Trek to Sandan Valley and Ratangad

Base: Ratanwadi/Samrad Villages
Distance : 220 Kms approx from Pune, 180 kms from Mumbai
Route: Pune-Narayangaon-Sangammer-Akole-Ratanwadi-Samrad

Some of my personal experience from this trek

Day 1:   Scheduled Start 5.00 am- We did good here, everyone was present on time and we managed to leave by 5.15 from Pune. Stopped for a break at Kamat’s  after Alephata.

After a beautiful drive though the ghats Reached Samrad Around 11.30 (not sure if I am correct here).

We met the Mumbai team and all of us proceeded towards exploring the local village, since the lunch was not ready yet. All the guys from Mumbai and Pune team enjoyed a great bit while exploring the countryside, stumptous offering of freshly broken Mangoes, Jambhul and other wild berries ( and the best part Each tree had its unique taste)

After some time we all came back to the village where lunch was almost ready and now it was time for interesting things to unfold..

There was a probably a note shared by the Mumbai asking everyone to get their own eating dishes( We somehow didn’t know about it) so we ended up having lunch at our disposal but no dish to eat it in J

But I manage to borrow some paper plates, other guys borrowed some dishes  and all 12 of us managed to have a shared  lunch. The food was good (Masale Bhat, Pitla and bhakri) and I guess most will agree that this was the best food We left for exploring Sandan Valley shortly after lunch but not before there was a briefing by Kala and other co-ordinators from the Mumbai Team.

For the next 1 and hours we were inside the valley, where I doubt the sun-light ever enters directly, it wasn’t a bit tiring as the entire valley was cool and we were descending downhill. We also had to walk through two water bodies, the first one was slippery and the second one was about 4 feet deep and must admit I was scared a bit since the water was murky, but then the Mumbai co-ordinators guided us through the best possible path. We reached the end of the valley which gives a good view of the picturesque Sahayadris.

After the cut-off we were told to start the return from the valley towards Samrad Village, in the next 10 mins the rains descended, first a light shower which increased its intensity and didn’t stop till about 8.30 in the evening. The rains did make our return a bit difficult but also exciting as the path had become a little slippery. On the return journey we also found an associate from Mumbai falling on the rocks and and getting a cut, but this emergency was handled pretty well. After reaching the village we all shared a bottle of tea(No cups J ). Somehow managed the dinner, as again we were without any plates to eat, it was a simple offering of dal , rice, aloo-baigan curry and bhakri. And surpise!! we also got a tasty kheer for dessert. ( I was impressed).This wasn’t before we lost our voices thanks to the good two hours of Antakshari that all of us had!!

Since it was raining, and we had made the school where we were supposed to sleep wet with our constant walkabouts, elsewhere too the temple the school corridors etc were wet with rains I was a bit sceptical if we will be able to get some sleep. But the Mumbai Team co-orinators made good arrangements for all of us with local villagers. So the entire Pune team got one room to sleep( I was doubly IMPRESSED). Slept like a baby in my sleeping bag, thanks to the daylong activities.

Day 2:   Got-up at 6.30 am courtesy the wake-up call. We were supposed to get up at 4.00, but this   

               was expected considering that rains had messed up quite a few things a day

earlier. I thought I am going to get a bad cold once I got-up, but after a cup of good-old black tea I felt okay.

The entire team left for Ratanwadi in the next hour or so, we had breakfast at Ratanwadi, clicked some photos at the beautiful Amruteshwar Temple.

 We started the ascent for Ratangad at around 9.30, in the next couple of hours we reached Ratangad top, the two ladders to reach the fort enterance always manage to scare me !!

Some of the monkeys there also kept us entertained.

On reaching the top there was the customary briefing by Kala, we were told about the adjoining peaks and other topography.

The best part at Ratangad was standing at the needle hole(nedha as it is called) and I’m sure there will be any disagreement on this bit. At the Nedha I felt as if I was standing in front of an A.C vent. Exhillirating !!

We started the descent after the fort exploration. I had been to Ratangad on two earlier occasions with my friends, but this was the first time I descended from the normal route, on earlier occasions we always took Kalayan Darwaja for the descent. It was bit tricky to reach the ladder landing but every thing went ok, few of the guys also got down using the stairs till the second ladder. On the way back most of the people ate the wild berries in the woods. All of us were back at Ratanwadi by 5 and we left by 5.30 after refreshing ourselves and eating whatever we had remaining in our bags.

Almost everyone dozed off in the tempo traveller and we stopped for dinner close to Narayangaon at a dhaba. After reaching Nasik Phata it was time for everyone to start saying Adios!!