Memorable trek to Fort Vasota

It was early morning. Sunrise time. I was walking around the Koyana backwater with Akash at Bamnoli.

At the time we were discussing my efforts to make a bigger impact with my work, when I bent down and picked up a small pebble. And threw it into the water and watched the ripples spread.

"See?" I said "I want to do something that spreads, that influences a lot of people". 

Akash smiled, "You’ll need something bigger than that pebble if you really want to make a splash."

I laughed and threw a rock into the pond. "Big enough for you?"

I looked around at Akash in bemusement as he took off his shoes and shirt, stripping down to just his pants.

"What’s the crazy old guy doing now?" I wondered to myself.

Akash took a small run up and launched himself into the water, making an enormous splash.

"Wow, that’s cold!" he said smiling, as he looked up.

"What the heck are you doing?" said I.

"You want to make a splash?  You’ve got to throw yourself into your work, nothing less."

Bamnoli, the starting point for the trek to Vasota fort, was going to be one place to remember forever. 

And not just for this conversation! With beautiful landscapes around, I captured some interesting snaps as well!

Another day, another trek. Fort Vasota was the destination. Fort Vasota is located about 150 km from Pune, it is a protected natural reserve and a national treasure nest. The blue-green expanse of Koyna backwaters, the evergreen forests of Koyna wildlife sanctuary, hike to Vasota fort hidden in thick jungle, the spectacular view from top of the fort along with the beauty and serenity of the place leaves one spell bound.

"The world is always reinventing itself, so should you", the inner voice was sending that signal for some time. There is nothing more addictive or incredible in life than reinventing yourself and allowing yourself to be different, better everyday. But then any 'change' is perceived as a threat by our thinking system. That was kind of a stalemate for some time. Over a period of time, I have realized that a trek does all the magic for me, in these stalemate situations. Every time. And it was working out this time as well.

We started our journey late at night from Pune. By 4 AM we were at Bamnoli. Time to take some sleep in a temple along the backwater. Woke up at 7 AM, had a quick breakfast, had a great morning walk & a great conversation with Akash. And continued our adventure. We took a boat ride to cross the water body and by 10 AM we were at the base of the fort, at the entrance of the Koyna Wildlife sanctuary, a natural World Heritage Site. 

The sanctuary has a diverse variety of mammals including the keystone species, Bengal tigers (>6).  Also, Indian leopards (14), Indian bison (220-250), sloth bears (70-80), monkeys and Indian giant squirrels are common. The Vasota Fort lies deep in the forests and is located at an elevation of 1,301 m above sea level. 

Being in the wildlife sanctuary one has to register at the entrance gate, pay a nominal fee, and agree to accept all the conditions including no plastic to be carried. After completing the formalities at the entrance of the sanctuary, we started our trek. 

Vasota Fort (also called Vyaghragad) is located in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Shivaji Maharaj captured it in 1655 during the conquest of Javli. Shivaji Maharaj named the fort "Vyaghragad" (Vyaghra – means tiger), owing to its difficult natural defense. 

The climb was steep, through a dense forest and took us couple of hours to reach the entrance of the fort. Except for the last 50 meters, the whole climb was through a canopy of trees. We reached the top of the fort by noon. The views from the top were refreshing. 

Today the fort stands in a dilapidated condition in a thick jungle with remnants of Shree Mahadev mandir, the plinth of a huge "sadar" (discussion place), the fallen ramparts & spectacular view of Nageshwar peak & Shivsagar lake (Koyna backwaters). 

Babu Kada, a cliff between the Old Vasota & the New Vasota Fort is the main attraction of the fort. It is said that it is the highest cliff after the famous Konkan Kada at Harishchandragad, in Maharashtra.

We had a quick lunch, took some rest and started our return journey back. Staying overnight on the fort is not allowed as the area is under the core zone of the wildlife sanctuary. The return journey was uneventful. It took us couple of hours to descend down. 


And then we started our ferry through the Koyna backwaters. Sunset time, mild winds, the body needing some rest and the mind bubbling with enthusiasm, that was the state of affairs.  The day had turned out be beyond imagination. The discussion with Akash in the morning, the exciting trek and the grandeur of nature... ideal time for closing the eyes, reflection and self discovery, and in a splash I did connect with the inner core. The moment of truth arrived ... 


We have been given only one life. Don't settle for less. Do whatever you think is right and worth living for. Don't just give your best shot, DO WHAT IT TAKES.

Quick summary:

Elevation	1,301 m
Difficulty Level	Medium
Endurance Level	Medium
Adventure Level	Medium
Fun Level	Great
Ideal for	Trekkers, nature lovers
Notes	This is one of the best jungle treks in Maharashtra. Best time to visit is October to May. The wildlife sanctuary is closed during monsoon and hence this trek can't be done during the four months of monsoon.

A trip to Kerala - God's own country

Early morning view of the backwaters - Kumarakom 

“Welcome to the gods own country” – the manager of the resort at Munnar said, courteously, but more like it was part of the package. 

God's own country, for the uninitiated, is the way the locals describe Kerala, a state on India's tropical Malabar Coast, one of the most attracted tourist destination in India, with its beaches, hill stations, backwaters, birds and wild life sanctuaries etc.

Wall painting by a local artist - Thekkady 

“Thanks for the warm welcome, but incidentally I am coming from gods own country” – I said, rather mischievously.

"From where exactly?" the Manager was rather confused, and asked. The answer emerged from the split millisecond silence; "You are right, it doesn’t matter" was his response.

I mean the God (if you believe in one) should be omnipresent :-) 

We both exchanged smile, with an understanding.

That was a real quick introduction with the property manager. But a real introduction, I mean we had both touched our inner voice. He was kind of person I like, with a basic understanding of things, sense of humor and ability to connect.

Chinese net at the sunset - Kochi

I was thinking "God is everywhere, especially where you don’t think He will be. And if we know that God is out there, what’s stopping us from finding Him? God appears to us in a different place, a different form, a different voice every day. Where will you see Him?"

Don't really know what was the interpretation of this guy, but seems I had touched the chords...

That was a great start for the year-end vacation in Kerala.

Backwaters of Kerala at sunset - Kumarakom

What a year it has been ! From taking keen interest in farming, a memorable trek into the grand Himalayas, re-connecting with old friends, having a heart to heart talk with people who matter, being part of the software development team that delivered advertisements worth USD 20 billion this year over the internet, and last but not the least, losing weight, gaining physical fitness & coming back in shape.

This year needed a grand farewell. And a trip to Kerala was my way of doing the farewell.

Fall colors in India, Near Mattupatti Dam - Munnar

We started our journey on 26th December, and came back on 31st, a 6 day vacation in the God's own country. Depending on who you are, and how you express yourself, this can be one liner statement, just stating the facts.

But then everyone is different.

Flower at the Rose Garden - Munnar

For me it was an opportunity to see creation of the God in various shapes, forms and colors. The hills, the valleys, the rivers, the lakes, the backwaters, the sea, the birds, the flowers, the tea gardens, the temples and churches, and of-course, the people.

Tea Garden - Munnar

It was also an opportunity to connect with the inner core, to have a self-dialogue, during the drive through the hilly terrain.

Off road drive - Thekkady

It was the time to improve the photography skills. It was the time to taste the Kerala cuisine. It was the time to understand and enjoy Kathakali, "story play" genre of the dance art. Stay in a house boat, a visit to the Tea factory, a visit to one of the oldest functioning Synagogue in India, an audio/visual show demonstrating Kerala history, long walk in a bird sanctuary, tour across a spice garden, evening walk through tea gardens were some of the highlights of the journey.  

Wild flower - Munnar

Someone once said, "Life is a book, and those who don't travel read only one page". For sure, this time I read few pages :-)

  

Church - Thekkady

While I can't express everything that I did experience during those days, luckily the photos tell the story, I mean if you can see them through the eyes of a traveler.

A flower in the bird sanctuary - Kumarakom

And some lessons learnt this time:

1) Just GO, visit some new place 

2) Don’t plan too much at once

3) Explore hidden gems

4) Enjoy cultural differences

5) Fine dining can be inexpensive

6) Travel opens your mind

7) Back home ... Plan your next trip

Houseboat with the reflection - Kumarakom

Rose garden - Munnar

Himalayan Adventure

Life Is Either a Daring Adventure or Nothing !

It was 11:45 AM, somewhere in the Peer Panjal Ranges of the Himalayas.  The view in front my eyes was exactly as you can see now. That's when this thought struck me. 

Rohtang Range seen from Manali

The whole thing started few months ago. It had been many years since my last trek in the Himalaya. Life was going good on all fronts: spiritual, health, wealth, emotional, family, professional, social, and what not. 

But something was missing. The natural sound of the flowing water, the wind, the chilling cold, the breathlessness, the huge mountains, the valleys, the trees, the fun of being in the Himalayas. It was perfect time for a Himalayan trek.

Rohtang Range in the evening

Earlier I had done treks in Garhwal and Kumaon regions, but had never done a trek in the Himachal region. While searching for some good options, I came across this offbeat trek, Deo Tibba base camp. Deo Tibba, going by the local folklore, is the assembly site of the gods.  

It is an ideal trek for beginners or for acclimatization if you want to attempt a difficult trek later on. The views of Himalayan range are mesmerizing. Despite its proximity to Manali it is not a very popular trek and you would not see many people on the way. Nestled in the Peer Panjaal range of the grand Himalayas, it is blessed with some of the most spectacular landscapes. It is truly a traveler’s paradise and one can come across mighty snow peaks, deep gorges, green valleys, flower filled meadows, misty woods, fast flowing rivers, and snow fall if you are lucky. 

Himalayan treks need a lot of preparation and it is better to do it through experts in this field. I chose Yuvashakti, one of the best organizers of Himalayan Treks in Pune.

Manali was the starting point of the Deo Tibba Base trek. One passes through lush green forests of Pine, Fur, Oak and Cedar, crosses meadows laden with wild flowers & glittering streams. One can have panoramic view of many snow capped high mountains, such as Indrasan (6220 mtrs.), Deo Tibba (6100 mtrs.) etc. This trek provides ample opportunities to explore the glaciers and moraine in this part of the Himalaya, the flower covered meadows, terraced fields of apple, paddy, maize and of course, the sparkling rivers, Rani and Jobdi.

The journey was to start from Pune on 25th May, 2016, reaching Delhi on 26th, followed by a overnight bus journey to Manali. Just to save on the commute time, I decided to take a flight from Pune to Delhi. 

On 26th May I started the journey, morning flight to Delhi. I reached Delhi by lunch time. I joined the trek group in Delhi. and we started our overnight journey to Manali in a well maintained Volvo bus at around 5 PM. Except for some traffic jam in Delhi, the journey was uneventful. 

Manali Base camp

We reached Manali on 27th by noon, and directly went to the base camp, which was on the outskirts of Manali, on the Manali-Vasisht road. Had lunch and proceeded for an acclimatization trek to Jogini Falls. On the way back we visited Vasisht Kund. It is the abode of revitalizing sulphur springs which not only relieves your weary body but also has varied therapeutic values. 

During this acclimatization trek I got chance to get introduced with the fellow trekkers. We were total 36 trekkers (11 ladies and 25 gents). The youngest ones were just finishing their 10th standard exams and the oldest one was yours truly.  Most of them were 10th or 12th standard students.

Jogini waterfall

Next day we started our trek at around 8 AM after a heavy breakfast. Initially the climb was steep and them it became easy to moderate, through the alpine meadows and forests. We were taking breaks after half an hour or so. The route was scenic. In all directions we could see the lush green mountains with snow cap. By noon time we reached Rani Camp. 

We were pleasantly surprised by the camp site, the welcome drink (lemon juice), and rains :-). The camp site was one of the most beautiful places I had seen. We had lunch, took some rest, and then had rappelling session. In the evening we had soup, followed by dinner in the late evening. We had bonfire in the night. This surrounding area was a favorite place for the brown bears to hibernate in the nearby caves. And hence we were not allowed to come out of the tents during the night. 

Our local guide

The next day we started after the breakfast. The route from here onwards lead towards Jobdi on grassy banks that slope from high cliffs. 

The journey was pleasant. We came across rocks like these.

Anish, our team leader

Valley was covered with trees all along the way.

We came across some green meadows and couldn't resist taking rest.




And then there was a dam constructed on the confluence of Jobdi and Rani rivers.

Dr Anupam with the dam in the background

The concrete construction, while necessary for development, was looking too odd, looking at the backdrop and the surrounding area.







The Jobdi river and the valley was looking awesome.



And the peaks started showing up on the horizon.



We walked for around 4 hours, covered around 8-10 kms and reached Jobdi, our next camp site.

We had our lunch. Took some rest. In the afternoon we had heavy sleet fall. Sleet (ice pallets) are tiny balls of ice that are, in essence, frozen raindrops. Rain that freezes on the way down. Everyone came out of their tents and started playing with the ice pallets.

The view from Jobdi was amazing.

The next day we started our journey towards the next camp. The walk began with gentle slopes over the beautiful meadows and the latter half of the trek was through the rocky terrain.

We came across herd of sheep.

The views were mesmerizing.

After a tiring walk, by noon time we reached our next camp.



From here we had a panoramic view of the entire range.









The next day we were supposed to trek in the alpine zone, beyond the tree line, reach the highest point of the trek and come back to the camp. I was excited to go into that zone. But that night I started getting the symptoms of altitude sickness—also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude. Although minor symptoms such as breathlessness may occur at altitudes of 1,500 metres (5,000 ft), AMS commonly occurs above 2,400 metres (8,000 ft). I could not sleep that night, nor the next night. There was a sense of breathlessness. Taking simple steps became difficult, which meant I couldn't do the trek the next day.

The team continued the trek the next day, reached the highest point of the trek and came back to the camp in the afternoon. I did some photography during the day.


The next day we started our return journey towards Manali. From the beautiful meadows of the upper Himalaya, we walked down for about three hours towards lower Pirni village, beyond which we were transferred to the base camp by vehicles.

The trek was over. Overnight we stayed at the Base Camp, Manali. The next day went for River Rafting, and then proceeded to Delhi.

Looking back, it was one of the most memorable treks in my life.  

After going through my blogs, I generally get three questions.

1. Man, where are you in this trek, not even a single selfie?

I am neither known for looks not for sense of fashion. The nature is far more beautiful. See through my eyes (I mean the photos) and my thoughts (expressed in the blog). That should be enough :-)

2. I want to do a trek with you. How and when?

You are most welcome. Read my other blogs and see "About Myself" section on the right hand side.

3. At this age (which is 40+), why do these things, especially after reading about the acute mountain sickness ?

This question came from many directions. Some of them asked it and some of them expressed it in their eyes, especially the caring ones.  This question initiated a deeper thinking, within. Read the following paragraphs only if you also have the same question.

Life Is Either a Daring Adventure or Nothing !

Do what matters.

Do what you want to.

Live every day of your life.

Dear reader, ARE YOU LIVING EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE.

The trek was strenuous, challenging and fun. In short it was EXCITING. What makes anything EXCITING? Is it the joy of achievement? Probably anything that is strenuous, challenging and fun may qualify as EXCITING?

How about WORK? Why is it EXCITING for some people but not for all? How about ME?

Is it not fun for me? Nothing could be further from the truth. Software development is FUN.

Is it not fast enough?  Is it not strenuous? Is it not challenging? Where is the catch?

The answer arrived today.

Now that the flow of thinking has started, it’s not allowing me to take a break. I need to write it down, right now, at 11 PM. While I am writing, one of my colleague pings me on a communicator tool. He is still working and shares some test results.

One quick question comes to my mind. Why is he working right now at 11 PM? Is it fear (don’t lose your job in a tough economy), is it greed (get more pay), or is it something else.

Probably it’s something else; it’s the joy of achievement.

Like many other things worth doing, software development is strenuous, challenging and fun, and is EXCITING.

For that matter driving is EXCITING. But for whom? Obviously if you WANT to drive, then any strenuous, challenging and fun DRIVE will be EXCITING. But what if you HAVE to drive rather than you WANT to drive? Will the drive be EXCITING?

That’s the answer.

If you are doing something because you WANT to do, it’s EXCITING. But if you are doing something because you HAVE to then it’s not. Period.

What is EXCITING for me? What do I WANT to do?

I see that and I get the answer. The answer lies within.

Am I doing Software development because I HAVE to or is it because I WANT to?

A direct question like this deserves a direct answer, and a real answer that comes from within. I WANT TO!

It’s 11:22 PM, and I am sensing something. It’s the moment of awakening. It’s the time to internalize ….

If you are still reading this stuff, and interested in the journey find your own directions!

PS:

Many people have asked me about how to do a Himalayan trek. Some tips on preparing for a trek as follows:

Trekking activities can be roughly classified as:

Low altitude trek: Below 13,000 ft (Oxygen levels are OK) - does not require equipment (except shoes and a walking stick if you need)

High altitude trek : Above 13,000 ft (Oxygen levels go down as you climb higher altitudes) - does not require equipment (except shoes and a walking stick if you need)

Mountaineering: Requires equipment (ropes, climbing / rappelling etc.), mostly technical.

Let your first Himalayan trek be as easy as possible.

Within the low altitude category, 4-6 days of trek with
- max altitude gain less than 500 meters / day
- overall altitude gain less than 2000 meters
- overall walking less than 10 km/day
is an easy trek, mostly meant for beginners. ALL my Himalayan treks are of this category. Within low altitude trek category, one can have easy, medium, challenging
and hard treks.

The fitness needs that I describe below are for Low altitude trek - easy category.

Strong physical fitness is must for a trek in the Himalayas. To prepare for the trek you need to work on following three major areas :

1.    Cardiovascular Endurance
2.    Strength Endurance
3.    Trekking Specific Training

You need to start preparing 2 months in advance so that it gives you ample amount of time.

Step 1: Building cardiovascular endurance

You can train yourself to run 4 km in 30 minutes as per the schedule given below. Remember always start your training program with stretching and warm up exercises. Follow this training schedule for trekking fitness required. Running or Jogging is best for Fitness endurance

Week 1: Start with 10 minute of brisk walk and then jog for 10 minutes and finally 10 minutes of easy walk.
Week 2: 5 minutes of brisk walk 15 minutes of jog 5 minutes of easy walk
Week 3: 5 minutes of brisk walk 20 minutes of jog 5 minutes of easy walk
Week 4: 5 minutes of brisk walk and jog for 30 min and cool down your body .. continues for subsequent weeks.

Step 2: Building Strength Endurance
Do your strength exercises 2-3 times per week and you should see an evident improvement. Include exercises which improves quadriceps for descents; the hips for supporting pack weight over variable terrain; the shoulders, upper back, and the lower back and abdominal for transferring power from the legs into forward propulsion.

You can choose set of exercise with the help of a physical trainer of your local gym.

Step 3: Trekking specific training

1. Hike Steep Hills: Hiking hills in your surrounding area will help in building your leg strength which is the key for your trek. Hiking steep hills also help in learning how to balance on uneven paths.

2. Practice with Loaded Backpack
During the trek in the Himalayas you will trek with your backpack and carrying essential items, so your backpack is an important tool for the trek. Look for Backpack with adjustable chest and waist straps so that you can adjust it according to your comfort and practicing with loaded backpack helps a lot.

3. Staying Hydrated
When you are high in the Himalayas the weather is cold and dry so you loose moisture with every breath you take in addition to sweating because of the trek. Running low on fluids diminishes your endurance, contributes to fatigue, and makes you more susceptible to getting altitude illness. So develop a habit of drinking lot of water. I drink at least 5 liters of water per day, on a normal day.