Night trek in Sinhgad is one of wonderful experiences in
my life which I would never forget. If you are planning for a chilled and an
adventure filled trek then a night trek in the mountains that stretches from Katraj to Sinhgad is the best choice. We
started the trek around 8pm with a group of nine.
Take a cab or bus
to reach Katraj Bus stop if you are in Pune city. There are lots of jeeps
available nearby the Katraj Bus stand which will drop you at the trekking spot
starting point. Just inform the driver to drop at the trekking point; he will
drop you at the right spot.
Initially it was
difficult for us to track the route using GPS, once we were on the right track
we all felt like we have entered into a fantasy world. As it was a full moon
day, the night looked even brighter and felt the moon is travelling very
closely with us. Shining stars, dark clouds, silent valleys, and the lonely
mountains made our trek poetic. As we progressed with the trek we had to climb
up some sloppy steep peaks which had sharp and hard rocks that made our trek
more adventurous. But still there are only few such places which was bit
difficult climb up and down. Otherwise it is a very simple trek for regular
trekkers. Even though we went on a winter as we walked continually we didn’t realize
the actual cold. But whenever we stopped for a break it was too cold, the walk
kept our body warm. There are plain areas where we can build our tent and camp.
As the time took us to the dawn, I saw the Sunrise
between the two mountains which I had seen only in television and
wallpapers. Once sun emerged it scattered yellowish orange color all over the
valley. It was such a visual treat for me.
During the trek we saw one of the rarest species which partially
looked like a rabbit and its legs and tail looked that of a rat and it was also
harmless. Such rare species can be found only in such hilly regions. Otherwise it
is a zero safety threat trekking spot. Even though you cannot find any human
life till you reach Sinhgad. Hence you
have to start the trek with preventive measures as you are trekking in the
night time in deserted mountains. It took around 10 hours to finish the trek
and reach the destination, if we had minimized our time taken for rest and refreshment
we would have completed within 6-8 hours. Altogether we walked 18-20 kms over
the mountains.
Recommendations:
1. Go for this trek only if you have a group
of 8-10 people
2. Make sure at least there 3-4 GPS enabled
smart phones with full battery
3. Carry 4-5 power banks
4. Carry a first aid kit, towel, glucose,
water
5. Take light eatables like biscuits, bhel
puri, dates and some energy drinks
6. Carry a torch light without fail
7. Walk in groups and trek in a line like
ants
Adventure
lovers those who are in Pune never miss this trek.
