Height : 5400 ft. (- highest peak in the Sahyadris; the typical trek starts from about 2700 ft.)
Flavor : Butterscotch if you add the twist; plain vanilla otherwise.
Difficulty : Easy (- would have labeled it moderate for the strain had it not been for the tens of kids and grand-moms we saw climbing effortlessly); not risky/scary.
Endurance : 2-3 hours of medium/steep climb and 1.5 hours of descent. (Total time : 1 day ex-Mumbai)
Travel mode : Train + bus (+ jeep)
Cost : Rs.250 per person
Region : Igatpuri south
Trek route : Jahagirdarwadi (/ Bari) -> Kalsubai from the east -> walk around ridge to southern tip and west -> walk back and descend to Bari
My trek date : 7th Oct 2013
Experience :
It's 3 o'clock in the afternoon. You think you're on your way back to civilization when your trail abruptly ends and you realize you're lost. You remember that this is precisely what the locals had warned you about - there is no human defined trail where you're going. You're not worried; you think you have a general idea of the right direction, so you can back up a little and get on track. But precisely at that point, a thick cloud cover descends around you and visibility drops to 5 feet; it becomes late-evening dark. You recall that locals had told you it's an animal trail and that tigers and wild boars frequent the area when it gets dark. You try to keep your mind clear and not to panic.