My first trek with Nature Knights was a couple of years ago, to Rajgad fort. The email I received, detailed not only the trek itself, but also gave a brief history of the place — about how Rajgad was Shivaji’s first capital before he shifted to Raigad — and also promised views of Torna (the first fort captured by Shivaji) and Raigad itself. I was more than eager to join in.
We started our trek at a healthy pace, but soon slowed down — it was far too hot and surprisingly not raining. We kept taking short breaks every half an hour. During one such break, I noticed our team leader, Asif, was hunting around for something. A few minutes later he found what he was looking for: a boulder, under a huge shady tree, overlooking the valley. Asif took off his shirt, closed his eyes and sat on the boulder, meditating.
It was clear that Asif was as comfortable in this jungle as he was in his home. But perhaps he also had an urge to connect with nature at a deeper level.
“I believe the best things in life are free. Spending time in nature rejuvenates you. Trekking in the Himalayas teaches you humility. When you spend time in the jungle, you see that flora and fauna live in harmony. And so when you come back to cities, you understand the importance of conservation,” said Asif who started Nature Knights in 1988 when he was a 19-year-old college student.
Speaking to The Mag from Leh, where he is currently leading an eco adventure safari, Asif said that Nature Knights is meant for people who want to get away from their urban confines. “Most people work from 9 to 5 on weekdays and on weekends spend their time at home. I never wanted to land up in a situation where I do nothing beyond office and home. That’s why, most of our events are organised on weekends,” said Asif, who works for an IT firm.
For Bindhu and Unny, Nature Knights was an outlet for what was till then a “theoretical interest” in trekking. The couple shifted to Mumbai in 2004 and saw an announcement by the group on Ryze, an online network. The trek was to Peb fort and Bindhu and Unny liked the friendly atmosphere within the group. “We were initially hesitant since we had never trekked before. Though we did not face any problems while trekking, one person had vertigo. The team leader held his hand all the way,” said Bindhu, a freelance writer.
Since then, Bindhu and Unny have gone on several treks with Nature Knights, and now have even started exploring smaller out-of-the-way places in Maharashtra. The couple have gone crocodile tracking in Dandeli and encountered a bizarre “sexy tree”. They write about their experiences on their website, travelwithacouple.com.
Nimesh, who joined the group in 1992 and today leads many of the treks, said that people are an important part of the whole exercise. “We have an introduction round right at the beginning that breaks the ice between people.”
Nimesh says no matter how many times you go to the same place, the experience is always going to be different because the group is different. But isn’t trekking or roughing it out ultimately more tiring than relaxing? “In fact, it is the other way round,” says Bindhu. “Your body will be aching but the mind is recharged.” Visit www.natureknights.com for more details.
