Lucky Serendipitous .......


The Duke’s Nose trek is so famous that there are 700 people from a local trekking organization on an odd weekend to experience its beauty. That’s what lured me to check this place out….

It being a local trekker’s paradise we decide to try it out with some friends. Well this time we took to all by ourselves, having been experienced trekkers ( yea experience level being 1- Himalayan and 2-3 local treks).
After 6 out of 12 friends ditching us the day of trek, we were even more charged to continue with trek, come what may….
[I guess people are more enthu to take scenic pictures of locale to shove it off their (ditched) friends face…. :)]

We began our journey to khandala, the “we” and “us” included 2 experienced trekker gals and 4 zero experience trekker guys (most unnatural).

Well the journey was of 2hrs, most of which was spend playing dumb charades and acquainting new people.
[Read as- guys befriending other gals in compartment, even convincing them to join us in the game, but thank god for dumb charades, whoever invented it, anything for keeping mouth shut].
Time passed and we arrived at khandala station. But to my surprise the place is deserted big-time, not single chaiwalla, no stall, nor any people at 10 in morning… weird!!!!

Our route was very simple start walking the moment you get down from train.. yea… stick to the tracks,the very peculiar deserted, an old 1857 railway track.

All we had hoped on this trek was rain and mayynnn… we were blessed with not just that but with mist too…..
[A perfect start, a perfect weather, a perfect route, what more could we have asked for… yeah, what more could we have possibly asked for….]



We all walked the obvious route; track changing from “tar” to “mud” and when you reach a mucky path you know that’s the way to destiny…ooops destination….

Exploring the wilderness and sauntering in canopied route, the walk was fun…
The fun part was that there were foot marks on the path confirming we were on right path and we were happy about the fact there weren't 700 people trekking the same path but little a weary of the fact that we were the only one's walking….

But our assumption was soon falsified since we met up with group of trekker boyzz[ who had lost their way and seemed to be happy to have met us on our way].


Well we did know the route… which we eventually lost it……


I do not wish to elaborate the fact of getting lost… coz we enjoyed that fact*… lets just say we followed our instincts that day…
But,we could see the dukes nose gleaming across the mountain from where we were.. a small "waterfall" separated our destination, we followed that path…
(second most unnatural thing).

Somehow slipping, flipping, falling we managed to get on other side of waterfall, though we thoroughly enjoyed it.

The route that followed was undoubtable and we wanted to reach the top somehow… any how…

The somehow included clinging to bark of trees and stems of bamboo, 6 people climbing up path only meant for single person. The any how included clinging to barks of trees with thorns!!! And deep valleys on either sides of us…
Having finally reached the top, we realized that we actually ended some place else other than our intention.

Serendipity or what!!!!!

Well we didn't miss out on what we had come here for "Dukes nose" was just behind us, its nose gleaming with mist and rain
But after doing all this, one is truly physically on the top of the world; on the edge of cliff…We truly were….
The cliff was barely something that could accommodate six people.

















Well there were silly little added dramatic scenes to whole the experience.
With questions springing “what if we are stuck here and can’t manage to find our way back?” trust me we were in that situation, but my feeling was only euphoric….
“What do you wanna do if this was your last day on earth?” It was well answered by I wanna go back…


We decided to spent sometime on lonely cliff, just admiring the beauty of nature and were trying to sink in the feeling that it was totally worth it climbing up and the fact** that we could probably be the only people to have treaded this cliff.


I would like to alter some famous lines of a poem by Robert frost…..
(Suits our scenario quite literally)

Two roads diverged in wood,
And we followed our instincts.
Having lost our way,
Took the one less traveled by…..
And that really did make all the difference……………

The mere thought of finding (neverland, not exactly but something similar..hee hee) is something I am going to reminisce for my life…



[*Route to the top is always by just climbing…
False- We climbed only to come down again on our way.. and lost it..
**Follow the foot marks, they lead the way
False- Again.. they are misleading so make your own ways, you might end up in discovering totally whole new place yea we did....]

Mind numbingly adventurous, beautiful and unforgettable!!!!!!