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Part1:Planning(debates and debacles and the payback) Visapur and lohagad are two splendid and more of picnic type spot. At mansoon this place is paradise. Two year back we had an unsucessful attempt to trek lohagad (because there was already dark as we were late) but this was the time of pay-back. The starting of the journey was hell of confusion and arguments. We were not decided by the dinnertime when to leave and what is the team. When we finally decided that we should leave by that night only, one member pulled back. But finally we started off at 11 p.m at night as we thought of the night journey to the lonavala and then to lohagad-visapur at early morning. Part2:Journey to Lonavala (Jaana the Japan pahooch gaye cheen) We were four members (me, ravindra, rahaman and sandy). When we reached the thane station, the last train has already left at 11:25. We were in great distress as the whole plan had a dead (stupid) blow. We decided not to wrack the plan and better leave to Kalyan and get to Siddhgad. But then by chance we asked at the enquiry and there we were been told that there us still way to get to the lonavala. He told us that there is a train (konkan railway) which can take us to panvel and from panvel there are buses whole nite for lonavala. We took the train and at panvel we`d been told to take lift in truck as it would be much better option. The option was really great as it got us cheapily right to the malavali village (5 kms from Lonavala). From there the walk to the lohagad base was of about 2.5 hrs. Part3:The mansoon trek First we decided to scale visapur andthen lohagad. Visapur is one of the splendid and still well preserved fort standind right opposite the "Lohagad". Visapur is an hardcore mansoon trek, at this season it is like heaven ,during rest of the season it does not provide much adventure to the trekkers. The fort seems almost inaccesible unless one don`t find a waterfall which leads to the top. The climb from this waterfall is amazingly of only 20 mins, but this no way means that the fort is easily scalable. There are two other way to up also which can give scary chill to trekkers.Thanx to one villager who appeared at the right moment, else we would have almost gave up had we don` get the right way up. There is nothing much to see at the top as usual in ghat forts but one can have both visapur and lohagad together in one day and that the catch coming here. Lohagad is only one 1 km away from visapur. There are two restaraunt cum snack and tea stall at the base of lohagad. We had our refreshment there. There I had for first time "Jhunka-Bhakar" and that was quite tasty. There is nothing like climb in lohagad as there are stairs taking to the main entrance. There are four big doors to the entrance. At the top there are huge water reservoirs and quite a number of "Muslim mazars". One point names "bicchu cada" is amazing. It is quite thrilling as it is a narrow fortified lane appearing like a tail to lohagad, but we gave up to go to the last tip of this point as it may be quite dangerous there beacause of the strong wind and narrow path. There are a horde of troublesome monkeys and one should be careful while passing them. Part4:Return We got back to the malavali station by 6 p.m but we had to wait for another hour for the next local to lonavala is after one hour. When we were in station, I was thinking of the same time but 2 years back when we had to return from the base of visapur wihtout even tring for top. From lonavala we again took a lift in a truck and got back to kurla. At last we were thinking of the great day, a day, just another day in paradise. |