D Trek Trip

 This is an account of the trip to Torna Fort, 1408 meters high on 2nd September 2012. The difficulty level of trekking is medium.  

We, a group of six girls, started out early for the much-awaited trek trip. The previous night had been a busy one for us- preparing food and packing, buying tuck, and choosing the right outfit for the trip. We reached the pick-up point, Fergusson College, where the rest of the trek group would join us. A bus had been arranged to a village, Velha, at the foot of the hill we had to climb. For the first time, I was away from the busy roads of the city of Pune and enjoyed the view of the beauty that surrounded us.

We dropped by a small eatery where good chai and poha were served. The agency that organized the trek was TrekDi, which had a group of folks who were all for an adventure of all kinds. During ice breaking, I realized, of all the group members, we were the ones trekking for the first time☺.

The climb began. The first half an hour I was full of energy and kept a fast pace. I was reminded of school days when we used to go for small trips uphill. As the climb got a little hard, I began praying ‘God help ’. We had to step on the rocks carefully placing our feet and hands where we could get a grip, or else we’d have a fall or slip. As we climbed I began pondering on why God was our Rock. Often I sing ‘You are my rock, on you I stand’. What did I mean then? I remember lines from a hymn- On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. Recalling school days, when it rained hard and the pathway was sludgy, singing that line from that hymn I looked out for solid ground to place my feet on. When rains pour the muddy path becomes slippery and you are likely to slip unless you balance perfectly while climbing, unlike the rocks which brave all seasons and stand firm. God is our rock, who,  we can hold on to at all times and stay safe. For the rest of the trek, I chose the rocky way over a plain muddy one.

One of my roomies was already giving up halfway. We kept cheering ‘U can, U can’. Thankfully there were plains in between where we could relax and breathe in some fresh air. Rains that came and went got us drenched and when the mountain breeze blew, we were shivering burr. We had some nice hot chai on the way. Oh, what warmth and energy it gave me to start again☺. Every time we climbed a hill, we realized there was another ahead☹ ☹. From the top of the hill, we could see the valleys, waterfalls, streams flowing on the plains, and clouds going past us. The beauty was so refreshing to one’s mind that you want to be lost in it.

Higher and higher we climbed, hoping the climb would end. When we reached a place that looked like an entrance (of the fort), we knew we were almost there. Our 3-hour climb ended at last. We had lunch together, explored a few other spots, and had some fun. We had to leave early as the climb down would be as hard as the climb up or even much harder. I heard people conversing about the vegetation and wildlife. There were many endangered species of flowers on the hill which was a part of the Western Ghats. Orchids, flowers from the liliaceae family are the few names I remember. Of the wildlife, saw only monkeys.

Descending the hills began. It was tougher than I had thought. At one point, we had to use the rope to descend a steep rock. For a second when I was holding on to the rope and rope alone and I hung in the air before I could find a spot to rest my feet. That was the most fearful moment of the trek. Had I let go of the rope…No!!. Now I have the guts to try rock climbing ☺. The volunteers helped a lot on the way. The climb downhill was less tiring. My friends and I were following the rest of the trekkers. As we journeyed our limbs got shaky. Physical activity after a long time is sure to cause strain to muscles that have been idle. Our shoes and socks were now well-soaked in water and dirt. After a fall, clothes got dirtied too.  Surf excel hai na! We dint mind a thing as safety was all we wanted. We chose the paths to tread carefully, giving each other a hand when they wanted. We enjoyed the beauty along the way. We reached the base location safe and sound after the great trek trip. Thank God!  I had a lovely and adventurous day.