Vasota - Nageshwar

TREK TO VASOTA FORT, NAGESHWAR PEAK, KAAS PLATEAU, SAJJANGAD AND THOSEGHAR

TREK TO VASOTA FORT, NAGESHWAR PEAK & SAJJANGAD

It has been dream to trek Vasota and Nageshwar for years! After Harishchandragad, we were planning this trek but could never materialize !his time "# dare devils targeted Vasota! $ut by the end of week, only % withstood firmly for this gutsy trek! &o here are the Fearless Four'
" 1 . %

(ahaveer )ain *+," ,-.. /.-/,"0 &oumik &wain *+," ,"23 ,1# /".0 Atish )ain *+," 3./# /-3 2#%0 Nitesh 4eshmane *+," 33#, #33 #%30

Plan of the Trek 3 (ar "%

&tarting at night on by our car *5 ./#km0 and reaching base village $amnoli

- (ar "%

After sleep of .6% hours, going to Vasota $ase via boat *" / Hrs 7ourney0 !rekking to Vasota !rekking to Nageshwar and return Halt in 7ungle at tent provided by forest department

, (ar "%'

8eturn to $amnoli via boat &a77angad and !hoseghar visit *near &atara0

7 March 14: Journe! to"ar#s $a%nol& ' $ase V&lla(e 9e planned to start early but as usual, important work at the last moment! 9e could start from my home at 4ombivali by -'.#pm after good supper! :or the first time, &oumik had taste of ;<itale= a dish of gram flour, similar to ;>unka=!

After erratic traffic 7am at 4ombivali, we could manage to reach <une by "1'## am Nitesh was waiting for us on road I vacated the driver=s seat to Nitesh for onward 7ourney! As I know, he is fantastic driver whom I can rely blindly! ?ood thing we noticed about &oumik is he can sleep any time anywhere in any @ondition! (e, Atish and Nitesh were en7oying songs and the road 7ourney whereas &oumik was in his sweet dreams! 9e had a break near &atara !oll *Anewadi0! Atmosphere was chilled and warm cup of tea was pleasant refreshment! Very soon, (r ?oogle (aps warned us that we have crossed the turn! &o by taking A6 !urn, we could re67oin the road towards $amnoli village! !hanks to ?oogle ! Btherwise at this midnight, we couldn=t have got any help!

Bnce we crossed &atara city C reached Hill top, we couldn=t resist halting and starting our "st <hoto session at around .'1#am! 9e could wake up &oumik for the photo session! Immediately after few minutes, we could see Porcupine! Anfortunately, before we could make ourselves ready for photo shoot, it disappeared! 9hile heading towards $amnoli, we need to cross Daas <lateau! 4riving batten again came to me as Nitesh and Atish both were feeling sleepy! Now it was &oumik =s turn to be awake and give me company! As we crossed Daas <lateau, we entered in forest! (e and &oumik were very keen to see something wild! $ut Alas!

9e reached $amnoli by %'## am Even though we did not carry winter protection wears, we could use waste newspapers as bed sheet on bare floor of ;$hairavnath !emple=!

9ithin few minutes Atish and Nitesh started snoring competition! Even with this background music, &oumik could sweetly sleep! I had to curse myself for not able to sleep! &omehow I too slept thinking of the neFt day plans!

8 March 14: Sa&l&n( throu(h Sh&)sa(ar *ake

:irst shock! $oat club informed us as we are going to stay in 7ungle, they need to drop us and again pick us neFt day Hence, they will charge us double! *8s 2###!0

9e tried to resist, influence, reGuest, threat, but failed! Altimately accepted the price! I woke up early in the morning by 3 am! !hanks to a cock6a6doodle6do! I took camera and started for a village round! I could locate a public toilet and hand pump to enable to complete morning chorus comfortably! I had to forcefully wake up . Dumbhkarnas! Very soon all got ready and reached a hotel ;$hairavnath= nearby! After having small breakfast *% <oha, % Bmlet and % (issal <av !0, we headed toward $oat club! It was first time for all of us that we sailed for " / hours through a boat! &hivsagar Hake surrounded by &ahyadri peaks! It was mesmerizing beauty of the Nature! 9e could see a herd of ;$isons= *?aurs0 at edge of the Hake 9e landed around ""'.#am at Vasota base!

Trek to Vasota Fort

Bur boatman was guide for us! 9e reached forest office 9e clubbed the luggage reGuired for trek and kept remaining at forest office! Here we began ascending towards Vasota :ort!

At around "/ minutes= walk, we filled up our bottles with natural water source! Very soon we reached our first landmark ;Hanuman !emple=!

9e reached at a spot where one way goes to Vasota and other to Nageshwar! ?uide told us that while going 7ust follow the pugdandee *foot path trail0 and while returning 7ust follow a stream which will lead you towards Hanuman !emple! Bur guide was in tremendous hurry and had no courtesy to entertain us! Asually, boatman brings the trekkersI guide them throughout the day and takes back to $amnoli! However, as we were supposed to stay back in 7ungle, he could 7ust drop us and en7oy the whole day! 9e decided to allow him return to $amnoli and trek ourselves! At around 1'## pm, we reached Vasota!

After sight6seeing of $eautiful $abu Dada which reminds you ;Donkan Dada= of Harishchandragad, Hanuman !emple and two ponds we started descending!

Trek to Na(esh"ar Peak $y 1'.# pm, we were at the diversion of Nageshwar <eak! I once again checked the willingness and energy of all to continue! Ananimously we decided to reach to Nageshwar <eak! !his was the real )ungle !rek! 4ense forest! 4ifferent kinds of voices of insects, birds, crushing of dried leaves! &lowly the 7ungle became denser and everyone was eager to see ;9hat NeFt=!

After a walk of " / hours, we reached at top of a mountain! )ust to notice deep valley in front of us! Around .### to %### ft deep! 8ight6side was the Nageshwar peak approFimately " / to 1 km away with narrowest path 7ust at the edge of valley!

&cene was so horrific, we were in dilemma! 9e had discussion regarding to continue or to return! As return would have been more cumbersome as well as time taking, similarly an unusual feeling run through us! Jes ! 9e decided to proceed and conGuer the peak! 9e started slowly! :low of adrenaline was increasing with every step! 9e four were together! !alking to each other! Inspiring each other! @autioning each other! Inch by inch, we were proceeding! !o add our thrill, on the same path, we could see fresh pugmarks as well as dung of $ison *?aur0 and wild boar! Everything was coming in our mind! :amily, ?od, Nature, &ahyadri, Valley, everything! 9e took 1 minutes break at a safer place! 9e decided that plan6$! In case of any mishap, remaining team will keep on moving, reach base and then inform others for necessary action! !his was must so that in panic state, remaining crew should not do any mistake! !hanks to Atish for initiating this topic!

9e made up our minds and kept walking! $y this time, we eFhausted last drop of water also! 9ith this miFed feeling of fear, thirst, will to conGuer and supportive approach, we reached Nageshwar peak! It was the feeling of great pleasure! ?reat Achievement! Bur faces were glowing like warrior who won a big war! After photo session, Atish spotted source of water in rock! It was " full glass of water accumulated through seepage! &o we instantly operated pen to make it straw had at least one seep of water each!

Des+en# to $ase ,a%- &n Forest Now the issue was to descend! As per guide=s instruction, should we go through stream or return on same dangerous way! 4ecision was very simple! ?o through stream! If we find higher difficulty, we planned to stay there till the dawn!

:ortunately we got a well! 9e filled6up our bottles by making some ;)ugad= and filtering water without handkerchief!

9e could spot rabbit at this location!

4escend through rubbles of stream was troublesome! It was darkening and after a walk of " / hours we were unable to 7udge whether we are on the right pathK As the darkness was increasing, we could hear various sounds of insects, birds and animals! Again another tension! 9hat if we missed the pathK 9hat if we encounter wild animalK 9hat if we could not get the base campK All sorts of ;ifs=! Altimately around 2'.# pm, we could see flag of Hanuman !emple! Everybody re7oiced and shouted! ?anapati $appa (orya!!! $a7arangbali ki )ai!!!

Sta! at Tent House &n Forest !o our pleasant surprise, tent was fully eGuipped with all basic amenities! Atish and &oumik showed great interest in bathing with cold 9ater! (e and Nitesh reluctantly bathed with closed water! I specially, warmed up my body by doing eFercise and then only could dare to ice6cold water bath! !he source of water was from )ungle <ond piped here through gravity flow!

After having huge dinner and long chat, we went to sleep! .th /ar+h 01 Wa! to Kaas Plateau

After sailing of " / hours on return, we reached $amnoli !his time, it was Atish=s turn to drive down! 9e reached the great <lateau of Daas! In winter season, heaven comes to this place! $ut we could able to see few flora and fauna

Sa22an(a# an# Those(har After Daas, we rushed towards &a77angad Had darshan of &ant 8amdas &wamy=s &amadhi $ought kitchens of &hiva7i (ahara7 and ;@handrakor= !ilak!

After "#km driving, we reached !hoseghar 9aterfall! -## ft deep water fall was still flowing in (arch month also! 9e could imagine it=s intensity in (onsoon!

*un+h at Satara 9e got a reference of a hotel called L&urve=sM! &o I forcibly hold up lunch even though Atish wished many times to have something in between! 9hen we reached hotel, 7ust to note that hotel is closed and can not serve now! Everybody got disappointed! 9e went to nearby small dhaba! However, at last moment before ordering, Atish again went back to &urve=s and enGuired !his time fortunately, owner entertained him After knowing that we have been waiting since long to eat here, he started the kitchen and called back the manpower which he released!

9ithin 1# minutes, dishes started flowing

:riends, everything *especially mutton items0 were too delicious that we 7ust can=t eFplain in words! Bn top of it, the owner was showing such a great hospitality that we were overwhelmed! He himself was serving and insisting on typical methods to eat (utton6$hakri! Another item called ;Alani (utton= was too delicious to describe! It is life6time moment for all four of us! Anyone who goes to &atara 7ust taste this food! Jou can never dare to miss in future! !he End of trek was so happy with our stomachs fully filled, mind fully satisfied and overflowed with memories and lots of stories to tell!

WE THE FEAR*ESS