Reply to Mr Swapnil : Pilot Trek To Tavli

Dear trekker first of all It was a pilot trek and wasn’t an organized event.

Worst Trek Guiding Experience Ever – PILOT TREK to TAVLI FORT with NATURE WALK INDIA

30th Jan 2011

We all reached badlapur station @6.30AM and had tea at a small tapri and Took rickshaw to sawroli gaon (base camp).

http://swapnil3.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/worst-trek-guiding-experience-ever-%E2%80%93-pilot-trek-to-tavli-fort-with-nature-walk-india/#comment-13

We had asked everyone whether we should take a guide as the trek is difficult and the route unbeaten.  It was the entire group’s call that a guide shall not be hired and that we will find the route on our own.

7.00 A.M.Had breakfast at a school premises and Waited for 30 mins for Krupa.

7.30 A.M.: Moved towards the TAVLI Fort

8.30A.M.: Journey started nicely and we reached at the waterfall route through jungle First halt was for 30 mins – everybody was enjoying without knowing how the route ahead is.

9.10 A.M.: I, along with Priti started to climb rapidly and we used to wait for the second group to catch us. Took some halts, there were some big rocky patches in the way and people took time to do those rocky patches. Krupa was very adventurous but a bit slow for pilot trek, being an amateur. Ipsita was too a bit slow. Tanmay, Abhijit, Siddhesh were helping them.

Is the author trying to project that the organizers NEVER helped out any team member by purposefully avoiding mention of their help anywhere in the entire blog?

12.30 P.M.: Two ways. Tried one way and came back as there was no way ahead.

01.00 P.M.: Tried the other way and I reached at a dead end, as there was no way ahead to climb, tried some rocky path but the rocks were loose. Nivedida, Shakun, Kaustubh reached, other people were still far behind.

When the author was searching for routes, the organizer was helping the girls who were lagging behind. Does the author know this?

01.30 P.M.: All trekkers arrived at the point and and we came a bit down to find the way.

Rajas moved ahead through dense jungle to find way and replied that he can see the peak but there is no way, priti took the same route too to find a way. Time was running as it was already 1.35PM

The organizers knew from the info that tavli is very close from the caves at the base of the pinnacles and then from tavli the group could have taken the easier  descent route towards kusavli. It would have been much easier for the girls rather than turning around and trying to descend via the rocky route we had climbed.

Abhijit and I followed them and waited at a point to get some signal from rajas and priti.

I told Abhijit that after knowing that we are too slow, it is the time to decide whether to go up or descend, as it took almost 6 hours to climb up to this. He agreed and said we shall start Difficult route to descend  descending latest by 2pm.

It would have been prudent on the part of the author to call up the organizers and share his views with them. It is unfair to pass a judgment like this without knowing what the organizers would have said about the choice of further route. The author puts the responsibility of communication squarely on the organizers’ shoulders. If he had something on his mind he should have contacted them immediately! Or atleast when the entire group got together again at the caves!

But our organizers (i.e. Priti and Rajas) did not think it was important to consult the group; we don’t know what they had in mind.

Exactly! Even the organizers did not know about the author’s concern and the discussion he had with his friend! We would have opkd for Wasavli descend it woud be have earlier for Ipsita & Krupa

2.00 P.M.: Abhijit got call from priti to ascend further with the group as our organizers reached at the caves already.

We went back and informed the group to do so. Again we started climbing; there was no way to move ahead as it was a dense jungle filled with bamboos and lots of thorns. Our organizers were guiding and helping to find way only by talking over cell phone and neither of them bothered to come a bit down to show us the way.  The organizers agree that  they did not come down to show the way to the group. It was one of the difficult decisions made on such treks. We had barely two litres of water and hardly any energy left. Keeping in mind that even further the route was unclear and needed to be searched, the organizers thought it was apt to conserve their own energy. This sounds very selfish at face value but needs to be looked at from the perspective of the organizers instead of just saying that they did not go down to help the group.

It is but obvious that they would DEFINITELY  have gone down to help had the group communicated it to them that they were not able to find the way AT ALL!

02.30 P.M.: I kept on going and reached the cave like area. Our organizers were taking rest.  (Is the author trying to project that the organizers were being selfish? It is obvious that anyone who reaches a point before anyone else will wait and TAKE REST! What else will they do? Why mention that they were taking rest?) I joined them. Priti told me that after some time we would have lunch and look if there is any other way to descend. Nivedita, Shakun and Kaustubh arrived at the point and all five of us decided to have lunch.

03.30 P.M.: The organizers went to see if there is any other route to descend, there was NOT.

We were supposed to start descending by 4 but as every by slept we got late.  I woke up by 4:30 and wake everybody up. All were tired and took time to get assembled for descent.

There was a clear trail going to the mountains ahead. The route that we had taken while climbing was self made. It was obvious to assume that the well marked trail would be descending to some village in the valley. When we don’t know facts, we rely on calculated estimates and no trekker would disagree on this.

The organizer wanted to go ahead fast and examine the trail while there was enough daylight so she started descending first, but again one team member refused to descend without the organizer around and thus the organizer was slowed down and time was lost. The organizer cannot be blamed for loss of time here.

05.00 P.M.: I was wondering what’s going to happen next as it was already 5 pm.

We started descending and as instructed by our leader did not choose the way we climbed. We kept going, climbed and descended two other mountains. We enjoyed the roller coaster ride while descending the mountains.

Considering the tattering physical and mental conditions of the group, choosing a well marked trail was not an incorrect decision. It was anytime better than choosing to go back by the ascent route whish was largely made by the group and was difficult. Even here the organizer took the risk of examining the route in failing light without caring for herself (snakes and scorpions don’t ask you before they bite!)

07.00 P.M.: I, priti and rajas went ahead to look for the way and guess what, we reached another dead end, deep valley ahead.

It was dark; we already had our torches out.

We were getting signal from some people down there in village. We could not hear them properly but guess they were asking us not to come down that way at that time. We thought they are coming to rescue us and waited for 30 minutes but they did not.

07.30 P.M. Then the only option we had was to look for a good place and stay there for night. All gathered and decided to stay (not that we had any other choice :/).  All informed at home, priti spoke with parents of some people and guaranteed about the safety of their child  (Informed that there is good place to stay, no wild animals and lot of wood for campfire and sufficient water and we will start descending in the morning via the known route).

Whatever the organizer had assured was arrange. Enough firewood was collected for campfire to last till morning. A safe plateau was chosen for stay.  It was cleared for the group immediately.

Whereas, we had to climb and descend one more mountain and reach on top of the other mountain to camp: we didn’t have sufficient water and food and absolutely no protection from cold and were totally uncertain about wild animals and snakes  :0

Is the author trying to say that telling the parents about the not so good conditions would have reduced their anxiety? We fail to see what point is the author trying to make! ( and who is responsible for warm clothes and water? The organizer? Or individual team members? And as far as wild animals are concerned, it is a positive risk for any trek, more so for overnight treks. Why is the author mentioning obvious things?)

Rescue teams were ready in Badlapur to reach us but our organizers denied the help. As we just wanted to pass the night and then descend the way we came up.

Even if we had called the rescue team , they would have taken lot of time to reach Savroli then 2 to 3 hrs. more to locate us in NIGHT and reach till us..

08.30 P.M.: We reached at the top and decided to stay there, cleaned the place, gathered enough of wood for campfire.

09.30 P.M.: We gathered around campfire and had dinner with whatever was left of lunch and snacks. Saved some water for morning descend. It was necessary to keep the fire on, to protect ourselves from cold and wild animals if any.

Everyone was tired and had scratches on their arms and legs as there were lots of thorns in the jungle and itchy plants too. It was freezing cold.

Tanmay and I made people laugh (or did we?  ) with our PJ’s, and they were not having any option. Shakun joined us in between. Krupa and Ipsita got irritated sometimes. Tanmay told stories of many Indian saints (same story only saint’s name was changed every time   ). hahahha  :D Every now and then Tanmay and I asks all that rather than listening to us “kahi option ahe ka ? nahi na aika mag? Heheheheh” We were crazy: I had a great laugh that night but couldn’t sleep. Kaustubh was snoring (i must add, very musically): Abhijit and Siddhesh slept soundly all night (wonder how they managed).

05.00 A.M.:  We managed to keep the fire on the whole night. Everybody got up, it was dark and we were waiting for sunrise. Everyone was tired, sleepy and cold and no one wanted to go away from the campfire.

The route was full of loose rocks dried grass and leaves. Imagine a single scorpion bite or a snake bite or a slip through the unstable rocks would have lead to such a disaster. The organizers still feel the decision to stay back and descend the morning was right in the given circumstances.

05.50 A.M.: Priti asked me whether to try a new route or stick to the one we knew. I advised her to stick to the way we climbed, as we could not afford to get lost in the jungle again or to find more dead ends ahead.

Here the only concern was we knew from Krupa’s performance last day that it would be too difficult for her to descend via the route that we climbed up. It was quite obvious that since there was a well marked trail it should have descended to some village and it made sense to follow it.

This turned out to be an incorrect choice. But we opted for it just because we wanted to find a comparatively easy route for Krupa.

I wanted to reach office as early as possible (no leave in probation period), and was thinking of descending alone. I would have descended in 3 hours.

(why is the author whining about his personal matters here?)

06.00 A.M.: The organizers took their bags and started on an unknown way to find route, on their own account, without consulting anyone from the group.  Rajas asked me to come with them up to certain point and then go back to get the others. I just couldn’t understand why these organizers were going the unknown way and leaving the group behind. That was the worse thing to do. I followed them and waited at a point until the organizers were visible, then came back after some time to get my trek mates.

06.30 A.M.: After wasting 30 minutes, the organizers called and informed us that they were stuck ahead and we would have to go down the same way we climbed yesterday. The organizers told that they are coming the same way and they will catch us.

Then, just out of the blue, they informed us to start descending under my leadership. I felt sort of honored, since it was the first trek with the group. Thoughts of descending alone vanished with unexpected responsibility on my shoulders (which was the organizers’ and which they never took). I wasn’t so worried because Tanmay, Abhijit, Shakun and Siddhesh were strong enough to help the girls.

Nobody ever assigned the author any responsibility or leadership. These are just claims not verified by anyone. The author can go on writing reams and reams of paper about how the organizers were ALWAYS at fault.

06.40 A.M. Again we haven’t got any option. We started descending the known way. I, along with Nivedita started to descend rapidly and kept waiting for the second group to catch us. Again Krupa was a bit slow and taking time to descend: Tanmay, Abhijit, Siddhesh, Shakun were helping Krupa and Ipsita on every step (since they were amateurs). It was getting hotter and we barely had 4 liters of water amongst the nine of us.

09.15 A.M.: We got a call from our organizers that they have reached the base via the other route (the one on which they had started and had apparently met a dead end) and waiting for us. And the heights of it all, they blamed us that we are taking too much time to descend. UNBELIEVABLE !!! ABSOLUTELY NO WORDS !!!

They said that they could not climb the way they descended and they had to go that way (that’s the lamest excuse I’ve heard, especially when it’s coming form a person who claims to have completed more than 200 treks).

(the organizers take a SERIOUS OBJECTION to this statement and regard this as an outright affrontation. The author has no rights to claim that the organizers were lying. Did he go and see the route himself where the organizers got stuck? Then how can he claim that they were giving excuses? And what has an experience of 200 treks got to do with this? Does an experience of 200 treks guarantee that one will be able to conquer any rock patch? THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY ILLOGICAL ARGUMENT ON THE AUTHOR’S PART.)

The author has rarely trekked in the Sahyadris and we don’t expect him to understand. We only know how we descended. The villagers who met us at the base were amazed to know that we had descended the very steep  ‘col’ which even they don’t dare to descend. Obviously we reached much faster because the route was very steep and we lost height very fast.

:0 :0 :0 NO WORDS, AGAIN!!! There definitely had to be a way, considering the fact that they  (Priti and Rajas) reached the base so soon !!!

 We faced numerous 90 degree steep rock patches which we only know how we managed. The col directly descended at the well near the village. So 1hr. Walk on the plateau was saved.

As we reached village we called up Kaustubh to know about the group’s well being. He  received the call and calmly told us  that they are descending properly and it would take 2 hrs. for them to reach the village.

So the organizer called up office to inform that she would not be able to come to college as she is stuck at Badlapur. Unfortunately she had a presentation with THE PRINCIPAL and was asked to reach college by 12 O’clock anyhow. So she AGAIN called Kaustubh to inform that she had to leave and will be back in 3 hrs. and will be sending Rajas back with food and water if situation arises.

10.30 A.M.: Kaustubh joined us in the lead; we had already descended the difficult part. Now what was left was just half of the waterfall patch and then the jungle path near base camp.

Nivedita’s parents did not sleep the whole night and kept calling every 10-15 mins. I don’t know about others’ parents, but am sure they were worried too. (of course they were! Isn’t it obvious? Is the author trying to write a masala blog and try to give it colours by writing such sentimental statements AFTER thoroughly blaming the organizers? To make it seem that it was the organizer’s fault all the way!)

11.30 A.M.: We were running out of water. 1.2 liters water left with Nivedita and the the group behind barely had any. Sun was making it worse; we decided to move ahead with not much distance left.

We called the group behind and informed them that we were keeping 1litre water for them and kept moving ahead.

Here, the author could have called the organizers to inform them about lack of supplies. The organizer could have arranged for the supplies to be sent.

11.50 A.M.: We had no more water left, drank water from some small ponds. We were in the jungle near the base camp and not sure of which way to go. I just remembered some landmarks and we kept on going.

( in the sahyadris or anywhere, we ALWAYS drink from safe looking water bodies on the route! Is the author trying to write some film story by repeatedly mentioning their hardships! It was a PILOT TREK for god’s sake!)

We got a call from Priti and got to know that Krupa fainted due of dehydration. SHOOT!!!

As the organizer reached college and Rajas was on his way to Savroli with food and water we got a call from Abhi that informing me that Krupa has fainted. It was then when we came to know that the author  had left the group behind. We  asked abhijeet to get some water but he could not find the way to water source and returned. From this moment onwards we were continuously in touch with the group.

We  spoke with Tanmay and Siddhesh & guided them towards the water source. We  made the group rest in a shadow. we knew they were exhausted and panicky, and needed rest.

In some time Rajas reached till the group with the villagers and everything came under control.

Meanwhile, Priti was at station, going to her college in reply to an urgent call from her college (wonder what could be more urgent than a medical emergency on a trek she had organised). Rajas too went to drop her at the station, I don’t know why? :p I asked priti to send Rajas immediately with some water and with the help of some village people.

(why is the author blaming the organizer for going to her office? He does not even know what situation had arised. Meanwhile, there were others in the group who could take care of krupa, then why put the blame on organizer?

I just couldn’t figure out what these organizers were doing at the base camp and why didn’t they send up water, even though they knew we were running out of water. (again, presumptions…. The author could have called and informed!)

12.30 P.M.: I saw some goats and a waterfall and finally found the way near the base camp.

12.50 P.M. We reached in the village and we were looking for someone to take water up for the other group since we were exhausted ourselves.

Rajas came from station in rickshaw with lots of empty bottles, and told us to leave if we wanted to and gathered the bottles which were in front of us. He took two villagers with him and moved towards the fort.

Kaustubh got a call from Priti, she was asking whether we also need to be rescued? JUST HOW SILLY CAN SOMEONE BE!!!

We left; as I wanted to reach office and Nivedita and Kaustubh wanted to reach home (their parents were panicking). I couldn’t reach office in time, and reached home only at 4.00 P.M.

By the time rajas reach up, Krupa was feeling better (no thanks to Rajas and Priti). The trekkers had already collected mountain water in bottles drop by drop which was falling from the rocks.

04.00 P.M.: All trekkers reached at the base camp. Finally the organizers rescued all trekkers! :p :p :p Hats off to Tanmay, Siddhesh, Abhijit and Shakun.

Krupa treated all after the trek. It was the most adventurous trek for her, and for all.

I, Tanmay, Rajas, Shakun, Krupa missed office (everybody except Priti), Nivedita, Ipsita, Kaustubh, Siddhesh, Abhijit missed college. But we had a great time up there.

Anyway, it was a great experience as it tested us in unfavorable conditions. We all did it with no protection from cold, insufficient water and food, slept on the ground with insects around.

All that remains in head that all the misery could have been avoided with some responsible decisions at the right time, proper guidance and scheduling of the events by the organizers.

The encouragement (I doubt there was any in the first place) by the organizers was horrible. On the trek the organizers could barely communicate, provided no safety assistance, had hardly any knowledge of the trek.

(please excuse us! We always mentioned that this is a pilot trek and we never claimed we knew the route!)

We have some general observations as follows

It is too easy to return to the city and comment on other’s responsibilities.

The author better judge himself.

There are many points where the organizer can show a finger at the author saying how wrong he was but we are not here to play blame games. We believe in dignified silence and logical justifications.

Everybody would agree that everything was situational. I agree we went wrong at certain decisions but in pilot treks where everything is uncertain and  things happen. 

The organizer has a considerable trekking experience and many people have accompanied her on several treks. They know her better. The author  can’t judge a person by just one trek.