It is difficult for us to stay indoors and away from adventure for long. What was to be a brainstorming discussion on way forward turned into a super adventure amidst the magical Western Ghats as we trudged along to climb the Karnala Fort.
Here is a small video of our trip!
Tip: Watch in HD + Full Screen and do enjoy the music!
It was the kids first proper trek in the Sahyadri Ranges and they loved every inch of it. Oh the joys of seeing children bubbling with energy, it is certainly infectious, their constant enthusiasm and lack of complaints can be motivating for many of us tired souls too.
While it was certainly heartening as parents to see children do what children should - some time off from their intricate digital worlds.
There is a nominal entry fee for the Fort, the entry is a controlled one through a proper road and there is a ticket counter, where one needs to pay Parking Fees and tickets for both Adults and Children, I paid a total of Rs410 for 2 full tickets and 2 halves along with Parking.
Sorry I forgot to check the details - don't be like me, always check your tickets!
You will see the climb starts almost after the canteen next to the river, there are washrooms at regular intervals from the main gate to the last one just before the trail starts.
Remember to travel light, wear nice and easy clothing, shoes with good grip. The trail is medium to difficult for first timers and has a constant gradient as well. But then this is just the beginning and things get really interesting while on top.
As one climbs higher and higher, the trail is pretty much restricted to just enough for 2 people to walk across, the pathway is lined by 7ft high shrubs and grass, making for a tunnel effect. The last 750m or so there are railings put which are useful for climbing, the rains really doubled the complexity for us as we had to be extremely careful while climbing down due to mud, moss and wet rocks and that too with kids. Our shoes though did a fabulous job and we did not have any kind of mishaps and all in all it was a day to remember for a long time.
Cheers and have an adventurous weekend!