Having always desired to maintain a diary about my wanderlust – treks and travels – several obstacles kept me from penning my experiences. Topmost of all – laziness. Finally combating laziness, I thought of writing travelogues in a language that could get me a job in any (read all) of the call centres across India . Though I don’t know how true would turn out to be as I recently read a report that Philippines has become the hub of the BPO’s. If at all, I manage it will be a first experience

Whenever you do whatever for the first time its always special, isn’t it? Your first cricket bat, your first day in college, your first break up, your first job, first timeyou get laid ( Read: I got Leh’d) ;). Similarly, Peth – a fort – was and still tops the list of my lifetime experiences.

The trek to Peth, also know as Kothligad, situated at a height of some 1600ft above sea level begins at a village called Ambivali (yes I know just like me you have heard of hundred more villages named Ambivali all over Maharashtra). A 45-minute ride by tum-tum ( 6-seater rickshaws which are usually are crowded with 12-15 passengers) from Karjat – a beautiful small town getting messy as it turns into a weekend getaway for Mumbaiites – leads to Ambivali.

Peth is an ideal place to trek for beginners. Having been there thrice, of which I trekked once on a “no moon” night, I have also come to believe its a very safe place as well. The proximity to a village, located just at the base of the fort, assures one that help is at hand in case of emergency. (By the way the reason it is called Peth is because the name of the village just below is Peth). And of course there are caves for accommodation and water cisterns with cool water just outside the cave which make the setting perfect for a camp.

Camping and celebrating New Year's eve (picture quality? long before the days of digital cameras)

Looking back now to all my treks to Peth it seems that a lot of it has changed. There are more people who know of this fort and hence come to visit it making it a bit noisier. Also, commercialisation has
set it’s foot in this part of the hinterland. One Mr. Sawant has built a small room in the Peth village and named it Hotel Kothligad where he lets people stay for some charge. Its saddening to see how we have been able to monetise a thing as simple as a walk in the woods. As I am writing this I also believe that I am being partly responsible for this. For I, like many others have started documenting my travels on the internet which means its open for the world over to know and eventually visit fuelling the fire of commercialisation

I have, however, also observed that some aspects have hardly changed. The smiles of the kids, volunteering to be our guides for nothing more than a couple of biscuits or some candies. Its always “Dada.. Khau dyaa na” (brother - give us something to eat). The hospitality of the villagers whenever we took a break at the doorstep of the villagers. Often inviting us inside, asking us about ourselves. I remember during my last visit there we took a break just outside at a villagers hut at about 2.30 am. The lady heard our sound it seems and woke up and without even us asking for it. Now imagine you doing the same thing in your building in Mumbai. The next day we went to her place for breakfast and she prepared some wonderful bhajiyas for us. When we offered her money may be she thought it was far greater then the services and was so overwhelmed and said “Aaj bhau-bij aahe aani maajhe bhau gaavi ahaat. Tumhi majhe bhava sarkha aale” (Today is bhai-dooj and my brothers at my native place. You guys have come in like my brothers). Then she did the Arti and Tilak for us. That very simple act struck a chord in my hard which even till this day plays beautful music. And that these things that matter have not yet changed is what keeps me going back(in a way forward) again and again.

Hanging out with the kids of the villlage

Many of my friends who are not into trekking always question(ridicule) me ” Whats there in trekking? Whats it that makes go on after a tiring week at work to some godforsaken place and climb a stupid hill? What the hell do you achieve?” And frankly speaking I haven’t got an answer yet. Neither do I care of course. But I read something in an unknown fellow trekkers blog ‘Finally remember dialogue between the Heinrich Harrer (played by Brad Pitt) and Dalai Lama in the film , 7 years in Tibet, when Dalai Lama asks  what he likes about climbing. He replies “It is during climbing one gets focused, forgets all confusion, lights become sharper, sounds become clearer. It is this time one feels the deep and powerful presence of life”‘ . May be that explains it a bit….Until next time …Keep Climbing

Last updated by Venkat Ganesh at March 27, 2022.