INDEPENDANCE DAY WEEKEND HIKE (PART 1): DHODAP FORT

For a long time, I had wanted to go to Dhodap fort. My brother had been there thrice and had mentioned it as one of the most interesting forts to visit. I had missed going there all three times so when I sat to plan the Independence day weekend, Dhodap was high up on the list.

We set out on the 16^th morning; three people from Mumbai and two from Pune, meeting at Nasik. We drove our car from the dry but cloudy skies towards Dhodambe from where a small road goes to Hatti village (or the village of Rajputs – more on that later).

Dhodap fort in the mists from Hatti village

As we reached Dhodambe, the weather completely changed; dark clouds loomed ready to break at any moment. By time we were at Hatti, it was pouring and all the hills were covered with thick clouds. I was expecting cloudy skies but no downpours like this so the important thing was to find a guide. The villagers asked us to seek Raju guide – however based on our experience PLEASE DON’T TAKE HIM! I had initially planned to do Dhodap and then hike across to Jawlya fort. My brother had done the trek from Markandya to Rawlya-Jawlya to Dhodap. However portly Raju said that the weather was bad and the way was risky. Other nosy villagers refused to answer questions about the route, flatly just ordering us to come down and drive down to Babapur for the other forts.

On the way to Dhodap fort

Since it was raining, we decided to take their word. However fifteen minutes later, the rain stopped, and things began clearing. I was already cursing Raju guide who had said there was knee deep mud on our cross-country route!

Dhodap is a beautiful fort; morderate from trekking point of view. There is not much forest around and trails are well marked so chances of losing your way are low. The route passes a lake and goes towards right side of the fort (dome side if you are looking at the fort). It climbs up to a plateau – this point is marked by a tank of potable water. On the plateau is Sonar’s village which has only two huts. One can explore the plateau as there some temples and ruins.

Water tank on Dhodap plateau

Ikhara pinnacle seen from Dhodap plateau

On the plateau the villagers have began constructing a broad (and frankly ugly) road to the top. The road has signposts of various wildlife that can be seen, though chances of encountering any seemed very low. Luckily the views around were wonderful and distracted everyone. A small rock patch has to be negotiated and soon one reaches a doorway.

Rock patch at Dhodap fort

Dhodap fort has wonderful fortifications; there are two rows of walls, several caves and bastions. Some of the ruins at the top are romantically desolate; a half arch here, an alcove on a ruined wall there. It is a truly a gorgeous fort with wonderful views. The weather was also cool and perfect. We could see Ikhara pinnacle and later on Rawlya-Jawlya forts.

Steps to second gate of Dhodap fort

Summit of Dhodap fort with ruins (right)

Dhodap has a distinctive dome-shaped summit accessible through rock climbing. It also has a long ridge like part beyond the summit which has a large gap or dyke. Standing at the dyke is a thrilling experience; it seems fearsome to navigate and the ridge beyond is mystifyingly out of reach. Again the charm is greatly reduced by the ugly railing installed recently but I guess safety is important. Despite these hiccups, the fort is a must-see for those trekking in Sahyadris. For me a long-cherised trek had been ticked off on the to-do list.

Dhodap fort

Dyke at Dhodap fort and view towards Rawlya-Jawlya forts

Directions: From Nasik, take the Bombay-Agra highway and take a diversion from Vadalibhoi naka to Dodhambe. From Dodhambe a road goes to Hatti village (where migrants from Rajasthan settled centuries ago).

More pics at: https://picasaweb.google.com/115394767952469723630/DhodapJawlyaMarkandyaTrek

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ROHIDA a.k.a VICHITRAGAD

Living in Mumbai, I have covered most of the nearby trekking spots over years. So when a chance came to spend a weekend in Pune, I was glad to have new options to consider. Rohida fort is not too far away from Pune and I had heard it was an easy trek so it made good sense to go there (though it being a Sunday I was afraid of crowds of trekkers).

Rohida fort seen from temple at base village Bazaarwadi.

I set out with my cousin and my uncle on Sunday morning at 6.30 towards the small town of Bhor, about one hour away from south Pune where we were based. The weather was cool and cloudy and the roads were empty. We even gave an old grandfather a ride when we stopped to ask him for directions. From Bhor we had to reach the base village of Bazaarwadi.

The village lies at the foot of the fort, surrounded by mountains. The fort itself seemed quite close though the citadel was high and lost in clouds. Near the village school there is a water tank from where the trek starts. One has to climb along a grassy ridge till a point where the stone markers appear. The villagers have clearly demarcated the path so it’s difficult to get lost.

The route steeply ascends and grass gives way to bushes. We could now make out two bastions at the two ends of the fort. Eventually the route reaches the first gate and then one enters a series of gates with intact fortifications. The last gate has two carved elephant heads on each side. The fort was initially shrouded in mist but a map at the top was a helpful indicator.

Rohida is also known as Vichitragad, though the reasons for that name seemed unclear. There is a temple of Rohideshwar at the summit; this is a lovely spot with tanks nearby. In fact the whole fort though not very big has been impressively maintained by villagers and an organisation. They have demarcated the routes, cleared the rubbish and planted trees. I was impressed and wished that others could take a hint from here. They had made most changes without spoiling the inherent beauty of the place.

After leisurely exploring the fort, taking in the views (which were fantastic as the clouds lifted away) and having food, we were ready to descend. As we descended it started raining and the wind was very strong. I had heard about strong winds on this fort and though I have experienced worse, I could imagine the force on a very rainy day.

By twelve we were comfortably back (we started at nine) and we even got home in time for lunch; surely one of the shortest treks I have had!

Water tank on top of Rohida Fort

Photos at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/115394767952469723630/RohidaFort

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TREK TO MATHERAN VIA ONE-TREE HILL - EID SPECIAL HIKE

On the way to Matheran from the Shivaji Ladder/One Tree Hill route

After a not so wet trek we were waiting for the rain on the weekend. Saturday went by with hardly a drop, so we called off the Sunday program, only to wake up next day amid pouring rain. Since Tuesday was Eid we decided to take advantage of the holiday and planned a trek close to Mumbai. And what better place is there to trek near Mumbai than Matheran!

We decided to take a later morning train than the usual early one to Karjat. As I walked to Dadar station, it was raining already. The portent for the weather was already good. As we alighted at Karjat it was pouring. After a breakfast of tea and vada pav we took a vehicle to Borgaon which lies off the Karjat-Chowk road. We could take the road up to Ambewadi from where the trek to Matheran via Shivaji Ladder up to One-Tree Hill starts.

Ambewadi overlooks the backwaters of Morbe Dam. A well near the village is the marker for the starting of the trek. From here a sharp grassy ridge leads towards Matheran. The clouds were playing hide and seek with us, offering us glimpses of the valleys and mountains around. Everything was lush and green and wet as it should be on a monsoon hike. After some steep climbing we started entering the forest. My friend remarked it was the enchanted forest and it couldn’t be truer. A lovely walk through thick forest in the middle of heavy rain was just what we had been waiting for.

The pièce de resistance of the trek is the Shivaji Ladder which is a name given to the route by which Shivaji is said to have climbed up to Matheran. A small shrine is a marker for this route and there is actually no ladder but a waterfall through which one has to climb. The route skirts the waterfall here and there but at times you just climb through the waterfall. Climbing between the cascading water swollen with rain was a high point!

Eventually the route leaves the waterfall towards the end and one climbs upto the One-Tree Hill point on Matheran and the dark forests of the hill station greet you. From here its a long flat walk to the main market. In the middle of the week, on a rainy day, there were very few people around and the lovely roads of Matheran were misty and moody, just the way they should be!

My very first hike was this very one many years ago. At that time we started from Chowk phata on Bombay-Pune road, through the valley which is now submerged by the waters of Morbe Dam. Ambewadi was a half-way point on that trek. The route to One-Tree Hill has always been a beautiful hike and it was unimaginably beautiful to me on that very first hike. Years later it still is a fantastic trek. Change is inevitable but the newer hikes feel somewhat inferior versions of the old ones (I had a similar experience with the changed Shidi Ghat at Bhimashankar). I miss the earlier experiences when things were less accessible, there were fewer trekkers and even less litter.  All that is left now are the awesome memories of experiences that are now just no longer possible.

Pics at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/115394767952469723630/MatheranViaShivajiLadder

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