OLD HAUNTS AND NEW FAVOURITES: PEB FORT TO MATHERAN

Matheran as seen from Peb fort

Of all the hikes I have done so far, the one I have done most often is the hike to Matheran from Peb fort. If you are from Bombay, you can’t have it easier: a local train drops you at Neral station, from where you can climb to Peb fort and return back. If you want a tougher experience, traverse the fort and cross over to Matheran hill station following the railway tracks.

For a change, this time a hotel (and not an ordinary one!) had been booked so we could stay over and rest for the night. Though the Peb fort route to Matheran was not our original plan, thanks to someone’s suitcase and laptop, we ended up splitting and choosing this trek. We started off from Neral station towards the countryside. Once this was free land, now it was divided and demarcated by fences causing some detours. However the path is well marked by villagers with painted arrows. For directions otherwise, follow a chain of electric towers in the beginning. The route then ascends steeply for about half an hour through thick jungle which thins out by the time you reach the top.

‘The top’ is actually a sharp narrow ridge leading towards the fort and the views of both the valleys on either side are great. This is tricky during heavy rains as the wind gets pretty intense but we were lucky to have a cloudy sky and at most a drizzle. A few rocky patches gave nightmares to the lone brave girl on this trek but she was a superstar that day (with a little help of course!). The route goes along the cliffs to reach a wall where a shaky but sturdy metal ladder gives access into the fort.

The peak of the fort is a small temple which requires another steep climb but we skipped it and went traversing the grassy top, enjoying the flat walk with fabulous views. We met a group of young trekkers who had also come from Mumbai (Vidyalankar classes trekking club!) who had not been here before. Amidst their fawning over my gear (the bag, the shoes...my dying, worn-out canvas Hunters!) and request for directions, I quite felt the veteran! Two more ladders and we descended the fort with Matheran before us.

Another long walk took us to the Matheran massif:  a V-shaped depression between the mountains is a marker and the wind here is always strong. We traversed from the side of the massif till we reached the final ladder and then onwards steps took us to an arch that announces the railway track is reached. This point is below Panorama Point, the northernmost edge of Matheran hill-station. We separated from the trekking group and started our long trudge to the centre of the hill plateau – Charlotte Lake.

Matheran was made into a summer retreat by the Britishers in the late 1800s and the place is littered with crumbling properties. One such property, Barr House, has being lovingly restored by the good people of Neemrana Resorts (who are now experts at this kind of thing) and the result is the immaculate Veranda in the Jungle. If you have the cash, then this is the place to stay in Matheran. Monsoon is off-season so rates are more affordable. It was my first time and I highly recommend the place!

Finally our hike ended after a six kilometre trudge across Matheran (from rail tracks to hotel) and it was wonderful to unwind with friends after a long, long trek (it took us six hours from base with numerous stops!).  At night, we had Continental dinner in a room with high vaulted ceilings and Colonial furniture, with music playing nearby. Inside the main dining room, the lights were off and other visitors were having food in candle-light. Next morning we would sit in the large veranda of the property, sipping tea, looking out at the mist-covered jungles of Matheran, so serene and beautiful. Moments like this may never happen again – all these friends together at one place, and there couldn’t have been a better way to spend a weekend!

For more pictures here's the link: https://picasaweb.google.com/upsidedownv/MatheranViaPebFort?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOPc6O2omIy4YQ&feat=directlink

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TACKLING TRINGALWADI

My first attempt at Tringalwadi fort in Igatpuri region of Sahyadris was a failure! Not aware of the logistics of reaching the base village, me and my band of novice trekkers had walked on a tar road for several kilometres, reached the base village and seen the lake behind it. Then we trudged towards the caves and decided to call it a day, just at the base of the fort. This time, taking no chances, I decided that going by our own vehicle would solve all the problems. The rain gods have been truant this season but it was July and hoping the weather would be pleasant in Igatpuri as it generally is in monsoons, our little band of trekkers (one novice, others experienced) fit ourselves in a Chevrolet Spark and zoomed off on the Bombay-Nasik road.

Tringalwadi fort from base village

The Kasara ghat was full of clouds and it was a promising vision! Past Igatpuri, we took a diversion from the highway and were on a small road that goes from Takay village to Tringalwadi village. The road was slightly bumpy but we’ve been to worse. This road now extends further to other small hamlets, the last of which is nearest to the Jain caves (locally known as Pandavleni) at the base of the fort. These are badly preserved like all archaeologically significant monuments in the state and we could only get the faintest glimpses of their glory.

From the caves, many routes confusingly move to the small plateau on the top. After some confusion we reached a small hamlet from where another climb starts. There was a light drizzle but the weather was cool and refreshing; watching the mist move near the mountains while the green countryside lay in front of us was a nice sight.

Some more climbing takes you to a crucial point from where two paths diverge at the foot of the fort massif; the one on the right takes you to small steps that lead you to the fort and the one on the left takes you to the Chor Darwaja. We took the easier right route that took us into the fort. The fort top is grassy with only a few water tanks and a couple of ruins. We rested and ate, gazing at the mountains around and then walked along the grassy expanse towards a small temple. In front of the temple is a ‘trishul’ and a flag. With a majestic mountain as a backdrop this is an ideal point to snap pics (which we dutifully did – including a tandav pose with the trishul!).

From the temple we climbed up to reach the highest point of the fort. There is nothing much here except for the view of the countryside. The silence and beauty was wonderful and we lunched enjoying our superior position in the world (a fact that was indirectly conveyed by clicking a pic and sending it online to our friends!). We descended to the lower level and made our way to the other entrance – the Chor Darwaja. The doorway is demarcated by a striking large relief of Lord Hanuman - the monkey god whose orange colour was almost glowing; you have to be flexible and alert to negotiate the gigantic steps of the staircase here especially in the rainy season. The last few steps are destroyed and slightly tricky (as the newbies found out!) A cliff side walk took us to the diversion point of the morning and then it was an easy descent.

Back at the village a water pond invited us and we all jumped in. It was a great relaxing end to a idyllic fun hike! Great way to start the 2012 trekking season; now just praying the rain gods deliver!

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

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Bidar: A forgotten fort

I haven't been on a real hike for quite some; taking a year out for studies its been difficult to really plan something...There was one disastrous strike where some of us got swept by an angry stream but after that there's been no trekking at all. At most I have had small outings, one of which happened last month to a dusty old town in Deccan called Bidar.

Bidar is really like a forgotten town; its almost in the middle of nowhere (close to Andhra border, but in Karnataka). It was the capital of the Bahamani Sultans, one of the short lived Muslim empires in southern India. The Bahamani and Barid Shahi Sultans built a large fort in Bidar and a series of tombs outside the city. Our little group of friends went to Bidar because it was close to Hyderabad and is said to have marginally better weather (very true!).

The old town in Bidar is almost medieval in appearance; all short buildings, narrow lanes (save for a few main roads) and no trees. In the centre of the town was the Chabutara, a clock tower and on the way to the fort were the remains of the an old university founded by an Iranian scholar. The fort is very impressive; its huge walls encompass a large area - I believe it is one of the biggest forts in India. You can drive through the series of successive walls (since Bidar was more or less flat, three series of walls were built to hold of invaders). The  fantastic walls and gateways take you towards the archaelogical museum which overlooks a series of pristine green lawns; that was the only greenery around for miles!

A downer at Bidar is that many of the monuments are supposedly under restoration and out of bounds for most visitors (there are hardly any visitors at Bidar and we barely saw a couple of groups around). Not much restoration seems to be happening, but we managed to sneak inside the 'Rangeen Mahal' which is fabulous: wood interiors and mosaic work dating back to 15th century exists and gives an idea of the grandeur of bygone era. Mean while the vast expanse of the fort is dotted with other monuments (some of which were a backdrop for a Vidya Balan number from her hit 'Dirty Picture'. The great thing about Bidar was that it was quite, free of crowds and atmospheric with its long stretches of ruins and walls.

Later we went to the derelict and even much more off-the-radar Bahamani tombs. These too are mostly closed (a feature with Bidar!). However one single tomb was open and at first though there was nothing you could see in the darkened interior, a few minutes were needed to start noticing the painted interiors of the large tomb. Though severely damaged, the entire dome and many walls were decorated with beautiful non-figurative Islamic paintings.It was wondrous to see the detail and beauty as the eye adjusted to the dark and a feeling of privilege to see ancient examples of Indian painting still alive on walls....

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November Rain: Panhala to Pawan Khind - part 1

What constitutes a winter hike? Would long showers, misty hills, green forests make up a monsoon trek? Lately it seems the definitions of seasons are getting blurred; what else could explain the continuing spells of rain this winter season. However I am not complaining!

There were worries that a planned hike in November from Panhala to Vishalgad would involve some perspiration. However when I set out for a night bus headed to Kolhapur it was cloudy and there was rain on the way. Saturday dawned with wet ground and cloudy skies; fellow trekkers from Pune and Sangli were on time and we set out on a beautiful road to Panhala that was flanked by banyan trees on both sides and sugarcane fields all around.

Panhala is one the least-fort like forts I have been to. From Panhala we set out around eight from Pusati-cha Buruj, down a clearly marked path. Once we were at the foothills we went past a small hamlet along a mucky road (mud was to be a feature on this wet winter hike; our shoes were a mess already within first half hour!). A short ascent suddenly led us to the flat expanse of Mhasai Pathar.

Mhasai Pathar is a long plateau completely flat with long grassy grounds. The open-ness was beautiful and surreal; the vistas all around were just of land and sky. We walked on the plateau for about an hour; it’s a great place to be lost in and must be tricky in monsoons. You are on the right path if you reach the Mhasai devi temple, the lone structure on top. A jeep can make way up to the plateau (we saw a car) but for now the plateau is beautifully tranquil.

At the temple as we had breakfast we caught sight of an eagle having his! Next we had to descend to first of the many villages that line this historic route that Shivaji’s brave legion of warriors undertook one stormy night. Kumbharwadi was the first village we had to reach but we missed our way and reached Bindowdi village instead. A small climb through butterfly infested bushes put us back on the correct path.

First stop was Manglaiwadi; the villagers were all out on the roads, drying out grass so that it was almost carpeted out on the roads. Families were out together, sharing work – scenes of simple village life that underscored hardship. It stressed upon me how their life is tuned to the cyclical nature of seasons.

Meanwhile we moved onto Khotwadi where we had our lunch in an old lady’s veranda. There, on the dung-smeared floor, surrounded by inquisitive goats, we rested ourselves, removed our bags and had a hearty lunch. In front of us the old lady washed her prized buffalo under a tap; she was followed by kids filling in their pots and pans. We came, we ate and we left but that tap continued to spill water ceaselessly.

In the afternoon, the clouds seemed to be gathering force. This time, it looked like the rain would stay. As we moved from wadi to wadi, it was clear that this was a hike of grassy walks. At some places it was thigh high, sometimes plain, sometimes blooming, sometimes dry and black, or wet with earlier rain….Rain when it came started came fast. Soon we were surrounded by mist and it looked as if we were in a monsoon outing.

It rained for a long time, the downpour eventually dissolving to a persistent light drizzle. We passed villages: Kalpewadi, Dhangarpada,….our destination finally in the light of our progress was to be Ambewadi. Most people were tired; my shoulders were sore especially my right one which had been suffering due to long hours on the computer. Ambewadi finally appeared and we just could not wait to get out of our wet clothes and shoes. Just walking through the muddy street of Ambewadi mucked our shoes completely!

Photos available here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/upsidedownv/Panhala?feat=directlink

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Last days of monsoon trekking

The Aug 15 hike is the peak of my monsoon trekking season; there are always few outings after that generally overwhelming experience. Personally end August and September are a wonderful time to trek when the flowers are out and crowds are thinning in the hills around Bombay. Nevertheless we were just not able to get out this time and soon it was time to bid monsoon goodbye.

Almost every (good trekking) year there is at least one hike to Matheran and this time somehow I hadn’t made it there in the rains. So when the chance came up to go to Matheran for a weekend stay I was upbeat. It had been a bit stressful at work so I was looking forward to some computer-free time.

The last time I wrote about Matheran I had an excellent time walking around. This time too I had wonderful walks in the forest which was still green. Better still, Navratri is the best time to visit Matheran because Gujarati tourists are busy with the festival and the hill station is almost empty and peaceful. Plus as a bonus, in contrast to Mumbai’s sultry heat, Matheran was cool and pleasant. Driving on Saturday from Panvel, we were engulfed in dense fog and as Matheran neared we left the fog behind for partially cloudy skies which meant the views were great from the top.

It has been a wonderful trekking year (after a couple of bad years) with good rains. In between the walks, we would rest in Paymaster Park (which is the highest point in Matheran) which was overgrown with wild flowers and grass. Sitting on a park bench, lazing in the mild sun, thinking about the good times while the air was heavy with the buzz of bees, mating dragonflies and flitting butterflies, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the monsoon trekking season.

Incidently when I returned back to Bombay it rained and it continues to on and off.....

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