Adventure trek to Kohoj Fort

Date:

Destination: Kohoj Fort

Activity: Trek (Catagory Moderate)

Camp

Contact: 9821081566/9619182010 (Natureknights.com - M. Asif)

The Fort

Kohoj the lesser known mysterious fort stands on the beautiful hill on the road from Manor to Wada.

The moderate hike to the top in monsoon is a fresh experience. The 2.5 to 3 hours one way hike to Kohoj fort has all ingredients for a pleasant small eco-adventure landscapes reflecting in small lakes, hills, plateaus, misty atmosphere, flora and fauna (wild and domestic), remote hamlets, the two very peculiarly shaped pinnacles are the guiding lighthouse to the fort of Kohoj playing hide and seek in the monsoon clouds.

The view from the top is mind blowing. You will also find water tanks on the top. DherajRiver , the vaitharna river, Bandre dam and Tak-Mak.

For more details click below.

Click here for details of Kohoj Trek

Check list for monsoon treks click here

Click here for registration details

Our other upcoming events click here

To know more about us click here

Discover the adventurer in you. C U soon on July 12, 2009 on an adventure with Nature Knights.

Kundalikar River Rafting

Nature Knights Kundalikar River Rafting Hosted on May 10, 2009 , Safety instruction and training
Getting Ready for action






Instruction about Rescue Kayak







Ready for action

Know more about river rafting click here

Click here for more pictures on Kundalika River Rafting hosted on May 10, 2009

Wild Life Census

Every year during the month of May, all Wild Life Sancturies and National Parks officials organise census operation to record, understand and analyse health of eco-system. This is the best time for census as most of the wild life is concentrated around few waterbodies likes lakes and waterholes. Machans are built around water holes. This vantage advantage location can be used by a volunteer / expert for making his observations. Volunteers and experts besides keeping a close eye from machal also studies all trails leading towards the water hole. Pug marks, animal scats, and physical sightings are recorded and studied to determine the exact population of Wild Life in the National Park. This is also the best period for those who are interested in spotting the bigger mammals. I am sharing my experience of just one morning spent at SJNP in the month of May 2009. Happy sightings..

for more information contact me. Cheers Asif (http://www.natureknights.com/ / 9821081566 / 9619182010 / asif@natureknights.com natureknights@yahoo.com )

Chick here for More Pictures

River Rafting - Kundalika River

Kundalika River Rafting– Kolad

The sport of white water river rafting calls for a triumph over the swift swirling river as it gushes past spectacular mountains. It is practiced mainly in the upper reaches where the water is wild and white as it froths and foams, crashing against narrow gorges, rocky outcrops and falls at deep gradients.

The Kundalika River which lays hardly 100 kms from Mumbai provides excellent opportunity for river rafting. The river is fed by waters released from Mulshi Dam and Bhira dam and provides 9 km rafting location with class 3 and class 4 rapids. These magical waters provide one fun-filled roller coaster rides.

What do the classes mean

Grade I: Small, easy waves; mainly flat water

Grade II: Mainly clear passages; some areas of difficulty

Grade III: Difficult passages; narrow in places and with high waves

Grade IV: Very difficult, narrow and requiring precise manoeuvring

Grade V: Extremely difficult. Very fast-flowing waters which can be manoeuvred only by experts Grade VI: For all practical purposes, unmanageable- even suicidal

Schedule

05.00 Start From Andheri
05.30 Sion
05.45 Chembur
06.15 Vashi
07.30 Packed B/f on the way in the bus
09.00 Nagothane Naka, Rafting base camp
9-10.00 Orientation for Rafting
10-13.00 Rafting
14.00 Lunch
15.00 Start back
16.30 Tea on the way back
20.00 Reach Mumbai

For details click here

Ratnagiri Mountaineering Adventure

Life is full of choices.

Choose to live in the coziness on of your comfort zone

Choose to live on the edge

Or you may choose to live beyond the edge

Nature Knights – Mountaineering Mandalam adventure at Ratnagiri

Where the mountains meets the beach

Where adventure meets the adventurer

Where the grommet meets appetite

Date: May 22, Night onwards

300 feet rappelling, unique caving experience below the sea level, beach volley ball, Malwan food, camp fire and stay on a plateau overlooking the sea.

Activity under the guidance of mountaineering a guru, who is the winner of several National and State level awards.

For details click on the link below.

Details of Ratnagiri Mountaineering Mandalam

Bhutan - The Land of Gross National Happiness

Bhutan often referred to as the "Land of the Peaceful Dragon" is still regarded as one of the last 'Shangri-la of the Himalayan region because of its remoteness, its spectacular mountain terrain, varied flora and fauna and its unique Buddhist Ancient monasteries. It is relatively unexplored pocket of Asia which allows only limited number of discerning travellers to enter the country in order to protects its fragile environment and culture.. to know more about The Land, The People and The Culture of Bhutan click on the link below.

Know all about Bhutan

Peth Kotligad Trek

Peth Kotligad Album

History of Peth.

The history of Kotligad fort can be traced back to till 13th century. The cave and the temple carvings at the entrance of the Kotligad fort date back to the 13th century. Not much is known about the history until the 18th cent. In 1716, this cave was captured by the British. Then later on, on November 2, 1817, it was taken by the Marathas under the leadership of Bapurao who belonged to the second generation of Bajirao. It was recaptured by the British, on December 30, 1817, the very next month, under one Captain Brooks. The British had the fort till 1862; it served as an outpost for keeping vigilance on the surrounding valley and the hills all around it. Basically it's the only big peak in the middle of a big valley surrounded by many hills, which made it strategically important as a watch post.

How to reach Peth?

Taking public transport, board an early morning train for Karjat and board a bus for Kaashele or hire a dug-duggi (Big Rickshaw) that takes you directly to Ambiwali Village. The base village is Ambiwali, which is about 10km from Kaashele towards the east. Ambiwali is not on the main Karjat-Khaandas route, and so there are not many direct buses to Ambiwali from Karjat or Neral. So it is a good idea to take the 7:15am Khaandas bus from Karjat, and alight at Kaashele. From Kaashele, there are many tempos available to go to Ambiwali. It takes about 20min. to reach Ambiwali from Kaashele by tempo. To come back to Kaashele from Ambiwali, there are buses till 4:30pm and tempos till 6:00pm; you may also find occasional dug-duggi.

Private transport, take to Mumbai – Pune Highway enter Express Highway and exit the express highway from the first exit (Shetung Phata) take the chowk route after crossing Karjat junction keep going straight; around 4 to 5 km before Kaashele keep a lookout for mile stone that will direct you towards Ambiwali; take right turn to head towards Ambiwali. Just as you enter Ambiwali you will find T-Junction as road that turns right. Park you vehicle here.

Start of the trek

From Ambiwali village, there is a broad mud path which gently climbs to Peth village at the base of the conical hill (5km, 90 min). The path offers good views of the surrounding valley on both the sides.



The Climb

The Peth village is exactly as the base of the fort and you can see the walls of the fort. You go right across the village and here starts the second part of the trek. From a point there is a bifurcation. The easier route is from the left which goes around the fort with the fort staying to your right. There is a set of steps which will take you to the top. If you take the right side route, its much steeper but will get you faster to the top.
At the base of Kotligad are water tanks, and a huge cave with a temple inside it. There is also a water tank inside the cave with very clean water. In fact, the villagers of Peth draw water from this tank and one can see pipes going down all the way to the village.


To go to the top of Kotligad, one has to enter the cave and climb up a funnel along a staircase carved out in the inside of the pinnacle! This is the most interesting part of this trek, and it is a unique feature amongst the forts in this region. The staircase climbs up steeply, and near the top, it is no longer totally inside the pinnacle. There is a narrow gap in the pinnacle rock face along which it climbs, and here one can enjoy a cool breeze and a great view of the Konkan. The steps soon take one to the top of Kotligad, 20m above the cave. It takes about 45 min. to reach the top from Peth village. The top is circular and quite small. There is a small water tank here, and one can see remains of fort walls here. It is from the top that one gets the fantastic views mentioned above.

From Peth village, another track leads on towards the wall of the ghat, and climbs up pretty steeply. It goes towards the Wandre Khind pass. This track is visible very prominently from the top of Kotligad. The view of the wall of the ghat from Kotligad resembles a giant amphitheatre, since the ghat is about 700m high here, higher than Kotligad.

Nature Knights has an established local contact at Peth Village. To check out pictures of last our last trek on April 5, 2009 check out the link.

Up Coming Event Summary

Up Coming Event Summary

For details of events and registration guidance refer to http://www.natureknights.com/ or up coming Events links of this blog

Or email to contact@natureknights.com / CC to: natureknights@yahoo.com

Contact: 9821081566 / 9820169693 / 9820834622 (SMS / mail and we will revert back)

Check out our safari to the same region few months ago.

Event: Vyaghreshwar Trek

Date: March 29, 2009

Duration: 1 day

Difficulty Level: Easy/Medium

The Place

The trek to Vyaghreshwar is almost unknown and takes one to an ancient temple of Lord Shiva situated in a corner of Raigad district (near the town of Pen) in Konkan. The view from the temple is beautiful and one can even catch glimpses of the sea, if visibility permits. A huge waterfall flows near the temple in the monsoons. In other seasons, the tranquil surroundings of the temple bring peace to the mind. Mirgad & Ratnagad are the forts nearby with Pen being the closest town.

Camp Fee: Rs.850/-

Event: Night Trek to Kotligad / Peth

Date: April 4 (9 pm onwards) to April 5, 2009 (till 4 pm)

Duration: Over night

The Place

Kothligad is a fort in the shape on an inverted funnel. Situated at the base of the fort is the village Peth hence the fort is often called as Peth fort as well. At the base of the hill is the village
Ambavali.

At a distance of 15 km from Karjat station this is a fort for any trekking enthusiast. A gradual ascend to the village Peth and then a short steep climb to reach the base of the funnel. The most interesting part of the fort is the funnel which is carved from within thus making a hollow in the center. There are stairs leading to the top where you reach the top of the pinnacle. From here is visible the Tungi fort, Padargad fort and Bhimashankar platue. Since this is very close to the Bhimashankar forest there have been instances of spotting the Shekru (giant Indian squirrel) in this region.

Camp Fee: Rs. 875/- Members get a discount of Rs. 100/-

Capacity: 25 persons

Event: Bag Packing Trip to Janjira Fort

Date: April 11, 2009

Duration: One Day

Place- Murud-Janjira (165 KM from Mumbai by Road or 50 km from Ali Baug)

Dates- April 11, 2009.

Registration- Rs.500/- (Confirmed registration mandatory)

Capacity: 25 members only (on first cum-first basis)

Konkan Safari from Ali Baug to Murud and Beyond


Event: Adventure Event for Akanksha (A Charity Event)

Date: April 19, 2009

Duration: One Day

Place: Sanjay Gandhi National Park – Near Kanheri Caves

Number of participants: 35 Kids and 15 Adults

Activities:

Rock Climbing, Rappelling and Jumaring
Visit to Kanheri Caves

Help Needed – Volunteers and Support (Funds for Bus and Food)

Event Facilitated by Nature Knights for Akanksha

Event: Adventure Summer Camp for Moms and Kids

Date: April 25 and 26, 2009

Place: Base Camp Lonavala (Divya Hill Top Cottages)


Camp Fee: Rs.1750/- for Moms and Rs.1500/- for Kids

Total Capacity: 30 Participants

Event: Exploration of the un-explored Uttaranchal and River Rafting at Rishikesh

Date: April 29, 2009 onwards to May 9, 2009

Place: Uttaranchal

Activities: Trekking; Safari; River Rafting; and Culture


Event: To be announced

May 2, and 3 – 2009

Place: To be announced


Event: Ladakh Safari

Dates: May 29, 2009 Evening to June 11, 2009 morning

Camp Fee: Ex Mumbai Rs.27,500/- **


Event: Ladakh Bag Packing

Dates: June 6, 2009 Evening to June 14, 2009 morning

Camp Fee: Ex. Mumbai Rs. 19,500/- **


Event: Ladakh Expedition Stok Kangri

Dates: June 13, 2009 to June 19, 2009 (Ex. Leh)
Dates: June 11, 2009 to June 20, 2009 (Ex. Mumbai)

Camp Fee: Ex. Leh (Rs.29,750/-)

Nature Knights – Holi Trip to Nagaon Beach

Nature Knights – Holi Trip to Nagaon Beach

It’s become almost customary for Nature Knights, this is the fourth year we are spending the Holi Festival at Nagaon, the remote village tucked away few kilometers after Alibaug and surprisingly also start contrast to Chaos and Honking of Alibaug…

Narrow roads covered on both sides by green palms; jolly people, not so crowded beach and not to forget Malvan Food (Fish, Chicken and Veggies with Bhakari and Rice ) and LOTS OF
C O L O U R S..

Limited capacity, 25 Seats available..

Mode of transport – Private mini 25 seated bus.

Tentative schedule.

Pickup points

6:30 am from Andheri Station (West) near Merwans Bakery, on S. V. Road just outside BEST Bus Depot
6:45 am Bandra-Kurla (Kala Nagar Junction at Bustop)
6:50 am Sion Lunch Home (Near Sion station)
7:00 am Chembur opposite to Akbarallis Departmental Store
7:15 am Vashi
Breakfast at Vithal Kamat (Nr. Karnala Bird Sanctuary)
Lunch at Na-Gaon
Evening Tea / Snacks on the way back
Expected to be back in Mumbai by 7:00 / 7:30 pm

For details of the event visit us at http://www.natureknights.com/

Trek-a-thon-invitation

For more details see below

For registration documents check the link on the right.

Trek-a-Thon-Treasure-Hunt Challenge

You are invited

Trekking and Treasure Hunt covering almost half a dozen forts and more than a dozen riddles / tasks to be completed in less than two days

Constrains

1) Team size 4 persons, 3 persons or 2 persons (From Corporate India)
2) All members of the team have to cover all target destination in the treasure hunt together
3) At least one member of team has to be a lady candidate
4) The Trek-a-thon Treasure Hunt Challenge starts on February 28, early morning at Lonavala base camp.
5) Other rules, challenges and constrains for the event will be shared on the day of the event.
6) 30 minutes bonus per day for four person team
7) 15 minutes bonus per day for three person team
8) For team without a lady candidate (Minus 30 minutes per day)

Registration

(Rs.6,500/- per team for four persons)
Rs.5,200/= per team of three persons
Rs.3,600/= per team of two person)

Registration Process:

Kindly refer registration form

Ex. Mumbai pickup and drop. Also includes:

· Trekking food (Packed Lunch / Bottled Water / Basic Medical Kit) for Day 1 and Day 2 of the event
· Buffet Dinner at Base camp
· Accommodation for the night
· Transport

Prizes

1st Price – Life Membership of Nature Knights for all members of this team; Plus Out Doors Survival Kit Plus …

2nd Price – Five Years Membership of Nature Knights for all members of this team; Plus Out Doors Survival Kit Plus …
3rd Price – Three Year Membership of Nature Knights for all members of this team; Plus Out Doors Survival Kit Plus …

Gifts For all participants

· Multi-utility Survival Gadget
· Nature Knights T-Shirt
· One Year Membership of Nature Knights
· Plus Discount Coupons for Nature Knights Events
· Ensured Slot in Eco-Challenge Race ** – December 4 to 6, 2009.

** Eco- Challenge Race to be facilitated by Nature Knights in the Month of December 2009, this event will include activities like River Rafting; Swimming; Cross Country Cycling and Trekking in “wilderness, mountains and forts. Of course there will be lots of prices to be won too.

We are also working if we can get some sponsored gifts for participants; Suggestion and leads are welcome.

For inquiries kindly sms or mail us your inquiries at the below contact details and we will revert.

Asif – 9821081566 / 9619182010; asif@natureknights.com
Nimesh – 9820169693; nimesh@natureknights.com
Dnyanesh – 9820834622 dnyanesh@natureknights.com

info@natureknights.com

For latest updates kindly visit us at http://www.natureknights.com/