“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”
— John Muir
For all those who love tramping about mossy rocks and follow exhausting trails in the forest glade, hiking is an absolute pleasure. It is a getaway from the daily drudgery and is as much about exploring oneself as the exciting forests. One can connect with nature on a hike and find or forget oneself in the process, both equally enjoyable. Perhaps unplanned things are the best, and hence, when an impromptu plan of a rainy hike with my brother and friends cropped up, I was too excited for words.
We began our journey early in the morning with sleepy eyes and energetic chatter. The roads were wet and foggy, adding to our delight. Our destination was Dugarwadi, which has a beautiful peculiarity of its own. For, while hiking, we had to descend the valley and cross a river first to reach a glorious waterfall, and climb up on our way back. A few minutes into our inverted hike, we saw from above the huge, imposing vista spread before us, replete with winding trails, densely packed woods and to complete the panorama, the churning white waterfall at the end. It was truly mesmerising.
We bounded easily over the stoned, twig-filled paths, each one amazed at how much beauty even a pine cone or a small shrub bedecked with dew can hold. We slipped over treacherous rocks, crossed little streams and immensely enjoyed the company of loudly croaking frogs and a faithful puppy who had followed us, nimbly skipping like a mountain goat. After wolfing down biscuits amid a heavy downpour, slowly and steadily, we reached our resting point near the river.
What we saw humbled and awed us tremendously. Amongst the eternal pitter-patter of the rain, the river roared in front of us, flanked by tall evergreens on both banks as far as the eye could see. The atmosphere around was truly divine. I felt the encompassing power of nature and sensed the insignificance of humans — how petty we seem before this pure beauty! And yet, I thanked the stars for being a human — for realising, appreciating and respecting nature meaningfully. Unfortunately, we couldn’t reach the waterfall as the currents were too strong to cross, but the river had fully quenched our thirst for adventure.
Our ascent was genuinely difficult. After being comfortable near the river for so long, the upward trajectory seemed particularly ruthless now. Here, we understood the real meaning of team spirit and persistence. Many a times, we would simply sit down and refuse to go on. But we kept encouraging each other on and finally, completed our hike with a victorious flourish. At the end, we rolled in the grass, filled to the brim with joy and bliss. Every aspect of this hike taught me a lot, and I decided to include quite a few dirt paths in my life to be wiser and richer in experience!
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