Walk in the Sahyadris

Planning for Spontaneity: A Walk in the Sahyadris 

Applicants: Ninad Jagdish and Nikhilesh Bagade  

College: IIT Bombay 

What: 

The idea is to roam in the Sahyadris, free of any obligation to a travel plan. We’ll start from a 

particular location (most probably Mahabaleshwar) and then roam free for about fortnight, 

halting in villages for food and rest.  

Who: 

Nikhilesh and I are P.G. students in the interdisciplinary Technology and Development 

programme at IIT Bombay. He is currently in the final (fourth) semester while I’m in the 

second. We are both passionate about trekking and have been on several treks together.  

Why: 

The treks that I’ve gone for in the Sahyadris have always been pre-planned trips. Despite 

enjoying them thoroughly, the fact that I knew in advance where I was going and that I would 

be back before too long, left me a little less than satisfied. For me walking/trekking is like 

painting. You can’t truly and deeply enjoy creating a painting by doing it procedurally. One 

has to follow one’s heart every minute of the way. I want to feel, while trekking, that same 

primal joy that I feel when I paint freely. When I shared this idea with Nikhilesh, we realised 

that he was as eager about doing it as I. 

When: 

We intend to do this towards the close of the 2010 monsoons i.e. around late September-early 

October. Water should be easy to find with gurgling streams and pounding falls around every 

other bend. The weather would be great and food, plentiful. I’ll be in the third semester of my 

master’s programme then, with only one ‘class- room’ course apart from my project work, so 

a few days’ absence won’t be hard to make up for.  

How: 

On all the treks that we’ve been on, we have found the local people to be extremely warm 

and helpful. It is in their abilities and hospitable nature that we shall trust for food supplies 

and guidance. We’ll be carrying sleeping bags, a tent, and cooking equipment with us. 

Carrying cooking equipment and a tent is important because it will allow us to roam in 

remote places. We’ll also carry detailed contour maps of the region (1:250,000 scale), first- 

aid supplies and cellular phones. The travelling will be unplanned and spontaneous but not 

foolish or risky.   

We’ll be travelling by bus (or train) to the starting point and on our way back to Mumbai as 

well. During the trip we may hop onto state transport buses so as to let us explore farther in 

the limited amount of time. 

Regarding our physical capability, we’ve been on several treks in the Sahyadris and will be 

going on several more before September. 

Sharing Our Experiences: 

We will be taking photographs and writing while on the trip. Both Nikhilesh and I paint and 

he sculpts and writes poetry as well. On coming back to Mumbai, I imagine that we’d express 

our experiences through such media. An exhibition of the photos and paintings seems like a 

great way to share. Further, our writings would be put online as a blog.  

Tentative Budget  

Food for two people for 15 days:  100Rs x 2 x 15 = 3000 Rs 

Two- Person Tent Cost: (Rental for 15 days) = 500Rs 

Cooking Equipment (MSR Whisperlite Stove and Fuel Bottle):  4500Rs + 1000Rs = 5500Rs 

Other Supplies (First aid supplies and other gear) = 2000Rs 

State Transport Bus Expenses (for possible bus rides during the trip) = 500Rs 

Bus Tickets to and from the region (Estimates are for Mahabaleshwar) = 2000Rs 

Total expected expenditure: 13,500Rs