Summer Trek Adventure – Milkybar Waterfall & Plus Valley Trek (15 March 2026)

 

Summer Trek Adventure – Milkybar Waterfall & Plus Valley Trek (15 March 2026)

The real charm of trekking begins when summer starts. During the monsoon and winter seasons, there is heavy crowd everywhere. Everyone comes to witness the beauty of the Sahyadris. Slowly, history takes a backseat and casual tourism takes over. In the monsoon, the Sahyadri mountains wear a lush green blanket and look completely alive. In winter, blooming flowers add a unique beauty. Places like Rajgad, Ratangad, Korigad, Kalu Waterfall, and Rajmachi attract us again and again.

Over the past few years, some waterfalls near Tamhini Ghat have become very popular. While tourism provides employment to locals, the increasing garbage and mismanagement is worrying. Whenever an unfortunate accident happens, the government shuts down these places for a few months. Because of this, I still haven’t been able to visit Kumbhe Waterfall. Adventure is important—but knowing when and where to take risks is even more important.

This year too, popular spots like Katalthar, Nanemachi, and Milkybar were closed, which was disappointing. Still, since we wanted to go there, we planned a trek last Sunday. Being March, we knew there wouldn’t be much crowd—even on a Sunday.  Around 6 AM, our group of 11 adults and 4 kids started the journey. While the world is worried about wars and global issues, our country continues celebrating festivals like Holi, Eid, and elections are ongoing. Of course, we are not completely unaffected—there are shortages and rising concerns. Even we experienced a small impact—when we stopped for breakfast in Tamhini, we had to eat poha cooked on a traditional stove due to gas issues!

Chatting about current affairs, we reached the parking area. The forest department has started taking safety measures—railings and checkpoints are being installed to prevent accidents. It looks like from next year, this trek may require tickets and fees. Personally, I feel locals should benefit more from this rather than government control. We started walking on the familiar trail around 8–9 AM. The cool air and peaceful environment of the Sahyadris refreshed us instantly. Birds were chirping, dry leaves crackled under our feet, and the massive rock formations ahead took us into a different world. 

We began descending quickly. The kids were even more energetic than us! The path to Milkybar and Plus Valley is very steep—almost a 40-degree descent. At some points, we had to rely on rock support, and at others, we used ropes fixed by locals, almost like rappelling down.

Step by step, helping each other, we descended. Some members were trekking with us for the first time and were curious (and a bit nervous) about what lay ahead. After crossing three stages, we reached a junction—one path led to the waterfall, the other to Plus Valley. We decided to visit Milkybar Waterfall first. Just imagining how it would look during the monsoon was breathtaking. Huge rocks, narrow paths, natural pools—what a sight!

Everyone got busy taking photos and exploring. A few of us went ahead to ensure the area was safe. We checked for any wildlife like snakes or scorpions near the water and made sure everything was fine before calling everyone in.  After that, no one wanted to wait even for a second! The valley’s shade protected us from the harsh summer sun—otherwise, we would have been completely exhausted. One by one, everyone jumped into the water. The water was freezing cold!

The kids went completely wild with excitement. It was a perfect example of “beyond fear lies real fun.” While everyone enjoyed the water, a few of us stayed back to set up a small cooking spot. We collected firewood, arranged stones, and built a simple stove…

And then…

To be continued…

(Translation version by AI)

- - Prof. Dr. Sachin Shankar Gadekar