September 7, 2026 9:10 am
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On the morning of August 22nd, the Perennial office looked a little different. Instead of laptops and coffee cups, the lobby was full of raincoats, trekking shoes, and a group of people far too excited for how early it was. We were headed to Kusur Pathar, and nobody quite knew what the monsoon had in store for us.
The Drive That Set the Mood
The bus pulled out before the city was fully awake. As Pune gave way to the Sahyadri's, the windows fogged up and the hills rolled in, green and glowing after days of rain. Someone started a playlist, someone else passed around snacks, and by the time we reached the base, the trip already felt less like a company outing and more like old friends heading out together.
Into the Green
Kusur Pathar greets you with a 6-7 km trail that doesn't waste time showing off. Within the first kilometer, we were surrounded by waist-high greenery, dripping trees, and a mist so thick it swallowed the person walking three steps ahead. Waterfalls appeared out of nowhere, cutting through the rocks like they'd been placed there just for us to pause and stare.
The path wasn't easy. It climbed steadily, turned slippery in places, and tested a few calves that hadn't seen a trek in a while. But nobody complained. There was too much to look at, and too much fun happening between the huffing and puffing.
A Team That Doesn't Walk Alone
What stood out wasn't the scenery, it was how the group moved. Faster walkers doubled back to check on the ones behind. A hand was always ready to help someone over a slippery rock. Somewhere around the halfway mark, the fog rolled in so heavily that we could barely see the trail, and the only way forward was to stick together, quite literally.
This is where Perennial's culture showed up outside the office. The same spirit that shows up in a tough sprint or a late release night showed up here, on a muddy hillside, in the rain.
Standing Above the Clouds
Reaching the top of Kusur Pathar felt like stepping into a different world. The fog thinned just enough to reveal layers of hills disappearing into the mist, and for a moment, everyone just stood there, soaked and smiling, taking it in. Phones came out, group photos happened in every possible combination, and someone insisted on a "before we forget this feeling" selfie.
It wasn't a dramatic summit moment. It was quieter than that, more of a shared exhale after the climb.
Leaving No Trace, Carrying the Spirit Forward
True to Perennial's Go Green values, the trek wasn't just about the view, it was about how we moved through it. Empty wrappers went back into backpacks, not the bushes. Nobody littered the trail, and a few of us made it a point to pick up stray plastic we spotted along the way. It's a small thing, but it's the kind of habit Perennial tries to build everywhere, whether that's in how we write code or how we walk through a forest.
The Walk Back
The descent was easier on the legs but harder to rush. Nobody was in a hurry to leave. We took the long way in conversations, stretched out the last few kilometer's, and reached the bus tired, muddy, and thoroughly happy.
By the time we got back to Pune, the fog was long gone, but something else had settled in its place. A sense that the best team-building doesn't happen in a conference room. Sometimes it happens on a foggy hillside, six kilometer's in, when everyone's a little lost and completely together.
Here's to more treks, more fog, and more moments like this.
Here's to more treks, more fog, and more moments like this.
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