TheFreeBird
This trek is also known as the four plateau trek, it provides awesome views with Morbe Dam , Irshalgad, Manikgad on one side and Sondai, Garbett pleateau on the other side. The trail passes by water streams & waterfalls and through a dense jungle where you spot various birds & monkeys. I have personally spotted Rufous treepie, Malabar whisting thrush, red whiskered bulbul, Drongo and Great hornbill. There are 100’s of varieties which an experienced bird watcher can spot. Plus some parts of the trail passes by dense Karvi flowering painting the trail blue
My upcoming treks near Mumbai and Pune
🔵 Trek Details
- Saturday 28 Sept 2024
- Rs 1400
- Grade-Easy, 1 Day
- Endurance- Medium, 12kms
- Time: 4-5 hours required to with 1 hour of steep climb followed by walk through jungle & Matheran .
- Meeting point: 8am Karjat station
- Departure point: 5-6pm Neral station
🔵 Food
- TheFreeBird would be a very unique organiser as we would provide freshly prepared food on trek including breakfast, small brunch and lunch which would all be home made locally as against the packed food which others provide. Expect traditional Maharashtrian veg food.
- I wont to be using plastic plates & spoons but using steel plates wherever possible & deploying communal eating to reduce wastage & reducing plastic footprint
🔵 How to book the trek ?
- Msg me on Instagram or Watsapp 7507078470 to check seat availability
- Make payment & fill the google form for the trek
- Get added to a watsapp group 1 day before the trek by Friday
TheFreeBird’s motto :
TheFreeBird with the nature-first & support-local agenda has started off with offbeat treks. We travel to lesser known places to enjoy nature at its peaceful best. The point is not just to enjoy nature & recharge our souls but also support local community in anyways possible. The other focus would be to steer away from plastic usage throughout the trek thus laying the foundation of sustainable trekking.
EXPAND for more details :
+ Matheran Jungle trek itinerary
- Take the 05:46am CSMT-Karjat fast local to reach Karjat station. Missing the train means you just missed the trek. Better be on time and everything else would fall in place.
- 0546hrs CSMT – 0559 Dadar – 0606 Kurla – 0610 Ghatkopar – 0625 Thane – 0641 Dombivli – 0650 Kalyan – 0710 Badlapur – 0743 Karjat. Check m-Indicator for exact train timings.
- Reach our vehicle parked beside the Karjat station near Karjat bus stand & start towards the base.
- 0830 hrs – Reach base, have breakfast & start trek.
- 1030 hrs – Have brunch midway.
- 1230 hrs – Reach Rambaug point and have lunch at a local’s home (included in trek cost).
- 1400 hrs – Explore 3-4 points of Matheran if we are on time and the group had good pace.
- 1600 hrs – Reach Dasturi Naka Matheran.
- 1620 hrs – Take taxi to Neral railway station. The trek event has concluded.
- Available CSMT fast timings are 1713 hrs, 1749 hrs, 1812 hrs + 2 hours to reach CSMT.
- Take your train, set your drop alarm so as to make sure to not fall asleep when train reaches your station
- It would be advisable to keep a buffer of 2 hours due to unforeseen circumstances.
+ Things to carry on trek
- Wear full-sleeved t-shirt & track pants for protection against heat, insects, & thorns. No short clothes allowed. This is not a picnic but a trek, and you are responsible for protecting yourself.
- Proper trekking shoes are a must to enjoy the trek safely.
- Raincoat & sun cap are essential as the weather is unpredictable these days, even during monsoon.
- Ensure your raincoat covers your backpack to prevent it from getting wet. Otherwise, pack all your belongings in a separate plastic bag inside your main backpack to keep them dry.
- Your lifeline—your mobile—deserves a separate plastic bag to protect it from monsoon showers.
- Carry 2 litres of water, preferably natural lemon juice to beat the heat if the rain clouds are missing and it’s hot. Glucon-D, ORS, Tang, Gatorade sachets are good alternatives if squeezing lemons is too tiring for you.
- Also carry dry fruits, energy bars as backups.
- Carry your identity proof (Aadhaar card). A minor must also bring a NOC from parents.
- A proper backpack is essential to carry all your belongings and keep your hands free.
- Don’t carry unnecessary weights, which will slow you down and make the climb tiring. Only carry things you can comfortably manage and still enjoy the trail.
- Optional: Light towel & changing clothes. Changing rooms availability will depend on the trek
- Personal first aid and personal medication are a must.
- A good torch and a whistle would be great additions to your trek gear
+ Inclusion, exclusion , refunds
Cost includes:
- Pick up from Karjat station to base
- Drop to Neral station after the trek
- Breakfast, small brunch & Lunch
- Trek Lead Expertise & local taxes.
- Matheran sightseeing on foot if time permits i.e. if entire group is seen as fast-paced.
Cost DOESN’T include:
- Any personal expenses on food & beverages
- Any unexpected costs due to unforeseen unavoidable circumstances & natural calamities.
- Any medical / emergency evacuations
- Anything that you lose on treks or monkeys steal from you 😋 Joking. Not joking
- If a person doesn’t wish to continue on trek, they have to arrange their own transport
Cancellation, transfer & refund:
- If cancelling 2 days before the trek Rs 200 will be charged and the remaining amount will be refunded after 3 business days. For a Saturday morning trek, cancellation will be allowed till Wednesday 11:59 pm.
- Cancelling 1 day before the trek Rs 500 will be charged & remaining amount will be refunded. For a Saturday morning trek, cancellation till Thursday 11:59 pm.
- A day prior cancellation will not be entertained & no refunds will be done. The money CANNOT be adjusted against future treks as all the payments for the trek would have already been made to the involved people.
- The trek seat can be transferred to any of your friends.
- Missing the train and not being able to reach the trek start location on time means you would miss the trek. The entire trek cannot be put on hold as a delay would mean the entire team gets frustrated. Plus waiting results in the sun getting hotter, making the trek tougher for everyone. Hence, a late participant won’t be entertained and has to return home on their own. The trek will start without the late people. No refunds will be provided.
+ Guidelines and rules
- NO SPEAKERS ALLOWED, no headphones. Enjoy nature & birds and let others enjoy as well.
- No drinking, no smoking. No tobacco, no hookah, no drugs. Just get high on nature & reach your stress-free nirvana.
- NO LITTERING: If you create any plastic waste you will need to carry it back with you.
- Don’t wear any jewelry on treks if you value it.
- DON’T anger the monkeys: Don’t look directly at monkeys, no aggression to be shown, no food should be offered. Wait for the trek lead to help you.
- Avoid perfumes as they attract bees to attack.
- No excessive photography which will delay the group.
- Don’t argue with locals.
- No swimming
- Though we assure utmost safety & would take all the necessary precautions, mountains can spring surprises. We won’t be responsible for any injuries or accidents on treks.
- Trek lead’s decision will be final & binding.
About TheFreeBird ?
I have completed Basic mountaineering , Basic rock climbing, 150+ sahyadri treks, summitted 20,000 ft peak. More about me. After trekking & blogging about sahyadris for a decade and receiving endless messages to organize treks, here is my first one. Since I don’t like crowds I will mostly organise offbeat treks with lesser crowds . What triggered me in planning this trek is when I found blue Karvi bloom on my recent Rambaug jungle trek dated 16Sep2024 and I felt this would be the best time to get people to experience it. Karvi bloom would peak soon and would then start to diminish. Hence the trek to experience the blue beauty at its peak. This is my first trek and I would leave no stones unturned to give you the best mountain experience. If you any queries feel free to contact me on handles below. Happy trekking !
