Me and my friends, we didn't go trekking anywhere during the entire monsoon which is actually when you can experience natural beauty at its best. We were all busy and didn't have time to spare, really. Then came this month when a plan finally took shape and the destinations chosen were two very easy forts - Lohagad and Korigad. We were going after a long break so we thought that 'let us not strain ourselves too much to start with'.
Lohagad was on the agenda for quite a long time, unlike Korigad which was a new addition that was taken up. As always; SMSs were fired to 'probable' team members. There were some 'on-off' like responses and at the end 3 people were sure to come.
Having started at 6:30 from Mumbai, we reached Lohagad Base Village (Lohagadwadi) at around 9:15 after a break for tea and lunch in Lonavala. When you enter Lonavla from Mumbai end, you need to turn right at Kumar Resorts and then go straight from the next circle. The stretch of 30 odd kilometers passes underneath the Express Way twice and reaches the village Bhajeghar. The ghaat that you encounter while on the way to Lohagadwadi is tricky. The road is in extremely bad condition, filled with big stones and sand which weakens the grip of your car's (or even worse, your bike's) footwear. Hence, it is advised to use the best of your driving skills here. It is thrilling though; and I enjoyed driving on the 'otherwise' bad road. We parked our vehicles at Lohagadwadi. There were a few shops out there selling snacks and cold drinks.
The way up lohagad is so simple from there onwards. Just a small walk in the woods and you are welcomed by the neatly laid steps that take you right atop Lohagad. A very nicely maintained fort, where major part of the fortification is intact and is beautiful to see. You pass through multiple doors (Ganesh Darwaja, Narayan Darwaja, Hanuman Darwaja and Maha Darwaja).
There are two 'Mosques' on the top. There is a huge cave named Laxmi Kothi where the treasure which was looted by Shivaji Maharaj was stored. The highlight of the Fort, 'Vinchu Kata' is on your right hand side when you enter the top of the fort. To reach Vinchu kata, one way goes from besides Laxmi Kothi while the other goes from besides the second mosque/Dargaah on the fort. One portion of the way to get to Vinchu Kata is extremely tricky and if you are not very confident you shouldn't venture. There is one footway which is easier as we were told by a local person; but sadly, only after we returned from there without being able to tackle that difficult part. However, to get good shots of the Vinchu Kata from the lens, reaching upto this spot where the difficult section is situated, is enough. That is all that you can see on the fort. Getting down shouldnt take more than 40 minutes.
Lohagad can also be reached by Train from Malavli Station. This route passes through Bhaaje Caves which are very beautiful, and this route involves a 1 hour long walk before the steps begin. Lohagad is a fort which everyone can enjoy; no matter if he/she is used to trekking or not.
We got down at 12 from Lohagad. Had limbu sarbat, some fruits and we proceeded to our next destination, Korigad. The other two members except me did not know this fort and were curious yet not keen. We reached 'Peth Shahapur' which is the base village for Korigad. Peth Shahpur is situated on the way to Amby Valley. From Lohagad, we had to reach back to Lonavla and follow the road directions to Amby Valley. Korigad appears like a huge vertical rock from it's base, Peth Shahapur. The trail starts with a nicely marked and clearly visible path. It reaches a tower where you have to take the road that is on the right hand side. Further, after covering another 200 Meters, a small path climbs up on your right hand side, leaving the broad path. You have to take that small path and walk through the dense forest for about 10 minutes when you reach the 'concrete' steps. From there onwards its just so simple. You will pass a Ganpati Mandir on your right hand and a cave. The steps lead you all the way up to the fort's huge table land. One should definitely take a walk over the fortification. You get nice views of the Amby Valley and Pavna Dam. The surrounding mountains are awesome.
Getting down is a 30 minutes job. But one should make sure that he/she takes the same route which was taken while climbing up. Or else he/she will end up getting to the other side of the fort and then, will have to walk for around 5 kilometers to reach the original starting point.
We started our return journey at around 5:30 and after a good couple of warm-up treks we were back to mumbai. Definitely recommended forts for anyone and everyone interested. Nothing much to be worried about. They are just that simple and just as brilliant as it gets !
Lohagad was on the agenda for quite a long time, unlike Korigad which was a new addition that was taken up. As always; SMSs were fired to 'probable' team members. There were some 'on-off' like responses and at the end 3 people were sure to come.
Having started at 6:30 from Mumbai, we reached Lohagad Base Village (Lohagadwadi) at around 9:15 after a break for tea and lunch in Lonavala. When you enter Lonavla from Mumbai end, you need to turn right at Kumar Resorts and then go straight from the next circle. The stretch of 30 odd kilometers passes underneath the Express Way twice and reaches the village Bhajeghar. The ghaat that you encounter while on the way to Lohagadwadi is tricky. The road is in extremely bad condition, filled with big stones and sand which weakens the grip of your car's (or even worse, your bike's) footwear. Hence, it is advised to use the best of your driving skills here. It is thrilling though; and I enjoyed driving on the 'otherwise' bad road. We parked our vehicles at Lohagadwadi. There were a few shops out there selling snacks and cold drinks.
There are two 'Mosques' on the top. There is a huge cave named Laxmi Kothi where the treasure which was looted by Shivaji Maharaj was stored. The highlight of the Fort, 'Vinchu Kata' is on your right hand side when you enter the top of the fort. To reach Vinchu kata, one way goes from besides Laxmi Kothi while the other goes from besides the second mosque/Dargaah on the fort. One portion of the way to get to Vinchu Kata is extremely tricky and if you are not very confident you shouldn't venture. There is one footway which is easier as we were told by a local person; but sadly, only after we returned from there without being able to tackle that difficult part. However, to get good shots of the Vinchu Kata from the lens, reaching upto this spot where the difficult section is situated, is enough. That is all that you can see on the fort. Getting down shouldnt take more than 40 minutes.
We got down at 12 from Lohagad. Had limbu sarbat, some fruits and we proceeded to our next destination, Korigad. The other two members except me did not know this fort and were curious yet not keen. We reached 'Peth Shahapur' which is the base village for Korigad. Peth Shahpur is situated on the way to Amby Valley. From Lohagad, we had to reach back to Lonavla and follow the road directions to Amby Valley. Korigad appears like a huge vertical rock from it's base, Peth Shahapur. The trail starts with a nicely marked and clearly visible path. It reaches a tower where you have to take the road that is on the right hand side. Further, after covering another 200 Meters, a small path climbs up on your right hand side, leaving the broad path. You have to take that small path and walk through the dense forest for about 10 minutes when you reach the 'concrete' steps. From there onwards its just so simple. You will pass a Ganpati Mandir on your right hand and a cave. The steps lead you all the way up to the fort's huge table land. One should definitely take a walk over the fortification. You get nice views of the Amby Valley and Pavna Dam. The surrounding mountains are awesome.
