Last weekend , I ticked off one of the ‘CLIMBS ON MY BUCKET LIST’ , the Amboli Ghat climb!! Normally we climb down the Amboli ghat post Amboli village towards Sawantwadi, that too in a car , enroute to the land of good times. Since I have taken up cycling, the thought of climbing up the lovely, scenic and tough Amboli always crossed my mind. Thanks to Rohit, who has a home to stay in Sawantwadi, this item was scratched off my bucket list!!!
We set out from Pune on a Thursday morning with cycles mounted on our car racks. We were happy to be joined by Girish, a day before, on an impromptu decision!! We have this habit of ‘ regrouping ‘ on our cycle rides and we followed the same protocol for the road journey too since we were 5 guys heading out to Konkan for a cycle ride in 2 cars.
The drive upto Sawantwadi was a pretty smooth one except for some bad road conditions near Ajra. A scrumptious Fish thali at Amboli set the tone for the days to come. We reached Rohit’s home in Sawantwadi late afternoon. Unpacked and assembled our cycles and then stepped out for a nice drive and a walk to some local temples in the heartland of Majgaon, near Sawantwadi. The simple yet magical feel of Konkan bylanes lifts up one’s spirit. You can sense the magic in the air. Some time spent by the Moti Talao, Sawantwadi and shopping for some basic provisions was the evening agenda. Dinner at Arekar khanawal ( lunch home) willbe a go to place from hereon whenever we are near Sawantwadi!!!
An early Friday morning, full of excitement to tick off the Amboli climb was beckoning us. We were ready to roll out at daybreak. The first rays on the morning sun saw us rolling easily along the sleepy Sawantwadi roads right up to Danoli. Chirping of Birds, a slight chill in the morning air and enthusiasm at its apex saw us reach Danoli for a hot cup of tea at the Amboli ghat base. Thankfully, the oncoming as well as the ongoing traffic in the ghat was at a minimum level. We all started together and Rohit and Dhananjay soon took a healthy lead with Sagar and Girish right behind me.
Persistence, Physical strength , mental toughness and the love for cycling….all these combined in the right proportion made this climb an enjoyable experience.
The ghat section is so beautiful that the sheer natural beauty makes you forget you are climbing up a tough terrain. We were lucky enough to have the road surface pretty good with very few potholes and scree. The weather was perfect, not too cold not too hot making the climb a happy one!! Traffic was also manageable. However, We got to experience extreme windy conditions in the later half of the ghat section when the valley comes on the western side. It was a tough climb hereon . Desperately trying to hold our balance and keep the cycle steady in the wind was a memorable experience. We had started quite early from Sawantwadi and we reaped the rewards.
The views were surreal. Early morning sun rays bisecting the rich dense forest with slightest of fog was a sight to behold. Dense vegetation, the chitter chatter of monkeys all along the ghat and the smell of the forested area around… we were lost in paradise!!!
The summit was reached and a sense of elation seeped into us!!! high fives and cheers with a heavy breakfast atop Amboli has been the highlight of the entire trip!! We just could not stop clicking photos. Thanks to the perfect riding partners, this ghat has been now converted into “done” from ‘Want to do”!!!
We were back in Sawantwadi for an authentic taste of Usal Paav, a typical Konkani brunch item at a local eatery, named Chandu bhavan.A quick freshening up break at Rohit’s place and we headed out to Vengurla beach by cars to spend a well deserved relaxed evening.
The Saturday and Sunday was planned for a Malvan ride. We started on our cycles from Sawantwadi , carrying a small backpack for an overnight in Malvan. Heading out again at daybreak we were out of Sawantwadi quite early and reached Kudal for another authentic local breakfast of Ghavan and Chutney! We got talking to the owner and he and Google both suggested an alternative route to Malvan which seemed more scenic . Both of them, the eatery owner and Google, weren’t wrong at all!!
As they say, when you do something impromptu, most of the time, it is fun!!! And it was proved once again…This unplanned route took us along Paat, Parule and brought us to Chipi where the Konkan region has been granted an Airport. The Airport is developed on a plateau and this was an unexpected vista that we got to see. Miles of open grassland, which has already turned yellow due to the harsh sun that Konkan receives transported us into a mystical land!!! All of us felt that we are pedaling towards infinity. The scenery was mesmerizing!! again we just could not stop clicking pictures of the incredible landscape. However the sun kept beating on us and urged us to reach Malvan by lunchtime.
Rohit had booked us all at the nearby Tarkarli beach at a home stay and it was right on the beach. So all the fatigue of the morning ride, just vanished when we saw the vast Arabian ocean and heard the sound of the crashing waves. A refresher nap and then we spent some time soaking in the blue waters of the ocean with a session of frisbee!! A card session followed with some well deserved beverages , before we called it a night!!!
Sunday was the day of return and we started out before even the sun came out . We had to reach Sawantwadi, freshen up and head back to Pune on the same day.
The weather had started playing games with us during this ride!! it rained lightly to give us a feel of a Konkani monsoon as well!!! We had decided to take minimal stops since we were on a hard time line but like I have mentioned, Konkan is so damn beautiful that one tends to stop at various vantage points to click some beautiful pictures!!! We were no different!! Taking a lot of photo stops we then sped post Kudal to make up for the lost time and reached Sawantwadi as per schedule. There was no leisure time on our hands at all so we got ready asap , loaded our cycles on the racks and made our way back home.
We spent 4 days in all out of which 2 halves were spent in travelling from Pune to Sawantwadi and vice versa but the memories that have been made in those few hours will be cherished for a long time. Like minded friends, cycles to roam and observe the hinterlands, watching loads of bird species, ticking off targets, enjoying local cuisines and talking about various topics with buddies…. These are the times which , as they say, no one can buy!!! We missed a couple of our usual suspects on this ride but now the tone has been set, the first ‘edition’ of the SW boys Konkan diaries has been done and dusted and now there will be no stopping!! This tradition shall continue for a long time , I hope, I wish and I know!!!
Cheers and keep Pedaling to Happiness!!!
Mast zalay re..👍
Super. Relieved every moment.
Great blog. Felt like I was there with you on the journey.