Tavli

A prominent group of 3 pinnacles seen from Kakuli or Badlapur station .Two of the sharper pinnacles are locally known as Dahud and Baman. These are difficult to climb and involve rock climbing . A flat top,near the pinnacles is known as "Tavli" .The other top on the south is Badlapur hill.Both are connected by a saddle (600m). There are two principal approaches to the saddle .One is from Kakuli lake. After walking southwards along the shores of the lake reach a prominent wide gully at the base of the hill.The route goes up the gully and then through thick forese on the right.A short climb to the connecting saddle leads to the top .The second approach is from Badlapur ,via vilages Shirgaon,Saroli, or Dahile(6km)to reach the base.A steep route upto the connecting saddle.No drinking water anywhere .A connecting traverse to Haji Malang from the lower plateau, below the saddle is possible and easy.

Haji Malang

A prominent landmark in the vicinity of Kalyan, with the dargah of Baba Malang halfway up the mountain .Buses ply regularly to the foot of the hill from where a broad path leads to the Dargah .This path maybe crowded and dirty,so one can climb a ridge by alighting from the bus a stop earlier. It can also be approached by traversing from tavli.Above the Dargah ,there are many opportunities for Rock climbing.

Navra-Navri

A long ridge connecting Badlapur hill and Mhasmal is the ridge of Navra-Navri.It has about 10 to 12 scattered pinnacles in a line and all of them are about 15 to 25 m in height. However, they all consist of rather loose rocks and are full of scree.From Bhoj lake, proceed through the forest to the col between this Ridge and Mhasmal . Turning right do a ridge walk by- passing the pinnacles at the base .No drinking water anywhere .An alternate and a slightly tougher route would be to proceed from Badlapur station to villages Kharvai(3km) and Thakurvadi (2km) to reach the base .Then through a dry waterfall ,climb steeply to the top of the ridge.

Irshal (Vishalgad) (370m--1213ft)

Travellers to Pune cannot miss seeing this weather-bitten peak above Chowk village.It has a pecular forked shape with sharp ridges and a prominent hole in the centre.Reach Chowk from Karjat or Panvel.A 3km uphill track leads to Vishalwadi at the foot of the final climb .From the village,the route lies over the extreme left ridge in the northerly direction and then from behind the hill to a small gap above the hole. Water is available here . Straight ahead is a 10km rock climb to the loose scree above .A very exposed scree traverse from the left leads to the small grassy top.One should be very careful on descent,as any slip would be difficult to check. An enjoyable traverse from Vishalwadi to Prabal can be made by a connecting ridge.

It is not advisable to climb the final grassy top of Irshal without experience and ropes.A few people have died on these final slopes.

Kondana Caves

These are the canes at the base of the Rajmachi fort.They are a group of 3-4 huge buddhist caves situated in the forest and not much frequented .They are a little above the banks of the river Ulhas .From Thakurwadi railway halt in the Karjat-Khandala section of the ghats ,go down to river Ulhas. Cross the river to village Khondivde on the other bank(3km). A cart track leads to the caves (3km). Khondivde village is connected to Karjat by a bus road (14km). In the monsoon , the Ulhas river wil be difficult to cross.

Bhimashankar (1005m--3296 ft)

A famous pilgrimage site on top of the ghats. It is one of the Jyotirlings of Shiva and has a beautiful temple with a huge bell, A relic of the Portuguese times . Nag Phani, the highest point , is nearby and commands an excellent view. It is thickly forested and has many approaches . Buses ply directly from Pune and Bombay to the temple. However, for hikers to enjoy the ruggedness, the best approaches are by climbing the ghat .It is a steep and a long climb . From Karjat take a bus to Khandas at the base via Kashele(14km).Or reach Khandas by a bus from Neral (19km).After a flat walk of 2 km , a track climbs up steeply along a small spur to the first plateau on which Padar killa is situated . A long traverse on the north (left)takes one to village Koli(3km).Ahead a rather steep and long climb leads to the thick forest above .Traverse north in the forest to reach the Temple(6km). Another route which is far steeper and shorter is to climb straight upto the upper plateau . A fascinating route through rock-cliffs leads upto it . At two places wooden ladders help to overcome the cliffs. The route joins the original traverse route at koli village . Another approach is from Kalyan to Mhasa (via Murbad), andthen via villages , Ambetembe and Agashi, across the river to Baliware,Chinchwad and Bombad to reach the base by bus (22km). A steep climb leads up the ghats and to the temple . From the ghats , the temple can be approached by a flat walk of 16km from Wandre in the south or 18km from Ahupe via Ghonemal in the north. Many such combinations are possible . There are dharamsalas and other places if one wants to stay at the temple.