HAPPINESS-FALLS at Ajoba Parvat

Highlight of this trek: WATERFALLS

There are those rare times in life when you ask and get what you ask. Whether the universe conspires or you, I know not. This time I asked for one waterfall and received a paradise of waterfalls.

I had missed Bhimashankar this year so thought I had missed waterfalls too. Photos of friends enjoying the mountains own shower system made me crave for it. So I was in for the trek even before the  place was decided, only wishing that let there be waterfalls.

LET THERE BE WATERFALLS-----ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

Wanderlust Adventures planned a Pilot trek to Ajoba Parvat. There is always something thrilling about Pilot treks. It's like discovering something or solving a mystery. You have titbits of information like clues, with that plus trusting the nature you follow the call of the mountains.

THE GRAND OLD MAN: AJOBA PARVAT

AJOBA HIDDEN BEHIND THE VEIL OF CLOUD'S LOVE

11/8/2013 the day fixed. We all have to be at dadar by 6.00am. To add to my thrill I have a friend sleeping over at my place so she too can join this early. I wondered what I was more excited about. Both of us wanted to sleep early so we rise up early but when friends meet, stories pop up and as I set my alarm for 4.00am I groaned that there was only 3 hrs and 30 mins of sleep left. My dear friend had 4 hrs as she sweetly asked me to wake her up at 4.30am.

There goes the alarm and I am up wondering did I even sleep. How can three hours be equal to 5 mins? Soon both of us were ready and off for the trek. As usual for me and first time for my friend we reached before time.. We met one more friend in the train and talks shortened the distance.

We meet a few more and the journey begins. Train from Dadar to Asangoan. Its relatively empty and we all are happily Chit-chatting and suddenly a friend notices Einstein enter. What a resemblance. If only we could take a picture. But I suppose our excitement had put the Einstein on gaurd.

After reaching Asangoan and meeting the rest, we headed straight to our vehicle waiting to pick the 13 of us. Somehow we managed to fit in this 8 seater, an achievement in itself. The first halt was to fill the cars stomach the next was to fill ours. After breakfast we started again only this time one of our fellow trekmates decided to drive instead of the driver. All this to make our seating arrangements more comfortable as the driver was a lanky fellow who could fit in anywhere.

The drive was to be from Asangoan to Dehne. It took a great deal of time and the only solace for me was to peep out of the window. What I kept doing the most was peep behind and look at the road we left behind. It feels as if you are falling and don't know what's ahead untill it's left behind. It created this wierd feeling of seperation. Landscapes in site but going away from you untill it disappears. You want to hold but are being pulled apart.

LANDSCAPES PASSING BY

 I was mesmerized by what was going away and maybe our friend driving the car was mesmerized by what was coming ahead that we went right ahead of where we had to stop. This lost track lead us to our first adventure. Our car got stuck in soft mud and all our efforts of pushing, using sticks and stones failed to fructify. Worry started building on the face of the driver as he saw our efforts fail. Luckily for us one of our friends who proved to be the Einstein that time had a brainwave and he suggested using car mats to help the car move out. This worked and we were back on track.

BEFORE ENTERING THE FOREST

Retracing back as guided by the locals we reached the base village Dehne. Our driver too decided to join us for the trek. Our trek would start from Valmiki ashram. This ashram also has sheds where people doing overnight treks can stay. We however continued our journey now, again to get lost. Luckily we had not gone far into the woods and soon with the help of an old Ajoba(grandfather) we were guided back to the right track for Ajoba.

ENTER THE FOREST

The way was through dense Forest and at some places we walked crossing the small falls. It was raining and the weather was pleasant. I find the forests to be like a maze only the paths are narrower and the walls (here the trees) are taller, you walk in touch with the woods like as if the trees are your companions. You can hear the waterfalls calling out to you. You can't see them yet, but their gushing waters are playing a band in your welcome. The small streams that they leave out are like small children running ahead of all others to welcome their guest and walking by your side bursting to tell their story of glory. As you move along this maze you play a role in carving the path that would lead you to your goal and help those who follow too. Without a GPS or a proper guide the maze can envelop you in its mystery and misguide you easily.

WALKING THROUGH THE FOREST MAZE

THE GROUP: PICTURE SHOT BY DR. NANABHAI

ONE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IN THE FOREST: HARVESTER ANT'S NEST 

After a little walk through the forest we met our first waterfalls. There she was dancing to the tune set by the rains and all of us joined in. Water washing all the tiredness as we felt her pat on our backs. Standing below it I felt the world melt away. Even with people around, once you are under the falls all gets wiped out. You hear no word, you see nothing, You are lost in whiteness. It's as if you have entered a gap between time and space where there is no time, no space. It feels like a gateway to an unknown world, like a wormhole maybe. Only problem is I am not able to cross over. I stay in that gap connecting two worlds but return back to our world. Will there ever be such a thing I don't know. But felt as if I found my wormhole, my portkey in the waterfalls.

IN BLISS SUPREME: SURROUNDED BY WHITENESS

THE GROUP UNDER FALLS: SHOT BY DR NANABHAI

Back to the real world now, we continued moving up to our destination Sitecha palna (meaning cradle of Goddess Sita). What a cradle it was. With a flat base in the middle and two tall mountain pillars of the Ajoba the cradle was formed. It was so windy that I am sure this cradle needed no rocking by Mother Sita. The flat base directly formed a slope ahead of it. I found it more like a Slide than a cradle. Maybe Valmiki didn't know that such a thing was called a slide. It was actually more like a slide and we had climbed it up from the other side. The slide's ladder being the woods. The flat base being the seat of the slide with the tall mountain peaks at the side being the safety walls of the slide and the slope right ahead. There was a small seat too that almost tempted me to try this slide out. Maybe Luv-Kush played here (sons of Sita).

SMOKY MOUNTAINS

We had our lunch here, a welcome treat. It was so windy and cold and our only savior was a rock behind which we stood and had lunch. Nobody wanted to leave this cradle but we had to. Way down was tougher than way up only because one had to be more careful as one climbed down, if not, one would surely get the taste of a short slide. The Karvi stems helped us as we moved down. We crossed our first falls. Enjoyed a quick shower once more and moved ahead only to be greeted by a more magnificent waterfall. This was the queen of falls. One more wormhole for me. This one had a nice rock covered by soft velvety moss to recline against and I was in my paradise again. Let me stay here, Pause the moment....please!!!!!!!!

GOING UP THE PARADISE OF FALLS

THE GROUP UNDER FALLS: SHOT BY DR NANABHAI

AGAINST THE WATERFALL BED

PAUSED IN THE MOMENT

We soon continued moving down reached Valmiki Ashram again then moved back towards the vehicle. Back on roads again.A long drive, Flimy music, then the trains, hustle bustle. My god how in the world did I reach here??? I was in Paradise a moment ago. The waterfalls surely must have been a wormhole. But why on earth did it bring me here ??? The trek had come to an end. The sense of time had returned and how much ever I try I can't find that peaceful gap here in this world where everything stops and all is just whiteness.