Kothligad

Kothligad or Peth is a small hill fort situated around 20 kilometers from Karjat. It offers an easy and exciting one day trek. The fort has a temple and cave at the base which can accomodate around 15 people and beautifully carved steps on the inside of the mountain. This funnel shaped structure has a very small summit which has some fort remnants and a cistern. It offers a great view of the surrounding ranges.
 
District - Raigad.

Height above mean sea level - 1550 feet.

Base Village - Ambivali

Duration of trek - 1 day.

Region - Karjat.

Time to reach the top - 2 and a half.

Water/Food Availability - Water is available at the village of Peth or water cistern at the top.

 

Best season to visit - Anytime.

Sights to visit - Temple, rock cut steps inside a mountain, dwaar/darwaja, carved den.

Difficulty Rating - Easy.

Endurance required - 2/5.

Shelter - Cave at the top near the temple.

How to get there - Dadar --> Karjat --> Karjat to Ambivali by rickshaw or S. T. bus and then trek to Peth.

Notes:

1.  A really nice trek for beginners, nice wide road to climb and no scope of getting lost.
2. You start from Ambivali and then trek to the village of Peth via the wide rock covered road. From Peth the top is around half an hour away.
3. You first reach a temple, where you can get water and there is a carved cave where you can even spend the night.
4. The internally carved summit is a beauty. There are steps carved inside the mountain which climb radially and take you to the top. 
5. There is a cistern on the top and some awesome views. Look out for Bhimashankar towards north, Dhak Bahiri & Rajmachi towards south-west.
6. Water is available at the village of Peth as well as the temple on top.

Pictures:

The cave.

View from the cave.

Bhivgad

Bhivgad, also known as Bheemgad is a small hill fort near Karjat. Its a small trek with a few fort remnants and has a height of just 800 feet. There is also a beautiful waterfall that is worth visiting in the monsoon.
 
District - Raigad.

Height above mean sea level - 800 feet.

Base Village - Vadap.

Duration of trek - 1 day.

Region - Karjat.

Time to reach the top - Upto 1 and a half hours.

Water/Food Availability - None.

 

Best season to visit - Anytime.

Sights to visit - Fort remnants.

Difficulty Rating - Easy.

Endurance required - 1/5.

Shelter - None.

How to get there - Dadar --> Karjat --> Karjat to Vadap (pron. वदप) via rickshaw.


Notes:

1. You get rickshaws to Vadap from the famous Karjat bridge, where all the rickshaws stand. They should take about 80 bucks depending on how much you haggle for one rickshaw.
2. It is a small but nice trek and take about 1 hour to reach the top, non-stop.
3. There are a few fort remnants to watch and the view of the surrounding hills is quite nice.
4. The top has flat land where cows graze. Not a bad spot to camp.
5. An ideal trek for beginners.

Pictures:

Vinod at the top.

A huge tree at the base village of Vadap.

You have to go right from this pass, towards the electric line following the trail.

The temple near the base village.

Me, on the top.

Just after the monsoons, my friend with some local girls who go to the top to collect the yellow flowers.

The waterfall, almost dried up.

Himanshu and me.

Rajmachi

Rajmachi consists of two very beautiful forts, namely Shriwardhan and Manaranjan. It is accessible via an easy trek from Lonavala via Tungarli lake which is about 20 kilometers of easy walk and is ideal for beginners. It can also be trekked via Kondivane which is tougher and better for enthusiasts. The Kondane caves when taking this route are a worth watch, especially during the monsoons, which offer stunning waterfalls.

Shriwardhan and Manaranjan are separate forts, separated by a plateau and both of them must be visited separately. Shriwardhan is the 'balekilla' and is situated at about 3000 feet. Manaranjan is at a height of 2700 feet. Manaranjan consists of strong walls, 3 doors and many water tanks. There is also a Bhairoba temple which is quite beautiful. 

District - Pune

Height above mean sea level - 2710 feet.

Base Village - Kondivane

Duration of trek - 1 day.

Region - Karjat 

Time to reach the top - 3 hours to Rajmachi village, then another half to 1 hour to any of the forts.

Water/Food Availability - Water cistern at the top. Also the village of Rajmachi now keeps everything from water to snacks and meals.

Best season to visit - Especially beautiful during the monsoon, but the force of
the waterfall may make it risky/not viable to pass through during heavy rainfall. Can be visited in winter and summer too.

Sights to visit - Two citadels: Shrivardhan and Manoranjan, Ancient Lord Shiva temple (in Rajmachi village), Ancient temple in the gorge between Manoranjan and Shrivardhan, caves, lake, Kondane caves.

Difficulty Rating - Easy.

Endurance required - 3/5.

Shelter - Kondane caves can be stayed in, which comes at around 30 minutes from the base village. There are caves on the top. One can even ask for accomodation and meals at the village of Rajmachi. 

How to get there - Dadar --> Take a local train to Karjat --> Rickshaw or bus to Kondivane.

Notes:

• Absolutely beautiful waterfalls at Kondane caves, they are a must visit. Water dropping from about 50 feet onto the ground below along the backdrop of the Kondane caves makes for a special sight.
• Take a guide along with you for the first time. The way was too confusing (atleast for us) and we have had to do multiple trips to get to the top.
• Be careful at the waterfalls during heavy rains. The water flows at a great speed and has the power to take you with it.
• Rajmachi village can be approached via bikes from another side, although I am not sure from where.
• To watch all that Rajmachi has to offer, do a 2 day trek and stay overnight. If you plan on returning to Mumbai on the same day, you may not be able to see both the forts.

• Rajmachi village has everything you may need. It has a general store where you can get chips, biscuits, chocolates etc. But it is always BEST to carry all the things you are need, god forbid the shop shuts down.
• Both the forts, i.e. Shriwardhan and Manaranjan have to be trekked separately, each taking about an hour to reach from Rajmachi. So make sure you have ample time to see everything.

Trail Map:

                                                                    View Rajmachi trek 3 in a larger map

 Pictures:
 

On the way to Kondivane

Kondane falls

Kondane falls with Kondane caves to the right

The broken wall at one end of Shreewardhan fort

The edge of the fort and the surrounding landscape