Trekking Naneghat in Monsoon

Naneghat has been like an annual pilgrimage for me. So, when I planned for the ride and trek this year, I was sure I wouldn’t be blogging about it. But the way it turned out to be – I couldn’t resist jotting it down and share.

On just a few days’ notice three Decide&RideTM Bullet guys agreed for the ride and trek along with a colleague and my roommate. Plan was simple - Ride/ Food/ Trek/ Food/ Trek down/ Food/ Ride back. Itinerary included Heavy to moderate Rain and Fatigue with Directions, misdirection, lot of fresh pahadi water, scenery and slips.

We started it at around 6 AM morning. It was raining since last evening, and when we started it was still raining. Josh took Ashutosh as pillion and Abhishek hoped on to my pillion seat, Sandy was to join us at Kalyan naka with Monty – who found his bull not ready for ride and had to cancel it (though he rushed and did power-trek to meet us at top later). Anyways, it was still raining when we met at Kalyan naka and left for Naneghat.

First look of the cloud-clad Naneghat

Naneghat

At an elevation of about 700meters, it is considered as one of the highest peaks in Maharashtra of the Sahyadris and provides amateurs and travellers a great opportunity to burn some calories and live some excitement. It’s situated at about 90 km from Navi Mumbai on NH 222  Kalyan-Ahmednagar Highway, near Junnar in Pune. Nane (coin) + Ghat (pass) had been a trade route between Kalyan and Junnar during Satavahana’s dynasty (200 BCE–190 CE). (Wiki )

ROAD CONDITION:  It’s single lane road. Leaving Kalyan, it’s mostly without much traffic except at Murbad. Monsoon makes this route an awesome road to ride with everything green all around. Well, if you want to trek, the base station is about 100 km from Mumbai (see here) or if you want to drive up to Naneghat it would be around 165 km, may check it out here. 

Rain riding to Naneghat

Riding for about one and a half hour under moderate to heavy rains, but not for a single second no-rain, and having a breakfast break, we reached the base of Naneghat at around 9 AM. Few minutes spent and we started trekking.

Joshil's rain ride

What was so special about this trek?

We have always trekked Naneghat post-monsoon, and this was for the first time we were doing it when an agreessive Monsoon has just hit the Mumbai-around and incidentally it has been raining for last 24 hours or so. In fact, in that almost 90km stretch that we rode we didn’t find a single place where there was no rain. It’s an easy to moderate trek of 2-3 hours. First part of trek, which leads to a beautiful all-green plateau, takes less than an hour and is not that steep. Then starts the steep part of trek that mostly consists of stairs made out of basalt, though at a few places there is no stair and one needs to climb 2-3 foot high cuts. It was when we started second part of the trek; I knew I need to blog about it…

It's not a Waterfall, but the route we trekked

Nothing exaggerated 

Trekking Naneghat during high Monsoon is altogether a different experience. There was no defined route as such; a glimpse of it was there with waters falling through it – and it was up to the trekker to say it a route or a waterfall. At few places, rush of water was so high that we need to stop, talk and take a call to go further or return. I am not so good with language to define what we experienced, so here are the pictures and a video that may give you a feel of what Naneghat in Monsoon means…

The trek team

A shot when the wind took away the clouds for a while 

Final basaltic pass, which was nothing less than another waterfall

Team trekking down the waterfalls

A video shot..

To see what the Naneghat trek is otherwise, click here.

Take aways:

1. ROAD CONDITION:   It’s single lane road. Leaving Kalyan, it’s mostly without much traffic except at Murbad. Monsoon makes this route an awesome road to ride with everything green all around.
2. Don’t try to do it alone. There are high chances you miss the path, you won’t be lost but it for sure freak you out. One of our friends did it alone on one-side and two lost their ways while descending.
3. It is an easy trek as such, but go well prepared with right boots, clothing, raincoat – if in monsoon (Umbrellas won’t help you)
4. Carry some snacks and also a First Aid box. If you want to have good lunch out there – you may call to these guys at 9423002494 or 9767379084.
5. Caves at top of Naneghat are now barricaded and probably locked at nights, so if you are planning for an overnight stay – carry your own tents.
6. Please do carry bin-bags and don’t litter. It’s you who can save the adobe first-hand, Government will come later :)