The Monsoon Trek to
Harishchandra Ghat

In July 1997, I was getting frustrated with the daily office routine and sick of overcrowded Mumbai. I said to myself that i should take a break and disappear from bombay for a few days. I shared my feelings with Nagendra Tiwari a Train Colleague whom I have know for a couple of years. He surprised me when he told me that he was a regular trekker. He suggested that we go to Harishchandra Ghad for the weekend. I had never heard of the place. He told me that we that is was a 6 hour trek one way and would involve overnight stay. I said to my self it will be like a two day Picnic and was just not prepared for what was in store for us.

It was very hot and humid in Bombay and we (five of us from the train group) were praying for rains in the Ghats. On friday evening (25th July) after Office, we set out for Kalyan station, from where we were supposed to catch the first State Transport Bus at 5:30 am next morning. It was at Kalyan station that i got the first shock of the trip. We reached Kalyan station somwhere around 11:00 pm. Our Group Leader had said that there are many branches and we would be able to take a nap at Kalyan station, but when we reached there it was full of beggars sleeping on all the benches. We managed to find a small bench to keep our haversacks. Somwhere around 12:30 am some plain clothes policemen came and started hiting all those who were sleeping with their sticks. For a minute I  thought they would drive us out too !!! They just questioned us and left us alone.

We caught the State Transport Bus at 5:30 in the morning. As we approached the mountains we noticed a change in temparature. As we progressed, it started raining.

A journey of three and a half hours, (150 km from Mumbai). brought us to a place called kubhe phatak, where we got down (at around 9:00 am).

But the mountains were no where in sight and visibility was only 20 mtrs. in any direction. Apart from the rains we were greeted by strong winds. From here we started out on our treck ... The rains were hurting us because of the velocity of the winds. It was like needles being thrown at us.