Seven Trek to Ahupe Ghat

Date:  August 14, 2016

Route: Dadar -- Kalyan -- Khopivali -- Ahupe Ghat  

This Independence weekend saw an exodus of city-dwellers heading for the hills. Mahabaleshwar…Mhateran…Lonavala….every booking site I checked had only one thing to say – SOLD OUT! SOLD OUT! SOLD OUT! That being the case, there was no question of us putting up our feet and sleeping in a hammock at some hill-station. So, we put our feet to better use….we decided to spend the eve of Independence on a one-day trek. Then began a search for an interesting location….one that none of us had ever attempted. Reading our conversation on What’sApp one would bring to mind the ‘three bears’:

“This location seems too easy…”

“This place is too far…”

“This one is perfect!”

The destination we finally agreed upon was ‘Ahupe Ghat’, located at a height of 3855 ft somewhere in the Murbad region of Maharashtra.

The Seven Amigos

In a matter of two days we put together a small group of seven amigos five of whom, in various stages of sleep and excitement, met at Dadar Station to board the 5.18 local to Kalyan where we were met by our sixth amigo, Viren. The last member of our group, Royston, found it most difficult to wake-up on time and informed us that he was running a little late. Not wanting to lose time, the rest of us decided to wait for him at Deepak Restaurant, a tiny eatery just outside the station, to the West. But Royston wasn’t the only one we were waiting for. Meeting us at Kalyan Station was a Mr. Sandeep (09821874568) whose services we had employed for the day. We thought that getting to the base village slightly squashed in an Ertiga would surely be better than rattling along in an ST bus. We thought right.

Catching up on lost sleep

Our group.....minus one who was sitting in front

Even though many sites spoke of a two hour ride to the base village of Khopivali, we got there in 45 minutes less than that. That was all thanks to nearly deserted streets, and smooth roads. If we ignore the fact that we were packed in like sardines (almost), I’d say the ride was a very comfortable one, winding across bubbling rivers and lush green fields of rice. Suddenly, in the fast reducing distance we saw mountains looming before us – massive stone giants with their head in the clouds. “Is that where we’re going?” The sight was unbelievable! 

Look where we're going!

Khopivali, the base village, is a fairly quiet and small little place with the houses placed quite close together. That’s probably a reflection of the fact that villages are a close-knit community.

No sooner did we ask around for a guide to lead us up to Ahupe Ghat, than we met Prabhakar (09221418423), a simple farmer who earns a living leading people up and down the mountain slopes. Very kindly and in the true spirit of Indian hospitality, he welcomed us into his home so Anthony and Neil could change into more comfortable clothes before we began our ascent.

We walked through the tiny village and waded across a loudly chattering stream and then stood a while gazing up at what we were out to climb. “Hum inme se kaunsi pahad par chad rahe hai? (Which of these mountains are we climbing?)”, said I. “Wo wali (that one),” said our guide, indicating almost all mountain peaks in one sweep of his forefinger.  

And so, around 10 am (a few minutes later than planned) we began our climb, seven excited souls led by a man who tripped up the mountain like a mountain goat. Although there aren’t any steps, there is a clear, albeit narrow path that zigzags all the way up the mountain. For the first couple of minutes we trudged through murky fields after which it was rocks and boulders all the way. It is advisable to stay close, for although you will eventually reach the top if you stay on the path, it is quite easy to lose sight of one another because of the dense foliage all around. Another word of advice; do ensure that your backpacks are lightly packed.  It does get quite tiring an hour into the trek and a heavy bag will only slow you down or break your back.

Even though most of us had carried just a few essentials, we still had to stop now and then to catch our breaths. The thing with climbing up to Ahupe Ghat is that there is no plateau mid-way where one can rest a-while. We only paused at the occasional stream / waterfall to splash some cool water on our flushed faces. It was at such times that we took in the view of the valley far below. The higher we climbed, the more breathtaking the view became.  

A moment of respite

Anthony enjoying the view

 The nature lovers of our group were quite thrilled with the scenic beauty of the place. En route to the top we spotted a variety of crabs, lizards, rocks, leaves and flowers. Clusters of sparkling white mushroom dotted the path at many places. At one spot, almost hidden behind the rock we spotted a most unusual ant hill. It wasn’t like any we had seen before. This one looked like a great, big rose made of clay. 

Another thing that made the climb a pleasure was the absence of any litter. There was absolutely no sign of any trash that callous city-dwellers usually toss around. At a few places we’d previously visited, there were paper-plates, tetra packs and crushed newspaper to be found at regular intervals. That’s such a shame! One of the reasons a trek is enjoyable is that it gives us a chance to leave the madness of the city behind us and enjoy the world as God meant it to be – clean, peaceful and rejuvenating! I have come across trekkers who actually pick up any litter that they find along the way…..truly a laudable act!

We did spy what looked like Buddhist caves cut into the side of the neighboring mountains and came across a few water cisterns and trenches said to have been used by Chattrapati Shivaji’s warriors who practiced guerilla warfare.

There were many moments when we looked up and thought we couldn’t move another step. Our guide would then holler and ask us to look down and keep climbing one-rock-at-a-time. So, still determined to reach the summit, we kept moving forward, sometimes on all fours. For every time we asked Prabhakar, “Aur kitni der lagegi? (How much longer will this take?)”, he had one standard answer, “5 minutes.” 

Those ‘5 minutes’ eventually stretched to 4 long hours of constant climbing and crawling up rocks and waterfalls. At the very start of the trek, Prabhakar had commented on our presence in the group stating that ‘ladies’ tend to slow down the trek. Bearing that in mind, Komal and I kept pushing ourselves to move ahead and, at around a little after 2pm, were the first of our group to clamber onto the summit. Hooray for the ladies! 

No sooner did we land on the plateau at the summit than we lay flat on our backs and shut our eyes soaking in the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of having completed a trek. Neil did the same while Akshay, Anthony, Viren and Royston tried to get dangerously close to the edge in a bid to see the world spread out at their feet.

It’s a steep drop from up here and it was super windy. It was just then that the heavens decided to grace us with some much needed rain. The view from the summit is truly spectacular. One can get a good view of a gushing waterfall and the almost twin peaks of Gorakhgad and Machindragad that stand like fierce sentinels directly across Ahupe Ghat. 

Yaaaay! We made it!

Ahupe village is on the neighboring plateau which is just a few minutes’ walk away. Here, one can ask for a simple home-cooked meal at any of the villagers’ homes. We opted out of that as we had carried a packed lunch from home. Nothing much, just sandwiches and theplas.

It was as we were feasting like kings (and queens) that we spotted a car in the distance. A car! High up here! Prabhakar very calmly proceeded to tell us that Ahupe Ghat and Ahupe Village are easily accessible by the road which leads to Malshej Ghat.

“Maybe we can ask our driver to come pick us up”, suggested one from our group.

After playing around with the very tempting suggestion for a few seconds we voted in favour of going down the way we had come. So, after about an hour of rest and posing for photographs, we headed back. One would think this would have been easy, but it took us much longer than climbing up. Clambering up a steep incline is tricky, getting back down is even trickier. There are many possibilities of slipping down the slimy, moss-covered rocks. Every time we looked up to see how far we’d reached, we found we were still above the neighboring peaks. But, sliding and slithering we finally found our way back to the river.

We were way behind schedule, so didn’t stop too long at the river, although Anthony did manage to take a dip and I finally took off my boots and washed my sore feet. Akshay and Viren, unfortunately, stepped off track and followed a path that led to another end of the river. Prabhakar was certain that they would find their way to the village, but nonetheless, we insisted he go in search of them while we made our way to Khopivali.

Reunited at the village, we purchased some water and, once again, visited Prabhakar’s humble home to change into a fresh set of clothes. The ones we had on were muddy and drenched in sweat and rainwater. Knowing the villagers are poor and depend on visitors to earn their living, Komal and I gave the woman of the house some money as a token of gratitude for letting us use her home. Prabhakar, being a simple and not very economy-conscious villager, had quoted a fairly low price in exchange for his services as guide, even though he stayed with us for close to 10 hours. Acknowledging his simplicity and the fact that back in our world such services would have burnt a hole in our pockets, we couldn’t find it in us to haggle and paid him a little more than what he had quoted. Even then, it was far less than what any of us would have spent over one meal in Mumbai. Here, in the little village of Khopivali, it meant so much more.

Getting back into the car, we finally headed back to Kalyan station, but this time round we got stuck in traffic for what seemed like ages. Seeing no hope of moving even an inch we alighted at Shahad and boarded the 10.26 fast local heading to CST. While Royston and Viren bid us farewell at Thane, the rest of us went ahead to Dadar and then headed home.

All-in-all, it was an enjoyable and enriching experience. We returned home with more than just sore legs and bruised arms. Here’s what some members of the group have to say …

Neil, our new friend, says, “The best was when I reached the summit, threw down my backpack and lay on the grass with nothing but the sky spread out above me.”

This feeling of exhilaration was shared by Komal, who earns the title of ‘Best Trekker’ not only for being the first to reach the summit but also for her spirit and attitude!

My brother, Anthony shares, “I loved the undergrowth with its myriad flowers and mushrooms. The innumerable waterfalls helped keep us refreshed and cool.” 

Akshay remembers most the refreshing mountain water and has an interesting story to share. He says, “I loved the potable water tank created by the villagers about half-way up the mountain. The tank fills with cool and sweet water from a natural underground source. It’s said that a villager had drunk himself into a stupor while at the peak, and had collapsed at that very spot due to dehydration and a leg injury sustained during his descent. In his desperation and anger, he pushed aside a stone only to discover the natural cistern beneath it.” 

Phew! Thank God for small mercies!

What struck me the most were the flowers that dotted the mountainside, some as tiny as my little fingernail ….they’re surrounded by tough, immovable, gigantic walls of stone, hidden in crevices and clinging on to rocks…high up where only an occasional trekker or villager might glance at them on their way up/down the narrow path…yet they continue to bloom in brilliant colours and dance in the breeze…not for fame or glory…but just because. Now, that's food for thought, isn't it?

Pics by Komal, Anthony & Misha