Destination
Tikona
Enter 20th October (a Saturday) and one of us came up with a suggestion
for
a trek to Tikona. Amey, Ranjit , Hrishikesh Hegde, Hrishikesh
Mehendale,
Pankaj Khanzode and Swapnil (The PSPL
gang)decided to take off to Tikona. We had heard that this was an
old
deserted fort that not many trekkers were aware of. It is a pyramidal
peak
near Lonavala. The fort gets its name from its pyramidal shape, which
is
instantly recognizable at the end of a gently arching mud trail. It is
also
called as 'Vitangagad'. The fort is almost 3580 feet high. Tikona comes
under
the medium category as far as the trek difficulty level is concerned.
This
trek is in itself, a very rewarding experience with mist-drenched
paths,
the wet earth, and wild flowers dotting the countryside.
Getting There
We started off from Pune
station
at 6:00am by a local train for Lonavala and alighted at Kamshet. It
took
almost one and half-hour to reach to Kamshet. One could then catch a
bus
from Kamshet station on the ghats section to Kale Colony, near Pawna
Dam.
From Kale Colony one can get either a bus or a jeep that can be shared
among
6-8 people to reach the village at the base called Gavhande village.
This
village is also known as Tikona-Peth. We had a light breakfast at
Kamshet
and then took a jeep for Kale Colony. From there, we caught a six
seater
to reach at Gavhande village, from where the actual trek began.
The Trek
We started the actual trek at
9.30
am. The locals can be very helpful and their guidance should be
solicited
for the beginning of the trail leading to the peak. But one must get it
double-checked
to ensure that our interpretation of their information is correct. As
usual
we asked one of locals for the path that would lead us to the peak of
the
fort. We started following the path from whatever we understood of his
advice.
But then after walking through the forests for about 20 minutes we
realized
that we had chosen the incorrect path. We went in exactly the opposite
direction
of the fort in the hope that we would find a better way, but it was not
our
day! By now we were also pretty sure that there would be a better way
but
we were not very sure where it was! At one stage, there was no proper
path
left to follow. With no better options left, we decided to climb over
the
rocks, directly onto the fort. This wasn't an easy task. We were
climbing
uphill with almost 60-70 degrees gradient without any rope. There were
plenty
of bushes and dense grass, which we used to haul ourselves uphill. It
wasn't
easy at all. Few of us would go ahead in search of best possible path
and
then others would follow them.
After plenty of hard work, we reached our first milestone and we
finally
saw the correct path, which we should have followed in the first place
!
It was unbelievable. Reaching there, nobody could even think of looking
back
and after reaching the first milestone all we could say was "Coming
down
by the same path is an impossible task" !
Thereafter, it was pretty straightforward. We went on, following the
established
route rather than inventing our own through the forests. It took almost
three
hours to reach to the top of the fort, which would have taken only an
hour
or so by normal standards. We met another group of trekkers at the top
and
they informed us that their trek had taken just over an hour. It was
very
surprising for us, and we were stunned. Of course, they probably had a
less
exciting trek as compared to ours !
This was because they had followed the route that starts off from the
front
side of the fort and not from the backside! But then there was nothing
to
repent for; enjoyment was the main objective of the trek and rather
than
reaching the summit in the record-breaking time !
Places to See
At the top of the fort, one
can
have a wonderful view of fort Tung, the twin of Tikona. There are a few
lakes,
the temple of 'Trimbakeshwar Mahadev', and few caves of Satvahan era.
The
view of Pawna dam and other forts like Tung, Lohagad and Visapur is
extremely
beautiful.
On the Way Back
We came back by the normal
route,
which we were supposed to follow on our way up in the first place. But
then
we believe in "whatever happens, happens for the best". While
returning,
we spent some time in the Pawana River. Tikona is not an easy trek by a
long
shot since it is located at a height of 3580 ft. above sea level. But
once
you scale the summit, one really feels like the king of the world.
Coming down the fort was a pretty easy task. From the Gavhande village,
we
took a jeep again to return to Kale Colony. We got a bus from Kale
colony
to Kamshet. From Kamshet, we caught a local and reached Pune at around
7.30
pm.
Survival Guide
It may be good idea to carry
a
plenty of water. There is no provision for any food at the top. You
will
need to carry your own foodstuff. Bread, butter, cheese, jam, fruits
are
good options for the afternoon lunch.
Final Verdict
All in all, it was one of the
memorable
treks. We made it more adventurous by choosing the wrong path!
