"My lungs were filled to capacity with fresh oxygen" ... RAJEE NAIR writes her experience..

Life Away from Life … the name sounded good and I wondered how they would be? First time I heard of the group was when I saw a post on my friend’s face book profile. I had re-discovered cycling after several (read 10-15) years and was itching to get back on the trail. My friend’s profile said some thing about cycling from Mumbai to Goa. Divine intervention? I traced the post and reached Prateek Deo and LAFL.

 

I went into overdrive as I explored their web site – cycling, rappelling, trekking, sight seeing, basically every thing that I had always dreamt of. I was raring to go and wanted to experience everything they had to offer.

As a start I signed up for a trek to Rajgad – King Of Forts. My main apprehension was that I was a single female taking off with a group of strangers but I had spoken to Prateek a couple of times and it seemed like he knew what he was doing. More importantly he came through as decent and dependable. We were asked to meet at Sion circle at 0700 in the morning for the drive to Pune and then further on to Pali from where we would start our trek. I approached the meeting point in anticipation; people who were going for the trek were clearly distinguishable from others on the street. The attire and the backpacks had trekking written all over them.

The moment I met Prateek I felt at ease and the rest of the group fell into camaraderie so easily that it seemed like we had known each other for ever. The drive on the expressway was spent in pleasantries of introductions and narrating past adventure experiences. By the time we reached the first stop for breakfast, we had fallen into easy conversation with each other. The last stretch of the drive from Pune to Pali meandered through quaint village lanes bordered by fields and trees. The weather was beautiful with slight sprinkling rain and wide open skies, it was a perfect day for being out in the open.

Beginning the trek - at the base village Pali

As we got off at the base of the hills where we were to commence our trek, Prateek started handing out the rugs and mats that we were to use for the night and our lunch packs. I realized that a lot of planning had gone into this from their side, and the lunch packs made me think that they had done this many times before and arrived at that perfect meal which was to be carried for such trips. Our trek started off through gentle slopes, paddy fields swayed on the side and we fell into smaller groups matching steps with each other. Cameras started coming out as did exclamations of delight. Birds were chirping, squirrels were running around and nature had put out her best to welcome us.

We soon approached rougher terrain and steeper slopes. There was a mist rolling in and the higher we went the better the view became. There were lush green grassy meadows, and slopes rolled out with flowers of bright purple and yellow. Beautiful enough to forget all about the trek pull out a rug or hang up a hammock and just stay there for ever in blissful oblivion from the rest of the world.

Pali Darwaja, Rajgad

The gates to the fort appeared suddenly ahead of us. Prateek explained to us the strategy for camouflaging the entrance from enemies and the advantages of unexpected ambush.

Once we reached the fort we sat down for a delicious and well deserved lunch with some white coloured stray canine company.As the mists rolled in heavier we abandoned our plans of pitching up tents and decided to spend the night in the shelter of the temples in the fort area. 

Our sense of adventure was heightened in the room with rain and mist coming through the leaky roof. Steaming hot instant noodles, thepla with cheese and chai never tasted better. We guarded the spot where we intended to spend the night and exhibited territorial instincts which our new found canine friends would have immediately identified with!

The night was spent in a tangle of arms, legs and blankets not knowing which belonged to whom. In the morning the mist lifted and we saw the view that was denied to us on the previous day. We explored the fort, Padmavati lake and looked at the endless valley from Rajgad to Pune stretched out as far as the eyes could see. 

Chandra Tal at Balekilla on Rajgad

Meadows, peaks and valleys spread out grandly, shades of green beyond imagination rolled out one after another. The grass blades, leaves and flowers nodded their heads with the breeze and sparkled with fresh dew. The sunlight reflected off them and the dew shone like diamonds. I felt like staying there and soaking in the glorious view for ever. As I breathed in the air it seemed like my lungs were filled to capacity with fresh oxygen. 

 

Because it had rained all night the walk threw up challenges and changed the trek to a balancing act. Arms and hands jumped out to help each other with a team spirit that only an adventure can kindle amongst people who had met only a day before. 

We reached back to the spot that we had started from but parts of us had changed for ever. We had set out for a thrill but came back with so much more. Our minds totally re-booted. Gone were all the prejudices and petty issues that occupied our mundane lives. I came back with a whole new set of friends, like minded people with whom I had spent one of the best moments of my life …. Away from life!

- RAJEE NAIR an enthusiastic participant and good human being.