, Safety instruction and training
Getting Ready for actionInstruction about Rescue Kayak
Ready for action
Monday, May 11, 2009
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 
, Safety instruction and training Getting Ready for actionInstruction about Rescue Kayak
Ready for action
Wednesday, May 6, 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 )
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
River Rafting - Kundalika River
Kundalika
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
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
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
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
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
Know all about Bhutan
Monday, April 6, 2009
Peth Kotligad Trek
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
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/-)
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/-)
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