Nane Ghat Trek

View from Nane Ghat top

Perhaps it was the fact it was a Saturday or because the monsoon has been so sluggish since August, that  when we went to Nane Ghat couple of weeks ago, there were not a trekker to be found in what is one of the most accessible trekking spots near Malshej Ghat. For those not in the know, Nane Ghat is an old pass that functioned as a trading route in ancient times (going back to 250 B.C.) between Kalyan in Konkan and Junnar town on Deccan plateau. Only used by villagers, this is a fairly easy and enjoyable hike in what is one of the most beautiful regions of Sahyadris in Maharashtra.

The rain gods did not deliver but monsoon has been good this year and all the streams were flowing. We almost stopped at every stream which offered cool, refreshing respite from the humidity. However the absence of any visitors was wonderful and views from the top were great. Flowers were also blooming particularly as we gained height and recently having found out some names, I am putting up pics of the wonderful wild flowers that dot these hills around August-September.

Sontaki (Senecio Grahamii)

Pink Balsams

Travelling: You can catch a bus going to Ale Phata from Kalyan (there are plenty) – this is the road leading to Malshej Ghat (NH222) via Murbad. Ask bus to stop at Nane Ghat stop (there is a board on the main road that announces the starting point). If going by car park it at Vaishakhare village (30 kms ahead of Murbad) – from here you walk a couple of kilometres on main road till the Nane Ghat board comes. You can return same way or go ahead to Junnar and take a long bus ride to come back to Kalyan. (Buses to Pune available from Junnar). Jivdhan fort above Nane Ghat is also a great fort to climb. Caves at Nane Ghat are habitable but tend to get crowded at times.

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Ghangad: Far (Very Far) Away From The Maddening Crowd

Last weekend for a change, I wanted to venture out to an area where I had not hiked much. Ghangad is a small fort located some 40 kms from Lonavala, near the backwaters of Mulshi dam. A tricky rock patch requiring equipment was the reason this fort had not been attempted but thanks to an enterprising trekking group, ladders and ropes have been installed making things much easier. With that information in hand I was off in the morning to Lonavala, waiting for the rest of my group, who were coming from Pune.

Approaching Ghangad from Ekole village

The drive to Ghangad is probably one of the best in the country: the road is smooth, the greenery around is enticing and best of all in the rains, the area is completely misty for long stretches. However this dream ride only lasts till Ambavne – this village is near Korigad fort and now more importantly near Amby valley. After this point, a bifurcation takes you towards Bhamburde village and since there are no high-flying city types coming this way, the road quality really dips down.

The route goes through Salter village (near Telbaila massif) and finally to Bhamburde; at places the road was so narrow that it was difficult to imagine an ST bus on it! Bhamburde village rests idyllically in what seems like a valley surrounded by large hills; the smallest of these is Ghangad.

We walked from Bhamburde to Ekole village at the base of Ghangad. The fort is quite small and one can finish it in an hour and a half from the base. Initially a large ugly track leads to the forest; once inside the forest, a more natural small path takes one to the temple of Garjai devi.  A useful map of the fort  is posted here. Moving ahead one reaches a col between Ghangad and a giant neighbouring hill. From here one can see the hills falling steeply into Konkan.

Valley behind Ghangad fort

A short walk takes one to the fortification of the hill. Once inside, you move to a rock face where a ladder has been kept. Inspite of the ladder, in the rainy season, there is a tricky step one has to negotiate; after that its a steep but safe route to top across crumbling steps and bastions. On the top there are a few tanks and two bastions; its the views that are marvellous. The hills around enclose a plain area at the edge of which across Ghangad stands the double peaked massif called Telbaila; all of this eventually falls down into Konkan and the deep valleys are fantastic. One can also see Sudhagad (its nearer to Telbaila); on my previous treks to Sudhagad, I have always wondered at these valleys and where they go; now I know!

Descent was quick and in no time the hike was done! On the way back, our road was still misty even in the afternoon, but as one nears Lonavala, the maddening crowds near Bushy Dam make one cringe! When will Indians know how to enjoy and respect nature?!

Travelling: ST buses ply between Lonavla and Bhamburde (apparently twice a day, once in morning and once in afternoon). Best way would be to have your own transport. Cars can go beyond Bhamburde, right upto Ekole village. One can also descend down into Konkan (near Sudhagad) via Ekole village (4-5 hours route)

https://picasaweb.google.com/115394767952469723630/Ghangad?authuser=0&feat=directlink

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CHANDERI FORT- SO CLOSE YET FAR....

Chanderi (right) and Mhasmal (left) - the route to both rise to the 'V' point between the two

The Matheran range and surrounding hills have been the usual suspects for most of my monsoon treks. So its a surprise to find any trekking point not visited in the vicinity. After an earlier trip to Irshalgad, it was now turn of Chanderi – another mountain that I always had wanted to climb but somehow just had not yet.

Chanderi fort has a sharp, squarish massif at the top which requires technical rock climbing. Probably due to this reason, it was passed over for other destinations. However its turn had come and on a Sunday morning, I was waiting for the Karjat local from Dadar station. However I missed my train and as a result we started the trek late at around ten.

The fort seems to be close to Bombay; after all you just hop on to the local. But the base village of Chinchavli is far from Vangani station where one alights from the local and even from Chinchavli its a half an hour walk till the base.

Once the climb begins it is relentless as one has to ascend to a col between Chanderi and Mhasmal. The route is beautiful as it skirts around a waterfall, sometimes even going right through it. It was a cloudy day with little or no drizzle but the waterfall was gurgling with water and just the sound itself was refreshing. The feeling of being somewhere remote was very strong as the forest around was very thick and verdant.

The climb was longer than expected and we rested at the col, gazing at the view on the other side which looks towards Panvel. On one side of the col, we could see the sharp top of Mhasmal but our fort could not be seen yet, hidden as it was in the clouds. We took the left turn and began climbing a sharp, steep ridge. Eventually we could the towering Chanderi massif with a few trekkers dotted at its base. The views at the base of the massif were great; we could see Prabal and Irshalgad and even Morbe dam backwaters.

We were famished and had lunch. We decided to have a look at the cave on the fort; it was not the cleanest but it can house a good 10-12 people. We could see clouds charging towards us and soon enough it began to rain. The rain died out after some minutes but it was misty and windy. Going back, as we descended the ridge, we could feel the force of the wind; any stronger and we could have rolled down into the valley!

The ascent took around three hours and descent was quick though the gradient is steep and slippery. We could not resist taking a dip in the waterfall. Even though this is trek route, there are enough private spots in the cascades to enjoy. And somehow on this hike, despite presence of several trekking groups one still felt alone and could enjoy nature peacefully. And speaking of groups, one inexperienced large groups of college-going kids was climbing up at three, still an hour away from the top and they had started at ten like us! If you are newbie to trekking, give this one a miss! For those who are seasoned monsoon trekkers, don’t let this one get away!

Directions: Catch the Karjat local and get down at Vangani station (before Neral - the stop for Matheran). An auto takes one to Chinchavli which is about half an hour away. Take the driver's number as there is no ST bus to the village

Pics at:

 https://picasaweb.google.com/115394767952469723630/Chanderi?authuser=0&feat=directlink

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Irshalgad - The One That Got Away

There are very few places left around Mumbai where I have not trekked as yet. One of those is Irshalgad, a sharply peaked hill that cannot be missed on the old Mumbai-Pune road. Somehow I missed this trek, having been to almost all the mountains around it. So I tagged along with a commercial group that was heading that way on what was ‘friendship day’.

Irshalgad pinnacles

Now I am not one for commercial groups as they are too big and noisy for me personally. I enjoy the intimacy of a trek with friends. Plus there is the benefit of setting the pace and itinerary as one wishes. Nevertheless here I was on a Sunday which was also the aforementioned ‘friendship day’ – luckily for me, many people had more celebratory ideas in the city and ditched the hiking group. As a result we were a group of about ten, on our way to Chowk via Karjat.

The hike starts at the Morbe Dam colony near Chowk phata on the Mumbai-Pune old road. From the colony, a sharp ridge rises towards Irshalgad. Once you are high up on this ridge, Irshalgad is visible with its sharp pinnacles and its ‘needle-hole’ point. The ridge takes you to Irshalwadi, a small hamlet on a plateau dotted with grassy expanses and tiny rice fields.

We had a heavy downpour when the hike started but later there were only clouds. The clouds played hide and seek with the sun, affording us great views all around. On one side you could see Matheran and on the other the imposing Prabalgad. From the village, we walked  towards the other end of the massif and then gradually climbed up a sharp ridge to the top. Its difficult to scale the rocky tops of this mountain; the route from the ridge eventually starts zigzagging through rocks and gets narrower. I suppose as one goes ahead it just gets more exposed as well.

We did not go too much on the rocks and instead enjoyed the peace and quiet. We were only warming up to each other as we had started the morning as strangers. We had lunch at the top and lazed around for a while enjoying the scenery. This is a small trek and a couple of hours is the most it will take you to reach the top!

Travelling: You can take the Karjat local and then a private vehicle or a local ST bus to Chowk and then to Morbe Dam colony or Poinje village. Shorter way would be to take the Panvel local and reach Chowk and then the base villages. Those with stamina can try combining Prabalgad and Irshalgad together for a robust workout!

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Yet again to Bhimashankar

Two weeks back I returned to Bhimashankar – crowds were expected as it was a Saturday. We, ourselves were a group of fifteen or so, hurtling towards Khandas (the base village) in an air-conditioned chartered bus! We planned only to climb and the bus would  pick us up at Bhimashankar top. We went by the Ganesh Ghat route which is long but easier. It did not rain for the first half but the weather was beautiful with mists swirling about us even at lower heights. Later it rained as we gained height. Long walks, watery paths, misty views, cascading waterfalls, grassy slopes, thick dark forests; we enjoyed it all. Beautiful as it all was, it was not a patch on my previous fantastic visit in 2010..(http://monsoontrekker.blogspot.in/2010/08/awesome-beauty-of-bhimashankar-trek.html) 

Still, it was a Saturday well spent! Only the long way back from Bhimashankar to Bombay proved to be irritating – almost six hours in a bus after a long trek!

Bhimashankar in the rains

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Kotligad

The rains have hit the country and how! With the heavy downpours and torrential rains that have been making news it almost seemed certain that the first hike this monsoon would be a wet one. Not quite!

Kotligad is a small fort near Karjat and a good bet for an easy hike. A train to Karjat and then a bus or local vehicles to base village Ambivali (via Kashele) make reaching the fort relatively easy. The trek involves a moderate gradient at first, followed by a flat walk on the plateau till the base village of Peth and a final short steep climb to the pinnacle. It is an easy trek with good views and well-marked routes (it is difficult to get lost!).

However when we started the sun was beating down on us. There were two friends in our group, new to Bombay, who had never done a rainy hike and wondered what the fuss was about trekking in rains. As rivers of sweat began to flow prayers for some cloud relief (and a few harmless bets on whether it would rain) punctuated the conversation.

However one-third way up when we rested at a point where the plateau and the fort first come into view, clouds seemed to be gathering. As the hike progressed, the weather improved. By the time we reached the village of Peth, it was raining nicely. At the village there is shelter and food available for a price, thanks to enterprising villagers cashing on the trek’s popularity.

One has to walk ahead of the village towards a small settlement from where the final climb begins. After the climb, one traverses the final hump and climbs onto a ridge that takes one towards remnants of the fort. At the base of the final pinnacle is a cave; a staircase is carved inside of the cave which takes one towards the highest point of the fort. At the top there is nothing much but views; when clear Bhimashankar and Padar Killa are visible.

In the end though we started with the sun, we got the views and then we got the rain. The showers brought a refreshing coolness turning climbing paths into miniature cascades while the clouds and mist played hide and seek in the hills. This was almost a textbook hike for explaining our new trekkers what magic the rains bring to the mountains!

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RINGING IN A NEW YEAR AT RATANGAD

The first weekend of 2013 and already out on a trek! A trek that almost did not happen as a group of seven whittled down to three! And what a shame those people did not make it because the weather was so good, the scenery was so spectacular and the area was so bereft of crowds.

Travelling to Ratangad is like going back in time; this is the third time I’ve done the trek and the markers and turns are almost etched in mind, despite the large gaps between the visits. Situated at the edge of the ghats, towering over Bhandardhara lake, Ratangad or ‘jewel among forts’ is a wonderful trek, albeit one that involves a long journey.

And we journeyed long, having reached late in the evening at Bhandardhara lake and missed the boat across to Ratanwadi. We had to drive in darkness on narrow roads and took shelter in the village of Udhavne (below Alang). At dawn the cold was crisp and deadly and getting out of sleeping bags was almost a torture. But we were again on the road and reached Ratanwadi, which has changed and boasts public toilets and a small parking lot now.

The trek then was the usual (to what I did back in 2008 and faithfully recorded on this blog). Arrows directed us through the dried stream beds, the forest and up the ladders (these too were new). At the top in the cave a village couple serves hot rustic meals on demand. While they were busy cooking for us, we took a tour of the fort. The views of Ajoba and neighbouring hills are awesome as always. Skirting tanks and old broken doorways, we made our way to the ‘nedhe’ or hole in the summit, where a wonderful wind blew and connected the two sides of the mountain. Looking back I’ll wonder how idyllic it all was, a Sunday away from the hectic city life.

But time ticks away and we had to be back to take in our lunch: hot bhakris, a delicious vegetable of potatoes and pulses and the pièce de resistance- a hot spicy ‘thecha’ of freshly ground chillies. After the lunch it was a quick descent because we had spent more time than expected wandering on the top. At four we touched base near the car and were ready to speed away back to home.

Surreal that moments ago we were on top of the world, in a hole in the mountain. A moment in time to remember and treasure for the three of us who happened to be fortunate there and then!

Pictures at: https://picasaweb.google.com/115394767952469723630/Ratangad2013

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ALANG-MADANGAD – COMPLETING THE HOLY TRINITY

On top of Alang fort

For any seasoned hiker in Sayhadris, it is not Kalsubai, the highest mountain of the state that holds the greatest challenge. Rather, its Kalsubai’s formidable neighbours, that strike the serious trekker in awe. I am talking about the holy trinity of Kulang, Madangad and Alang – the three forts that rise mightily and involve heavy-duty trekking.

Having climbed Kulang several  years ago, Alang and Madangad had been on me and my brothers’ wish lists but not having done serious rock-climbing, they had remained out of reach. Now that one of us knew how it was done, we were raring to go.

Except our adventure sputtered right from the start in characteristic fashion of people dropping in and out of the hike (myself included!). Finally we were reduced to three when we boarded the last local to Kasara. A jeep had been arranged to take us to Ambewadi, the base village. Arriving at five, we slept for an hour and got up groggily in cool morning. A little before seven we started for the far off but clear sharp silhouettes of Alang and Madangad.

After a walk across dried fields, we started climbing a forested hill. The climb took us over a ridge falling from Alang. After a flat walk, the incline took us by surprise but once on top, we had to take a long traverse through thick forest that was cool and green. The long traverse soon ended and it was back to climbing on a steep incline over loose soil and scree. Most of the climb was among tall karvi shrubs. Finally we reached a series of broken steps that gave the first indication of a fort on the gigantic mountain.

The steps lead to cave from where, one can continue either to Alang or to Madangad. We decided to first do the latter and took a right, traversing another long stretch of the mountain edge. Finally one reaches the point between Alang and Madangad from where one can see the Ghatgar-Bhandardara catchment area. Moving on, we started traversing the smaller Madangad mountain till we finally reached the steps of this crumbling fort.

The steps at Madangad are steep and large, climbing like a staircase to heaven. The staircase twisted and turned until it finally reached a blown off face where our first rock climb (about 30m I think) started. This was my first big rock climb and went off smoothly. On the top more steps continued till we reached a broken entrance that led to the grassy top. Madangad has a small, handsome top – it’s a small, slanting area bounded on all sides by steep edges and gives fantastic views of Alang and Kulang. On top there are few water tanks and a cave.

After sightseeing, it was time to go down and having never rappelled before, I took some time to get into the act. However once I started, it was cool and I felt it was easier than climbing up. Luckily my two experienced companions were well prepared with all equipment and friendly advice!

We made our way back to the cave and after lunch, moved to tackle Alang.  A small rock patch was just a teaser to the main 50m climb which was daunting. My brother negotiated it easily but I had some tense 15 minutes which felt like eternity when I was stuck 30m off the ground trying to get a hold on a almost vertical rock face. It took some time, before all three of us finished this patch and then on we had to climb some more exposed steps before we reached the top.

Alang has a semicircular shape and its flat top extends spectacularly. There are caves some of which are clean and inhabitable. There are also some tanks, most of which hold impotable water. We rested in the cave and cooked and talked about the eventful day. The sun had set by the time we reached the top so we could not see around much but later after dinner we went off to search water and stumbled upon seven impressive water tanks on the fort. 

Alang, Madangad & Kulang silhouettes

In the morning, it was very cold and since I had done a short night tour of the fort, I slept on while my brother went to see the beautiful sunrise.  In the morning we surveyed the surroundings and in the hazy winter light, we could make out Ratangad and Ajoba far off in the distance. Going down we thought would not take much time but I did not have the nerve to rappel down 50m and kept on having false starts. Finally they belayed me down to save time! A few scrapes and bruises down, there was nothing left but to move on! We were behind our time schedule having started around nine and it was noon but we were still descending. Luckily the forest around Alang was shady and going back was easier. By two-thirty we were back at Ambewadi where we had started.

This was my second rock climbing trek, having done Harischandragad by a tricky route. However here the rock climbs were much longer and difficult. While I won’t be the first person to suggest technical climbs in future I did enjoy the thrills of this trek. It was also an appropriate crackling way to end a great year of hiking! Hope the new year brings equally memorable experiences.

Photos at: https://picasaweb.google.com/115394767952469723630/AlangMadangad?authuser=0&feat=directlink

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