Kuch 'Kas' Hai

Kaas Plateau

Date of Visit : 28-September-2013

Lovely place to have a Picnic

This place called The Kaas Plateau also known as the "Kaas Pathar" which is situated in the Western Ghat Sahyadri range, 22 kilometers from Satara city in Maharashtra state of India. The plateau is full of wild flowers during the months of August and September. These flowers bloom on their own and stay for about 2–3 weeks (depending on the monsoon and other weather factors). Recently it has been declared as Biodiversity World heritage site by The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).^[1][2] It has an small lake nearby, as you are driving down the curves climbing down from Kaas Plateau you see a sign on left saying - Kaas Talav. It is a natural tranquil Kaas lake surrounded by dense forests. To the left of the lake lies Sajjangad fort and Kanher Dam is to the right. 

It an famous picnic spot with the locals. (Source Wiki)

This had been on my wishlist since last year when i had heard about it from various forums online. This year I based on circumstances I'd could make it finally to witness what the hype around here as in first hand.

You already have so many forums & blogs having wonderful pictures of this place, the take -away from this post on my blog would be - I'd strongly recommend people who have plans of lazying out to visit this place on nice summer morning & enjoy like a picnic with all your food stuff & entertainment. Sitting under a tress, lazily yawning, listening to music with a blissful nap amidst stunning views of Sahyadri greens & waters is a luxury you can't buy with your X Card. For Photography enthusiasts this is termed heaven everywhere, but i guess that's totally exaggerated. The good thing is it's for those who enjoy Nature in its form, & not just clicking snaps. The weather here during July-October is totally uncertain and you can blindly note to get fully wet.

My visit was purely to get a glimpse of the place I've heard,so even after drenching in rain and almost nearly risking spoiling my camera out of perseverance I'm still glad to be there simply because it's 'cool'. Stunning mists with cold breezes looking upon mesmerizing views from top of mountains is my idea of getting 'High' and I got the dose of it. I don't know the names of flowers, but there are small wild flowers and its cool to try all your macro lens effectiveness & skill getting into the plants. Even in absence of a macro I'd tried my share of it in the showers bending down with 18-55mm or standing & trying with 55-250mm lens , but not much success.

For now,take a glimpse of what I could manage to capture, - ✌

One more tick in my Bucket List ッ

Some Art :)

I liked this Frame

The Views for your Picnic spots

Skies :)

Breezes

Into the Plant kingdom

Tiny tots

I guess this is what you can expect maximum this year :P

Friendship day @ Duke's Nose & Korighad

Well What best way to celebrate the friendship day amidst the high monsoon skies with bunch of cool friends with loads of laughter and nature's resplendent mist.

I was simply on my refresher mode breathing icy cool air surrounded by mist, drenching in downpour and laughing for the fun we all made of each other.

I really actually don't have any special meaning for friendship day, coz for me s friends are as good as any other day. and close ones 'Any moment too'.

 

I'm missing enjoying loads of Nature's Awe with my closest ones Arun, Chaitu, Vinay, Revanth, Manish, Khalid, Murali, Pushvanth.

 

Yet this was a cool excuse to escape into the lap of nature with new made friends I have in Pune. Right from Lonavala station began our LOL moments :P

One thing was, even though I've been going on treks regularly but without any exercise trying to walk around mountains one fine day has its great after effects that forces me to take my Sick Leaves surely every single time :D

Now when it comes to clicking pics,. monsoon poses both its amazing lush green and huge downpour. So climbing in rains, saving ur camera n lenses and again taking pics is a sort of nightmare :P yet 

Don't stop following your Passion :)

 

 

Korighad Top Water - Bliss

 

Lonavala Wax Museum

"You don't climb mountains to prove you are at the top of the world, You climb to see how the world looks like from the top"

 

Where there is a will there is way :)

Scaling the Highest Peak of Maharashtra :

Kalsubai @ 5400 ft in Offbeat Style!

"Danger is Real, but Fear is a Choice" - After Earth 

 

 Kalsubai Peak (Marathi: कळसूबाई शिखर) is the highest peak (1646 meters) of the Sahyadris in Igatpuri Taluka, of Nashik district of Maharashtra, an Indian state. 

'Kalsubai' temple is located at the topmost peak of Sahyadri mountain range of Maharastra. At the summit there is a plain ground with a small temple of Kalsubai, a local deity.

These were the first lines I got when I explored to do some interesting destinations this monsoon.

 

The term 'highest' itself drove me crazy, so I thought i need to check this out, especially in some un-conventional way. That is how I got to zero upon this website

http://www.offbeatsahyadri.com/

 

I liked their emphasis for going on the less explored path specifically to enjoy the beauty of nature in true sense.

 

"I took the road less traveled, and it made all the difference". 

 

I booked a seat for myself and set out on Saturday evening from Pune in Tavera.

We arrived at indore village at 3 am I guess, and along the way saw quite a few snakes. We got down at the village and had nothing to do till 6 am and just had to wait for the group from Mumbai (a batch of nearly 50) turning up at 6.

 

The full moon was resplendent, and the dark monsoon clouds passing rhythmically had great effect in portraying the scene like in a horror movie. After a little walk, I slept inside the vehicle as I was a little scared, if at all I might step on a snake anywhere. 

 

At 6.30 am we had a light breakfast, and since it was the 3rd anniversary of Offbeat  sahyadri group we were all given delicious monginis cake.

 

The Trek:

The group of 50 odd people who trekked along with me in the indore route were so diverse, like a Pro. Diver who works at Andaman in a Yatch, an operations engineer from Qatar, a commercial photographer, a cute 14 yr old girl etc to name a few. Everyone successfully reached the top on time without any hassles.

 

I do not want write huge tempting adjectives describing the path and the experience of the trek because somethings are best felt personally and it depends on how much you enjoy it.

Now go on and take a virtual Photo tour to walk through with me in my photographs to experience -The Everest of Maharashtra.

 

 

 

The Group

 

"When Nature has work to be done, she creates a genius to do it."

RALPH WALDO EMERSON, Method of Nature