Trekkers’ first choice for the adventurous experience, Kalavantin Durg trek is one of the most thrilling treks around Mumbai.
The height of Kalavantin Durg is 686m and it’s around 17 km away from Panvel. This one day trek is perfect for the weekend getaway. You will feel the adrenaline rush while climbing almost 80-degree steep steps.
The difficulty level of the Kalavantin fort trek is hard. And take extra care if you are just a beginner.
The main attraction of the Kalavantin Durg trek is the trail itself. The rock-carved steep steps make this trek adventurous and rousing.
You can get a 360-degree view of the endless Sahyadri range from the top of the Kalavantin Durg. Also, the trail is covered by the dense forest.
In the monsoon season, you will come across many streams and waterfalls.
Although you can complete the trek in a day, many trekkers prefer to spend a night at the base. You can cover nearby Prabalgad trek on the same day.
Most of the photos of the Kalavantin Durg on the internet are actually taken from the Prabalgad.
Kalavantin Durg is one of the toughest treks in Maharashtra and if you are finding the getaway from the mundane city life; head towards this exciting one day trek.
Let’s see some important points before you go on the trek.
Contents
- Kalavantin Durg trek under a minute
- Kalavantin Durg History
- How to reach Kalavantin Durg?
- Best time to visit Kalavantin Durg
- Is Kalavantin Durg safe?
- How do you get to Kalavantin Durg?
- Prabalgad Trek
- What to know before the Kalavantin Durg trek
- What to do after you finish the Kalavantin fort trek
- Precautions for the Kalavantin Fort trek
- Kalavantin Durg Trek Images
Kalavantin Durg trek – a natural adventure waiting for you near Mumbai
Difficulty Level: Hard
Type of a trek: One day trek
Best time to visit Kalavantin Durg: Winter Season, November to February
Distance from Panvel: 17 km
Base village: Thakurvadi, Vardoli
The time needed to climb Kalavantin Durg: 1-2 hour from Prabalmachi
Kalavantin Durg History
Durg means fort in the Marathi language. Although there is no fort-like structure on the Kalavantin Durg, the name is inspired by the Queen Kalavantin in the 15th century. Both the forts, Kalavantin Durg and Prabalgad are built in the same era and share the same history. Kalavantin Durg is a huge pinnacle beside the Prabalgad.
How to reach Kalavantin Durg?
Kalavantin Durg is in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. Panvel is the nearest railway station to Kalavantin Durg and is around 17km away from the fort.
The trek starts from the Thakurvadi base village. You can take a state transport bus from Panvel to reach Thakurvadi. There are many private vehicles available to come to the base village.
If you are coming in your own vehicle then search for the village Vardoli in Google map. From here you can ask locals about the starting point of the trek.
Don’t rely completely on the Google map, your communication skills will come in handy here. Haha!
Best time to visit Kalavantin Durg
You can visit Kalavantin Durg on any day of the year. Post monsoon season will be the best time to visit Kalavantin Durg.
Avoid going on the peak monsoon season, as the steps get slippery and there are high chances of an accident.
Kalavantin Durg is a popular trek, so there will be a huge crowd on weekends.
If you want to avoid staying in line until the way clears out, visit the Kalavantin Durg in November to February on weekdays.
In summer, the sun will be so harsh and you will get exhausted during the trail. Start the trek as early as possible so that you will reach at the top just in time.
There is not much space on the top of the fort. Keep these things in mind while planning the trek to Kalavantin Durg.
Is Kalavantin Durg safe?
Although Kalavantin Durg looks very dangerous for beginners, it’s completely safe for the trek.
Still, you need to take extra precaution while climbing the rock-cut steep steps.
Keep the focus on your trail, avoid monkey-acts and overconfident moves. Also, avoid looking down as it will freak you out.
Descend is more adventures than ascend. Kalavantin Durg trek is the perfect trek to beat your fear of heights.
As I earlier told you, avoid going to Kalavantin Durg in the peak monsoon days. The rainwater makes the steps slippery. And there will be a huge crowd in the monsoon time.
The main reason to go for the treks is avoiding the busy city life, right?
There are some cases of fatal accidents happened on the Kalavantin Durg trek.
How do you get to Kalavantin Durg?
The trek to Kalavantin Durg starts from the Thakurvadi base village.
It will take around 3 to 4 hours to climb Kalavantin Durg from the base village. The first 3 km section is covered with a dense forest area.
There is a local authority check booth at the start of the main trail. You need to register your name and pay some minor amount which will be used for the goodness of the fort. There are many dustbins provided across the trail.
After the forest section, there is a flat area called Prabalmachi (Machi Prabal). If you want to spend a night on the fort, then this is the best place.
There are many hotels here. Also, you can ask the locals for the food. You need to tell beforehand to cook the food and you can enjoy the authentic Maharashtrian Veg and Non-veg dish after you complete the trek.
From the Prabalmachi, there is gradual ascend for almost 1 km. Then there is a divergent. The left side route goes to Kalavantin Durg and the right side route goes to Prabalgad.
Climbing the iconic rock-carved steps inclined at 80-degree angle
Once you reach the starting point of the Kalavantin Durg steps, you can halt for sometimes. There is a stall available where you can get the refreshments.
The rock-carved steps are inclined at almost 80-degree angle. Each step is almost 2 feet tall.
After crossing the zigzag steps you will reach the top of the fort.
Now to get the 360-degree view you need to climb a rock of almost 15 feet tall. There is rope available tied by the locals to climb this section. Also, there are 3-4 locals who will guide and help you to climb the rock.
There is not much space on the very top of the fort. As Kalavantin Durg is a popular trekking destination, you need to wait for your turn to climb the rock. Sometimes, you will need to wait in a long queue.
After spending an hour at the top you can descend. The route will be the same. Take extra precaution during the descend.
Prabalgad Trek
The complete Kalavantin Durg trek will take around 5 hours. After that, you can head towards the Prabalgad. If you start the trek early in the morning, you can complete both the trek in a single day.
Kalavantin Durg is a pinnacle while the Prabalgad is a flat hill. Both the forts can be easily spotted from Mumbai- Pune expressway. The elevation of Prabalgad is 700m which is higher compared to Kalavantin Durg.
What to know before the Kalavantin Durg trek
Kalavantin Durg trek is a one day trek and it will take around 5 hours for the complete trek.
Food and accommodation service is available at the Prabalmachi village. Locals cook food as per the order so tell them beforehand. You can enjoy your veg or non-veg meal after coming down from the fort.
There is enough space available at Prabalmachi for camping. You can bring your own tent or rent a tent from locals at an affordable price.
You can also have a homestay at the local’s house. Toilets are available at the Prabalmachi village.
Although you will not need to take permission for the Kalavantin fort trek, you have to register your name at the entrance and need to pay some fee. They will also inspect your bags at the entrance.
They will use the money for the goodness of the fort. You will realize it during the trail as there are many dustbins provided across the entire trail.
Thakurvadi base village will be hard to find on the Google map so you can search for Vardoli village which is 2 km away from Thakurvadi. Good parking facility is available at the base village.
The main attraction of the Kalavantin Durg trek is the climb of rock-carved steep steps, inclined at almost 80-degree angle. So avoid going to this trek in peak monsoon days and also avoid the weekends.
There are around 5 caves in the area. During Kalavantin fort trek you will come across 2 caves. Other caves are available on the Prabalgad on either side.
What to do after you finish the Kalavantin fort trek
As I told you earlier, you can do the nearby Prabalgad trek after finishing the Kalavantin fort trek. You can do both the treks in a single day.
You can also plan Irshalgad trek and Chanderi fort trek which are in the surrounding area. Both the forts are visible from the top of the Kalavantin fort and Prabalgad.
Precautions for the Kalavantin Fort trek
Kalavantin fort trek is one of the toughest treks in Maharashtra. It’s a straight forward well-marked trek. There is only one route for the trek so you will not get lost.
Wear good quality trek shoes as there are many slippery sections during the trail. Avoid wearing Chappal or Sandals.
Wear full-body clothes to protect yourself from insect bites and thorns.
If you are going in the rainy season then wear proper clothes. If you are going in summer then carry sunscreen.
Avoid going at the edge of the cliff. Please don’t throw your garbage on the fort or during the trek. There are dustbins provided across the trail.
Leave the footprints, not the trash.
Kalavantin Durg Trek Images
This trek is explored by Pravin Katkar, Banner image by Dinesh Valke
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