Mahuli

Mahuli Fort At 2815 ft,  is the highest point in the Thane district. The forest surrounding Mahuli has been declared as a sanctuary. Once Shahaji Raje, father of  Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, had this fortress under his belt. The trek starts near a temple and has a well marked road right till the top.

District - Thane.

Height above mean sea level - 2815 feet.

Base Village - Asangaon

Duration of trek - 1 day.

Region - Kasara

Time to reach the top - 2 hours.

Water/Food Availability - A small cistern at the top may have potable water in the monsoon, carry water from the base in other seasons.

 

Best season to visit - Anytime, unsheltered route not best to trek in summer.

Sights to visit - Mahadarwaja, dens, temple, fort remnants.

Difficulty Rating - Simple.

Endurance required - 3/5.

Shelter - Dens.

How to get there - Dadar to Asangaon via local train. Asangaon to Mahuli trek route starting, you can either walk which takes an hour or take a rickshaw.

Notes:

1. Mahuli is a well marked trek with no scope of getting lost, so going without a guide is no problem.
2. Fairly easy trek, which takes 2 hours from the start to reach a plateau, from where you can explore the dens, temples and fort remnants.
3. No water available at the top.
4. The river near the base village has pink dragonflies, which are very rare. Be careful, the river during winter has stagnant water which houses water snakes.
5. The den, when we last visited was very dirty and it is not ideal to stay in. The surrounding areas are also a mess now, as people who have come in the past have littered a lot.
6. Also, the government has recently released 4 tigers in the forests ahead of Mahuli. Although they usually don't venture out, it is important to have this information and be a little cautious just the same.

Pictures:

The peak.

The view along the trek.

The trek route!

The top.

Sahil standing at the mouth of the den.

The summit as seen from the base village.

Pink Dragonfly!