3 souls – 3 states – 3 treks – 5 days – 1700 km drive Rain, valley, fog, mountain, waterfall, river and full adventure.

mit1682 · October 16, 2022

3 souls – 3 states – 3 treks – 5 days – 1700 km drive Rain, valley, fog, mountain, waterfall, river and full adventure.

Trekker family

Note: This is going to be a long travel blog as 3 treks were covered in it. So grab popcorn, fasten your seatbelt and get ready to witness trek.

The Plan:

Maharashtra is blessed to have the Sahyadri Range, home to many amazing hills, trekking trails & ancient forts. The Sahyadris offers some really great options for not just experienced trekkers, but complete beginners as well. If you are someone who loves hiking in the rain and exploring the outdoors, a day hike in the Sahyadris during the monsoons will be the perfect option to spend the day with friends and family. The rain makes everything look beautiful. There is greenery all around, with clean and fresh air. The vibrant colors of nature, add charm to the beautiful green valleys and hills of the Western ghats of the Deccan Plateau.

Monsoon is my favorite time to drive around in Maharashtra, especially the coastal areas and the western ghats. I love the lush green landscapes, the incessant drizzles with an occasional sunshine, and of course the hot vada-pavs and chai

Every monsoon, we typically drive to the western ghats of Maharashtra (our latest drive there, done a couple of months ago, read my blog ‘Heaven is myth, Devkund is real’ ). However, it had been a long time since I drove around in the areas near Pune. I have my friends & family in Pune. Therefore, I visit Pune quite frequently. Most of the time I drive from Hyderabad. So this time we decided to explore mulshi area (Tamnhi ghat). I spent my 4 years on engineering in Konkan. Tamnhi ghat is the area which connect Pune & Konkan. Hence this area has special place in my heart.

The Car:

The Baleno Zeta CVT (2018) is my companion in all my drives. I call it ‘Simba – a lion cub’. Simba never disappoints me. Whether it a highway, city, plain, muddy it drives like charm.

Simba in mountains

The Camera:

- Smartphone Oneplus 9

- DSLR Canon 1300d with 18-55 mm lens

Due to rainy season and to carry light, I took only smart phone with me during trek. All photos in this travelogue are taken using my mobile phone camera. Few photos were taken with DSLR.

The Drives:

We decided to do this trek with us only (myself, spouse & son). These treks were isolated one, hence decided to opt for a guide. We hired Deepak for this trek. He is local guide and knows area in depth. Very supportive and helpful sharing his contact number +919765476941. I recommend his guidance.

I have my brother-in-law and my own brother house in Hadpsar & Wagholi area. As it was around 2 hours journey, we decided to start early from home. Hence, we started around 6 am. As there was no traffic we reached our first meeting point by 8 am. We meet Deepak there and had stomach full breakfast as advised by Deepak.

Trek 1 to Kundlika Valley:

It is very beautiful and mind blowing place. The Valley is created by erosion of the river Kundalika.

Location - Near Tahmini Ghat.

Distance from Pune - 60-70 km approx.

How to Reach -
1. Pune - Mulshi-Tahmini-Nive- right turn to Bhamburde - next to MCKS Ashram.
2. Pune-Lonawla-Bhamburde-to MCKS ashram raod, near Pimpri Dam

After driving a bit ahead of Tamhini Ghat, we found this lovely spot where the Simba could reach after driving down a small off-road track in the rain and mud

Kundalika valley hold some of the amazing weekend gateways place around Mumbai & Pune Places like Andharban Trek (The Dark Forest), Devkund Water Fall, Kolad Water Rafting, Lohagad Fort, Rajmachi Point, Tamhini Ghat and it's a strange place with two huge mountain walls separated by a narrow valley. The valley is all hidden behind clouds. Clouds plays hide n seeks all the time.

First glimpse

Meditation in mountains

Keep Calm & watch beauty

The stunning view ahead after a short walk:

Hills and waterfalls on the hills - another characteristic monsoon scene:

The lush green fields and the typical refreshing green shade, which are characteristic to this region of Maharashtra in the monsoon months:

Could not resist taking photos of such lovely green fields all around:

A closer shot of the flowing water, which felt quite mesmerizing and very soothing as we just stood there watching this scene for some time:

The simple but scenic rural roads:

After Kundalika Valley we headed towards Plus Valley

Trek 2 to Plus Valley:

Type: Ghats/Valley/Jungle

Range: Mulshi Taluka of Pune district

Grade: Medium, Endurance level Medium

History: Known for ‘+’ shaped valley, Dense Forest and river-source for Kundalika river

Base Village: Nearest village from Pune side is Nive

Best Time: Exact post monsoon. Avoid it during rain.

Trek duration: Time to reach is around 2.5 hours to descend and 2 hours for back climbing

Food n Water: Nothing available.

Nearby Hotels: at Mulshi-Tahmini ghat, and Lonawla

The place is quiet and isolated. So go in groups.

Edges of the Valley are very risky, so take care of hyper personalities.

Great photographic and scenic location.

Ever been wandered into a forest so thick with green trees where the way looks same in all directions? when the actual odyssey is to find a pool hidden deep in a valley, that very few have dared to explore, even better very few have explored without being lost. The passion for exploring combined with the unending energy had finally given off the beauty of the pool that is hidden deep in the lap of nature. The hope of the possibility of finding the pool took us through an exhaustive retracing of 2 hrs. Finally, with the sound of the small water stream flowing took away the effort and exhaustion of the trip, as we followed the stream we found one of the most beautiful pools surrounded by Rocky Mountains in 4 directions.

The lovely mountains and the water:

We just walked around enjoying the fresh air and such views:

In the midway you will find a large ghost tree

Intersection point.

Partner relaxing in natural swimming pool.

Return journey

Once on Mulshi Road, we had these views of Mulshi Dam backwaters on the side of the road (this road goes along the edge of the backwaters and you get some great views of the water all along the road):

Back water

Trek 3 to Andharban – dark forest

Well after exhaustive trek 1 & 2. Home minister & leader of opposition (my son, they only rules house) decided to take rest. Plus valley trek was really tough one. I was having a spare day with me. I just requested my engineering friends to have a trek and they agreed to it. So we 3 different teams (total 7 members) started from 3 different corners of pune and decided to meet at first meeting point around 8 am. This time also we took help from Deepak. So as advised by Deepak we took heavy breakfast and headed towards Andharban.

Some quick information about the Andharban Trek.

Distance from Pune: Around 75 km

Start Point: Pimpri Village

End Point: Bhira Dam

Trek Distance: Approx. 13 km

Grade: Moderate

Best time to do this trek: June to October

The word ‘Andhar’ literally means ‘Darkness’ and ‘Ban’ means ‘Forest’. True to its name, the trail takes you through a dense dark forest. Andharban trek is a hike through a dense forest with thick overgrowth, beautiful views of waterfalls, streams and the Tamhini Ghat along the way. The trek begins at an elevation of 2,160 feet and descends down into the valley, to reach the backwaters of the Bhira Dam where the trek ends.

After having breakfast, we reached trek start point around 10:00 am. We had also carried packed snacks as there are no facilities of restaurants or kitchens during the trek. The weather was pleasant and everyone was excited to hit the trail. We followed a trail passing through the paddy fields and soon entered into the forest. The entry inside the forest is based on a permit issued by the ‘Forest Department’. Deepak had local contacts and without any issues we entered into forest.

The almost flat trail with occasional ascents took us inside a dense forest with lush green trees all around. Everything looked so fresh and green. The landscape reminded me of scenes from the movie ‘Avatar’. Though it is a defined trail, some parts were tricky to cross because of mud and puddles after the rain. Also, the trail had many small streams flowing down the hills. At some points, we had to use ropes to cross as the flow of the streams was strong. Deepak helped us throughout the way and made sure we negotiate the difficult stretches safely. We took breaks in between to rest and admire the mesmerizing views of the Kundalika Valley. The surrounding mountains were covered in mist and occasionally, the sun rays passing through the dark clouds created a surreal view.

The walk was very refreshing with the soothing sounds of bird calls as well as streams & waterfalls in the distance. There were plenty of streams and natural ponds on the way. Some of us took a plunge in one of the ponds and enjoyed swimming under the gushing waterfall.

We reached an open area which was covered with beautiful flowering water lilies on one side and a valley on the other, with a narrow trail passing through it. This was the most beautiful spot on the entire trail. We clicked a lot of pictures. This point is midpoint of the trek. Many of my friends decided to return from this point as next section was difficult one.

The trek was tiring because of the long-distance, but it was a refreshing experience to spend some time in nature, away from the hustle & bustle of the city pollution. I met some really amazing people on the trek and it was great interacting with fellow trekkers. This was probably the cleanest trekking trail in the Sahyadris. I would definitely recommend Andharban trek to anyone who is looking for an easy day hike option in the Sahyadris.

Some points to note:

1. Hiring a guide or Trek operator

I would strongly recommend doing this trek with a good trek operator / guide. Though the trail is defined, it is always better to do this trek with a group and under the guidance of experienced trek leaders and guides. There were few sections where Adventure Pulse team set up ropes which made crossing the streams safely.

2. Transportation

The start and endpoint for this trek are two different locations. The distance between the start point Pimpari village and endpoint Bhira dam is almost 22km and there isn’t any availability of taxi or shared vehicles. The network availability in the area is limited.

3. Food and Snacks during the trek

There isn’t any food joint or facilities for lunch or snacks on the trail. I would recommend carrying some trail snack such as energy bars, chocolates and dry fruits. Make sure you carry at least 2l of water as it is a long walk of around 13 km.

Feel free to contact me on Instagram page: nomadic_mit if you need any help or have queries regarding the trek. Or drop a line to lokhande.amit@gmail.com.

Yours truly