घरबसल्या trekking: Work From Nashik (T20)

।। श्री आशापुरी देव्यै नमः ।।

blessed to have a home in नाशिक.. Work From House

👆 first things first.. is "work from home" 🏡 technically correct?.. as far as I know, 'home' is an abstract term used for 'house + feelings' 🏩 and is not a physical entity.. so in my opinion, the phrase should be / have been "work from ~~home~~ house" 🏫.. but I don't mind to be corrected..

Shortest format of the 🏏 game - 2020, turned out to be the longest and the craziest year ever - T20, for reasons (less) related and (more) not related to corona.. since March-T20, we all shifted to this new culture of working 👨‍💻 from house to ensure ~~social~~ physical distancing 📏 is maintained to at least, minimum of safe 😷 limits.. but this also meant, travelling was restricted, if not completely prohibited.. here again, "physical distancing" fits more.. not to have social distancing open to subjection / interpretation to caste system 👥 or social (online) networking 📶..

It has been almost a year now, since last time I had been to my native.. also, दिवाळी 🎊 was approaching and so was अविनाश's, हर्षद's and अश्विनी's d-day 🤵 👰, in-law brothers and sister.. travelling was normalized, and instead of doing to-n-fro for every event / function, we decided to temporarily shift our मुक्काम पोस्ट to नाशिक.. this also meant, rising opportunities 🤗 to get checked ☑️ many of the pending longings in its region..

It all started within 24 hours ⏳ of arrival, at पांडवलेणी 2x.. intention was to not let rust the momentum 😅 from recent milestone of सिंहगड #300 (YouTube video link), where last 30 were not more than 75 days old.. that timing ⏱️ clocked for first सिंहगड post-lockdown was disappointing 🤯 enough to be more determined than ever.. thereafter, पांडवलेणी 2x including circumambulation (परिक्रमा) became weekday सिंहगडs of नाशिक..

cave 18, Chaitva-gruha

15-Nov, कावनई: First weekend was a hike to a nearby fort, कावनई.. since temples were not permitted 🚫 yet, had to drop 🙁 कपिलधारा for later, which is also the starting point 🏁 of कुंभ मेेळा, that नाशिक hosts every 12 years.. the trek was unexpectedly steep and expectedly short.. last piece, just before / at the fort entrance, has a ladder installed, helping with easier negotiation for the fellow trekkers.. view of clean-and-clear water 💧 of the lake at the top gives "पैसा वसूल" वाली feeling ☺️.. fish 🐟 play observation was well spent, before the residing sage 👳, furnished with Luminous inverter 💡 and JBL speakers 🔊, spoiled🤕 the rightfully earned peace-of-mind..

credits: हर्षद

18-Nov, अंजनेरी / अंजनगिरी: Being weekday, it was actually supposed to be a short and quick 🏃 adventure.. we did finalize at the last moment, one of the nearest available options, but unaware of the stretch, it went slightly 📴 off-schedule.. this entire climb is in 3 steps, starting from अंजनी माता 👩‍👦 temple, with (almost) flat terrains in-between.. 👆 first step also has a tar road option, but climbing via the shorter route overrules any clock advantage.. 🐫 second stairs-equipped step is followed by a beautiful as-clean-as-it-can-get lake, which is claimed to be created from हनुमान's 👣footprint.. ☘️ third step ends in a plateau at the top, having the summit at a temple, said to be 💪 महाबीर बिक्रम बजरंगी's birthplace 🎂..

footprint shaped lake, credits: हर्षद

21-Nov, धोडप: Situated in the 🕖 सातमाळा ranges, धोडप is ✌️ second highest fort 🏰 in महाराष्ट्र after (then TODO, not anymore) साल्हेर.. route 🛤️ is well trodden from the popularly opted base village हट्टी, but that IndiaHikes blog 🗒️ also helped us a lot, especially not missing-out on the बावडी (Stepwell).. be it for its temples, bastions, inscription ⚒️, archways and caves, or for its expanse, views, windy nature 🍃 and elevation; धोडप is rich 🤑 in all aspects.. needless to mention, special attraction of the fort is the slit 🤘 in its dike, which appears to be at least, 50 feet wide and deep.. prominent views of छोटा-मोठा बंड्या twins 👯 and इखारा pinnacle serve as cherry on the cake 🍰..

22-Nov, औंढा: Investigation 🕵️ during first trek of दिवाळी-२०१८ to 🛌 विश्रामगड / पट्टा fort, revealed an interesting fact about the fort in North 🆙 vicinity, औंढा - it is surmountable without any external expert technical assistance, as it now has couple of chains 🔗 permanently installed at the difficult sections 🧗 of pinnacle.. instant adrenaline rush 🍾 meant a further extension to the TODO list that was only respected enough after 2 years.. blog post from दिवाळी-२०१८ is here..

the chain support

28-Nov, हरिहर: Personally I believe, हरिहर should be the last things to miss if you have ever stayed in / anywhere near नाशिक, and कळसुबाई if born in महाराष्ट्र, irrespective of anything used as an excuse.. this was my (+ काका) second 💕 iteration (+ काकू, तनिष, विभूती) to the temptation 🐘 of climbing up the 80° elevation, enticingly 😍 carved in grooved steps.. the most important learning of the day was - never leave kids 👼 alone, because the outcome has zero warranty.. put in other words, हात सोडायचा नाहीच 🚸.. may God bless you second-time-lucky 🤞 विभूती..

29-Nov, मोहनदरी: नेढं - easily the largest, I've ever seen 👀 or known 🧠.. मोहनदरी has 2 climbing options from the same base village, that also reminds me of गुंजवणे and राजगड.. but unlike राजगड, here, one goes to the top 🔝 and other to the नेढं 👌.. so drawback is, either climb it twice to explore it completely or do it with experts to aid your descend from top to नेढं or the other way.. what we did? there is always a next ⏭️ time.. views of अहिवंत, सप्तशृंगी गड, मार्कंडेय, रावळ्या-जावळ्या and far-off, standing-tall धोडप steal 🤩 the show..

05-Dec, देहेरगड: This discovery was just 🔜 a day before it got checked.. with few cisterns, its attraction 'शिवलिंग' are the only remains at the top..

moon shot

06-Dec, मार्कंडेय: It was few years ago, when we had been to सप्तशृंगी गड by road 🛣️.. the view 👁️ of and discussion 🗣️ about its neighbor मार्कंडेय, uncovered the possibility of climbing to its top, which seems unrealistic when viewed from (then) this side.. Apparently, from (now) this side, बाबापूर खिंड (common starting point for मार्कंडेय and रावळ्या-जावळ्या), it's a no-brainer 🎯.. IndiaHikes calls it "A Perfect Alternative to Kalsubai" in their blog 📋 and one can disagree the least.. supported by railings and filled with monkeys, the route is of nature steep-flat-steep, that is only rumored to be difficult..

another moon shot, with a dome / apex

12-Dec, रामशेज: Given its limited geometrical geographical 🌏 aspects, रामशेज was unbelievably fought 🤼 for more than 5 years by मावळे 🚩 when मुघल empire 🤴 (first led by शहाबुद्दीन खान and then बहादुर खान) tried to capture it by all possible means, but failed to only succeed later at mercy of सुभेदार rotation 🔄 policy, using bribe 💰.. unlike year ago's foggy 🌁 weather, the remnants of fort were surprisingly and architecturally more prominent this time ⌛, comprising numerous caves, temples, water cisterns, godowns, archways, hidden tunnels / passages.. छोटा पैकेट, बड़ा धमाका..

13-Dec, सप्तशृंगी गड: Half from those साडेतीन शक्तिपीठ (3½ prominent seats 💺 of the Hindu Goddess), other 3 being महालक्ष्मी (कोल्हापूर), तुुुुळजाभवानी (तुळजापूर) and रेणुका (माहूर).. given the monsoon-like ☁️ weather since last couple of days, could only view the मार्कंडेय fort in its East.. today was also 150ᵗʰ tiny / huge non-Himalayan, non-Sinhagad, non-unique hike.. when all had valid reasons 🤔 to not join today, it was time to #GoSolo 🧘‍♂️.. undoubtedly सप्तशृंगी गड 🚈 made to must-visit places a week ago, when काका enlightened me about शीत कडा.. it is said that a बैलगाडी descended 📉 from here.. fact? is subject to an individual's beliefs 🧐..

बैलगाडी marks at शीत कडा

pic / pick of the season

19-Dec, दुबेरगड: closest and quickest entry of this blog ✍️ for an afternoon 🕓 family (+ आई, आबा, अमित) hike post visiting 12ᵗʰ century गोंदेश्वर मंदिर 🛕.. नागेश्वर मंदिर with a beautiful शिवलिंग at the base and सप्तशृंगी माता मंदिर at the top is all to summarize..

पारंब्या at base

20-Dec, भास्करगड / बसगड: The fort that plays hide-and-seek.. unlike many, the top here mostly cannot be seen 🙈 from its base or for more than first half of the climb.. starting from the col between भास्करगड and फणीचा डोंगर, the route is well marked with arrows ↗️.. show-stopper 🙀 for today was breathtaking view 👍 of neighbor उटवड.. atop are negligible remains of the fortification, marginally defined by a few steps and an archway at the entrance 🚪..

credits: काका

neighbor उटवड

23-Dec, रंजनगिरी: #CannotAskForMore #GoSolo enriched with magical 🎩 views of mountains in 360°.. अंजनेरी, ब्रह्मगिरी, डांग्या pinnacle, कावनई, घरगड, बाहुला 🔫 etc etc.. and to top all these, amazingly engrossed view of वालदेवी नदी / धरण 🏝️ coupled with overwhelming and calming experience of peace ☮️, fresh air and vitamin-D 🌄.. a must have entry in your TODOs / DONEs 🧞..

minuscule engraved at highest point

डांग्या pinnacle

24-Dec, घरगड / अमळी पर्वत: "pinnacle is technical 🧗‍♀️" is what one reads and understands from the blogs / reviews on Google Maps 🗺️.. thus, today's target 🎯 was not the highest point of a गड (same as धोडप from last and सप्तशृंगी गड earlier this month).. when initial plan was only till the last rock-cut, painted-in-white step ending in a temple 🕉️; least we knew about the hill in the East with a waving flag 🚩 at the top of cruise 🚢 shaped pinnacle.. it's scary enough to not look down those steps which literally have zero 🙅 support to bargain with.. absolutely no leverage in inclination, no cables, ropes, chains, railings or grooves.. instant worrisome 😟 doubt was "खाली इथूनच उतरायचंय का?", but most of the mountains also have a pacified ridge 🙋.. the range trek to the second unnamed top comprises of 7 tini-tiny hills and baby creatures 🐍 🦇 🐍.. but here again, the technical aspect (last 10-12 feet 🐾) casted us down.. nonetheless, never a mountain renders "below expectations" 🥳..

बाप-बेटा, काका-पुतण्या

25-Dec, मोहनदरी, मार्कंड पिंप्री, कण्हेरगड: Today was that next time ⏭️.. read 📰 above about मोहनदरी?.. today was time 🕘 for the biggest नेढं, with limited comfort and unlimited chill 🌀.. that adrenaline pumping 👊 rock climbing experience from the base of नेढं ⏺️ to the top without any technical support 🦸 were the merriest moments on the 🎅 Christmas day 🎄.. वैभव and his nephew चिंतन, both equally pocketed this thrilling experience 🤠, who (+ संदीप) were on their way to augment 📝 their DONE list with some नाशिकites..

credits: काका

credits: चिंतन

one of those merriest moments, credits: वैभव

Before progressing to our next hiking destination of the day, an ancient temple 🏚️ at मार्कंड पिंप्री was on list of recommendations, being on the way 🚧.. unique of its kind (another one) from 12ᵗʰ century, it has शिव-पार्वती 🗿 carvings and a ताम्रपात्री (copper based) rock शिवलिंग..

कण्हेरगड near नांदुरी, not the one near चाळीसगाव.. base village सादडविहीर (north) and not कण्हेरवाडी (south).. unlike first instance of today, नेढं here did not bring along heavy wind.. and as rightly deciphered 💭 by संदीप 💡, it was because of its north-south direction.. and its comfortable dimensions meant its employment as 🤤 snacks-cum-lunch point 🥚 🍪.. the top has plenty of water cisterns 🛁 but hardly any with potable contents.. trekking shoes 🥾 with good grip are must as the route is full of scree.. we all slipped marginally / fairly at least once, except whoever was carrying passing-the-parcel, the lone pole 🦯.. another unique observation today was a bale (bundle of hay) being transported from the top to base using a ropeway.. after descending the fort, we split ➗ our ways and पुणे मंडळी proceeded towards हातगड..

credits: वैभव

27-Dec, साल्हेर-सलोटा: हस्ती तेरी विशाल 💪, कुदरत का तू कमाल 🙀.. fittingly, platinumᵗʰ / 75ᵗʰ entry on the list of unique treks.. close to ગુજરાત border, साल्हेर is the ☝️ highest fort and ✌️ second highest peak in its state, महाराष्ट्र (after कळसुबाई).. its prosperity 💎, as observed from the starting point at साल्हेरवाडी, is astonishing 🤩.. standing tall at 1567 meters above sea level, it offers just optimum to test one's endurance 😓.. it is said that परशुराम forced the sea back from here using his arrows 🏹.. the trekking route is well trodden, takes us to the fortification, first thing seen 👁️‍🗨️ in front, from the base.. a traverse to the left 👈 goes to rock-cut steps.. and then, there is गंगासागर lake, रेणुका माता मंदिर, परशुराम मंदिर as summit and plenty of caves to lookout for, when moving towards / descending in the col.. the massive plateau provides enough camping ⛺ opportunities..

शिवगर्जना 🚩

credits: काकांचा smartphone

साल्हेर's twin fort 🖇️ सलोटा is (obviously) shorter in height and size, but (surely) is more difficult.. when viewed from साल्हेर, we can only wonder 🥺 'how?' and only after reaching the common point for both these forts, we see light 🕯️ at the end of the tunnel 🚇 (not literally, म्हण आहे 👻).. the route is thinner and the steps are tougher.. 3 water cisterns, a हनुमान idol and caves again are of type cave-cum-storage.. the stunning view of साल्हेर from this side is equally breathtaking 😇..

आता post 🧾 मध्ये पुढे मुल्हेर, हरगड, मोरा पण असतीलच - तर नाही ⚠️.. those are due for next season 🧥 and will be supplemented at least by न्हावीगड 💇‍♂️ (also known as रतनगड) and मांगी-तुंगी ✋..

01-Jan, सीतामाईचा पाळणा: आज कुठे? आजोबा. नाही समजलं. आजोबा, गडाचं नाव आहे. ok. after such few conversations - confusions 😕 and clarifications 🌝, we were off to our today's hiking destination सीतामाईचा पाळणा or लव-कुश 👩‍👦‍👦 cave on आजोबा / अजा पर्वत, through वाल्मिकी आश्रम / समाधी ⚰️.. first half being gradual and long, second is steep but short.. it is said that सीता 👩‍🦰 inhabited here, and her sons ♂️ लव-कुश used to call वाल्मिकी - आजोबा 👴 (grandfather), hence the name of the mountain.. as observed on AllTrails app, there are 2 trails ↖️ ↗️ from base village 🏘️ डेहणे, one goes to the top and other till the cave.. not sure about the former with blog / YouTube search, we went for the latter.. trekking near मुंबई has always been exhausting 😓 and today was no different, weather also being warmer 🌡️ than recent days.. views comprising खुट्टा, रतनगड, कात्राबाई and colossal आजोबा..

rise of 2021

वाल्मिकी आश्रम

पाळणा, लव-कुश पादुका

worth a mention.. roads 🛣️ to mountains near आमची नाशिक are way better than those of आपली पुणे.. probably 😁 is the reason to have 19 entries here, coupled with 21 counting पांडवलेणी in 50 Earth 🌏 rotations 💫 on its axis..

जबसे तुम्हारे नाम की मिसरी होंठ लगाई है,

मीठा सा गम है और मीठी सी तन्हाई है..

The planned list 📜 (before departing from Pune) with handful 🖐️ of entries - मार्कंडेय, औंढा, मोहनदरी, धोडप, ending in कावनई, broke loose into 11,147 meters of elevation gain, as measured by "Editors' Choice" AllTrails app (download here)..

खुशनसीब 🍀 है हम, जिनको है मिली ये बहार ज़िन्दगी में.. one of महाराष्ट्राची धरोहर 🏗️.. टेकड्या, गड आणि किल्ले 🏞️.. लाभले आम्हास भाग्य - बोलतो 🎙️, जन्मलो 🐣 मराठी.. and last but not the least, a home in नाशिक..

A consolidated video on YouTube..