Saturday, May 19, 2007

Siddhagad

Fort : Siddhagad
Height : 3223ft (above MSL)
Base Village(s) : Narivali , Siddhagadwadi (plateau just below the fort)
Grade: Easty upto Siddhagad wadi , Difficult from there to top of fort (loose rocks)

Route(s):
1. Karjat -> Mhasa -> Narivali (vehicles buses come till here) -> Siddhagadwadi (walk from Narivali to Siddhagad wadi)

2. Bhimashankar -> Bhatti (Forest region) Machan -> Valley down (take left at 1 point) circumvent Dhamdamia Dongar -> Siddhagadwadi

3. Mhasa -> Borwadi -> Siddhagadwadi.

We (myself, Vinod and Aditya) started for Siddhagad on a hot saturday afternoon. The plan was to ascend till Siddhagad wadi , stay there for the night and in the morning climb Siddhagad.

We started from Pune -> Chinchwad at around 3.30pm and went via Lonavala -> Khopoli -> Karjat -> Mhase -> Narivali. Narivali is the base village. Here we met 1 Kaluram Bhoir who told us we could park the car at his home and told us the route. He also gave us phone numbers of 1 Tanaji Nemade who lived atop siddhagadwadi so that we could inform them about where we were in case we got lost.

We started off towards Siddhagad. The sun was setting fast. We came to 1 village and crossed it. At one point the sun gone completely and darkness setting in we lost our way. We climbed through the waterfall route dangerously strewn with big rocks. We had missed the route big time. Anyways we got out our torches (mine and aditya's) as vindy had forgotten his. The route was tiring and night was coming swiftly. At one point we thought we should sleep here and not go ahead as we were all getting too tired and the route didnt seem to end. Finally at around 9.55pm in the night we reached the clearing where the plateau of siddhagad wadi starts thanks to Aditya and his compass watch we were able to go to the correct direction. The sense of elation we got when we reached there was blissful and we started walking towards siddhagad wadi. Once in the wadi we crossed a small school on the way where some trekkers from the Nisarg Bhraman group had settled down. Some more distance we asked for Tanaji Nemade and found him sleeping blissfully. Poor chap we woke him up and told our stuff to which he told there was another route very easier with which we could come up in 1.5 hrs. Imagine our level of frustation on hearing it and we were cursing ourselves on missing the route and climbing for 4 hours.

Tanaji gave us a open courtyard for settling down and we had our dinner with tales of other such foolhardy route climbs. My knee was paining at this point and I decided that I could not summit the next day if it worsens so thought OK thats over for me but lets wait for morning and see how the knee behaves.

We slept like logs and in the night a cat drummed on Vindy's face like a drummer and got us all awake and we had our time laughing out. Morning 6.00 we rose and I declared that I was not going to summit as i did not want to worsen my knee condition. Vindy and Aditya started towards the fort for the climb and i roamed the wadi and took photos.

Vindy and Aditya finally came down at around 11am or so and looking at their faces i could sense that the trek was tough up, anyways i was sad at missing out the scenic clouds and other things.

We went to the village well and bathed. It was pure bliss bathing in the hot sun with the cool water. We refreshed instantly.

Then we had a breakfast of usal and bhakri and started down towards Narivali at 11.49am. The sun was already shining high and heat was increasing but due to the tree cover we didnt get affected that much. We now got the correct way for going down and realized how we had hazardously climbed the night before. The way was cakewalk and we got down fast. But now the sun was beating like hell on us as we trudged slowly towards narivali. Once at Narivali we went to Kaluram;s home and rested for say 45 mins and had some water and cool drinks. Then we started towards home. A good trek but sad on missing out the summit. Will do it again.

Trek 14 accomplished.

Korigad

Fort : Korigad
Height : 3059 ft(above MSL)
Base Village(s): Peth Shahpur , Ambavane.
Region: Lonavala
Grade : Easy

Route(s):
1. Lonavala -> Bhushi -> GhusalKhamb(straight)->Peth Shahapur
2. Lonavala -> Bhushi -> GhusalKhamb -> Peth Shahapur -> Ambavane

Total km: Lonavala -> GhusalKhamb = 16km Ghusalkhamb -> PethShahpur = 6km PethShahpur -> Ambavane = 2km.

After doing Tung started towards Korigad. Came to base village PethShahpur and parked my bike at a roadside shop and started towards Korigad.

Went via a distinctly marked route but somewhere lost my way to go up but got the correct path thanks to the floodlight poles which Sahara group has erected. (Sahara has taken a massive construction of holiday homes and other stuff near Amby valley overlooking this fort. During night time the fort is visible via floodlight via specially erected poles giving a cool look)

Reached the fort steps(incidentially these steps were built by Sahara group to aid trekkers) but trekker dont like climbing over steps....:-) anyways had to go up the fort.

In between there is a temple of Lord ganesha and a cave with water next to it. The water did not seem potable to me.

Reached the fort in 25 mins and started walking along the walls. The fort is huge and has nothing much on top except some big cannons and some good architecture plus the eye soothing view of the Sahara City below.

Circumvented the fort in about an hour and the sun had come down shining hotly now on me. So when done with the fort and taking snaps started down. At 1 point there is a cool cave. Where i sat down and had my dabba and water. Rested for around 10 mins and started down. This time did not lose my way and found it correctly till the road. Had a thums-up and started on my bike towards home. Trek 13 accomplished.

Tung a.k.a Kathingad

Fort : Tung (Kathingad)
Height : 3500ft (Above MSL)
Base Village : Tungawadi
Region: Lonavala
Grade: Easy
Route(s):

1. Lonavala -> Bhushi dam -> INS Shivaji -> Air Force station -> Ghusalkhamb(turn left) again left (narrow tar road) -> Tungawadi Gaothan. Here there is a Maruti (Hanuman) temple. The route for the climb goes from front of the Hanumaan Temple

2. Kamshet -> Pawna backwaters-> Launch thru pawna backwaters -> Tung base -> climb. (difficult route)

Total km: Lonavala -> Ghusalkhamb = 16km , Ghusalkhamb -> Tungawadi = 8km.
Forts seen from here: Lohagad, Tikona, Visapur.

History of Tung: It was used as a watch tower over the maval region along with other forts like lohagad visapur and tikona.

Had gone to Tung fort on 19th May 2007. It is the one which i wanted to go from many days...so thought why not. Started from home around 5am on my bike (Pulsar150) towards Lonavala.The route after lonavala (bhushi) was scenic and cool. Clouds were drifting at low altitudes and it seemed like heaven.

On the way saw a Shivaling type of hill it was truely the most divine sight i have ever seen. Looks like a proper shivaling and its an isolated hill.

Reached GhusalKhamb and turned left but instead of taking the narrow road left went right 4-5km and thought something was amiss. So asked a local and he said go back and take the narrow road near the ghusalkhamb phata. Went back again and took the correct road and the road is too good but narrow. Reached Tungwadi Gaothan and went near the Maruti Mandir.

Took Darshan of Lord Hanuman and started at 7.09am from there onwards up. Takes like around 15-30 mins depending on ur strength but it is very easy. While going up at a short distance there is again a cave with Lord Hanuman in it. The route up is winding and goes easy.
Reached the fort darwaza at 7.24am (imagine doing a fort in the sahayadris in 15min)...was my fastest climb ever :-) )

Once on top took some photographs...Inside the first darwaaza there are two buruz and there is 1 more small door there to go atop. On top the scene is too awesome and cool! Nothing much on top. There is a Lord Ganesh Mandir on top there and a water source which is too greenish (not recommended for drinking atleast).

Once ur there the route goes slightly up circumventing a small rock formation towards the highest point of the fort (which is a buruz). There up the view of the Pawna backwaters is schintillating. You can see Tikona fort, Lohagad fort from here. There over a pole the bhagwa(saffron) flag flutters proudly and there is a small shrine of Tungai Devi in at the end point.

Once this was done started climbing down the fort and got down at 8.10am and again took darshan of Lord hanuman and started towards Peth Shahapur for Korigad. One more trek done.
Trek 12 accomplished