| Trek to Kothaligad / Peth Fort, Karjat
Peth Fort, also known as Kothaligad Fort. Well its basically not a fort, it was a watch tower which was also used as an ammunition storage point during the time of the Great Maratha Rulers. At 1550 Ft high, it gives a panoramic access to Rajmachi Plateau, Matheran, Bhimashankar and Peb Fort. It has a distinct structure. It has a tall pinnacle which is carved from the inside making way for steps that take you to the top !
Well we were around 20 people with most of us meeting each other for the first time. We had our private cars and we took the Mumbai - Panvel - Khopoli route to reach there. It was a beautiful pleasant drive as it was drizzling around and the surroundings were lush green.
We reached Ambivali, the base village from where the trek begins. We parked our cars and were getting ready to start our walk when a villager approached us asking if we would be interested in having lunch once we were back from the trek !! ( This was a mistake we made, you guy will later know why ). We paid some advance to the guy as a token of assurance and we started our walk.
The trek is divided into 3 parts : Hike from Ambivali to the plateau - a 15 minutes walk through the plateau to reach the Peth Village at the footsteps of the peak - And the final steep climb to reach the peak ( which can be scary if your shoes are completely out of grip.... ive had its first hand experience ).
Well the hike till the plateau is quite wonderful and pleasant. Its a soft climb over a broad kuccha road, a good hike to go along talking and knowing people with whom you are trekking. You can see a few waterfalls while going but unfortunately non of the waterfalls come across your path directly, you can only see then at some distance.
It takes around 2 hours to reach the plateau. Once you reach the plateau you get the first glimpse of your "Lakshya"........ the beautiful valley lies across with a curtain of waterfalls gliding across the cliffs. It surely is a beautiful site, one should spend some time just sitting there and seeing nature at its best, and appreciating the work of God. It feels serene just to sit by yourself !! From here its a simple walk above the plateau to reach Peth Village which touches the final tall pinnacle.
One the way you can come across wild horses, rice fields, and farmers using traditional methods of agriculture. Its a beautiful place to be, where simplicity and hard work is a way of life ! Their only abundance is the natures raw beauty that they are surrounded with. As it started raining it felt more pleasant to get drenched completely and feel the cold winds brushing you as you take every step closer towards the fort. From the Peth Village starts a bit of an adventure. The way to the top is narrow and steep. You walk through the dense plantation to reach the steps and the caves. The cave has a small temple and you'll find villagers selling lemonade and tea there during the monsoon season. From here the steps begin to reach the top. The steps are an engineering marvel considering that there were no modern equipment available with the Maratha Warriors while building this fort or watch tower. Well the steps are carved through the mountain and tall steep steps take you towards the peak. The steps at few points are very small only enough to make one person stand at a time. One has to be careful to see if there are people coming down from the peak as the place of crossing has to be planned properly as its quiet a cramped place up there.
Once you get through the steps you reach the peak which holds a small water tank and a cannon gun. From the top the view is simply amazing with clouds surrounding you and waterfalls painting the surrounding beautifully. The fresh greenery around you surely adds to the beautiful experience. Its a feast for a nature lover like me to appreciate natures beauty at its best.
After spending some time of the peak with a few snaps clicked we start our descend. Once again those narrow steep steps start haunting as i struggle to get a grip coz of my old shoes having lost all its gripping rubber beneath the feet.
Somehow slowly getting down we reached the Peth Village. Well if you can remember i mentioned a mistake about ordering food at the base village of Ambivali. Well, at this point, we were all so tired and hungry, but then we had already ordered food at the base village which was still a 2 hrs walk away, so a suggestion here. Do not order food at Ambivali, you can get good food at Peth Village. So once you reach the Peth Village after visiting the fort you can have your lunch there, rest and then start the simple hike towards the base village.
Well from Peth village its around 2 hr hike back to the base village of Ambivali. Well we had our own cars to reach there, but if you dont then you can take a Tum Tum or ST Bus to karjat station.
Its indeed a very beautiful place to be, truly enjoyed it thanks to the awesome people that were along with me which made it truly memorable and enjoyable !!!
Check the pictures. | 
10th July 2013, 14:52
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