This Sunday was hiking nostalgia. The place was Lonavla and the forts were Lohgad and Visapur. An old hiking companion had come for this trek, one whom I credited for what I call ‘the five star hike’ experience. True to form, as in the old days, we were to travel in air conditioned chauffeur driven cars and someone surely had brought beer along!
I had not been to Lohgad for quite some time, probably eight to ten years. Though it is an amazing fort, its proximity and accessibility had begun to take their toll. The old paivat had become a broad kuccha road; and the place is swarming with groups of non-trekker types.
As such on this hike too, we had the company of large groups, often commercial trekking groups or groups of uncle-aunty types with their cousins. Some of us (the fast walkers) in our large group managed to move ahead of these ‘crowds’ and made our way to the top. I might sound derogatory but I have nothing against non-hiker types or casual hikers other than that they tend to litter and create too much noise. The top of Lohgad was a mess, with plastic scattered everywhere you went. The Marathas built great cisterns on the fort to store water, not to dump plastic in them!
I had not been to Lohgad for quite some time, probably eight to ten years. Though it is an amazing fort, its proximity and accessibility had begun to take their toll. The old paivat had become a broad kuccha road; and the place is swarming with groups of non-trekker types.
As such on this hike too, we had the company of large groups, often commercial trekking groups or groups of uncle-aunty types with their cousins. Some of us (the fast walkers) in our large group managed to move ahead of these ‘crowds’ and made our way to the top. I might sound derogatory but I have nothing against non-hiker types or casual hikers other than that they tend to litter and create too much noise. The top of Lohgad was a mess, with plastic scattered everywhere you went. The Marathas built great cisterns on the fort to store water, not to dump plastic in them!
The best thing on the fort was the amazing vinchukata fortification where I think not all the people who visit Lohgad eventually go to. Along with the forts impressive walls, it is a testament to the great fort architecture that the Marathas built. Now only if the public could show some respect to it!
For those who haven’t been to Lohgad (3412 ft). The fort is reached from Malavli, the next station after Lonavla on the Pune local railway. From there a tar road goes to Bhaja village from where an easy track leads to Lohgadwadi, the base village.
for photos go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/upsidedownv/LohgadVisapur
to be continued
-monsoon trekker
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