TheFreeBird
Kumbhe waterfall is one of the most famous waterfalls in Mangaon Raigad. After a reel going viral from one of its risky view points nature lovers & travel-influencer wannabes flock this place in monsoon. Being about 110 kms from Pune & 140 kms from Mumbai this place is buzzing on monsoon weekends. With the hope of recreating the viral moment & getting quick followers and likes many people visit the risky view point which I call dome view point. A 27 year old travel influencer – Aanvi Kamdar slipped from this dome falling 300 ft into the valley on 16th July 2024. She had 27500 followers on instagram. This is report of that Kumbhe waterfall accident
The route to this dome view point is very risky , difficult & avoidable but the lure of terrific reel drives people here. One must remember that shooting videos in a mall or a city is different from shooting in mountains. Mountains don’t care if you are a professional or beginner where one mistake is enough to ruin your life. With the advent of social media , people seem to forget mountains and treks are inherently an adventurous activity. A picnic to a tourist spot is different from a visit to mountains. Even a simple trek in mountains has a risk exposure.
There is another view point which provides equally good view and is safe for general public but that point doesnt drive the views. The route to this trail till few years was only known to few hardcore trekkers and was used with necessary caution. As you can see the image below the route was not that worked up in 2021 with the trail being barely visible.
However with advent of fame this sensitive trail with deep valleys on both sides was worked up by hordes of people making it very slippery. Add to it the location of dome is surrounded by valleys leading to strong wind current here making it a deadly combination. The valley seen above between the dome and Kumbhe waterfall is where Aanvi Kamdar slipped while trying to reach the top of this Kumbhe waterfall view point. This trail is risky but the trail to reach this point itself passes through lot of slippery rocks and becomes quite risky. More crowds reaching such fragile areas is an invitation to disaster and I hope that authorities take up necessary steps to prevent such accidents.
6 friends with Aanvi alerted the authority , however being away from a city and into such a risky spot, multiple NGO rescue team took 6 hours to get her out which is very commendable under such harsh conditions. 6 rescuers rappelled down the hill risking their own lives to find her alive inspite of the 300ft hard fall. The team pulleyed her up with help of 50 people pulling from top. She was breathing when she was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries later on. May she rest in peace.
Monsoon has brought in lots of mishaps be it Lonavala or the Kumbhe waterfall accident or tragedies in obscure part of sahyadris. One must remember that taking a video in city and making one in mountain is very different. Mountains & water bodies must be treated with respect it deserves. A tourist should identify that being a trekker is completely different from a hobbyist and that making a video for time being fame is nothing as compared to your precious life. Mountains are calling only if you are a trekker and not devaluing the risks involved. This is Kumbhe waterfall below.
Stay safe !
If you have any doubts add a comment at the end of this post or reach out to me on my social media channels(at the end of this page). I also create ambience sahyadri videos on youtube.
TREKS NEAR MUMBAI & PUNE
expand sahyadri section +
Waterfalls
Easy treks near mumbai- pune
Treks near kasara & nashik
Treks near Malshej
Konkan sea forts
Difficult treks
Offbeat
Matheran trekking routes from:
If you have been trekking in sahyadris for a long time , upgrade your skills to climb Himalayas by training for mountaineering which includes rock climbing, ice climbing and all adrenaline pumping adventures we love. Here is a short intro for moving from trekking to mountaineering
SOULFUL TRAVELS
