us boys n girls with professors from 1st yr junior college to MSc students .
We made our way into the mountains now green with the monsoon effect. As we trudged along we could hear streams find their way down. Typewritter frogs tapping away with crickets & sikadas playin their own orchestrated music.
Somewhere along the path (which we learnt much later ) instead of taking a left we too a right turn and kept walking with no sign of our destination. We walked in almost pitch darkness though some used torches ...{Trek hint: torches shud be used in absolute emergencies ..our eyes will eventually adjust to the minimal light recd from the moon}
We started walking around 10:30 at night and began to see our destination only around 6 in the morn with a halt of about an hour for dinner (which we had carried) At 6 we had managed to reach the base of the fort and had to make the final climb. Were our legs sore !!! ?? but seeing the fort we were determined to climb it. It was a precarious climb with narrow footholds which in some places were covered with slippery moss. Luckily we held on and made up to the fort with no mishaps. Once there we collapse on the grass covered floor too exhausted to look around
The bigger deception came when we were told that Shivvaji never even visited the fort ! ..
Once we caught our breath we dragged ourselves to the ends of the fort ...peering over ...and the view took my breath away (hahaha).
simply put ..."B E A U T I F U L"
Its a fort built using the mountain face hence camouflaging it. It provided for an open unrestricted view for kilometers ...indicating its strategic positioning .. a perfect vantage point.
The view was carpets of green with the light cover of mist.
As the sun rays spread, the shine from the reflecting dew drops added the glitter
The long walk was well worth it .
Of course the trip down was more painful
We did walk almost 15 hours at a stretch with the halt for dinner and the brief
halt at the fort for breakfast.
It did leave a lasting impression on my mind
The next trek was about 10 of us only, half of us ex-students of the college including me. Its been a long while since my legs or body had done any remotely physical activity as we set out on this trek.
We started a little earlier and reached the base of the fort in about 2 & 1/2 hours of cruelly fast walking. COM was all out to set a record of sorts. My legs gave way ...suffering cramp , locked knee, muscle pulls on the way but was pushed on. We stayed at the village for the night in a hut with thatched roof and mud floor ...and ate the spiciest chutney with simple veg meal . We saw stars that night ...and we owe it to the chutney :-)
Early, before daybreak we trudged up the fort it was still breath taking like the last time.
We made it back also in double time ...with me almost giving up a couple of times preferring to live in the wilderness than walk anymore.
I'd love to go there again and pull a few more muscles ... its simply worth it
(This post was typed a long while back ...apologies for the delay in posting)