Off beaten track

B rig (retd.) Xerxes P Adrianwalla  spends a day in the monsoons driving from Lonavala past the many waterfalls that line the drive to walk up to Koraigarh fort. He recommends it as a perfect family outing. I t looms out of the mist like the prow of the Titanic; enigmatic and majestic, caped in the monsoon green so typical of the region. Koraigarh (or Korigarh), in the vicinity of Lonavala, is a day's nature walk, ideal for the monsoon season when it is a verdant green, swathed in chill mist at the top. F rom Lonavala towards Aamby Valley is a 20 km drive past innumerable waterfalls, till one reaches Shahpur (Shivpur) village where you park your car and pay a local shop keeper to look after it. From there it is an hour's easy, but fascinating, walk up the hill. A round the base of the fort there is dense jungle. A path through it takes one to the steps of a fort. This jungle, with dense bamboo thickets, abounds in flora and a fascinating variety of birds and insects. The steps ...

B rig (retd.) Xerxes P Adrianwalla  enjoys visiting the many splendid forts of Maharashtra. The monsoons add their own sense of adventure, mystery and romance to his tryst with history. L ohagarh, as the name suggests is an iron fort, soaked in history. The bastion stands aggressively amidst the Sahyadris near Lonavala. In the monsoon the fort is veiled in mist, brilliant green foliage lines the route and waterfalls punctuate the verdant hill sides; making a trek to the fort at this time a wonderful experience. T he trek starts at Malavali railway station, when coming here by train; and Bhaje Village if arriving by road. The climb begins at Bhaje, the route being a rubble track to a plateau at the base of, and between the twin forts of Lohagarh ? Visapur. To get here takes about an hour of easy climbing. At this point one needs to decide which fort to climb to. Lohagarh being better preserved, the easier climb is recommended. A nother small village, Lohadwadi, is situated in the de...