6th Mar 21 => 7th Mar 21
Rajgad, formerly known as Murumdevs is one of
the best-preserved forts in Maharastra and served as an early capital of the Maratha Empire for 26 years. I went on a night
trek starting from the base of the fort towards the Palli gate. We reached there around 2:30 and then
set up tents. There was supposed to be a sleeping break but 4 of us went on to trek towards the
“Balekilla” (upper fort) and other parts till 4:30 am. Which was followed by a group hike to Sanjivani
Machee to witness the sunrise. After that glorious encounter, we began a sleep-deprived and exhausted
descent.
13th Mar 21 => 14th Mar 21
Harishchandragad named after king Harishchandra was built during Kalachuri dynasty, who soon lost their territory to
the Chalukyas of Vatapi.This fort also
features the 6th highest peak Taramati (named after the wife of King Harishchandra) in Maharashtra state
with height of 1,431m. There are references to this fort in Puranas and has a spiritual significance in Vaishnavism.
We left for the fort from Pune around 7:30 pm and reached the base at 3:30 am. After having
night snacks, we started the ascend and reached the Taramati peak around 5:45 am. The ascent was non
monotonous covering steep cliffs, forest paths, and plane ground. It became slightly challenging near
the end but the view from the top was worth the trouble. We waited for the sunrise and then headed
towards the Konkan Kada and nearby temples. Had breakfast at the fort and started our descent.
19th Jun 21 => 20th Jun 21
Ratangad was foggy, wet, and pleasant. An early morning trek on which we got lost near the end but managed
to find our way back. These are the times I wished I didn’t have glasses. Started from Ratanwadi visited
all four gates (Ganesh, Hanuman, Konkan, and Trimbak) and needle head along with some caves. Also rice
paddies,
