The place: Kalsubai is the highest peak in Maharashtra located about ~40 km from Igaptpuri. It stands tall at approximately 5400 feet behind a small village called Bari from where most trekkers start climbing. Though quite famous, it may still take an effort to find the village if you are the only people on the road.
Reaching Bari: The village is located about ~10km from Bandhardara and 30-40 km from NH3. You need get off the highway immediately after paying toll at Igatpuri. From there go through Ghoti and get on the road towards Bhandardara. The road from there on is a bit confusing if you dont have Google maps (like we had) or someone to tell you the way.
How we did it: We started from Mumbai at 11pm and reached Bari at about 4:30am. Reaching Bari by car was easy, though a bit of help was required from drunk truck drivers and ofcourse, Google Maps. The same cannot be said if you are travelling by ST buses. We didn't come across any on our whole journey.
We chilled at Bari for an hour or so and started climbing at 6 in the morning. It was still dark but the moon gave us enough light to move ahead. It is a surreal experience to trek under moon light. Everything appears as if you are viewing it in a mix of infrared light and fake HDR. Photography enthusiasts will know what HDR is.
About 200 feet up the mountain, you will reach a small open area. This place provides an excellent place to click photos as the sun rises over the mountains.
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| Sunrise from Bari |
You will cross 2 single huts before the actual climbs begins. After that its almost a straight climb to the top. There are many stair cases on the way which make your climbing up a bit easier. A note of caution though, these stairs might be slippery in the rains and it is advisable that 2-3 people be on them at one time. They might be sturdy but certainly dont look like they are. :p
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| One of the many staircases |
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| Looking behind (facing North) |
As you climb up you can see many other peaks behind you. About 500 feet from the peak, there is a tea stall and natural well which provides much needed refreshments. This well is supposed to, according to legend, have 3 feet of potable water at all times. The water is chilled and looks clean, but personally I wouldn't advise anyone to drink from it since dogs and cattle mostly get their water from this well.
From here on, the peak is about 30 minutes away. You climb up the last ladder which takes you right at the top. We reached the peak at 11:30am. The view from up here is unbelievable. On a clear day, you will be able to see Bandhardara backwaters in all their glory. There is a rock behind the temple which juts out from the sheer cliff. If you were ever to fall down from this rock, there would be nothing to stop your fall till you reach a small plateau about 3000 feet down.
We rested on the peak for an hour or so and then made our way back. Climbing down was fairly easy, though it was slippery in quite a few places. We reached base by 3:30pm and rested in the village for a while before heading back to Bombay.
Total climbing time: ~4 hours
Total descending time: ~2 hours
Things to carry: Torches(if you are trekking at night), enough warm clothes, sufficient water and fruits. Travel light as the trek is long and tiring. Even when you feel you are there, you will still have some more trekking to do before you reach the actual summit.
