On Friday morning, I left on my long pending ride to Malshej Ghats from Pune. I had never been to Malshej before and to be honest did not know what to expect. Fellow xbhpians had often boasted of its beauty during our weekly meets and at the same time had warned me of the broken roads that lead to this destination. Determined to make the most of my week long break from work, I set of on this aesthetic journey that had long evaded me loaded with my camera and a tank full of fuel.
After a quick chai break at Narayangaon, I turned left at Ale Phata and recommenced my journey to the green valleys of Malshej. The roads, to my pleasant surprise, had been repaved recently and made my ride that much more enjoyable. The first sight of the serene blue Malshej Lake left me spell bound and forced me to pull to the side to breath in the magnificent view. I pulled out my camera and tried to capture the mesmerizing beauty of the lush green fields on the banks of the crystal blue water set against the cloud covered mountainous backdrop. I spent a good 30 mins taking pictures and enjoying the view before finally forcing myself to continue my journey.
The overcast conditions and the cool western breeze took care of the summer heat. As I climbed up a small ghat before reaching Malshej, I hit a cloud cover and passing through it was some experience. The Blue and Grey skies amalgamated and the bright Golden rays breaking out of the clouds lit the road in patches of Black and Yellow.
And finally I was there. The fresh paved tarmac on the winding roads of Malshej, that cut through the green valley, greeted me and the rider in me took over the shutterbug. I had no time to stop for photographs as the razor sharp turns provoked my riding instincts. With a bedazzled grin plastered across my face, I climbed down the meandering ghat until I finally hit the flat landscape. The 12 odd km stretch had passed in a flash. So I turned around for another round of cornering madness. The ride to the top was equally enthralling and presented ample opportunities to satiate my cornering thirst. After reaching the top, I parked my bike to the side and pulled out the camera. The green forest cover of the valley and the rocky mountainous terrain offered a truly breathtaking setting. With this beautiful landscape permanently etched in my memory and in my photo captures of course, I then began my 150 km long journey home.
This journey was undoubtedly one of the best rides of my life and I cannot imagine what this place would look like in the monsoons. So I guess I would just have to pay Malshej another visit to find the answer to that question.
