Turning 35

The sun beat down upon my face as I trudged up the gentle slope of a dirt track. It was 3:30 pm and I was a lone trekker on this route. My shadow walked ahead of me. I was at the base of Prabalmachi – a quaint hamlet nestled at the foothills of Prabalgad and Kalavantindurg – two formidable peaks of the Sahyadris. I had arrived here to spend my 35th birthday on this plateau.

I stopped celebrating my birthday many years ago. In fact, I don’t even like to cut a cake anymore. But this time I was drawn to the outdoors. And nearly 8 years after my last hike in the Sahyadris, I was out in the wild again. A solo hike seemed like a good idea. 

So that’s how I found myself on a bright, deserted track devoid of any foliage, under the unforgiving nasty glare of the sun. I walked the initial few hundred meters and I felt the heat taking a toll on me instantly. It was not a breezy walk in the woods as I had imagined it to be. 

The route had changed or maybe perhaps it was me who had changed after all. 

I found an abandoned shack and plonked down on the ground with my heavy backpack. I had overpacked, as usual.

I cursed myself for always carrying a heavier load than necessary. 

I must leave some things behind, I made a mental note to myself as I caught my breath and gratefully drank some water. 

It was back in 2010 that my friend Anand and I first decided to explore this trail. We bunked college and took the train to Panvel, followed by an auto to Thakurwadi and then climbed up all the way to Prabalmachi. 

We wanted to enter the village and maybe even go further upto Kalavantin but we were chased out by village dogs and we didn’t venture further. Back then it was raining heavily and we were greeted with wild streams and small waterfalls all around. 

With those memories fresh in my mind, I began my walk again. At the first shack – Aai Hotel, I gulped down a cold lemon juice. I also bought a stick nicely fashioned from local wood to help me with the hike. 

No, I was not turning old but I had worn regular sneakers instead of my trusted Action Trekking shoes – a rookie mistake. I had also misplaced my trusted Forclaz trousers and instead worn – jeans (yikes!), it would protect me from the cold at night I had consoled myself while putting them on. The route from here climbed steadily up. The dirt road went around in some bends but cutting midway through the foliage was a goat trail. I took that and I gained height quickly. 

But as soon as I hit the clearing. I felt uneasy. My heart was beating fast and I was breathing heavily. My calves were protesting and my back – already in pain – was aching even more. 

Was 35 supposed to be this bad? Had I lost my touch with the outdoors? Thanks to a largely sedentary life, my stamina had dissipated. What had I done to myself? 

I was spiralling. 

But then I remembered that at the heart of every endurance sport is the mindset of the sportsperson. It’s all in the mind. 

“What you think, you become” is what Buddha said. So I slowed down my pace. Took deep breaths and resumed walking. It worked for a bit. 

And at the next bend, I needed to stop again. There was another shack run by a kind lady here. I was not going to drink another lemonade so I just sat in the shade on the cool surface, covered with dried cow dung. She smiled at me and offered me some water. 

After cooling down, I realised that I had had a very early lunch and I was also hungry. So I asked her for some fresh cucumber and ate it slowly and felt better. I looked behind the shack and I was on the edge of the valley, I had not noticed the view. The valley seemed inviting. Far away though a few buildings had come up. The urban sprawl was very real. But still the view and the cool shade refreshed me. 

The kind lady and I barely spoke. Just as I was about to get up, as if reading my mind she said “It’s a shaded path, you will be fine now”, she assured me. 

With renewed energy, I slowly began climbing up the track. 

I asked an old man who was coming down the track – how much longer would it be to the top.

He smiled and said it’s only about ten minutes. “Almost there”, he added.

Another hiker, much younger to me, came next. I asked him the same question and he said that it would take me at least twenty five minutes more as the path was quiet steep. 

I sighed and continued. The vermillion covered Hanuman and Ganesh – carved in stone came into sight. I was finally at Prabalmachi steps. It had taken me about twelve minutes. 

I realised that all of us are built differently and our pace varies. Every journey is unique and I couldn’t lead a life of comparison. With this epiphany I quickened my pace as I began to hit even ground. 

Another trekker coming down looked at me and we both nodded in acknowledgement as trekkers often do. 

“Jai Shivray” he said 

“Jai Shivray”, I replied with a smile. 

Glory to Shivaji. 

It was in 2012 that I would finally dare to climb Prabalgad again all the way and that’s when I would meet the Bhutambara family. I was going to stay over at their campsite. So fifteen years ago, during my research on the latest at Prabalagad, I came acrosss Nilesh Bhutambara’s page on a random Google search. He had set up a blogspot page about Prabalgad. I called him and told him about Breakfree – he said I was welcome to visit. So with a small band of trekkers we visited Prabalgad and what a trip it was! 

After that day I have led countless treks to Prabalgad and Kalavantin and each time the Bhutambara family helped me. They came with me as guides expertly navigating our way through the tricky parts of Kalavantin and through the forests of Prabalgad. They fed us sumptuous meals with love and care and always looked after us.

But after TISS, I went missing from the scene. I moved to Bangalore and immersed myself in preparation for civil service exams while juggling a full time job. I lost touch with the family and Nilesh. I went from visiting them every year to not even placing a call for many years. They were worried for me and then one day they concluded that something bad had happened to me and maybe I had passed away. But I reconnected with Nilesh after a few years and have been in touch with them ever since. 

So when it was time for me to return to the outdoors, it was natural that I would come to Prabalmachi. 

When I reached Prablamachi, I first went to meet Nilesh’s parents. I was famished and they offered me some food. I gladly accepted and had a proper meal. Fully refreshed, I bid them goodbye and wandered right to the back of the plateau to meet Nilesh.

I found a quiet spot overlooking the valley and we set up my tent there. He told me that he was not expecting too many campers that evening and lamented about the dwindling numbers. But he was undeterred and was working on some grand plans. But before we could discuss them, he brought me some excellent tea infused with lemon grass – grown right on the plateau. I drank it slowly while watching the sunset. He told me about the various developments that he had brought about for his client base – as he called his repeat customers. 

Right from procuring high quality Quechua tents complete with a mattress and bedding -to building sturdy cabins which overlook the valley – a fantastic option for those of us who want to have a much more comfortable experience, as they come with a proper bed, charging stations and indoor lighting. The sit out with the cabins offered a commanding view of the valley – a key highlight for any visitor. He was truly a customer – first entrepreneur and had designed several things keeping the comfort and ease of use of the visitors. 

I was very inspired talking to him and congratulated him on the setup. He went to get the food ready for the evening while I sat down and watched the sunset. A beautiful sight. Above me I could hear several aircrafts making the signature turn on the way to Mumbai. Each time I fly into Mumbai I notice Prabalmachi, the V that is formed between the two peaks is very clearly visible from the skies above and they serve as my marker to convey that I am nearing home. 

The skies darkened and the planets came into view first – Venus, Mars and Jupiter. Then came the stars. The constellations which speak of Greek and Hindu mythology, the formations which have guided many a lost soul home shone brightly above. 

Was I lost? I didn’t know. I had come so far, didn’t I?

But where do I go from here? I wondered and sought answers from the stars above but to no avail.

They only twinkled, sometimes mischievously, sometimes sadly. I looked at them with a mix of wonder and anger. But I wasn’t really angry at the stars, I was angry at myself.

Nevertheless, I spoke to them and they spoke back to me.

“Look inside”, they said to me. 

“But aren’t you supposed to guide me on my quest?”

“Your quest, to where exactly? They asked.

“Good question” I muttered to them sheepishly.

I looked away from them and decided to figure it out all on myself – another rookie mistake.

Down in the valley below, there was definitely more light than before – a sign of the changing times.

But the mountains still looked the same – the rugged peaks and the silent hills that have stood witness to a tumultuous past. 

Dinner was some excellent chicken curry, sabzi and dal rice. I exchanged some pleasantries with some of the fellow trekkers who had trudged up the hill in the evening. They had escaped the sun’s heat but I had caught the sunset. But I reminded myself again that life was not about comparisons and each journey was unique. It was going to be a lesson of a lifetime for me.

The moon rose from behind Matheran that evening. I watched it come over the edge of the hill. I stood in awe as I watched it make its appearance, as a shy flower blooming in the sun. Slowly bathing us in its silvery light, it rendered my flashlight useless. 

A small campfire came up but I didn’t stick around the fire. I instead went and settled in my tent early that night. It was a balmy evening – not as cold as I had imagined it to be but pleasant. The absence of the cold didn’t matter.

I had overachieved my daily steps target and I was going to be out cold or so I thought. But sleep evaded me that night. I walked around the campsite and lay out under the sky to look at the stars. I even requested the group of fellow campers to keep it low when their game of cards got a little too loud. But even after they obliged, sleep wouldn’t come to me. 

Perhaps it was the thought of turning 35 and thinking of all that had passed or perhaps it were the thoughts of what was about to come. My mind was abuzz especially in the welcome silence of the night. They reverberated in my mind like an organ does in the church. Soulful but hauntingly so.

I could hear rustling in the distance – a cold wind was picking up in the valley below and blowing through the plateau. The temperature started to drop. I put on my hoodie and my woolen gloves bought from a Tibetan market. The cold helped to lull me into sleep. Cosy in my tent and content with being outdoors today – I dozed off to the sounds of the trees rustling in the wind as the din in my mind quietened for a bit.

I woke up at around 7 am only to see mist swirling over the valley below. I unzipped the cover of my tent and stretched my limbs. I sat facing the east, as the sun rose from behind the Matheran ridge. Soon the sun bathed the landscape around me in its morning light. The peaks, in their barren winter avatar, seemed resplendent in the glow, like warm touched dusky skin under the winter morning sun. I sat admiring them until the sun rose fully over the hill.

Over breakfast I caught up with young travel professionals – S and T – both reminded me of my younger self from many years ago. Both were passionate about India and the outdoors and had a thirst for adventure. After sharing some excellent poha and tea, I bid farewell to Nilesh and family as I started my descent. 

The descent took me half the time and I kept my spirits up this time. Each time a trekker on their way up asked me how much longer to go  – I gave them a realistic estimate and cheered them on. Exchanging greetings with them cheered me up too. At the base – Vishal Patil, a local auto driver took me to Panvel station. En route he told me about his adventures on Kalavantin and even showed me pictures. We both agreed that there was no experience comparable and I promised to visit soon. It has been a good start to my new year. 

Turning 35 is a milestone for many of us or maybe just another day. In the long run it maybe only a year in the many years to come, or turn out to be something more remarkable and significant. Who knows. Only time will tell. For now, I was content that I had spent some time outdoors. I had come down the plateau feeling much lighter – I had shed some weight and left some things behind. I was definitely carrying a lighter backpack – literally and metaphorically. And now I couldn’t wait to get lost in the woods again.