LBz Adventure Group

साल्हेर किल्ला / Salher Fort..

तिकोना /Tikona Fort

It’s been almost a year, out of all the adventures treks I have done, Peb desrves place in the top. It is a one day trek but I am sure the memories will last for a lifetime. It also depends on the group you choose, LB’z made it more enjoyable indeed….

The fort derives its name from the Goddess ‘Pebi’; Peb is also called ‘Vikatgad’ for its supposed shape of the Elephant Headed God, ‘Ganesh’. The trek to the top involves surmounting a small rock patch and a ladder. The fort is famous for its caves. Located in the village of Maldunga, on northeast side of Panvel, on Mumbai-Pune road, at a distance of 3-4 km on west side of Neral. The Fort is on a hill that is 1000 feet high. There is a temple of Goddess Pebi at the foot of the hill. Then there is also a temple of Lord Mhasoba halfway up the hill. The fort also has two caves and a rock-cut cistern that is twenty cubic squares and four feet deep that is full of water all the year round. Also, there are remains of forty to fifty small houses on the fort. This fort has a peculiar feature of two different descends. One way is Neral and the other can be from Matheran.

We started our trip early morning, trying to catch the early morning train to Neral. Means of transport we used was autos to reach the base village Fanaswadi. We were happy to be accompanied by a native as our guide. It took us almost three hours to ascend but all the fatigue vanishes when you enjoy the view from the top. While reaching the top there are many other fascinating attraction of the place like meditation caverns, which are underground. These caverns are still in good condition. One has to crawl into these and only one man can enter at one time. Datt Mandir on Top and Shiv Temple on other side of Fort are the devotional attractions. The fort also has a temple dedicated to Swami Samartha on the top and has the footwear or ‘Padukas’ worn by the great saint kept on the top. Big cistern which is ideal for group selfies and a quick snack point (this is what we did there). The beautiful waterfall on the way is the main attraction here. One must experience the hard hitting water which obstructs you from climbing the ladder and eventually you surmount. Surrounding scenery looks marvelous from the cave in the monsoon. From here we also see the pinnacles of Navara-Navari, Bhatoba and Irshaal, along with forts of Chanderi, Prabalgad and Malanggad and also Nakhind. Another attraction of the trek is the only standing Bastion or Buruj facing the Panorama point of Matheran, the view from here is just too beautiful to describe.

There is a connecting path which is steep and narrow. It connects the two mountains and is about 500 mts long. Wind and rains almost makes you lose your balance but that’s what is called thrill. On reaching the other mountain, on one side you see a high cliff mountain and you look down to find a never ending valley, imagine walking in between both. Trust me, you will value your life even more. We chose to descend from the Matheran side, where you have to follow a long toy train (which is usually closed during monsoons) track path and which is much easier than the other way. There are sharing vehicles from Matheran talking you to the station which is almost an hour’s ride. To conclude I would say, the climb takes toll on your body and like in most treks, you should carry water and food with you. You will find nothing but Nature at its purest best when you start climbing. Native food is devine pleasure for foodies. Hope you look forward to it

कळसुबाई ... Kalasubai peak...

Pali , Sudhagad...

नाणेघाट / Naneghat

सहयाद्री आपल्याला कधी नाराज करत नाही ....

Pic Credit @ mahi_1993_