The trek to Gorakhgad is one of the most thrilling of the winter treks I have done so far. Gorakhgad, when I heard about the trek, I immediately checked up the books (Trek the Sahyadris) and other Books in Marathi (Kille by Shri G. N. Dandekar, Giridurganchya Paharyat by Shri Anand Palande) for details about the trek. The authors mentioned that this fort is situated 12 kms. North East Direction from Murbad and 2 kms. From Siddhagad. This fort can be easily noticed because of its peculiar appearance. From the base of the hill, the height of this fort is around 400 Mts. The fort is divided into two parts, the fort below with caves and the main fort on the top. The route to the caves on the fort is a rock patch staircase, which is uneven, and faces the valley below. The open area in front of the caves is approx. 15-20 feet. There are a few water tanks near the caves. There are narrow steps, which lead to the second half of the fort and due to this Gorakhgad is said to be one of the toughest treks in Maharashtra. However, it is generally stated that this Trek especially the last patch is to be avoided in monsoon otherwise this trek is safe in winters. So how can I sit without visiting this fort since it’s winter.
We were a group of 9 people. Our program was simple, meet at 5 p.m. on a Saturday at Kalyan Railway Station. Proceed to Murbad and from Murbad to Dehri. Dehri is a small village at the foot of the Gorakhgad and Machindragad. When we reached Dehri it was night around 8.30 p.m. On reaching Dehri we saw a forest fire at the foot of the Fort. The locals told us that it was lit by the hunters who are hunting for wild boars and rabbits.
Being the end of February it’s always necessary to carry extra bottles of water and fruits like oranges and mosambis; we realized it the hard way during our previous two treks to Harishchandragad and Dhak Plateau. So we decided to carry a lot of water and fruits this time of the year. So at the Base of the fort in Dehri, we got our bottles filled with water and moved ahead in the darkness.
Within minutes we started our climb but being in the darkness none of us realized how we were climbing. All of us were just following the beaten path (with the limited Light which we had) with no idea about the height we have attained. As we passed by the Forest Fire we could clearly hear the drum beats showing clear sign that the hunters were on kill. The climb was slow and gradual till we reached the rock patch.
In the night we moved slowly on the rock patch taking halts wherever necessary and sipping water at regular intervals. Even during the night the climate was warm and the climb was exhausting all of us. By now all of us had emptied nearly half of the water stock with us.
Due to Darkness all of us were extra cautious during the rock climb. At around 11.30 p.m. when we reached the caves, all of us were exhausted and hungry but by now the water stock was as good as over and we had to look for the water in the tanks nearby the caves. After a long struggle in pulling the water from the water tanks, we began with our dinner and normal trekking chats which relaxed all of us after an exhausting trek.
One good thing in treks is that even a sleep of 4 to 5 hours is enough to get yourself recharged for the next day. When we came out of the cave we noticed the Huge Pinnacle like fort which was Machindragad right in front of us. We also realized that the mountain was blackened due to the forest fire lit by the local hunters who didn’t care for the environment, trees and weeds that were burnt in the fire.
Our next day began as early as 6 a.m. and after about an hour or so we started on our last climb to the top of Gorakhgad. The route was a proper staircase route by an extremely steep one. The start was a rock patch climb of about 10-15 feet height. The staircase also had slit in the rock, which enabled us to get a proper hold of the rock during our climb to the top. The first thing you will notice when u reach the top of the fort is the saffron colored Shiv temple, which has a pleasing painting of Lord Shiva.
The top of the fort was much windy and we could get a proper view the adjoining area and the forts. From the top we could also see the forts and ranges of Machindragad Siddhagad, Ahupe Ghat, Durg Fort, Jivdhan, Nane Ghat (which was in the mist all the time till we left). Thus we can imagine how during the time of Shivaji Maharaj the Killedars used to keep a vigil or surveillance over the adjoining areas and also send messages across to the other forts.
We also were visited by the most found wild life in these ranges, the Monkeys, who were in search for their early morning breakfast attacked the garbage bag kept outside the caves and we had necessary action for preventing the plastic from spreading. We also tried to learn some tips of rock climbing from them by shooting some videos of the monkeys but couldn’t learn much in the short available time.
After a spine-tingling rock climb, we decided to bid adieu to one of the most difficult caves and the fort in Maharashtra, for our downward journey. Since the climb was in the darkness of night, we were more excited to know what and how we had climbed during the night. The climb down to village Dehri was also equally as exciting as the rock patch we climbed during the day. Following the Rocky Patch we encountered the slippery sand and rocks route which was more dangerous to cross. As we descended, we could get the view of the forts (Gorakhgad and Machindragad) standing tall like the Twin Towers which could never be demolished by any one.
We were a group of 9 people. Our program was simple, meet at 5 p.m. on a Saturday at Kalyan Railway Station. Proceed to Murbad and from Murbad to Dehri. Dehri is a small village at the foot of the Gorakhgad and Machindragad. When we reached Dehri it was night around 8.30 p.m. On reaching Dehri we saw a forest fire at the foot of the Fort. The locals told us that it was lit by the hunters who are hunting for wild boars and rabbits.
Being the end of February it’s always necessary to carry extra bottles of water and fruits like oranges and mosambis; we realized it the hard way during our previous two treks to Harishchandragad and Dhak Plateau. So we decided to carry a lot of water and fruits this time of the year. So at the Base of the fort in Dehri, we got our bottles filled with water and moved ahead in the darkness.
Within minutes we started our climb but being in the darkness none of us realized how we were climbing. All of us were just following the beaten path (with the limited Light which we had) with no idea about the height we have attained. As we passed by the Forest Fire we could clearly hear the drum beats showing clear sign that the hunters were on kill. The climb was slow and gradual till we reached the rock patch.
In the night we moved slowly on the rock patch taking halts wherever necessary and sipping water at regular intervals. Even during the night the climate was warm and the climb was exhausting all of us. By now all of us had emptied nearly half of the water stock with us.
Due to Darkness all of us were extra cautious during the rock climb. At around 11.30 p.m. when we reached the caves, all of us were exhausted and hungry but by now the water stock was as good as over and we had to look for the water in the tanks nearby the caves. After a long struggle in pulling the water from the water tanks, we began with our dinner and normal trekking chats which relaxed all of us after an exhausting trek.
One good thing in treks is that even a sleep of 4 to 5 hours is enough to get yourself recharged for the next day. When we came out of the cave we noticed the Huge Pinnacle like fort which was Machindragad right in front of us. We also realized that the mountain was blackened due to the forest fire lit by the local hunters who didn’t care for the environment, trees and weeds that were burnt in the fire.
Our next day began as early as 6 a.m. and after about an hour or so we started on our last climb to the top of Gorakhgad. The route was a proper staircase route by an extremely steep one. The start was a rock patch climb of about 10-15 feet height. The staircase also had slit in the rock, which enabled us to get a proper hold of the rock during our climb to the top. The first thing you will notice when u reach the top of the fort is the saffron colored Shiv temple, which has a pleasing painting of Lord Shiva.
The top of the fort was much windy and we could get a proper view the adjoining area and the forts. From the top we could also see the forts and ranges of Machindragad Siddhagad, Ahupe Ghat, Durg Fort, Jivdhan, Nane Ghat (which was in the mist all the time till we left). Thus we can imagine how during the time of Shivaji Maharaj the Killedars used to keep a vigil or surveillance over the adjoining areas and also send messages across to the other forts.
We also were visited by the most found wild life in these ranges, the Monkeys, who were in search for their early morning breakfast attacked the garbage bag kept outside the caves and we had necessary action for preventing the plastic from spreading. We also tried to learn some tips of rock climbing from them by shooting some videos of the monkeys but couldn’t learn much in the short available time.
After a spine-tingling rock climb, we decided to bid adieu to one of the most difficult caves and the fort in Maharashtra, for our downward journey. Since the climb was in the darkness of night, we were more excited to know what and how we had climbed during the night. The climb down to village Dehri was also equally as exciting as the rock patch we climbed during the day. Following the Rocky Patch we encountered the slippery sand and rocks route which was more dangerous to cross. As we descended, we could get the view of the forts (Gorakhgad and Machindragad) standing tall like the Twin Towers which could never be demolished by any one.
The twin towers of Maharashtra
Congratulations, friends for blogs on your adventutous expeditions in Sahyadri. I would suggest a few things as a reader. More photoes, personal touch to your posts and guidance to freshers. Thank you.
ReplyDeletethanx for all ur comments....the comments keep us motivating...and will try to add our views to the blogs too
ReplyDeleteTo view pics of Sahyadri forts, old temples & caves which I have clicked in Maharashtra, Goa & Karnataka, please visit the link http://picasaweb.google.com/sudarshan.multimedia
ReplyDelete