I woke up with a healthy night's sleep, got ready and loaded my neatly packed backpack on my shoulders. Everybody arrived on time. We took the 5:41 local from Dombivli to Khopoli and alighted at Karjat.
We took 7.45 AM bus going to Mechkarwadi and alighted at Kadav, from where we got share rickshaw going towards Bhivpurigaon. Some old women going to Bhivpurigaon told us that they would drop us at Pali-Potal junction. From this junction a 20 min walk took us to Pali village. This route being very rarely used by trekking community put a lot of curious and amazed stares on us.
We crossed Potal and Pali villages. The view of Sahyadris was breathtaking from here. A very long spur coming from dhak was welcoming in front of us, keeping this spur to right we walked alongside a stream keeping Sahyadris in front of us. We were going to climb on a different spur. It's approach was clearly in front of me. It came running from Saidongar down to South of Pali Village. While walking on the dirt road, we encountered a couple of locals who were gathering wood. They told us they know no route from Saidongar going towards Kusur, and suggested us to keep walking and ask around in the Thakarvasti ahead. Then a roaring tractor came towards us. The driver stopped his tractor gangsta style and signalled us with his hand, which spoke, “ Are you lost kids?”. He told us to go backwards and walk east alongside the canal coming from Humgaon, and then the route will climb southwards on the spur, as was suggested by Yatin Namjoshi, an experienced mountaineer.
So we went alongside the stream to find the route. Now, I had guessed roughly where the path might be, but there were barbed wire fences guarding WhoKnowsWhat from WhoKnowsWho. So we again crossed the canal and went to the other side and upon asking a couple of locals finally found our route. Locals here were very helpful and didn't bombard us with questions like “Why do you want to go there? What will you do there?” They, very politely and very respectfully explained us the way- त्यांतले पाहिले काका म्हणाले ,” तिकडं पुढं मोरी पाशी वाट फिरली बघ वर, तिकडून सरळ जायचं”, आता आम्हाला मोरी म्हणजे काय तेव्हा कळलं नाही. पुढे कॅनल च्या बाजूच्या रस्त्याला अजून एक रस्ता भिडला 90 डिग्री वर. तिकडे डोंगरा कडे जाणारी पुसत शी वाट दिसत तर होती. आम्ही अजून पक्क करण्या साठी पुढे गेलो आणि एक दुसरे काका भेटले, त्यांनी ही अंदाजे तीच वाट खुणावली, “सरळ जा! कुठ पण वाळू नकोस. जा हळू हळू. एक फळा लावलाय बघ पाण्या वर त्या वरून जायचं. फळा तर न्हवता पण त्या ठिकाणी कॅनॉल च्या आतल्या बाजूला खड्डे करून होल्ड्स बनवले होते. आम्ही त्यांच्या आधारे कॅनॉल पार केला.
So we were on the route. After climbing the spur, the ascent became gradual. Most of the route was covered in dry deciduous forest.Violet flowers plants grew abundant besides the trail. Forest Canopy shaded most of the path
Soon we reached an opening, where there was a sign painted on a stone. There were two connected arrows and one single arrow. Besides the connected arrows “Pune" was written and beside the single arrow ,”Karjat”. We pondered on which one of the two arrows going towards Pune to take. I had read that there is a small cave temple on the hill. I assumed the left way would take us towards the temple and the right one directly on route. We had already lost a lot of time in finding the start of the route, so after going leftwards with intention to find the temple, we halted near a dried stream and decided to head back and go on the rightward route, which seemed to be going towards Saidongar, towards the top of the spur. But first! Amol took out an orange out from his backpack. So everyone freed themselves of their heavy backpacks and without speaking declared a rest time. Tanginess filled my mouth with the silence of surroundings. Far down in the village a tractor roared, but being so far we only heard it whisper.
After a brief much needed rest we again headed towards the opening from where after doing couple merry go rounds around the sign rock, we found the prominent trail going towards Saidongar. From here the gradual ascend turned into a steep one and like a magician's signature move the route turned leftwards keeping Saidongar hill to our right hand side. Soon we reached on the top of the plateau and had our lunch under cool shade of a tree. Again Amol to our rescue took out cold buttermilk from a flask. After lunch again silence kicked in, mind stopped wondering and eyes started pondering. Grass on the plateau had turned yellow, wind was creating ripples on the dried and fallen but rooted grass. Bunch of trees stood in patches like tiny islands on grass sea. From here we could see Dhak to our west, with its prominent Kalakarai/bahiri pinnacle. It's massif looked like a cake served on a plate. Deccan Plateau extended one of its many arms to Dhak to make it a part of its own.
A villager, who was resident of Pali-Potal was coming towards us from Kusur direction, he was going to descend the way we came. It amazes me how these people carry almost nothing, when we are loaded with water and buttermilk and oranges and BreadJam AndWhatNot. Anyways our lifestyle cannot be matched with theirs. These ghats are their playgrounds, these skies their umbrella. He gave us inputs for our next milestone, Waghoba temple on Kusur Plateau. He pointed at a long tower on a mountain and told us to follow the tower. Now!!. I had not expected that next milestone would be at such a height. “तू contour नाही देखा ना!”, गुरू चे शब्द मनात वाजले. We had already climbed 600mts. Two amongst us were newbies. It was already 3 PM. Taking that into consideration, we decided to go to the village and camp there for the day and go up to Kusur plateau the next day.
After a short nap, we started walking. Soon human intervention was visible on that beautiful plain grass plateau. A huge ass Bungalow was in sight. Same as the mansion in GTA Vice City game. जागो जागी तारी च्या fences बघून तार बोचल्या सारखी झाली.
Soon we reached Mornarewadi village and arranged for dinner with यारणक family. Hospitality in the ghats always amaze me. We kept our backpacks in their house and went out to get a glimpse of the sunset.
On reaching the edge of the plateau, we spread out on the edge. More than 500 meter deep Dhak wall was in front of us. Rajmachi peaks were faintly visible in the haze, behind Manjarsumbha. We started walking back towards the village when a cherry like sun was alighted exactly on top of cake like Dhak Mountain.
When we reached back to the village we went to the school and sat in its verandah, there was Bhairavnath temple right in front of the school. We came to a decision to camp in the temple itself if our host permits, which he did later. गप्पा मारता मारता अंधारलं आणि येरणक काका आम्हाला बोलवायला आले. आम्ही त्यांच्या बरोबर घरात गेलो. Dinner was ready when we went back. The yellow color of potato and daal, was traced on my fingertips. We thanked and paid Yernak kaka for their hospitality and came to the temple. Mobile phone, power bank, ला connect करून मस्तं सगळे झोपले. मंदिरात उजेड होता. गावात solar street lights होत्या. मंदिर तासं मोठ्ठं. भैरवनाथ च्या मूर्ती च्या एका बाजूला Giant भांडी होती, आणि दुसऱ्या बाजूला एक Giant Dhol होता. तसेच, वर माळ्यावर अजून Giant वाद्य होत, ती वाद्य एकत्र वाजली तर खाली कोकणात सुद्धा ऐकू येतील का? या मोठ्या टोपात किती किलो भात शिजत असेल? असा प्रश्ण-उत्तरांचा खेळ खेळत कधी झोपलो समझले नाही.
In the morning, we all freshened up and had hot tea with Yernak family. After filling water bottles we were again on trail. We still had a 300 meter ascent to reach Dhakoba temple. There is a trail from behind the temple which goes to a small hamlet of Kusur wadi. From there we hit the main trail going towards Kusur Plateau. Morning air was fresh, and breeze was cool. अश्या वेळी चढंही जाणवत नाही. Here we went a bit off trail. हो नाय हो नाय करत cattle trail पकडूनच, धनगरवाडी चा tower बघत जायचं असं ठरलं. असा रास्ता चुकल्या वर group मध्ये सय्यम आणि ताळमेळ असणं महत्त्वाचं! आमच्या 4 जणांचं tuning बऱ्या पैकी जमल्यानेच आम्ही परत न चुकता, जबतक Tower नजर मे है, ताबतक चलेंगे! असा निश्चय करून परिसराचा भान ठेवून tower पाशी पोहोचलो.
There is a Thakar wasti near the tower. Dogs barked their welcome and villagers offered us water. From here a trail goes directly towards Waghoba temple, our next milestone. As soon as we left the hamlet, we were on an open plateau, a vast plain with dried grass till the horizon. In 20 minutes we reached Waghoba temple. Inside there was a stone with a tiger carved on it. “We should have camped here for the night, was the first thought that came to my mind. The night sky would have looked tremendous from here. “मनाच्या checklist मध्ये जागा tick marked!” We had a heavy breakfast of BreadAndJamAndCrunchyThings and once again pulled our sacks on our backs and got ready for the huge descend. Time now was about 11.30A.M.
Seriously now! Descending about 900 meters in one go, it's a lots of muscle work. Moreover post my long knee pain NoAscendOnlyDescend treks, this was my first descent to Konkan from Sahyadri.
When we reached back to the Thakarvasti, An old man and two women with milk, buttermilk and more were closing their doors to leave for Kusur Village. We joined them and they showed us the right way. While going down, the lady slipped on a stone and tumbled. She was not injured. One of my mates helped her with her bag and went down with them. When we reached Kusur Wadi my friend was sitting in front of a house. There the old man offered us water and tea. He insisted us on coming back and stay with him the next time we go there. तिकडे अजून लोक जमा झाले. कुठून आलात? कुणीकडं झोपलात? अशे प्रश्ण झाले. कुसुर घाटाने जाणार असे ऐकताच एक काकू म्हणाल्या, “एकटेच? म्हाहित हाय का? लई वाटा फुटल्यात बघा!” त्या वर एक काका म्हणाले,”आग!, तुला म्हाहिती हाय त्यापेक्षा त्यांना हाय म्हायती, नकाशा हाय त्यांच्या काढं!”. आता नकाशा आहे तर खरं पण जो पर्यंत पुरते हरवून lost नाही होत तो पर्यंत तो बघायचा नाही असा माझा हल्ली हट्ट असतो.
After bidding goodbyes to the family we started walking towards Kusur Village. Time was about 11.30.AM. I had read that there are two routes one which goes through the col which is in front of main Kusur Village, and another through the spur which is northwest of the village. Both these routes meet on the lower plateau. The route from the col is of a milder and easier descent. We decided to go by the spur route. Again a 10 min walk took us on the edge of Kusur Ghat. From here to the east there was long pipeline of Tata Hydro Electronic Power plant coming down the mountain, to West there was Dhak. We could see Potal-Pali, Bhivpurigaon, Humgaon, Vaijanath clearly deep in Konkan.
Soon after we started lunch break horn from Tata Power echoed in the valley, the route near the top is steep and on a scree. The scree was full of overgrown grass. Now roots of this grass are not on the trail but besides it, and the wind and weather causes the grass to fall over the trail, making it slippery to stand straight. So we literally went on our bums and slid our way down . There was a makeshift wooden ladder at a difficult rock patch. We climbed down the ladder and went ahead. The whole route is steep, but “bum walking” was over. Soon we reached a lower plateau where I saw a open space to my right hand side. So I decided to go there and have a look at the power plant across the valley. Sometimes you find somethings with coincidence. hadn't I had gone there I wouldn't have come across the five water tanks of Kusur ghat. Now!, I had read that there were five but we saw only four. Later I read that the fifth one is somewhere in the jungle.
When we reached Bhivpuri village, it was late afternoon, The village seemed to be taking afternoon nap, some people were talking lazily under a banyan tree. Now we headed to our last milestone, an ancient Octagonal lake in the village,which was now renovated with modern architecture, after resting here for a while we walked to the road junction which connects Bhivpuri village and Tata Power Company. Here we found a tumtum rickshaw which took us to Karjat, away from the twin Spurs of SaiDongar and Kusur Ghat
It amazes me how a shy guy like me goes on these adventures, stays and lives in unknown villages, talk to complete strangers to arrange for food and shelter, but when I really think of it, it's not just me, its the humble people living in these remote places, kind and polite and caring. It’s their welcoming nature that makes me look beyond a curtain and let me have a conversation. I would have never seen this side of mine if it wasn’t for my newly acquired love of wandering and exploring these remote and unknown places.
