The only thing that I can plan and execute too well is what to do on the weekend coming up. I have had pre-planned weekends for months in advance. It is said that a life is well spent if it is full of experiences. Every minute of our life is important as once it is spent, you cannot reclaim it. It is said that time is money and one should invest it wisely. For quite some time I had ignored this principle and wasted my time in doing things which gave me nothing in return. It is time to put things in right places and get going.

It was almost a chaotic half year since I had stopped to smell the flowers, to count the stars. The urge to reconnect with nature was becoming irresistible. So when my trek buddy asked me if I was up for a moon light trek from Katraj to Sinhgad, there was an impulsive agreement. This is a rigorous trek from Katraj to Sinhgad and trek involves a hike across 15 to 16 hills for roughly 12 – 14 kms. The experience of trekking this terrain twice was telling me that this time it won’t be easy. 

This trek is bench mark for every trekker, in and around Pune. It is an experience of life time, which involves great physical and mental strength. Many have said to trek here as a part of their training programs for Himalayn Expeditions. Once you cross first two hills, there is no way to come back. The most important part is, this is where you experience total isolation from city, though its view keeps you company through out... For the entire route, one would not find any third person; it’s only you and your trek-mate.

This route being so isolated, you need to carry enough water, food, first aid and emergency safety gear.  So there it was, a backpack weighing around 8kgs which included about 4 liters of water. I was only getting stronger in mind to achieve this.

We gathered at Katraj Snake Park and took a local transport bus to the tunnel. The trek begins atop the tunnel. We started walking at about 11 in night from the Waghjai Temple. The first two hills  - Vrindavan and Gokul are the ones which test your will to complete this. After these two hills there is no turning back. All you can do is, hold on to yourself looking at the blinking red light of TV tower on Sinhgad and keep walking. 

The hike is as good as journey of one’s life, going up and down. However, soil corrosion is killing mother earth! It’s only March end, and the plants already seemed dry and soil looked cracked. This was not a pleasant view on a cool night.

The group consisted many first time hikers. Hats off to their enthusiasm! Another trekking buddy was here to prepare himself for Mount Everest Base Camp. The most inspiring was another trekking buddy who participates in Marathon all over the country. He had recently completed this trek in less than 8 hours and that too during day time.

The walk continued with several breaks.  The water bottles were emptied and the backpack was getting lighter only technically. One has to be careful about not harming the nature, yet the rightful residents of the terrain like serpents and scorpions may make their appearance occasionally. 

The second last hill is known as one tree point. The single tree atop the hill marks it territory. If the pace is right, by sunrise you should be beyond this hill.

  

You may choose to climb the last hill or traverse and reach the tar road. We had arranged for local transport from the junction to the city.

This achievement restored my confidence and faith and now I can definitely say, Tested, Verified, OK!

For Statistical purposes & records:

The highest altitude touched was 1180 Mtrs and lowest was 815 Mtr. Minimum temperatures recorded was 20 C. And total distance covered was close to 12 Kms. (These are approximate values)