Introduction: Trekking Kalavantin Durg, comes under the pinnacle-climbing type of trek. It is a 2300 ft. high trek of medium level difficulty, involving 3 hours of climbing.
Best Season: The best time to trek Kalavantin Durg is during the monsoon season. In India, in the State of Maharashtra, where Kalavantin Durg is located, the monsoon season arrives in the month of June and lasts till the month of October. This season offers views replete with greenery all the way from the base, to the view from the pinnacle, all around the mountain ranges. You can see a variety of beautiful flowers, strange yet beautiful insects and butterflies, monkeys, and water streams throughout. Besides, the drizzling cool rains and beautiful views make you forget the duration of the climb, and keep you relaxed and cool-headed.
Cost: Depending on whether the trekking group is offering lunch or only one-time snacks or both, the trek costs might vary between $3 to $7. You will have to make payments in Indian currency in person, once the entire trekking group congregates at Panvel station. The cost is inclusive of:
- Travel from Panvel station to base village and back, along with a morning snack or evening snack – $3
- Travel from Panvel station to base village and back, along with morning & evening snacks – $5
- Travel from Panvel station to base village and back, along with morning & evening snacks & lunch – $7
Location: Kalavantin Durg is just a few kilometers away from Panvel station. From the Mumbai International Airport, in Maharashtra, India, you can reach Santacruz station in 5 minutes by rickshaw at about 25 cents. From Santacruz station, you can take a return ticket to Panvel station, for about 40 cents.
Pre-Decided Trek Registration: You will need to do an online registration by searching for popular local trekking groups like Wild Rangers, Keen Venturers & Trekkers etc. You will need to inspect their monsoon trekking timetables through search engines, resulting in their blogs. Alternatively, you can track these groups on social networking sites like Facebook. Once you have decided that their date and timings are fine by your requirements, you can call them up on the mobile numbers provided under their time-table to register yourself for the trek.
Custom Trek Registration: If you would want a trek to be organized at your own convenient date and time, you might want to call them on their mobile no.s, under their ads, and request a custom trek on a custom date (only weekends). Please note that these are non-profit trekking groups comprising of organizers and participants from the Indian Corporate IT Industry or Medical Professionals etc, who trek for passion, and are expert trekkers. So please be polite and understanding while arriving at an agreeable date and time for a custom trek.
Transportation: Reaching till the foothills is made easy by road transportation through a local public bus or private vehicle. For the Kalavantin Durg trek, most trekking groups gather at Panvel railway station at about 7 am in the morning on any Saturday or Sunday. From Panvel station, most trekking groups transport their groups of trekkers to the base village of Thakurwadi, with the help of six-seater auto rickshaws or a local public transport bus, whichever seems suitable to the trek organizers, given their time constraints.
Food: The food provided will be basic HOME-made Indian food from the base village.
Trek Duration & Timing: Most of these treks are 1 day, 2 day or 3 day treks. You will be initimated in advance, if it is a day-time trek or a night-time trek.
No. of Participants: Usually the no. of participants in a trekking event vary between 15 to 45 members, inclusive of 3 to 5 members, who are the trek organizers.
Shoes: It is advised that trekkers wear floaters with a good grip, to avoid the issue of wet and stinking shoes and socks.
