Salim Ali Point Trail

So I had a choice of where to spend my Sunday trekking. I could either go to Chinchoti with friends, or to Salim Ali Point with the BNHS. I chose Salim Ali Point - I like meeting new people, and I hadn't been to this part of the park.

They had us meet at the CEC at 7.00 A.M, an hour earlier than we normally congregate for treks to the Goregaon side of the park, which meant a 5.00 A.M wake up for me. Boy, am I used to this. I've had some really early starts for trips, even getting up at 4.00 A.M a few times.

I needn't have hurried, the number of people that showed up ensured that registrations delayed our start by a half hour. We were split up into four groups of twenty each. I picked the group with the fewest children. The nature trail itself was short - about an hour from the CEC.

It rained a couple of times during our trek. Nice heavy rain. Lots of biting insects around. Glad I was coated in Odomoss. Got time to apply a fresh coat halfway through the trail. Got to see a few caterpillars. Not nearly as many or large or colourful as we saw last week at Rajmachi. Also saw some excellent large pupae.

Salim Ali Point is a sort of high point that's excellent for birdwatching, at least when it's not raining. It's not that high up, but is probably the highest point on BNHS land.

Got home by 11.30.

Salim Ali Point Trail

Trek to the SGNP highest point

Went to the SGNP on Sunday for a trek to its highest point, organised by the BNHS. Met up with BD and PV at Borivli Stn. and walked to the park in time to meet the rest of the group at 7.30 A.M.

Took a few pics of these flowers near the entrance before boarding the BNHS bus to Kanheri.



With around 60 people attending, the bus had to make two trips, automatically splitting us up into two groups, ours being led by Sunjoy Monga, the other by Sanal Nair.

It normally takes two hours to walk to the caves from the park entrance; going there by bus only took us 15 mins. We were there by 8.00 A.M, long before the caves usually get crowded. At that early morning hour, we got to see the Kanheri caves as perhaps the Buddhists themselves saw them over a thousand years ago - silent and beautiful.



A quick brisk walk from the caves to a little hillock that comprised the halfway mark left us feeling quite refreshed. This is a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

The hill we were on consisted of black rock strewn with straw like vegetation, and was quite open, with a lot of breeze near its edges. We sat and rested here for a few minutes before looking around and taking pictures.



An interesting thing about the place we were on was that, from the end where we had climbed up, we could see the outline of the city bordering the park.





And from the other end, we could see both the Tulsi and Vihar lakes back to back.



There were a lot of Cacti formations on the hill.



This one had a spiders web on it.



We continued our way upwards, into what soon became a proper forest, with a canopy above us for the most part. Among the interesting things we saw here were many funnel spider webs.



A lone flowering plant that we couldn't identify.



And ant hills shaped like flowers.



We took a break in the forest before continuing onwards and upwards, at which point I managed to get a photo of almost the whole group.



Leaving the forest behind, and after a short walk through Karvi, we came to the highest point (486 metres), from where we could see 3 lakes (Tulsi, Vihar and Powai) in a row.


Rested here for a while before going back down. As it is with most large groups on a trek, descending invariably splits them up into smaller groups. BD, PV and I somehow deviated slightly from the original route on the way back down and ended up to the right of the caves. But we soon found our way back to the main path, despite the complicated maze like cave system.

There was some confusion getting transport to the main gate as our bus had parked in a clearing a little way ahead from where it had dropped us near the caves in the morning. Security wouldn't let them drive up to the caves in the afternoon, and most of the group, not knowing this, seemed to be waiting for the bus near the caves. We had already walked to the clearing and, tired of waiting for the rest of the group to figure out the situation and arrive, hopped into a BEST bus (they were running services that day because of a Buddhist meeting at the caves), which dropped us to the main gate, where we left the park, and went to a restaurant across the highway, whose power cut off the minute we took our seats. I had a chilled drink while my friends gorged on lunch Thalis; we then walked to the station and parted, promising to trek again soon.

Trek to the SGNP highest point

Elephanta Trip

Went to Elephanta island on Sunday.

Woke up at 5.15 A.M. Left home a little before 6.00. Bought a return ticket to Churchgate at Borivli station. Took the 6.18 slow. Got off a Dadar at 7.00. Met PV and BD at 7.15 and took a cab to the BNHS office together, which we reached at 7.30, and registered. Walked to the Gateway with the group.





Took a ferry to Elephanta. Enjoyed the one hour long ride to the island. Being November, it was hot but the breeze that accompanied the ferry ride was quite refreshing.


Passed an oil tanker on the way to the island, and private boats as well.



Reached Elephanta and walked along the long wharf to the mainland.


Also saw some fishing boats.


The island is mostly made up of hills and we had to walk up a long series of steps to get to the top, where all the real action is. Traders were selling touristy wares on both sides of this path.


The point towards the top where the stairway ends is a sort of junction, with a left turn going into secluded forest area and the path straight ahead leading into the famous Elephanta cave complex. We, however, turned left to begin our birdwatching trip.


The path we took soon led us to a lake, where we saw a number of birds.


The path went on past a village and ended at the coast.


Where one of our guides, Vinod Patil, managed to catch this beautiful creature.


PV and I did go see the caves later, marvelling at the large and beautiful structures cut into the hill, and the amount of time and effort it must have taken to do that. Couldn't take any pictures unfortunately since my camera batteries were too low.
Had lunch at an MTDC restaurant on the island (average food, poor service) and finally took a ferry back to Mumbai at 2.30.

Elephanta Trip

Karvy Trail

Sat was a busy day. Went to the CS museum in the afternoon to catch the BNHS @ 125 yrs exhibition. Also ended up seeing the special Musical Heritage of India exhibit. Went to Andheri later to catch the Landmark sale - got the entire Sherlock Holmes collection for a steal.

Went to the Goregaon part of the SGNP for a nature trail on Sunday morning, the objective being to see the Karvy flower that blooms once every 8 years in this part of the country.

Walked up to the CEC from Film City at around 8.00 and noticed a lot of cars on my way there. On reaching the CEC I found a good sized crowd already present - students, families, NRI's, individuals, photographers, seasoned trekkers, etc., etc. - and more people kept streaming in.

I registered quickly and took a few pics of flowers in the butterfly garden as the organisers got things organised. This is the first time I've used my camera's macro settings, as I've never had to take close ups before. Found the experience painful but rewarding.

The main problem I faced was manually focusing the camera on what I wanted it to focus on. When you're a few centimetres away from a flower, it seems to take up your whole screen and your camera has a mind of it's own, focusing on a distant petal when you want it to focus on the nearest one instead.

I've never seen so many people show up on a nature trail. With the BNHS it's mostly around 20-25 people. But I was told later that the Rotary club had a hand in organising this event and that explained the crowd. Was nice to see so many nature lovers though.

A couple of groups started off on their trails with various guides. I waited for a familiar face and eventually joined the group led by Sanal Nair and Sunjoy Monga. I know Sanal from the Silonda trek earlier this monsoon and it was nice to finally see and hear Sunjoy Monga - I own one of his books.

Started off on the trail at around 8.30. Immediately came across Karvy clumps.

Also saw a spider, brackets on the underside of a tree stump, some yellow flowers, Spiral ginger, a lizard, a colony of brackets, a stick insect, and a snake skin molt but unfortunately no snake. All in all, very enjoyable.

Karvy Trail

Karnala Trek

Had a nice time on Sunday. Went for a trek to the Karnala Bird Sanctuary. Left home at 4.45 A.M. Woke up a rickshaw driver to take me to Borivali Stn.

Bought an extension ticket. Caught the 5.02 slow to Dadar. Reached Dadar at around 5.45. Crossed over to Dadar Central and caught a train to Kurla 15 mins later. Bought a ticket at Kurla and caught a Harbour Line train to Panvel. Reached Panvel Stn at 7.15. Walked to the ST bus depo, found a driver who understood where I wanted to go, and caught a bus to Karnala at 7.45.

Reached the main gates of the sanctuary at 8.00. The rest of the group had only just arrived and were waiting for breakfast to arrive at an education office across the road from the Sanctuary. Saw some interesting tree formations here.

Started off on the trek at 9.30. Paid the entrance fees of Rs 20 at the main gate. The tourist area of the Karnala Bird Sanctuary is pleasant enough. There’s even a waterfall close to the entrance for enjoyment, but it’s crowded. We passed the tourist area, saw a few caged birds, and trekked up into the hills, following a dirt path, which proved extremely strenuous. Our goal was to get to the base of the Karnala pinnacle, which houses the ruins of a fort.

We were constantly breaking to catch our breath, all 25 plus of us. The route was steep, and required the use of both hands to reach out and grab whatever roots, branches and rocks we could get for support as we clambered up the rocky and at times muddy path. I can describe this route best as a shoe breaker; it was littered with the soles that had come off the shoes of people who trekked this way.

After a lot of clambering upwards, we came to a little clearing, a patch of land that served as an intersection of trails and we paused to take in the scenery. We realised that we were really high up, that we were entering the upper realm of the hill, about to cross the point above which a mountain is constantly covered in mist. We continued onwards at a slightly slower pace.

The trail did slope upwards but not as frequently. The trail then flattened out and as we left the forest behind, we could barely make out the pinnacle in front of us, and the short climb that would lead us to its base.

This part proved to be the most dangerous. The climb to the fort or pinnacle base was steep, required a lot of stretching to get from outcrop to outcrop, and was a challenge with what I felt sure were gale force winds intent on blowing us off the mountain. We did manage to crawl to the top at last and take a breather before exploring the ruins that sheltered us from the winds. It wasn’t possible to take a lot of pics though with all the mist and moisture being blown around. I was lucky my camera didn’t get spoiled taking the pics I did.

Our descent was a lot easier, mine at least. My Woodland’s prevented me from slipping and I got some good pics of a waterfall and a large white crab on my way down the hill.

The trek being over, I took an ST bus from the highway outside the Sanctuary to Panvel Stn, caught a train to C.S.T but got off at Kurla, took a bus to Santa Cruz Stn, a train to Borivli, and a bus home.

Karnala Trek

Shilonda Trek

Went for a trek this Sunday. Over 50 of us from the BNHS trekked through the Shilonda trail in the Borivli side of the National Park. This has got to be one of the best treks I have ever been on. Everything about it went right and it had all the elements that make up a legendary trek - lots of rain, a good nature sensitive crowd, strangers who became friends and valued good conversation, teamwork, a little risk and danger, good shoes that held up, lots of excellent scenery and a little wildlife spotting.

Landed up at the park at 7.30 A.M, met up with the group, and walked the half hour distance to the start of the trail, wherein our adventures began. Our three guides took every opportunity to point out interesting Flora like the Ghost tree and the Flame of the Forest .

On one such stop, while the group stood observing an interesting plant, an observant member of the group spotted a snake just a few feet away and well camouflaged in the foliage (which I never would have been able to spot), which our guide confirmed was a Russell's viper. It was exquisite. I never thought I'd see a snake on this trek. This was to be just the first of our experiences.

Later on, our guides spotted a Praying Mantis and Stick Insect, both very beautiful, graceful and camera friendly. We also came across long and short horned grasshoppers, hairy caterpillars, huge spiders with giant webs, and the usual rock crabs that abound during the monsoon. We finally reached the halfway mark at around 10 A.M, the mark itself being a gushing river that we had to cross, at which point the family members of the trek - the children and their parents, went back with one guide, and we decided to push on.

We manged to cross the river though it was a bit tricky and followed a narrow trail through the forest, running more or less upriver, until we came close to it's origin - a waterfall. It became clear to us that the only way to get to the mouth of the water fall - our final destination - was to climb up the rapids that it's waters created.

This proved most tricky - deep waters where you can't see where you're putting your feet aren't that much of a problem. With a little time and effort, you can always find a foothold, shift your balance, and do the same for the other foot. But what made this dangerous was the water pressure. The flow was heavy and it took a lot of skill to zig zag across the rapids, upwards into the waterfall.

If I ever had to keep an account of when I did something that frightened me, which I wasn't sure I would come out of alive and well, this event would defintely figure on the list. There were a couple of points in this struggle where I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, but forced myself to continue anyway.

I cannot stress the importance of good trekking shoes on a trek like this. They could save your life, or at least prevent you from slipping and falling and hurting yourself a lot, and definitely prevent sore feet at the end of the day.

Anyway, when we reached the waterfall's mouth and realised we could go no further, back we went. However, it had been raining, the rapids had grown more ferocious and we were in no mood to tackle them again. Our guide managed to find a path parallel to the rapids, which we all gladly took, and soon doubled back to the original path back to the halfway mark, where we found a Gecko.

Now, the Borivli National park is famous for its flash floods, and when we got back to the halfway mark, we realised we were going to have a hard time crossing the same river we had crossed earlier. What was then a gushing stream and required a little effort to cross was now a raging torrent that truly frightened us.

But we had to push on and so began forming a human chain across the river. I, luckily was part of the chain at our end of the river, where the flow wasn't that strong. The guys who tried continuing the chain at the deeper end got it bad. The chain broke twice; once a guy was almost swept away by the river, and had to grab a tree trunk to save himself, and another time, three people were swept away. Luckily an outcropping of rock broke their free flow and what might have been certain death. They were in pain, but safe.

We continued building the chain, forming a double line instead, the line in front leaning into the current, the line behind pushing against and supporting them, much like a rugby defense tackle, the main difference here being that our opponent was a flooded river that seemed to be winning. Slowly and steadily however, and with a lot of teamwork, we managed to get everyone to safety and it was the chain's turn to cross, one by one. Each step was an effort, the water pressure was so forceful I found it hard to plant my foot down on the river bed and keep it there. Even when I did, the current tended to drag it along - so forceful was it. This crossing took great physical strength, we possibly strained very muscle in our legs fighting against the river to get to the other side, and I am grateful for whatever support I got from the remaining guys in the water.

We continued along our original path back to where the Shilonda trail began. I must say my new Woodland shoes really came in handy. I don't think I'd have been able to cross the river or trek through mud, moss and wet rock without slipping as easily, were it not for the fantastic grip that my shoe soles provided. Interesting finds during this last phase of the trek included a huge white rock crab - it's rare to see large ones and on the path itself. It probably came out with the rain.

Towards the end, we reached a wider motorable path, from where I caught sight of a lone Egret, and then lo and behold, a deer itself! A spotted deer! I had never seen a full deer before, and this one was out in the open, about a hundred feet away from the road in a clearing bordering the trees. I can't begin to describe how I felt. This was a rare sighting, a large mammal so close to a motorable road, and a perfect ending to a great trek.

Shilonda Trek

CEC Trek

Went for a BNHS trek in Goregaon on Sunday. The BNHS owns a 35 acre plot of forest land adjoining the National park and Film city in Goregaon (E) where they've set up a Conservation Education Centre (CEC) and use the forest for trekking, etc.

The short trek or nature walk we embarked on was non very remarkable - a nice way to get 2 hours of exercise on a Sunday morning. The only drawback was the fact that we were swamped with mosquitoes for a large part of the trek. It wasn't even possible to take a lot of photos with all the bloodsuckers around.

CEC Trek