"It's not the Mountains we Conquer, But Ourselves".
_Sir Edmund Hillary
Finally!!
Yes Finally we did it!!! Kalavantin Durg Summit.
Kalavantin Durg, one of the Most Challenging trek to the top in the Western Ghats. Situated in between Matheran and Panvel and falls under Raigad District of Maharastra, the high summit stands at 2300 ft.( approx) above sea level offering gorgeous views and abundant beauty – via rugged terrain with narrow rock-cut steps, steep slopes and no support whatsoever – the trek to and from the fortress is dangerous yet thrilling.
According to legends , it is said that the Durg was constructed in honour of a Queen named Kalavantin and was used as a watchtower on surrounding areas.
Jaw Dropping Trek to Kalavantin Durg/ Prabalgad Fort.
We were 5 of us, started our journey at 7am from Ghansoli, Navi mumbai for about 47km on Mumbai-Pune Expressway towards the destination. It took us 1 hour - passing Shedrung Toll Naka and then we turned to our left till we reached Thakurwadi Village which is the start point for the trek.
Gushing through dense lush green forests, the trek is punctuated with several stalls for tea and snack and followed by breakfast/lunch point that is nestled at the lower plateau of Prabalmachi. Prabalmachi is the midway hamlet base where trekkers can relaxed for sometime and enhance the trek from thereon.
From Prabalmachi Plateau one can see the Kalavantin Durg elevated high clearly. We sat there while one of our friends (Dada) gave some brief regarding the history of the Maratha Empire. Listening to the history and looking at the standing figure was fascinating and we're hypnotized by the luring views all around.
From Prabalmachi Village, there are two routes – one leading to Prabalgad and the other (to the left) leading to Kalavantin. You have a triangle resemblance for Kalavantin while Prabalgad Durg is a flat hill.
We opted for Kalavantin Durg!!!
On the way one can hear some trekkers chanting "Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji " followed by " Har...Har...Mahadev " which infuses energy and make more interesting for the trek.
For about 15-20 minutes of trekking you reach at the foot of the main elevation. The valley sloping away on one side makes you aware of the altitude. This is followed by a 2-min ascend on rocks before you reach a set of steep narrow steps cut into the rock.
Be extremely cautious here as you could be hurt badly if you fall. Climbing the steps will take about 20-30 minutes. This is followed by a short climb over a rock about 15 ft high to reach the pinnacle.
Upon reaching the pinnacle, the panaromic views from the top was an awe-inspiring views though this doesn’t deter those in pursuit of heart-pounding adventure – but jaw-dropping views and beautiful scenery on the way up make the trek all the more worthwhile.
We stayed there for a while. Not only we captured the moments on camera but only in our hearts.
Till our Hearts and Souls soaked in the Scenario of the Landscapes, we decided to descend. We thought climbing up was dangerous but we did not realised descending from the top would be risky and treacherous. People with acrophobia are suggested not to look down from the clip while coming down but to stick to the sidewall of the rock.
We reached the hamlet safely and had lunch at Mahalakshmi Hotel. After having finished our lunch it took another 1 hour to reach the starting point and then we rode back home.
P.S: the trek was easy to medium for me. And yes it was an adventurous trek.