Monsoon Getaway.. All Work And No Play....

As rightly mentioned in our first post, the one thing that all of us miss most in our lives is that "ME TIME".... After dutifully fulfilling my job as a doctor & mother, I felt that void somewhere within, the nagging question, "What about me???!!!!" The yearning to break away from the monotony & meet up with friends for a casual chit chat was strong. Adding up to my woes was the harsh summer heat, which had made life miserable. But then, after every "down" in life, you get something to look "UP" to...

After a gruelling summer, it was the most pleasurable feeling to welcome the Rain Gods.  They brought with them, not only relief from the sweltering heat, but also the lush greenery that covered the ghats surrounding Mumbai.

In this romantic season, one can't help but feel the irresistible urge to get away from one's daily mundane life and delve into some adventure. "All work and no play, makes Harry a dull boy!" So true! This very feeling translated into a weekend plan to trek up to Sarasgad Fort over a Sunday. So, we didn't waste any more time and packed our bag packs to hike up to this wonderful fort.

Sarasgad fort is located at the Sarasgad village, which is very close to Pali.Pali village is famous for the Ballareshwar temple (one of the Ashtavinayak temples). The fort is located at a height of 1600 feet from sea level (487 mtrs). It can be identified by its four pinnacles, which were used as watch towers to survey the surrounding area. The trek was of medium difficulty level and can be completed in a day.

We were a group of friends and chose to drive down to Pali from Mumbai. The drive is around 130 kms from Mumbai along the Mumbai-Khopoli-Nagothane-Pali road. We took the exit after the Khopoli toll booth on Mumbai-Pune expressway towards Imagica and continued down the same road till we came to Pali. For those who do not prefer to drive, Pali is connected by state transport buses.

The trek started from the base village of Pali, just behind the temple. Though it did involve quite some steep terrain, slippery rock climbing and some gruelling stairs (111 to be precise, each step approx. 2 feet in height), the serene view from the top made the effort worthwhile. We got a mind blowing view of the sahyadris covered in clouds and a green carpet, the beautiful Amba river negotiating through the magnificent landscape and the mountains lined with in numerous waterfalls which sprouted all over because of the rains. We also got to see 3 big water tanks on top of the fort which were constructed to store water during olden days. Alongside was a camping site, where one can choose to camp overnight.

The climb down was equally exciting as we got to experience something we hadn't done in a long time...get totally drenched in the rains!!!! All in all, it was a Sunday well spent!!!

P.S: What lured us at the base village was some freshly brewed 'Gavati chai' (lemon grass tea) & piping hot, crisp 'kanda bhaji' (onion fritters).

Precautions: 

Full sleeves & track pants with sport shoes advisable.

Some light munches & water bottle can be carried

Beware of slippery rocks & stairs (don't be ashamed to crawl on all fours if you feel like)

Finally, leave all your worries behind and enjoy what nature has to offer!!!!!

-----By MocktailMommy Prasanna

This travelogue is being re-posted for Quoted Stories Linky Party #9