Katraj-Sinhagad Trek - Season-2

Where: Trek startes from Katarj old tunnel and ends at Sinhagad fort (13-15 hills around 17-18 kms) (trek ends at driving route from where sinhagad fort is 4-5 Kms, Kondhanpur-4 km and Pune 39 Kms by road)

When: Aug 23, 2008, Saturday

How to reach: From Swargate catch Bhor-bus Or take a Jeep to reach Katraj tunnel.

(daily jeeps from Swargate to Nasarapur). (we took Jeep - MH-12-3226, Driver Rahul: 9420732447, paying 20/head, also takes you to Rajgad(Gunjavane) if you want, call in advance)

As decided we all (7 trek-army guys from TIBCO Pune : http://www.tibco.com/) gathered at Swargate Bus stand 5.30-45 am, parked our two-wheelers and were ready to go.

Plan is to go by Bus, as some of us did same trek a month back and took a Bus.

But this time we got one Jeepwala with whom we reached other end of Katraj tunnel at 6.15 am.

We took some photos and without waiting too much we started climibing up and down (then up and down 13-14 times :-))). It was nice cloudy weather in the morning, we thought it will rain on the way but it didn't. It was then just long walk for us (3-4 small hills unlike first one).

And yes this time Sinhagad was clearly visibile with some clouds and DSK Vishwa on the other side. This time we saw new concrete blocks on the way.

It was around 8.30 when we almost finished our half-journey (as per our exprets)

where we took a breakfast (Eggs, Cucumber, Guva, Sandwitches (veg+penut-butter ones) "Premache" bananas n Sweet lemon + some bakarwadi from Chitale Sweet Home (not Chitale Bandhu Mithiwale and yes yes all this with mix of red-chilli powder and salt (तिखट-मीठ ).

From this point our destination was (just :-))) 4 hills to cross.

Our endurance was realy tested here..one has to really go bottom..bottom..bottom of the hill and again climb up..up..up. Some of us already went ahead....and finally we reached Sinhagad.

Reporting time by soldiers: 1st : 10.35, 2nd: 10.50 then rest...11.05, 11.15, 11.20, 11.35 :-)))

And this is the point where our last time trekkers meet one guy from Tibco who claimed that he is going up alone. :-))))))))))

I thought thats it ! we can hire a Jeep and reach Pune.

But someof us (who came in Season-1) came to know from that 'Tapariwala' that from garden (Talai Udyan) there is way down to village and so we thought of exploring that.

It was really steep way down..but somehow managed to finish it and reached based of the village. (Hotel Saaidaata where PMT stop is).

Bus came around 1.30 pm (16/head to Swargate) and we reached swargate around 2.30 pm.

Visapur - Monsoon Trek

Where: Visapur fort is @ Malavali -Karla village (from Lonavala about 8-10 km) .

When: 9th Aug'08, Saturday.

How to reach: local train stops at Malavali OR take old-Mumbai-Pune highway, as there is no malavali-exit if you go express way. (we planned to drive).

After railway crossing at malavali you will see bridge over expressway, just make U turn there to reach base of the village.

As planned we (11 TrekArmy guys from TIBCO Pune http://www.tibco.com/) started from Pune at 6 am, meeting point was Chandani Chowk. It was very nice and cloudy-weather (drizzling a bit) on the day. When we reached near Dehu Road hevay rain started (zero visibility while driving!) managed to locate Malavali - phata somehow. Just after railway crossing someof us had breakfast (कांदापोहे), someof us just took tea as they were fasting.

Our major and one more solider joined us directly at railway crossing, they came
via Pimpari-Nigdi.
We parked our vehicle near village school. And it was around 7.45-8 am when we started climbing slowly, taking nice pics on the way, through waterfalls .

Some of us went ahead..and were waiting near 2 mango trees from where one should take right, instead going straight. (that straight trail goes to visapur village). Our major did this trek many times so we were headed on the right path. Along the trail we observed few small crabs - our durkya like to play with them :-). Most diffcult part was walking up through waterfall...but all of managed somehow without slipping...and finally we reached at small cave start of fort.

And after climbing steps we reach at the top..time 9.45-10 am. It was too windy and cloudy at the top..absolutely no visibility. After spending around 10-15 min at the top we took small break and enjoyed some food items (naspati (like pear), apples, kakadi, Haladiram's packets, Kurkure, sandwitches).



We statred climbing down around 10.30 ...funny part was some of us started slipping every now n then, as trail through waterfall was too sleepary. Also we met local school (from bhaje) on the way back..casuing traffic jam....we reached at the base around 11.45-12.

And finally we reached Pune @ 2-2.30 pm.

Thanks to TrekArmy for such a nice break...!

Videos: Wind Show @ top and Water flowing up :-):

AnandaValley

One day picnic spot - near pune (51 kms)
Best time to visit: any time during monsoons/winters
Best suitable for bigger groups (atleast 10-15 ppl)
For more information and directions visit http://www.anandavalley.com/
On 23rd July'08 we started 7.40 am from our office (TIBCO Pune http://www.tibco.com/) reached AnandaValley around 9.30 am. Immediately we had nice breakfast (Kanda-Pohe + Upama + shev + chat-masala + tea + cofffe + Russ).

We then started our small eco-tour + hiking.

Best part of this eco-tour was mulberry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulberry (marathi: तुतु , तुती ) we had on the way.






while hiking we had more fun - some dialogues from marathi movie Valu + few ppl named durkya, forest, documantary-Apan-samppatrao :-)).

we ( had lotsa water before :-) ) played some cricket, vollyball, carrom, chess.

mauja-hi-mauja- rain dance :

snacks - small batate-wada + mirchi + tea - was desparate need after rain dance

It was around 7.30 when we finished all our activites and were headed back to pune.As AnandaVally serves only veg-food, we planned to stop at some veg-nonveg dhaba on the way back .

We had lotsa problem while searching for dhaba near chakan (someone suggested Rajratna, but was like resturant + too much crowded). There are plenty veg dhabas (vedant - looks good from outside). And finally we got place near Moshi -वा ! दाजिबा (took hr or so to serve dinner) !!

And thats the end - we reached pune around 10.30-11 pm.