Late Blog....
If the Monsoons are here can trekking be far behind! Ah...we not only love the rains so much but trekking in the rains as well! Sharing experiences from my Rajmachi Trek done in June 2015.
About the Place
Rajmachi (Udhewadi) is a small village in the rugged mountains of Sahyadris in India and falls between Lonavala and Karjat. It can be reached from either places. The fortification at Rajmachi consists of the twin forts, namely Shreevardhan fort and Manaranjan Fort. There are many trek routes one can take to reach Rajmachi and depending on the route taken the trek duration can range from 4 hours to 6 hours. We took the shorter but arduous route which involves a steep climb via the Kondane Caves passing thru dense forests.
Local Travel
Part of the team met at CST and took the fast train from CST to Karjat where the entire team met. Some group members joined us in the train from various other stations as per their convenience.The train was jam packed that day and the other passengers were venting out their anger on us as we had our bagpacks with us and the train was too crowded that day. People from Mumbai who travel often in trains can relate to this scene. Once we reached Karjat, which was a great relief from the maddening crowded train, we took the local transport (local rickshaw) to get to the Base Village, Kondivide. As soon as we sat in the rickshaw the rains started splashing and the first rains are always an amazing experience where you see the greenery start to come alive. At Kondivide village we had our tea and refreshments and after that the usual round of introduction of the entire team. In all we
were around 60 trekkers. Tea, Refreshments and Introductions done, we started our trek to Kondane Caves thru the wilderness.
Reaching Rajmachi via Kondane Caves
It takes 3 hours to reach Rajmachi or Udhewadi village from the base village. It is advisable to carry 2-3 litres of driking water per person. In all we had three stopovers, the first being the beautiful and serene Kondane Caves located in a small village, Kondana, between Lonavala and Karla Caves. The caves were excavated in first century B.C. Took a break here and spent time here for some photo-ops. We started our trek again and as we approached darkness we were stopped in our tracks by tiny yellow lights blinking over our heads and as we reached a clearing we could see thousands of fireflies fluttering above.
The Fireflies Show
One of the main added attractions of Rajmachi is the fireflies show that you get to witness in the dark dense jungle. Its like an open air theater and feels like hundreds of small search lights popping out of the trees. Could also see some fireflies hovering above our heads and it feels like a small shooting star zooming over you. Its a must watch, but this phenomenon happens only during the pre-monsoon period. Best time is from June 1-15 before monsoon deepens. Make sure to put off your torches to get the best view (that's why I don't have a fireflies show pic as even cameras can spoil the show). I guess we went at the right time as the monsoon had just started and the weather was extremely pleasant for trekking and we could see the fireflies show as well. Probably a week later and we would have missed the fireflies show. But as the monsoon advances one can get to see awesome waterfalls. We reached Rajmachi at 9:30 pm. We also had a birthday celebration for a fellow trekker and that went past midnight.
Night Jungle Trek
 |
| Monsoon Vistas..Clouds gather along the way to Rajmachi |
Part of the team met at CST and took the fast train from CST to Karjat where the entire team met. Some group members joined us in the train from various other stations as per their convenience.The train was jam packed that day and the other passengers were venting out their anger on us as we had our bagpacks with us and the train was too crowded that day. People from Mumbai who travel often in trains can relate to this scene. Once we reached Karjat, which was a great relief from the maddening crowded train, we took the local transport (local rickshaw) to get to the Base Village, Kondivide. As soon as we sat in the rickshaw the rains started splashing and the first rains are always an amazing experience where you see the greenery start to come alive. At Kondivide village we had our tea and refreshments and after that the usual round of introduction of the entire team. In all we
were around 60 trekkers. Tea, Refreshments and Introductions done, we started our trek to Kondane Caves thru the wilderness.
 |
| After Tea and Refreshments the customary Group Introduction Round |
 |
| Trekking our way to Rajmachi |
 |
| A glimpse of the trekking route |
It takes 3 hours to reach Rajmachi or Udhewadi village from the base village. It is advisable to carry 2-3 litres of driking water per person. In all we had three stopovers, the first being the beautiful and serene Kondane Caves located in a small village, Kondana, between Lonavala and Karla Caves. The caves were excavated in first century B.C. Took a break here and spent time here for some photo-ops. We started our trek again and as we approached darkness we were stopped in our tracks by tiny yellow lights blinking over our heads and as we reached a clearing we could see thousands of fireflies fluttering above.
 |
| A glimpse of Kondane Buddhist Caves, our first stopover |
 |
| Another Glimpse of Kondane Caves |
 |
| Nice photo-op at the Kondane Caves |
 |
| Heading towards Rajmachi |
One of the main added attractions of Rajmachi is the fireflies show that you get to witness in the dark dense jungle. Its like an open air theater and feels like hundreds of small search lights popping out of the trees. Could also see some fireflies hovering above our heads and it feels like a small shooting star zooming over you. Its a must watch, but this phenomenon happens only during the pre-monsoon period. Best time is from June 1-15 before monsoon deepens. Make sure to put off your torches to get the best view (that's why I don't have a fireflies show pic as even cameras can spoil the show). I guess we went at the right time as the monsoon had just started and the weather was extremely pleasant for trekking and we could see the fireflies show as well. Probably a week later and we would have missed the fireflies show. But as the monsoon advances one can get to see awesome waterfalls. We reached Rajmachi at 9:30 pm. We also had a birthday celebration for a fellow trekker and that went past midnight.
 |
| Beautiful views along the way.... |
Night Jungle Trek
An awesome experience trekking in the night thru dense forests with only searchlights..it is quite thrilling and exciting...should say, made me a fan of night treks.
Food & Camping at the base village
Enjoyed the dormitory type camping experience and the food was APRATEEM(too yummy). We were treated to some awesome Kande Pohe and Chai for snacks and an equally yummy Thali food for dinner. Typical yummy village food and that too in the rains....a perfect combination! We slept only for a few hours after midnight before we were woken up by our trek lead again at 5:00 am.
A Walk in the Clouds to Shreevardhan Fort
Next day we all got up by 5am and freshened up a bit before starting our trek from Rajmachi to Shreevardhan fort by 5:30am. The early morning trek from Rajmachi to the top of Shreevardhan Fort turned out to be a WALK IN THE CLOUDS. Perfect weather. Superb experience. We skipped Manaranjan fort. Reached the Shreevardhan top by 6:30am. View from the top was awe inspiring.
We could locate Lonavala, Pawna Dam and The Duke's Nose from the top. By the time we descended we were engulfed in fog and it drizzled a bit every now and then. After a breakfast of Pohe along with Chai, we took leave and started our descent from Rajmachi. An appetizing lunch awaited us at Kondivide Village. Post lunch we started our trip back to Mumbai.
A Monsoon Night Jungle Trek, A Walk in the Clouds in the Sahyadris and a Fireflies show. Can a trekking experience get any better...Happy Trekking....:)
Food & Camping at the base village
Enjoyed the dormitory type camping experience and the food was APRATEEM(too yummy). We were treated to some awesome Kande Pohe and Chai for snacks and an equally yummy Thali food for dinner. Typical yummy village food and that too in the rains....a perfect combination! We slept only for a few hours after midnight before we were woken up by our trek lead again at 5:00 am.
 |
| Kande Pohe and Chai time at the Base Village...Yummy! Yummy!! |
 |
| Beautiful lake near the base village...beautiful views along the way... |
Next day we all got up by 5am and freshened up a bit before starting our trek from Rajmachi to Shreevardhan fort by 5:30am. The early morning trek from Rajmachi to the top of Shreevardhan Fort turned out to be a WALK IN THE CLOUDS. Perfect weather. Superb experience. We skipped Manaranjan fort. Reached the Shreevardhan top by 6:30am. View from the top was awe inspiring.
We could locate Lonavala, Pawna Dam and The Duke's Nose from the top. By the time we descended we were engulfed in fog and it drizzled a bit every now and then. After a breakfast of Pohe along with Chai, we took leave and started our descent from Rajmachi. An appetizing lunch awaited us at Kondivide Village. Post lunch we started our trip back to Mumbai.
 |
| And there is The Dukes Nose, a favorite rapelling point with Trekkers. |
 | ||
View of Rajmachi from Shreevardhan Fort
|
 |
| Clouds begin to envelop the Mountains..View from Shreevardhan fort..Amazing vistas...!! |
 |
| Group click on top of the Shreevardhan Fort!! |
 |
| And Finally the Grand Group Click..after the Trek!! Happy Trekking!! |
A Monsoon Night Jungle Trek, A Walk in the Clouds in the Sahyadris and a Fireflies show. Can a trekking experience get any better...Happy Trekking....:)
Very well captured.. 2015? You have written this as if it was yesterday!☺️ Can sense your excitement and the experience thru this.. thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anjum...:)..yes I had to exercise my brain a bit to go that far back...I will try to get my blogs out sooner from now on..:)
Delete