One Day Trek to Karnala Fort
A Trek, Wild Life Sanctuary, Fort, Caves, History .. 360 Degree View of the region from Summit..
Will highly appreciate if you will share our events with your friends who are interested in Adventure Sports; Adventure Travel; Off Beat Travel..
Date: February 19, 2012
Trek Category: Moderate
Programme Schedule for One Day Trek:
06:15 hrs - Vakola Junction, on Western Express Highway
06:20 hrs - Bandra-Kalanagar Junction Bus Stop, near Exit of Sky Walk.
06:30 hrs - Sion Station (Near Sion Lunch Home).
Budget:
Rs.850/- includes (Transport by private bus including Driver DA, Road Permit for transport, Road Tolls). 10% Discount for Members.
Limited Veg breakfast (One Snack) + Tea/Coffee, Forest Entry Toll, Evening Tea-Coffee with One Snack.
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A Trek, Wild Life Sanctuary, Fort, Caves, History .. 360 Degree View of the region from Summit..
Will highly appreciate if you will share our events with your friends who are interested in Adventure Sports; Adventure Travel; Off Beat Travel..
Date: February 19, 2012
Trek Category: Moderate
Programme Schedule for One Day Trek:
06:00 hours – Pickup from Andheri (West), S. V. Road near Merwans Bakery. Just outside Andheri Bus Depot and Opp. Brahmakumar Hospital.
06:45 hrs – Chembur (Opposite to Akbar Allis Departmental Stores)
07:10 hrs – Vashi (Junction of Mumbai-Pune Highway and Station Road )
08:15 hrs – Breakfast on the way at Restaurant.
09:30 hrs Introduction session and start of the nature trek to fort
Nature Trail upto Karnala first Plateau; followed by Exploration of Karnala Fort
Packed Lunch at fort (Carry Your own packed lunch).
15:00 hrs – Start hike back from Karnala Fort.
17:00 hrs – Winding up session with cup of tea and biscuits.
17:45 hrs – Start back for Mumbai.
Snack Options (Medu Wada Sambar, Dosa, Idli Sambar, Batata Wada, Missal Pav, Uttappa, Wada Pav or equivalent). Cost of any other items procured has to be borne by the participant.
Hot Beverages: Tea or Coffee (Cost of any other Beverages / Cold Drinks has to be borne by customer).
Exclusions:
Lunch is not included, Bottled Water or other beverages other than mentioned above not included, Tips not include.
Anything that is not included is excluded.
To design Custom trips for large group kindly get in touch with us separately.
Contacts:
Contacts:
SMS Asif - 9821081566 / asif@natureknights.net
Ruksar - 9820239511 / info@natureknights.net
Home / Up Coming Events / Contact us / Registration
The
green thumb of Karnala, “Fort and Bird Sanctuary”
Four
birds with one stone; “Bird Sanctuary, Trek, Fort and an adventure”. The place
is a stone throw away from Panvel; provided you can throw the stone a clear
distance of 13 kilometers.
Karnala
Pinnacle is visible from long distances all around 360 degrees so it is obvious
that one can do the same from the top. Maybe that’s the reason somebody thought
in the first place to build a fort here.
As-soon-as
you cross the small town of Panvel
on Mumbai Pune Highway
and turn right on Mumbai-Goa
Highway you sees a thumb like projection; this
Pinnacle is the green thumb of Karnala Bird Sanctuary. Karnala is located about 55 kilometers from
Mumbai and 13 Kilometers from Panvel. This hill fort is often confused with the
navel fort of Arnala near Virar.
The
decision to declaration of Karnala under wild life sanctuary regulations has
helped it grow into a refreshing green Oasis. The weather changes as-soon-as
you reach Karnala; the ozone is clear and fresh; and the birds welcome you with
their songs. Birds like Drongo, Crow Pheasant, koels, robins, Shashi Pheasants,
robins, Scarlet Mine vets, White Back Vultures, The Great Indian Horned Owl,
Grey horn bills are among few of the birds spotted here.
This
small sanctuary is also home to monkeys, hares, foxes, mongoose; monitor
lizards and rare boars have made their home here along with few other small
animals. Trees as Neem, Karvanda, Jamoon, mango, fig and crocodile bark trees
forms the bulk of various shades of green seen here.
Since
the path to Karnala Fort goes through the bird sanctuary, you do not become
aware of the height of the hill. The fort is nearly 1500 feet above mean sea
level and takes about 60 minutes of brisk climb to reach the top unless you
wish to do bird watching and take a casual 2 to 3 hour easy stroll upto the top
(easier said than done).
You
can see the entrance of Karnala Fort as-soon-as you reach a small plateau. To
reach the top you cross a broken gate, a little last mile adventure and you
reach the fort. Inside the fort there are few things to explore around the
pinnacle few water tanks, granary and ruins of some buildings. The central peak
(the pinnacle) is best left for trained climbers and in monsoon not recommended
to climbers also. The pinnacle is more dangerous because it also has beehives
on it; so kindly avoid smoking near the beehives or throw stone at it playing
monkey.
From
the top of Karnala, you can see a vast area below. To the northeast, you will
find Haji Malang, and just below before that, Prabalgad and Matheran. To the
east, in the distance, is a hazy view of Bhimashankar. To the south are
Rajmachi and the Duke’s Nose, to the Southwest is the Mahal Mira hill range
while to the west is the metropolis of Mumbai.
Near
the foothills is another place worth visiting, Yusuf Meher Ali Centre a cottage
industry started by freedom fighter by the same name. The centre has 8 to 9
types of cottage industry right from carpentry; pottery; wormy culture; soap
industry; oil extraction; bakery; agriculture etc. The place has helped several
people from nearby villages to get employment and self-reliance.
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