Dronagiri Fort in Uran

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Dronagiri - The Delayed Trip

The Dronagiri Hill on which the fort is located, sadly the fortification can't be seen from here

Now you would be curious to know, why I am saying so. Read on.

The temperature was rising by the day so wanted to do a easy trek. I started my research on Google for the same. I came across a fort named Dronagiri in Uran. There is not much information available on it. A blog on Dronagiri by Ashutosh Bijoor helped me with directions to visit this fort.

As always I didn't put the event on Facebook, I like travelling in a small group, so I ask my friends. Manohar Chari volunteered to join me.

Manohar is an avid trekker who has been trekking the Sahayadri's for the last 20 years.

We decided to take the services of the train and ST bus to visit Dronagiri.

I decided to board the harbour line train to Panvel from Andheri. As there is no direct train to Panvel in the morning, I had to switch trains at Vadala Station. I boarded the 6:05 AM train to Vadala Station from Andheri, to reach Vadala Station at 6:34 AM.

I was on time at Vadala Station, but the harbour line trains were delayed by 10 minutes. I was to board the 6:38 AM train to Panvel. Manohar was to board the same train at Chembur at 6:53 AM.

Fortification and Entrance to Dronagiri Fort

Now there was another train scheduled for Panvel at 6:42 AM from Vadala Station. As the trains were running late, the Station Master made an announcement that, the 6:42 AM train will depart first. The moment he finished with the announcement the train had already left the station.  

How stupid on the part of the motorman, at least he should wait for one to two minutes, so that the people on the other platforms can make it on time. I went running over the bridge from platform no.1 to platform no.2. But before I could alight on platform no.2 the train had already left. First count of delay. Grrr.

This was the start of the delayed effect. Before I could convey my train status to Manohar, he had already boarded the train to Panvel. So we decided to meet at Panvel. The train I was in, reached Panvel at 7:44 AM.

We finally met, face to face at Panvel. Without wasting any time, we headed off to the ST bus stand as we had to board the bus to Uran.

Panvel ST Bus Stand is a crazy place. Always full of people as there are buses plying to various places across Maharashra from there. It is a prime junction.

We made inquiries at the reception in regards to the bus to Uran and as to where it is going to depart. The time was now 8 AM on my watch.

Church like structure in the fort premises

The crowd was gathering, but there was no sign of the bus.  The time was 8:45 AM on my watch, the bus finally arrived, people rushed to board the bus. Looking at the crowd outside and the crowd inside we had to take a decision, whether to board the bus or not. We exercised our decision to board the bus as we were not sure when the next bus would come. Second instance of delay.  There was not much crowd inside the bus and we managed to get a place to stand and later a place to sit.

As we were unaware as to where to alight we decided

to ask the bus conductor, for the closest stop to the fort. He too was unaware about it, but later asked the people around and told us to a light at the Uran Bus Stand. The hill next to it was the Drongiri Fort hill. The ticket cost us Rs. 60 for two.

Manohar was suggesting travelling by car to Uran. Five of us would have made the journey economical and saved time. As it was just the two of us, we traveled by ST bus.

I got the window seat, The view was nice. The first thing I noticed was the blue sky. I could find no trace of clouds. The next thing I noticed was the container trucks. They were all over the place.  The JNPT port is nearby hence the population of the trucks was on the rise. In a distance we could see huge go-downs where most of the trucks were heading.

The area around Uran has been taken up by CIDCO, who is looking into the development of this place. The quality of the roads is good and they have erected bus stops all over the place. The bus stops were crowded with people.

The driver as always rode the bus as if he was driving a Formula One Car making it difficult to take photos as we were swaying in all directions. Finally we reached the Bus Stand at Uran at 9:25 AM.

View of Uran and Mumbai City in a distance from atop the fort

The area we were in is called Dronagiri. Though we were near it, we could see no fortification.

We had snacks in the form of Masala Dosa and Sada Dosa. Sugarcane juice to beat the heat. The breakfast expenses came up to Rs. 60.

We inquired with the locals for directions to the fort. They all gave the same instructions. We crossed the base village and in a matter of ten minutes we were climbing up the hill. The time was now 9:50 AM on my watch.

There are no indicators for directions uphill. Most of the time we were walking on the edge of the hill. The walking path was a feet wide but comprised of loose soil or mud or rocky patch. The climb was not steep but was steadily rising. We were circling the hill as we were climbing up. Termed as "pai wat" by the villagers.

As there was neither sign of human nor any indicator we kept climbing. Finally we were lost. It was now two hours and it hardly takes around 45 minutes to reach the top. Third instance of delay.

We sat there overlooking the ONGC chemical plant. When suddenly I heard voices. I couldn't see anyone. "I am not hallucinating" I said to myself. After a couple of minutes we could locate people.

When inquired with them, they informed us that we had taken the wrong route.  "Wrong route, then which is the correct route" I asked them. To which one of the guys replied that we need to start climbing uphill and not circling the hill.

Temple created in one of the walls of the fort

Frankly speaking all the pai wat's appeared the same. So we were not sure. I then asked them if they were going uphill to which I got an affirmative answer. "Lay avgad ahe, tumhala nahi zamnar" meaning the route is difficult and that we could not be able to make it to the top. The villagers were cutting trees with axes for firewood.

We again started our journey back to find the place where the road divides into two. We took our chances and decided to climb uphill and finally came across a group of black colored wires going down the hill. We decided to follow the wires and in a matter of 30 minutes we were atop.

We could locate a check post. The checkpost was manned by two CRF jawans who are constantly in touch with the ONGC base. The view from the checkpost was amazing. One can see the ONGC plant, Uran village, the sea and city of Mumbai in a distance.  In earlier days we had a watchtower which is now replaced by checkpost but the prime reason why it was constructed is the same. To keep a watch.

We had a good chat with the jawans and inquired about the places to visit atop the fort. To which they replied that there is a structure that resembles a church and a temple atop it with a few broken down walls around.

The fortification can be seen from the checkpost. There was a small entrance to the fort. In the premises of the fortification I could locate a small church like structure which had graffiti all over it. Still not able to understand what sadistic pleasure people get in writing their names on these structures. The structure was made primarily of stone with a few bricks used in its construction. Again it offered a good view of Uran and the city of Mumbai in a distance. 

We then walked on the walls of the fort to see it. Though there is nothing much to see up here. We then reached the temple which was carved in one of the walls of the fort. A few stairs from there lead to nowhere. We walked for a couple of minutes, a series of pai wat's all over the place. The time was now 1 PM on my watch. We headed back to the church like structure to take our much needed rest before we alight.

As we sat there we discussed, how the city of Mumbai and Uran would have looked had we come here 20 years ago. How I wish to travel back in time to see it then.

The walls of the well that be fooled me to think it is the fortification

The journey downhill was fast. Soon we noticed that the pai wat divided into two. One going straight down and the other wining around the hill. Like always we took the wrong path and walked on. Fourth instance. 

As we were walking I suddenly saw Manohar jump in the valley. The sight of it had my heart racing. I immediately rushed in, he managed to hold on to the branch of a tree. He was surrounded by thorny shrubs and loose rocks which made his climb upwards a bit difficult.

Finally he did come up by himself. I just gave him a helping hand as he was surrounded by cactus and thorny shrubs. He then told me that he didn't deliberately jump in the valley but he was pushing aside a branch of a tree, so that he could pass through but when he let go of it, it bounced back and pushed him off the track. 

We continued with our journey, after a couple of minutes we met up with the same people we had met while we were climbing the cliff. They told us that again we are descending the wrong way. O God. Not again I said to myself. As they were heading back to the village they told us to follow them.

Most of them had a bundles of wooden sticks stacked on their heads. They were bare footed and they walked down the pai wat. They were so fast that we lost track of them. Again we were lost.

Finally we met up with the black colored wires. Refuelled our bodies with food and water and then headed downhill.

For a change, we were on the right track. In a matter of 30 minutes we were at the base of the cliff.

We were enjoying the nice shade of the mango trees and the breeze. In a distance we could locate a stone structure. I thought it is the fortication; we immediately headed off to see it.

To my surprise it was a well. It was very deep and I saw a few village girls drawing water from it. There was no wall around it. So if you taking photos, be careful. 

We then headed off to the ST bus stand to board a bus to Panvel. Now there were two buses there, one plying to Dadar and the other to Panvel. I boarded the one to Panvel while Manohar boarded the one to Dadar as his knees had given up. The time was 4 PM on my watch.

Fifth Instance. The Panvel bound bus, it got stuck in traffic. I was stuck in traffic for around an hour and a half . Finally at 6:15 PM I was at Panvel ST Bus stand. 

Finally in the train to Andheri. Had I not been late on those five instances then I would have been home by now. But it is okay, I have learnt from my mistakes.

Kalavantindurg

Friday, April 4, 2014

Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months but our plan of going to Kalavantindurg was not turning into a trek. I was only looking at its pics.

Finally I put my foot down and decided to make the trip. We decided on Thursday to go for the trek on Saturday in the morning. For a change this time we were going for real.

Kalavantindurg and Prabalgad in a distance

Nimish, Nelson and his friend Titus accompanied me for the trip.

We decided to meetup at Kurla station on the harbour line. These guys were late so we couldn't board the 5:58 am train as decided. We had to then board the 6:28 am train to Panvel.

Now we were 30 minutes behind schedule. I only hoped that we don't miss the bus to Thakurwadi from Panvel ST Bus Stand.

The journey to Panvel was a laugh riot as we sat discussing our previous trek mishaps. Finally at 7:17 am we were at Panvel.

We headed straight to the bus stand to check on the bus timings to Thakurwadi. The bus was scheduled to leave at 8 am.

We decided to have breakfast in the form of vada pav outside the bus stand. The vada pav was amazing. After we finished them we decided to have bhajiya. But our plans crashed when we saw him sneezing near the batter. Eeooo.

Now I am re thinking why the vada pav was so tasty. Eekks. We had tea and went on, on our hunt for packed chips and biscuits to have on the fort.

After gathering our food stock we went on our search for water. I had 2 litres of water, Nelson had 1 litre, Nimish and Soumil were nil on the tally. We didn't get any water, we decided to head off to board the bus else we might miss it too.

We boarded the bus at 8am and it departed on time. The ticket was just Rs. 60 for the four of us. The driver rode the bus as if we were driving a formula one car on the narrow curvy road. Finally in thirty minutes time we were in Thakurwadi.

Thakurwadi was a small village consisting of around 20 houses. There is no hotel over here. We were hoping that we find food and water up the hill as we were short on it. We had a few chips packets with us and only 3 litres of water.

Hills and Valleys from up here

We started our journey after taking instructions from the villagers. Soon we were on the wrong track. Trekking in the thorny bushes and dried water bodies. It was now two hours and the time was 10:30 am and we were still in the wilderness. Finally we managed to get on track.

It was a proper trek path leading to the top. Not sure leading to which hilltop. Though there was no sign of any human nor any sign board there, we still decided to trek on. We saw a couple of bikes and 4*4 vehicles parked there, they though empty boosted our confidence that we were now the right path .

As we were climbing uphill the view was getting better . Finally we met two boys. We just inquired with them if we were on the correct path to which they replied that we were.

The boys told us that there is a short cut from there. Short cut 30 minutes, long cut 1 1/2 hours. We decided to take the short cut. Another blunder. The short cut was at a 70 degree angle on loose soil , no doubt , that we reached the top faster but it did test our stamina and reduced our water supply.  It took its toll on me for sure.

Finally we reached the patch where both the long cut and short cut meet. We rested there to for some time. I gathered energy to take me to the top.

Our next stop was at the place where a local was selling thand gar nimbu pani. Cold lemon water. 10 bucks for a glass. We had a couple of them. We inquired with him in regards to directions to the fort. To this he replied that in another 15 minutes we would reach the village. There is a hotel there that caters to food water and lodging. Impressive.

Hanuman Temple carved in the rock

There is a Hanuman temple carved in the rock.

We then headed off and reached the hotel in 30 minutes time. The climb was easy. Whenever a villager gives you an estimate of time do add another one hour to it, to be on the safer side.

We met other fellow trekkers here. Some who had spent the night here exploring both Prabalgad and Kalavantindurg .

We refilled our water supply here, inquired about the food and then headed off to see Kalavantindurg. The time was now 12 noon and the sun was doing what it does the best. Heat up. We were feeling the heat.

We located a cave on the way up. Though it was a man made one, one has to crawl in. We didn't crawl in as it smelled awful and to top it, none of us had a touch.

The climb started getting steep. 60 degree climbs over rocks and loose soil. Finally we reached the place, the meeting point of Kalavantindurg and Prabalgad.

A cave on the way to Kalavantindurg

My body gave in. I couldn't climb further. My stamina was over. I didn't have the energy to go further. We had reached the place which had steps cut in the rocks to reach the top. The one I had seen in photos.

Nelson and I decided to stay back while Nimish and Soumil decided to go on. A rocky patch and the steep 80 degree climb via the steps cut in the rocks.

The best part is that the steps camouflaged with the rock. So you couldn’t figure where they are from the place where we were standing.

Nimish and Soumil headed off to the top. They told us that they reached the rocks on which the flag was posted. They couldn't climb as it was huge and steep.

The return was scary as per them cause of the steep steps. With fear dangling over their heads and with a lot of precaution they made it safe and sound down to join us for some snacks.

They were so shit scared that they didn't take any snaps up there.

As the time was around 1:30 pm we decided to head back to the village to have lunch. I had a hard time getting down due to the loose soil and small stones. But we managed to get to the hotel by 2:30 pm.

We had lunch there in the form of pitla bhakar along with potato vegetable, pickle, salad and papad in our thali. Similar to what we had in Panhala Fort in Kolhapur. They also served gauti chicken. Though we didn't try it. The food was yummy and tasty. When you are tired anything edible is tasty.  The lunch bill totalled to Rs.360. Water is served free of cost, even refuelling is free.

Lunch

After a heavy lunch we decided to rest for around 20 minutes. We decided to kick start at 3:15 pm. "No short cuts guys" to which they readily agreed. As it had taken its toll on our legs.

Checked with fellow trekkers and they told us that the climb to Prabalgad though not steep but was long and winding. It is a plateau with no fortification but it was huge. They told us that it would take us an entire day to see the entire fort.

We departed on time though we went down slowly. The journey was fun and less stressful. Finally we reached the base.

There were wonderful bungalows constructed there. Nelson immediately said that he wouldn't mind retiring and spending time here.

We looked up towards Kalavantindurg to see the place where I had given up. The divide between both forts. Prabalgad looked massive from here.

We then headed off to Thakurwadi village to board a bus to Panvel. We confirmed with the villagers and they informed us that the bus is at 6 pm. The time now was 5 pm on my watch.  

We sat near the temple, watching the village children play. The children played in the mud, constructing roads for themselves with mud and small rocks which they towed in a handmade wheel barrow.

The time was 6:15 pm and there was no sign of the bus so far. It was also getting dark. We could only hope that the bus comes, as that was our only mode of transport to Panvel station.

Finally we heard the sound of the engine in a distance; we kept our fingers crossed hoping to see the bus to take us to the station. And there is was, our prayers were answered.  We boarded the bus at 6:45 pm.

We reached the bus depot at 7:20 pm. The return ticket cost us Rs. 60. The cool breeze let us take a short nap in the bus. So was feeling a bit refreshed.

The moment we reached the bus depot we raced to the railway station to board the train. As it was a Sunday we knew that the trains would be crowded and they were, to top it they were running late by 20 minutes. I boarded the 7:50 train to CST to alight at Vadala to board a train to Andheri.

Finally we got into our respective trains to take us home. I reached home at 10 pm.

I was a little disappointed with myself that I couldn't climb Kalavantindurg. I take this as a challenge to climb both Kalavantindurg and Prabalgad in my next trip.

Matheran

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

If you want to be away from the noise and air pollution, then the best place to be in is Matheran.

Matheran is the only hill station which does not allow vehicles. So the air here is pure and totally unpolluted by toxic gases. The way to travel in Matheran is on horseback, on human carts and by walking. Walking is the best exercise known to man as it helps to keep one fit for a lifetime.

Nor are there any factories here to emit toxic gases from chimneys. What’s more? As there are no vehicles, there is no honking. The only sound you hear is that of people talking, horses neighing and galloping and birds chirping in the forests of Matheran.

Matheran is the smallest hill station in India and is located 2,625 feet above sea level on the Western Ghats at a distance of 90 km from Mumbai and 120 km from Pune. It is a weekend getaway for people living in Mumbai and Pune.

History states that Matheran was discovered by Hugh Poyntz Malet in 1850. It was later developed by the British as an escape from the summer heat. Matheran railway station was built by Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy at a cost of Rs. 16,000,000.00. It offers a beautiful view of the hill ranges around Matheran.

Matheran can be accessed from Neral railway station on the Central line, plying between CST and Karjat. From here we have the following travel options to reach Dasturi Naka located at an hour’s distance from Matheran market. The distance between the two is 2.5 km. For the train timings, please look up the railways site.

• Take a cab (Maruti Omni) to Matheran; it costs Rs. 60 per seat   and takes 30 minutes to reach Dasturi Naka. The capacity of the cab is 5 seats.
• Private vehicles are allowed up to Dasturi Naka. A separate parking charge is levied for parking two- and four-wheelers in Dasturi Naka.
• MSRTC mini buses ply between Neral to Matheran at a cost of Rs. 25 per seat.
• The mini train from Neral to Matheran market is available at a cost of Rs.25 for second class and Rs.210 for first class. It takes around two hours to reach Matheran Market. No stop at Dasturi Naka.
• Trek all the way up to Dasturi Naka; it takes around 3.5 to 4 hours to reach Dasturi Naka. Alternatively many trekkers also trek from Panvel to Matheran or from Karjat to Matheran. Trekking from Panvel and Karjat is like a haven for professional trekkers and not for those not used to trekking.

The entry fee to Matheran is Rs.25 which is collected at Dasturi Naka. From here starts the red mud terrain. It takes around an hour’s time by foot to reach Matheran Market. Alternatively horses and manually drawn carts are also available. The rates of horses and manually drawn carts are negotiable but can be quite steep during the peak seasons.

The peak seasons in Matheran run from April to May and November to January. Weekends attract huge crowds to Matheran.

There are many places to stay here, lodges, hotels and cottages. There is room for everyone from budgeted travelers to lavish spenders. Again the rates are negotiable and change as per the season.

There are hotels both near the market and in the interiors of Matheran too, in case you want to be undisturbed when you are with Mother Nature.

Matheran has around 30 points from where one can see an amazing view of the hill ranges in the vicinity. It also has a Race Course (Olympia), Panthers Cave and a few water tanks up here. These can be seen either on foot or on horseback.

Matheran has grown commercially over the years. As there are no factories and farms here, the only source of income here is through tourism.

The Valley Crossing at Honeymoon Point is a must but not for the weak hearted. There are many small valley crossings done at various other points too across Matheran.

At Matheran there are many bungalows owned by Parsis. They are in the middle of the forest. From the forest road they are so deep inside that you can’t even see the houses, thanks to the thick forest around them. Wow! Imagine staying right in the middle of the forest. Waking up every morning to the sound of the birds and seeing greenery all around you. What a life that would be. I wish I could have stayed in one just for a night. Please note: NO trespassing is allowed on private properties here.

There are many ruins of structures built in the early 19th century along with the houses of the locals which are also a must-see.

There are many villages here at the base of many points in Matheran. The view of them nestling in the hill ranges is amazing. Villages at Gabut Point, One Tree Hill and Maldunga Point are a must-see. The children from these villages travel all the way up to Matheran for their schooling. A trek every day, no wonder people in the villages are so fit.

Land Pollution is increasing around here. Discarded plastic bags and gutka packets are seen dumped around the countryside. A humble request to my readers is, please carry water or drink lemon or kokum sherbet here instead of aerated drinks in plastic bottles. Plastic bottles don’t decompose and pose a threat to nature. If we don’t take the initiative, no one will.

I enjoyed my trip both walking and horse riding in the forest. The sounds made by the horses’ hooves, the birds chirping in the forest and the funny sounds of the monkeys are very soothing to the ears.

The weather in the forest is so pleasant and cool. The thick forestation cuts out the heat in the forest and the breeze keeps one cool.

Matheran should definitely be on the agenda of any person who enjoys communing with Nature.

Matheran (Four Points and a Lake)

Tuesday, March 6, 2012



This trip was special to me as it was the first one that I had organised under the banner of merwynsrucksack the adventure co. I decided to go to Matheran as it was close to Mumbai and promised to be an easy trek.

I put up an announcement regarding my upcoming treks on my blog to see if anyone was interested in coming along.

Shawn signed up along with his wife Perpetua and a cousin, Savio. Shawn had earlier accompanied me on my trip to Madh Fort, Erangal Village and Mandapeshwar Caves. You can check out that post HERE. http://merwynsrucksack.blogspot.com/2011/12/madh-fort-erangal-village-and.html

Flature, who had never gone on a trek before, also joined us.

Group Pic - Savio, Shawn, Perpetua, Me and Flature

As planned, we decided to board the 7.03 am train to Karjat from Dadar on the Central railway line. Matheran is a hill station which can be accessed from Neral station, two stations prior to Karjat. Alternatively you can also get there from Panvel, but this route is a bit difficult, so most people opt for the first route.

The train was 10 minutes early. Luckily Shawn and his party were in time to board the train. They managed to board the bogie next to the one Flature and I was in. Later at the next station they got into our bogie.

Our bogie was crowded, and everyone was loaded with bags.  I guessed that they were going for an outing, either a day trip or an overnight trip. And all were having fun in their groups. Luckily we got a place to stand near the entrance of the bogie, where we made ourselves comfortable, in spite of the crowd.

I was hoping to get a good shot of the sunrise, but the train was moving so fast that I could hardly get a clear shot. I needed to take many pictures before I finally got a good shot.  Yippee.  

Matheran

As we were standing at the entrance of the compartment, we could feel the cold wind against our jumpers and monkey caps. The winds were so strong that they penetrate through our woolen gear and made us shiver from within.

Finally at 8.40 am we alighted at Neral station. Half the compartment exited with us. Moving through the crowd, we got on the overbridge that would take us outside the station.

Matheran is clearly visible from Neral, as you travel towards Karjat,. It can be sighted on the right hand side. As it was broad daylight we could see the hill range. If you travel at night, the only way to recognise the hill range is by spotting two street light poles up at the entry point to Matheran.

There are four ways you can reach up here, mini train, cab, private vehicle and by walking.

View on the way to Garbut Point

I don’t know the price of the train ticket but I know that it takes 2 hours by train to reach Matheran and the station is near the Market area. But the view from the train is amazing, much better than the road view.

The Taxi stand here is very well organised. Each taxi accommodates 5 people. The cost of each seat is Rs.60. The arrangement is such that two passengers sit with the driver and the remainder sit on the back seat. The person sitting next to the driver sits in a weird position with the gear box right between his legs.

There was complete chaos at the taxi stand when we got there. Our driver had been given a receipt to take us up the hill, but we couldn’t locate him. We thought we had lost him in the crowd. As we were trying to locate him, far away in the distance we saw a hand waving out to us and then calling us. That’s our ride, yelled Shawn and we went on to board his taxi.

The taxis are mostly Maruti Omnis. For those of you who live outside India and are unfamiliar with this vehicle, let me inform you that it looks like a rectangular box on wheels. It is not a very comfortable ride but it is the only way up if you don’t have a vehicle. The other option is to trek it up. It is a 3-hour climb up to the entry point to Matheran, which is Dasturi Car Parking.

Toy Train to Neral from Matheran

The roads are not in good condition but they are not bad either, though bumpy rides are guaranteed no matter how powerful your vehicle’s shock absorbers may be. The taxi will take you up the winding roads with the hill on one side and the deep valleys on the other. On the way the road was so steep that the driver had to switch gears to climb the hill. Finally after 30 minutes we were up the hill.

We immediately decided to have breakfast at the entrance, at Dasturi Naka. Here we were welcomed by monkeys. Their number kept increasing. After a few photo sessions with the monkeys we decided to go have our breakfast at a small joint outside the entrance.

This place is very small and it serves omelet pav, vada pav, tea, packaged water and packed snacks and biscuits. No coffee is served here, sorry coffee lovers. Inside all over the place there are instructions put up stating “Self Service.”

As we were the first to enter we immediately placed our orders for 5 omlette pavs (a pav is a loaf of bread) and 4 teas. Flature did not want any tea.

Me at Garbut Point

Soon after we arrived it seemed as if the hotel was suddenly bustling with people. The owners of the hotel should thank us, as we gave them so much business. We had our omelet pav and tea and headed off to Matheran.

While making the omelet, the cook asked us if we wanted chillies in our omelets to which we all readily agreed. It was only later that we found out that all the chillies were in the omelet which was served to Flature.

After having our breakfast we headed off to buy our entry ticket to Matheran at a cost of Rs.25 per head. At the entry we were given a map of Matheran with the points and places to see in Matheran.

No vehicles are allowed in Matheran. The only modes of transport are walking, horseback and hand cart. Though there is an ambulance up there in case of emergencies.

View from Garbut Point

You can hire horses and go up to see the points, but only the famous ones will be shown to you. If you plan to see all the 33 points up here then I guess walking would be the best option and a trip of 2 to 3 days is required to cover Matheran in its entirety.

The roads are all muddy and dusty. The moment a horse passes by dust rises. The place is covered with red soil. In the rains, the ground gets rather mucky and wet. For a change it was not at all cold up here. The weather was pleasant.

We set off to see Garbut Point. This point is isolated like the Panorama Point in Matheran. It is a good 1½ hour journey to Garbut Point passing through the jungles and the edges to reach this point. Finally we were here.

The view was amazing; we could see Matheran i.e. the market area of Matheran at one end and many other hill ranges. Just the five of us were here. We were totally isolated and the feeling of being on top of the world gripped me.

Hamlets below the Gabut Point

From there we could see another village a few feet below on another hill range with an access road from there. Someday I’ll go camping there, I thought to myself.

After a few photo shoots we headed off the Market area. Again it took us another 1½ hours to reach the Market. Market area, as the name goes, means a place where everything is available, i.e. footwear, fast food joints, crafts etc and places to stay.

As it was lunch time we headed off to Gujarat Bhuwan Hotel, to have our lunch there. As we were going to do a lot of walking I chose this place as it serves unlimited veg thali for just Rs. 200. But the timings are 1130 hrs to 1400 hrs.

Our lunch consisted of 3 vegetables, dal, rotla (type of chapati), puri, rice, papad, and samosa and fruit salad, unlimited servings. The food was very good. We enjoyed it.

Flying Fox at Echo Point

We then set out to see the other points nearby. All the points are far away from one another. It is to be noted that all of Matheran cannot be viewed in one day. But it was ok. We then headed off to see Echo Point.

One the way to Echo Point we met another school friend of mine, Hansel who happened to be Flature’s first cousin. He had come there with another friend. He told us that they had trekked for 3 hours from Neral to Matheran.

The view is the same from most of the points; it’s just the angle which changes, but if you love hills and panoramic views then you will surely enjoy Matheran.

The locals have put up flying fox, valley crossing and Burma Bridge facilities all over the place. But the rates charged are extremely high. I don’t think the ride is worth the cost. But for first timers it ok if they want to do it.

View from Echo Point

There was a huge crowd at Echo Point. People were trying to see if their voices really did echo. We passed up the opportunity and walked on the edge of the cliff to reach Charlotte Lake. We walked on the dam. The water level was quite low. During the rainy season, the water overflows from the dam into the valleys below.

After crossing the dam we went on to see Lords Point. The view from here was also good. There were some rowdies here, who were a competition to the monkeys as they kept swaying from the trees for their photo sessions.

On the way we kept ourselves refreshed by having lemon juice. The locals charge extremely high for the same. We had one at a price of Rs. 20 per glass. But it was ok, need of the hour.

After inquiring with the locals we headed off to see some more points. It was around 4 pm. As it was winter when we visited Matheran, we knew that it would get dark by 6 pm. That meant that we had only another 2 hours at our disposal. Then we would have to head to the market. There are no street lights in Matheran other than the market area.

Charlotte Lake

We walked and walked, to meet a group coming from the front telling us that they couldn’t locate any point and so they had turned back. That did not dampen our spirits and we headed off to see the points. After about 45 minutes we reached Belvedere Point. We checked the same on our map to find out how far we were from the Market area.

Again we were rewarded with an amazing view of the hill range all around. Quickly we moved ahead to see the other point at One Tree Hill.

One the way to One Tree Hill we met two foreigners on horseback who overtook us. One Tree Hill is beautiful. It is a very small hillock on the edge of the cliff with one tree on it. I saw the hill and thought that no one could climb up there.

But I was wrong. One of the foreigners who had overtaken us climbed up there; though it was steep she still managed to go up there. What was mind blowing was that, she was dressed in a kurta, and wore glares on her eyes and chappals on her feet. And she carried a handbag. Later she told us that climbing up was easy, but while getting down she had to rely on her rock climbing skills.

View from Lord Point

She told us that just a small patch of rock was difficult on the way. None of us dared to follow in her footsteps. Savio and Flature were keen to go, but we dissuaded them as they didn’t have any rock climbing skills. I told myself that the day I learned how to do rock climbing, I would come back here.

Finally after covering One Tree Hill we decided to head back to the Market area as it was 5.30 pm. After walking for an hour we were finally at the Market Area.

Perpetua, Shawn’s wife, was tired from having walked for 7 hours and so she along with her husband Shawn and Savio decided to stay back. We respected her decision and Flature and I headed off to Dasturi Car Parking.

Now it was dark and we didn’t have any torches with us. But it was a full moon day so we went off to the car parking area under the moonlight. We walked to the train tracks as we were under the impression that the trains don’t ply at that time.

View from Belvedar Point

All of a sudden we heard the sound of engines. We wondered where the sound was coming from. Suddenly we saw the train approaching us and we stood by the side to watch the train go by.

Soon we were at Dasturi Car Parking and from there we boarded a taxi to Neral station. Again within 30 minutes we were down. We picked up some food and water for our journey back to Mumbai.

One Tree Hill

Up there we had seen Garbut Point, Echo Point, Lake Charlotte, Belvedere Point and One Tree Hill. Though it took its toll on our legs we still enjoyed the trip.

Thanks to Shawn, Perpetua, Savio and Flature for making this trip a memorable one.