Trek to Kalsubai Peak, Maharashtra...Travelogue!

It all started with a first ever trek with Trek Mates India (TMI) when we Parikshit, Amol, Tushar & Avinash had gone for Canyon Valley trek near Khandala...Amol to Tushar & Avinash we will go for Kalsubai Trek on 29th June & every one was like no kidding man you are talking about highest peak of Maharashtra. This time I kept quite no expression at all, I had decided to see their seriousness about trek.

So discussion went on it is the highest peak in Maharashtra, also known as Everest of Maharashtra. It's height is almost 5500 feet. Someone pointed out we had studied in our 8th Class, there is also Bhandardara dam made of clay near Kalsubai Peak, bla bla. Everyone got so excited about the trek, I thought this short living excitement will die soon enough as soon as we finish this trek but I was wrong.

I was quite surprised when Tushar did some actual research on trek, which was followed by Amol, Avinash. And then word got spread in our flat soon Anand also said he is interested for Kalsubai trek. By the time I put my thoughts to plan for this one..few of Tushar's friends Shushant, Nikhil, Ravi, Pranav from Mumbai said they are also joining in.

Since there was no direct pick up for Pune guys, we have to join TMI guys in Mumbai, it was little difficult & hectic for us to travel from Pune to Mumbai & then to Kalsubai. So we decided to arrange our own vehicle & join TMI guys at the base village Bari. Tushar confirmed with Pooja, Aniket & the TMI team.

Just to keep people more excited & looking forward for this trek I decided to add some glamour and fun to it, visit to Sula Vineyards, Nashik right after we finish the trek. & the marketing worked just as planned people got more exctied. Damn... Road Trip, Trek, visit to SulaVineyards, Dinner at roadside Dhaba what more you want...:)

So we shared responsibilities among us Transport & Sula visit Parikhit, TMI coordination Tushar, Music, other necessary stuff etc. Anand & Avinash. Since I had planned few trips for my office in past, I had prepared an excel which was quite helpful. I have published it if anyone wants to use it click here. Travel Plan Template. Arranging the vechile was most difficult because of the route and we had odd no. of 10 to 11 people some how I managed to get a jumbo trax (Force motor's Cruiser) perfect for 10 people & route.

Enough said about the planning, as the saying goes a picture is worth thousand words, Let photos do the talking ...Photo courtesy - Anand Deshpande

A Friendship Without Words...

I may not have frequent calls,
I might not even reply to your text,
I may not remember ur b'day,
I may not be outspoken,
Ignore the count of "I", because "I" has no value without "you",

And that's why I have the secret pact with you, where there is no commitment of hi/byes,gm/g9t.

Even without a single word when we talk/meet/chat after ages we resume right
where we left.

That's the unsaid promise just between friends,
The beauty of our friendship is, it grows without words.

- Parikshit

Note: The above secret pact can't be signed with anyone else without writer's
permission :)

Band Baaja Barat & much more.....

Could not hide my true colors, danced like nobody is watching; off course after couple of Whiskey pegs at Friend's marriage.

Had lot of fun while hiding groom's shoes and making sure that Bride's side will return them after getting wrong ones. My friend's Sali was so pissed of with our tricks that she just gave up.

Being Marwari marriage, Saat Phere (seven Vows) started after mid night around 12.30 am and it went on till 5 am in the morning but we made it sure that this procession becomes entertaining for all of us including Panditji by cracking jokes in between, teasing the groom & the bride.

We got so mean & mischievous but it was hell lot of fun. I am damn sure my friend won't forget his first night of marriage for all the wrong reasons. We demanded few thousand rupees for an entry in his room for all our efforts which went into decoration of his bed room with flowers and all other stuff. (our intention was to delay his entry) it was 10.30 pm and he said he doesn't have that much of money, he emptied his all pockets, borrowed few hundred but he wasn't able to make it. We teased him a lot.

He denied to eat anything and at last the poor chap broke down at 12.30 am. We apologized & made him laugh. After that we made them cut the ribbon of our gifted Godreg fridge and ordered Bhabhiji whenever we will visit them we will drink water from this fridge only...

Then gave him the keys of the room which was waiting for some more surprises.

We have already hidden the dry color on the entire bed, on the flowers which were decorated over the bed in such a way that it was not visible even we replaced lights in the room with night lamp. We had planted six mobile phones in the room with alarm set on at different times (1am, 1.10 am, 2 am n so on) even we replaced sim cards with ours so that we can give miss calls...

We made them seat together on the bed and asked to take name of each other (In Marathi it is called Ukhane (Nav Ghene) & after that his entire family joined, (by now blushing) bride says "East or West Amol is the Best" we couldn't stop laughing.

How did we have such an awesome time and fun? sorry being into management makes me observe and conclude ....

1. You need to be hopeless, shameless, crazy friends & become selfless for a common goal of helping your friend & his family to complete this entire event successfully and at the same time don't forget to enjoy every bit of it. ( And Bonus was due to his marriage our prolonged get together was possible, I met lots of my school friends, we could booze together, drive, stay away from home and few other perks can't recollect now)

2. Making few allies in the respected families (Groom's or Bride's) possibly younger ones so that they will support for extending Barat distance or time, etc. ( Ours were the Groom's two Jijaji's, his two cousins & his younger brother)

3. Arranging an alcohol expert to make it sure one third of Barat is drunk upto the limit. - I had taken the entire responsibility -:)I mean to stop them when they were over drinking.

4. Arrange some change money. We took one bundle of one thousand with Rs.10 notes and some change money (Rs.20, Rs. 100 & Rs. 500) to bribe the Bandwala's so that they will play their instruments with their heart and mind on....believe me it's lot of fun while dancing I had kept 100 buks in my mouth n my both hands were full with Rs.10 notes.

May God bless both of them with happiness, togetherness & love!

- Parik....