Rameshwar Vaibhav & Padsare Waterfall- Ride to Unique Mist & Deserted Monsoon Paradise.

2016 Monsoon was delayed, we as Valiant Riderz were eager to open our Monsoon Riding season. The first 2 weeks of June were dry, Our Rides were set; Riders were set but Nature had plans to make us wait.
Then came the third week, drenched days of June'16; Monsoon arrived & arrived with a bang.

I heard a lot about this place, searched on internet a lot about this place but very little information is available as such over internet. All in all what I could gather is haunted, deserted, and secluded but heaven in monsoon.
I was skeptical as this was very first ride with my wife after wedding & we usually have more than 25-30 riders with us for every Monsoon Opening Ride.
It was the first Sunday of July that we roared to conquer roads to Rameshwar Vaibhav Hill Station & Padsare Waterfall.
47 of us decided to explore this untouched route by any biker or to be specific any social motorcycle riding group. VRz was all set to explore the unexplored.

Rain has been very kind & very harsh at the same time to us throughout the day; we started from Nallasopara with initial 10 riders to our first meeting halt near Ghodbunder Toll Naka.
After a brief wait of Riderz who were supposed to join from this halt we started again for Panvel.
Next catch up point was JNPT, 47 in Count 35 bikes, One Name, One Tag & One Pride VRz.
Instructions out, Brief done, route explained & numbering done, RE, Bajaj's Honda's no limitations in VRz all are brother & all are equals.
All thumped towards one destination Rameshwar Vaibhav Padsare Waterfall. This ride was ride of punctures. By the time we reached Chowk Phata already 2 Riderz lagged behind to take care of punctured tires. But smooth coordination & earlier briefs helped to gather everyone again at the same place for breakfast & we started together towards Khopoli.
Straight Roads, Lush Green Landscapes, Foggy Mountain were hiding their head in clouds. We were cruising at 60-80 kmph on the smooth roads towards Khopoli.

After Khopoli Market with One Rider covering the turn to ensure everyone passes through correctly we headed for Khopoli-Pali Route.
Crossed Imagica, one more Rider who came all the way from Pune to ride with us has joined the formation.
Again a stretch of 24 km full of Landscapes, Rain, Farms, Ponds, People waiting for Bus, Auto & kids playing in mud waving at our big convoy of 35 bikes.
The first HP petrol pump, we decided to Halt for bio-break, Fuel or sutta & one more puncture.

Now we were supposed to enter the terrain of the secluded roads, again with a brief to minimize gaps, being slow & to be in a single line we geared up & started again.
Narrow Roads, Crossing Villages, Muddy Roads, we reached at a point where road cannot be seen. It was just water flowing from one farm to another. Rain God was still very kind & we yet didn’t get a single moment to dry. We decided to move slower & cross that patch carefully. I was hoping one of the riders would catch all this in his Go-Pro cam.
Then we were on the smallest bridge on Amba River, the bridged was filled with mud, tree branches & all the debris, rubble & the water level touching the bridge was shouting loud Water has just leveled out from this bridge. We were on time or were fortunate that we could cross that Bridge on the angry river in time.
Then came all the turns & twist of the Rameshwar Vaibhav hill station roads. Within 10 minutes of climb we were surrounded by mysterious Fog, Cloud, and Rain & wet Winds. It was impossible to see anything on 10-20 ft. distance.
That particular 5-7 km patch explained all the mystery & stories around the Hill Station.
It was like any typical horror movie scene. Tree at the both side, Fog covering Road, Valley at left which depth you don’t know because you just see Fog & clouds, Mountains at right you can’t see height because what you see is fog & cloud. You can hear small Waterfall, sound of water but don’t know where it is if really it is the sound of water because what you can see is Fog & cloud.
It was way too difficult to know if we going right directions but we decided to go after inclined, we did miss a turn but finally we reached the Padsare Waterfall.
I won’t call it force of water, it was way beyond that.
The wrath of the Waterfall reminded me of the monstrous face of water in Uttarakhand floods, it was flowing profusely.
We had no intention to go in & be in the way of that force & take that wrath. We found a very tiny place with very small scope of risk & clicked a few pictures there.

With a heavy heart & empty stomach we left that place surrendering to hunger & started towards Shangri-La Hotel.
The Only Hotel & Restaurant on the entire Hill Station. Situated in the midst of the deserted bungalows some are completed, beautiful Some are incomplete, even dead by plants, Trees & fungus.
The Hotel looks like a 3 Star constructions from outside, Maintained well from inside as well.
Hotel Manager agreed us complimentary rooms to change & get freshen up although we were there only for lunch.
Unexpectedly very delicious food was served, Chicken Handi, Kaju Masala & Dal Tadka is a must try, we had hot Roti's made to order.
Cherry on top there was a rapid water flow exactly in the backyard of the hotel, again secluded.
minimum risk, one can seat in the flow & enjoy water.
It was very regretful to come at such mysteriously deserted but wonderful location only for a Day Ride but with a promise to self to stay back next ride We Roared back to home.

Swapnil Pabrekar
Team VRz