Last month, on a rainy Saturday, a hiking party from Mumbai came face to face with its worst nightmare while traversing a dewy stretch up a Matheran hill. The hikers were at Peb fort in Karjat taluka, when one youth — Harshad Bhole (19) — was hit by a pile of falling rocks. While Harshad was seriously injured in the incident, what made things worse was the delayed response time in treating him. His brother, Pranay, also part of the group, later said that locals helped rush Harshad downhill. But, by the time he was taken to the government hospital in Neral, two hours had already passed and he had lost blood. The 19-year-old died soon after.

Sandhan Valley is a 200 feet-deep canyon located near the Bhandardara region in the Sahyadris. Trekking the valley during the monsoons can be fatal due to falling rocks and the many, deep pools of water inside. At present, except for locals, there is no one on site to warn reckless trekkers. Pic/Dylan D' Silva