Raireshwar

Comments  (4)

• 
  sumeetonline Feb 4, 2013

  I started this trail not completely unprepared but a lot of it was unplanned. I knew I had an intuition to circumvent Dhom Dam but hadn't planned the route. Being a son of the soil it is easy for me to find my ways around and change the trip if I gather some interesting info on the way.
  So this is where it all started. 8:00 pm head off to Katraj to dine with my cousin and give the rug sack a little heads up. The dinner as little anticipated started with booze so there was the first change in the plan - I wasn't leaving at that late and spending the night in the wild.
  Plan two was to get up at 4:00 and catch the first light somewhere around Bhor because there's this Chai Wala who is missed. When I checked my mobile it was past 6:00 am and I had to literally drag myself out.
  I guess it was around 7:30 when I halted for the tea. The early morning light felt exceptionally warm after a freezy drive along Bhatghar.
  Making up for the lost time I hurriedly forgot to turn on the GPS so as seen on the map it wasn't started until I stopped for a small comfort break (have I told I like this freelancing stuff in the fields).

• 
  sumeetonline Feb 4, 2013

  So yeah, the new plan now was to reach to the base village of Raireshwar, Korle (name I found out after reaching there) with no intention of visiting the plateau temple. I was more likely to park and ascend the on looking Kenjalgad fort just when I had a friend calling that I need to scout and search for a good location for taking star trails. So at last I had a motive behind this trip - search for a location. In that quest now I revised my mental offline Google map and continued driving straight from Korle which did not quite look like a motorable road initially. Doubtful, I asked a local guy who was busy managing his herd about road condition ahead and I did not notice the blunt on his face when he said it is almost the same as you see here. Well, this was manageable biking condition for experienced off-roader. It was only when I travelled further, much further, I realized that it was getting riskier and I am getting into a position from where I may not be able to move ahead and it was dangerous to descend the same path. All I was left with was preparing myself, making mental notes on who can help if need be. On a steep rocky gradient the valley on the left gave me so much to admire. It was the mighty majestic Sahyadri allowing shallow sunlight admits the winter fog that gave me such a wonderful sense of a place of where I had stopped. I had by then absorbed enough encouragement to continue the ascend, A. because I had no option and B. because I wanted to live that moment and quench for every foot of distance before I am forced to call out for help.

• 
  sumeetonline Feb 4, 2013

  I met a 70 year on the way (and calculating his age is another mystery). Impressed by my bikeability he hadn’t seen anyone motoring this road ever since he could remember. He did give me one valuable information that this path connects to a main road ahead. How ahead was to be experienced. The tough only got tougher when the 350 CC refused to pull over a rock. By passing that rock forced me to lower the engine RPM and at that very moment the forces of gravity acted upon me like never before. With both brakes fully applied the bull wouldn't stop skidding backwards until a small stone stood firm under the rear wheel. Deep breath of fresh oxygen, half clutch, full throttle, wrists firm on the handle, and with one big blow I surpassed the hurdle. After a few more risky maneuverers I thought I was on a much easier patch now. It wasn't completely over though and I saw a few more before I joined the 'main road' just about a hundred meters before reaching atop Raireshwar. I did visit the temple following a refreshing cold water bath and after spending a good few hours in the fields I continued my trip. From Raireshwar pass I could descend down on the other side on an extremely muddy road but the infinite bends kept me involved trying to avoid skidding into the Dhom valley. Believe me; the road was perfectly crafted for bullets. In not much time I touched ground zero and faced one big question that was genuine enough for an unplanned trip, left or right?

• 
  sumeetonline Feb 4, 2013

  With the clock just changing to noon I thought I had enough time to take a right and go along the Dhom circuit. The road couldn't be any better given that part of the country side. If I had continued going straight (revising my mental offline Google map) I would have hit a dead end. So a left turn few hundred meters after the right before was an obvious choice. I crossed a small bridge on a water coming from somewhere and then the landscape changed dramatically. From the dusty rough terrain of Raireshwar I was on a smoother, greener side of the valley. I could now see people, villages, streams and fields, even horses and peacocks. It was a lovely drive along borders of Dhom dam and on reaching Wai I realised I was too engrossed in riding and taking pictures that I skipped my lunch and standing at Wai what else can be your preferred place if distance doesn’t matter? Mapro Garden of course. Now full with the famous cheese sandwich and Strawberry with cream there was all this new energy in me. Back at Wai I was poised with the same question, left or right. Left to Pandavgad-Mandhardevi-Bhor-Pune and right for -Pune-
  I decided I will avoid the highway and give my readers something more to read on this trip story. The road was curvy and smooth but a lot busier than what I had expected. The reason unleashed when I reached Mandhardevi junction. It was some auspicious celebration at the temple. I struggled to reach Bhor and up to the highway and to Pune. It was a lot of traffic to experience on your return journey. You always expect to travel the more known roads quickly and effortlessly and it is frustrating that you can’t speed when your bum is starting to hurt after 250 kms of driving. It was at last ground zero in Katraj and I was feeling a need for a steamy shower after the polluted drive towards the end.
  Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this trail that at the end accounted 310 kms.
  
  P.S. : I love you my TBTS

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