Trek through Vindhyas: a soulful one

Though its common for tourists to scout for locations to spend weekends for change, its most often a wanderer in your heart that looks for something as demanding as a trekking expedition. Most often than not, people try to spin a cocoon of comfort while planning for a trip. But as the experienced  ones would say" trekking is a serious business" and that is in no way an exaggeration. It goes without saying that taking such an effort ensures hearty results.

Riding high on a wish to break the daily shackles, I was looking for something  different to do this year. And the idea of a trek was always worth cherishing. Luckily, I stumbled upon an opportunity thanks to a bunch of enthusiasts who organize such tours every year. The destination was Vindhya ranges, base camp was RRCAT Indore and the final point was Wanchoo point. What came in between were Hills, fields, villages and ofcourse moments of awe, all packed up in a gap of six days.

The trek started from Simrol, a sleepy village few miles from Indore. Sleepy though, the Kajligarh fort draws enthusiasts in numbers. That was the end of travelling by road as every single foot on the journey ahead was set on hills or forests or meandering through the paddy fields. The hilly trails and ups and downs lead us to Baigram which was our first stop after the base camp. On the way we trekked through two hills right across its chest, taking us through some sparsely populated villages in the midst.

The next sojourn in the journey was Kalakund, famous for its heritage railway station that speaks volumes  about its past. Still running on meter gauge, the heritage railway station sings praises of its past and the local administration has taken special care of it. The railway line is said to be 150 years old and thus earns its name into history. Lively murals in the railway station add spice to the whole experience. But what really comes as an icing on the cake is the Choral river that runs near the railway station. A day long walk through the hills against the hot sun is sure enough to drain anyone of any trace of energy, only to be replenished by a bath in the icy waters of Choral river. What better can anyone ask for. We reached the base camp at 4 P.M. and were at the river side till sunset.

Third day was perhaps one of the best with the trek starting from Kalakund passing through the midst of a village crisscrossing through natural habitat of birds and hills. The first thing to cross enroute was the Choral river, which no doubt brought the shutterbugs to the fore. Next thing to cross was the Kushagarh fort and the villages adjoining it before stepping into forests.

The last leg of trek ran through teak forests of Madhya Pradesh winding through hills and steep slopes before ending at Jam gate. Though the landscape is dotted with few villages on the way, it would be safe to say that the stretch was largely uninhabited thus making a perfect place for wildlife including deer, monkeys and ofcourse elusive Leopard. Stories of leopards pouncing on livestock for easy food was common in almost all the villages we went through.

The last stop of the trek was Wanchoo point where we stopped to turn behind and revisit all the wonderful scenes and moments we had come across in last six days. Six days of soulful trek away from the doldrums of daily life, hectic traffic was no doubt refreshing and a mood changer, to say the least.