MAHABALESHWAR TO RAIRESHWAR

Last month, at the end of monsoon, I stayed at Mahabaleshwar for a couple of days. There at Arthur’s Seat, along with my uncle, we reminisced about our memorable monsoon trek years ago from Dhavle Ghat which lies way below Arthur’s Seat. Right there the germ of returning

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BASGAD: BRINGING THE MONSOON TREKKING SEASON TO AN END WITH A BANG!

September is generally not an active trekking month since the rains peter out and festivals dot the calendar. This year’s monsoon being anything but normal, it was surprising that we were out on a trek this late (23rd). I was up for Malshej or Igatpuri where we would

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SUNDAY AT SUDHAGAD

This year’s monsoon has been anything but normal; the continuing rains in September suddenly opened possibilities. After an aborted attempt last year to Sudhagad, I was determined to return. Though I first visited Sudhagad nine years ago, I remembered it as a beautiful and accessible place. We set

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BAGLAN TREK: SALHER

As our hike to Mulher ended, the clouds had dispersed and the sun was shining brightly. we had taken a dip in a nearby stream, wondering how hot it would be the next day. When we got up next day at six, it was dark and drizzling, but

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THE BAGLAN TREK: MULHER, MORAGAD, HARGAD

Moragad-Mulher-Hargad Panorama (courtesy: Ameya) For the yearly August hike (taking place mostly on 15th but this year shifted to 18th due to a long weekend) I had planned an outing to Nasik area. I had a painful experience on a hike to Salher-Mulher forts a decade ago after

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SURPRISES AT SINDOLA FORT

After a spell of dry hikes in familiar places, it was time to venture to an unexplored place. Sindola fort is slightly off-radar and not known to many but its right on Malshej Ghat road, ahead of Khubi Phata – the famous signpost for the Harischandragad trek. So

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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,

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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

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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

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