Soaked in the freshness of nature @ Mahuli Waterfall rappelling

I am a very enthusiastic and restless person when it comes to waiting for a particular trip! After a long stretched week the Sunday of 14^th JULY..FINALLY..arrived! What was so special about it???............that it wrenched my toll of patience…..the event was Mahuli Waterfall rappelling organized by Shalom Adventures..My 1^st adventure trip this monsoon…..yess…I still dance like a 3 year old…when I hear outings….

Me and two of my friends boarded the train from kurla at 7.27 am and reached aasangaon by 9 am! I was to find this 6 ft. tall man at the station platform….and there I saw him in his typecast orange t-shirt  and tracks with the name Miron and Shalom Adventures embodied on it. Miron is the one who had organized this particular rappelling session. We waited for others at the stn. Platform while others marched towards mahuli base! Surprise package was meeting Arunima..( both of us met for the 1^st time since we had co-ordinated for some work over the ph.)

We started walking towards the base crossing the highway path and fro..And later boarded the local transport and reached the base! The fun had just started!

We met Avinash there (Avinash had been coordinating the entire event together with miron) and filled up the safety forms! To mention specially we were given those pink color coins to keep a mark on the count maybe..which were unused and probably carried home as a memoir by all! We had a typical Marathi style breakfast of kande pohe and tea. Assuming that myself and arunima knew the way atop to the waterfall, as we had been there earlier too…we started ascending with a group of 7-8 people! Poor avinash still took the pains to explain us the way..but we seemed to loose our stable mindset in the excitement and coolness of nature!

I simply love the geography of Mahuli Fort! It is so simply pretty and a royal treat to the eyes..One carving of the mountain literally has the shape of shiv lingam…bow thy nature….Absorbing this sceneric view..We set ahead!  After a particular water patch we were suppose to take a left….but lost in the fun…we marched from the stream of water! (that was perhaps the only mistake we did ). The way was same..But not safe..!

Since it was long that we did not reach the top..Miron came down..found us and lead us to the correct way! The next 15 minutes after climbing up our eyes were treated with the ferociously milky flowing water! Waow…bliss to our quenched soul! I had visited the same fall last year..But this time the flow of water was much more than expected! I think “mighty” should be the word!

A more 15 mins climb…and we were near the stream of flowing water… a little ahead was the plateau from where participants would rappel down the waterfall! Since ours was the last group to reach…we were to wait till the remaining participants rappelled down! I think we must have waited for 2 hours or so….but this time the wait did not seem endless….time flew like a mocking bird as we drenched ourselves in the purity of the stream of water that was coming to us directly from the clouds ( vaporization process..u know ) To add to it…it started raining..though for a few minutes.. it was the icing on the cake. I  bet even those fancy water parks cannot give such relaxation, such divinity and such fun….

Some time later we moved towards the plateau where the remaining team was gearing up for their adventure to come…! It is so much fun to watch those anxious faces...,,,few were nervous..Few blank..few were waiving at therir friends to click their picture…and the variety of expression continued…

The 6-7 of us were the last people to rappel! Karan and Mitul who were accompanying me were all the more excited since it was the 1^st time they were to do something adventurous as this! Adventure has its own fun you know….doesn’t matter if you are a regular one or a 1^st timer…I think it offers you variety every time.

THRILLED by the scenic view upfront and the waterfall beneath we geared up with our harnesses, helmets,and gloves! For me it was the second time...still like an idiot I slipped for the 1^st step.….on the way down jumped and dropped stones..stuck my leg in the tendrils enroute the rappel path….my list of stupidity can be endless sometimes….but it was all the more exhilarating !  Thanx to my expert rappelling technique avinash’s head was saved from the stone that fell from top….3 times,,,, (my apologies again)

But trust me that 120 ft patch is magical….:-) It is a wonderful and bountiful experience...Monsoon and adventure go hand in hand....

Since the route  to go down from there was blocked due to heavy flow of water…we had to go back to the top and then descend from the other side!  There were almost 53 people who rappelled that day. There were 3 ropes put which made the event go speedy! The last person rappelled down at 3.55 pm! Please note I said last person! A 6ft tall monkey was yet to try his stunts.

The ropes were put on the either side of the waterfall…as I mentioned the waterfall that day was ferocious! After all had rappelled down…Miron decided to rappel in between the mighty flow of waterfall ( P.S – he is an expert at this “keeda giri and somehow does it flawlessly)

Since the rope was pulled back from the either side..Avinash thought it was all done and started to ascend to the top again..When I told him…”I guess miron is rappelling down from in between”..He too had a stunned expression..thank heavens..He did it after we all were done rappelling…

So after all this drama...we reached the top again..till then team shalom had been packing all the rappelling gear and equipments!  It must be 5 pm or so when the four of us i.e myself,arunima,miron and avinash descended down towards the base! The rest of the team had already reached and were having their supper!

We left mahuli at around 7 pm taking back all the wonderful experiences of the day! It was completely replenishing and rejuvenating! The event was timely completed, was fun, thrilling and the  plus point  was no injuries to anybody!

Each of those 45 people (plus the other 8 team members who rappelled ).....Will have different stories to tell…mine is one…..

Away from the city’s haphazard manner of living when, you hug mother nature..then be it even for a day or less ; it gives you all the nuture,care,solace to your soul….It was a sad sight seeing garbage cans, bottles lying on the way…lets atleast refrain from doing that and  not insult our mother…! She always has her arms wide open to welcome you to her womb…J

Waiting for more such adventures,....this time probably not resorting to my stupidity! ;)

Till then Happy and safe trekking