Andharvan | July 22 | 2022

...In a literal sense, Andharvan translates to Dark-Forest. No two words have more aptly conveyed the essence of this forest trek...

Maharashtra is well known for its Sahyadri mountain ranges, which are best experienced during the time of monsoon. It was keeping this in mind, that I had remembered to pack in my trekking boots, rucksack and other gear when I moved to Pune, in the month of July.

Pickup was at 4.45 in the morning from Shivajinagar bus stand opposite to Bank of Maharashtra main branch. For those of us living in Wagholi, it meant waking up at 3am and hailing a cab by 3.30. Took me around 45 mins to get to the pickup location. I boarded the pickup vehicle with a light-weight bag pack with 3 bottles of water and a change of clothes inside. [Trekkers are advised to carry at least 2-3 litres of water as water sources along the trail are limited]. By the time I was done catching up on the rest of my sleep, we were already on the highway heading towards the base village of Pimpri, near Tamini Ghat. We were a team of 37 accompanied by 3 trek leaders form the Mi Durg Veda trekking company. There was a mild drizzle against the glass window which accompanied us for the rest of the way.

Due to a few mild hiccups along the way, it took us a little longer than expected to reach Pimpri. It was another hour of walking from there to the start point of the trek. Shortly after a light breakfast on Poha we set out. The rains started coming down heavily on us and I started feeling grateful for the reliable Forclaz poncho that I had recently purchased from Decathlon, Wagholi. There was a sludge of mud and water in the name of trail and a small puddle had formed inside my shoes even before we reached the start point of the trek, giving my feet a cool and wet sensation.

For people who are new to this part of the country, it's the fog that really catches the eye. Fog that renders invisible even the closest of objects. Dense fog that keeps the opposite banks of water bodies concealed from each other.

Fog

The most strikingly noticeable was the shade of green that enveloped the forests and mountains around. For a person who has mostly trekked in the Himalayas, this was a welcome change of scenery. After walking across foggy fields in the rain, we entered the forest and the trek began.

The trail was more or less level with short stretches of gradual inclines and declines every now and then. There were numerous small streams and waterfalls along the way, mostly non-perennial ones that had sprouted due to the incessant rains.

Forest streams

Crossing these on feet involved dipping one's ankles in cold water that almost immediately resulted in a tiny pool of water forming inside one's shoes giving one's feet a submerged sensation.

Unlike the ragged nature of high altitude Himalayan mountains, the Sahyadris etched smooth curves across the horizon which nature later filled with deep green. A few hours into the trek, my boots and the lower half my trousers were all a dark and wet shade of brown from the mud. The poncho with its hood gave me the appearance of some strange extraterrestrial creature to be feared.

Some of the wider rivers with stronger currents had to be crossed by anchoring ourselves to fixed ropes with our fists. Trek leaders stood on both sides to help us across. Their medium of instruction was mostly Marathi, portions of which had started to make sense after a few hours of walking.

River crossing

Soon after, the actual forest began, the one that gave Andharvan its name. We were engulfed by deep green cover on all sides, it grew dark and the rain ceased to penetrate to most capacity. It was cold and wet with the splashing sound of 37 boots on mud and water in an otherwise silent forest. There were clearings in between where people stopped to take photographs and have a closer look at the surrounding mountains, deep green and striped with waterfalls.

The trek ends in an open clearing overlooking a colossal mountain, riddled with streams of water. Had the mist cleared up completely, we might have been blessed with a better view.

We stayed there for some time and then made our way back via a different route. The return journey is also through forests and contains a single section of slightly steep ascent. This is a great trek for beginners who want to be introduced to trekking in Maharashtra.

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