Kalsubai (कळसुबाई) Peak, Maharashtra

Kalsubai is a peak near Igatpuri which is a smaller city near Mumbai, India. It is a 5,400 feet elevation peak with a trek that is attractive to hikers.

About an hour from Igatpuri, the start of the hike is near a village named Bari. The entrance to the hike goes through a small road along the homes of the paddy farming villagers.

To come to the point where the hike gate is visible, you have to pass through a small stream of water, which was so overflowing to about hip depth due to the recent constant monsoon rains.

After crossing the stream, there is a flat but muddy path that leads towards the start of the trail.

There are a few farmhouses on the way and it was interesting to see their methods to collect the rainwater for household uses.

After a bit of walking, the lower level Kalsubai temple is visible, presumably situated there for devotees who cannot climb the 'Everest'. The temple is directly opposite the gate which serves as the hike starting point.

The hike begins with a climb and the path is muddy, slippery with rivulets carrying rainwater and eroding the topsoil.

Along the way, many villages can be seen carrying wide, heavy precariously balanced loads to the top, supplying the many food kiosks along the way.

Some parts of the hike have stone steps with colorful railings.

The stony paths are wide, easily walkable and sometimes slippery. Many other segments had ladders, which are a more recent addition to the hike's route. The ladder makes the hike more accessible to all levels of hikers because without them, the hike requires climbing, scrambling on large uneven boulders. However, the ladders are poorly designed and are prone to accidents, very slippery when wet, especially during the monsoon rains.

There are a few areas with flat areas that provide a glimpse of the beautiful mountains, forests, and clouds.

At multiple levels, there are monkeys in large groups.

I saw many crabs crawling around and they were small, about an inch wide with translucent body.

Eventually, on reaching the summit, we can see the Kalsubai temple.

The summit was so windy and cold that we could not last more than 5 minutes there and started descending.

A few times the gusts of wind pushed us so hard, blowing us away that we skipped several steps each time.

On the way back, sometimes the fog had lifted and we could see the different waterfalls and the dense forests.

The descent was much faster, and in less than 90 minutes we were back at the starting point.

On the drive back, we took the route to Igatpuri and saw really beautiful views of the Sahyadri mountains.

There were many places along the way with beautiful waterfalls. Lots of people had gathered around at such places, and everybody seemed happy to see the wonders of nature.