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High-end exhilaration at Dhangad

Off road: Scaling slippery rockfaces in the rains is an exciting experience, says Hitesh Brahmbhatt.

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Scaling slippery rockfaces in the rains is an exciting experience
 
Off road
 
Hitesh Brahmbhatt
 
Some trips turn out to be more thrilling than we expect. My Dhangad trek was one such outing. Imagine climbing a lush, green rock-face in the monsoon.
 
Our group met at Lonavala bus depot one fine morning to head for Dhangad. Some cups of tea at a roadside stall and we took a bus to Bhamburde. Dhangad fort lay in the distance, with Telbaila on its right. The sky was grey, the weather was wonderful and we were dying to reach the top to enjoy the panoramic view. The route seemed easy at first with a proper path, but little did we know what lay in store.
 
After walking for half an hour, we reached a temple dedicated to Garjaabai devi. Trekking up further, we were confronted by a 20-feet-high rockface. The rock-cut steps were blown up by the British army to cut off access to the fort. Scaling the rock in the rain was not something we were prepared for. But our leader Vijay led the climb and hung a Karabiner to a fixed bolt on the rock, fastening a rope for the others to climb. It was an extra-ordinary experience, climbing the lush, green hills in the rains.
 
We trekked to a height of 100 feet and reached the top at 6:30 pm. The fort was once a prison and we stood there dwarfed by the hill on the other side. I wondered if an attack from that hill could ever be thwarted. A heavy breeze was blowing over the deep valley as fog set in. We could almost see Telbaila rising from the plateau, Sudhagad to the left of Telbaila and Sarasgad at a distance. On the other side, the backwaters of Mulshi lake made their presence felt when the fog cleared for a while.
 
As darkness crept over, we rushed back to Ekola village. We stayed over at a Hanuman temple in the village.
 
The next morning, we headed for a village Kevni, one hour away. It was pleasant trekking on the plateau with nature's beauty for company. The village had few huts and we couldn't halt there for the night. Taking cues from villagers, we descended down via Nandan Ghat. As we descended, we were blessed with a panoramic view of river Kundalika. This is the only river in Maharashtra that runs south to north.
 
A vertical descent for an hour brought us to the river. Crossing it, we reached Thakurwadi, a nearby village that was just a kilometre away. From there, we headed back home with memories of a wonderful weekend.
 
 
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