The Sahyadris (or the western ghats) run north to the south, almost parallel to the Arabian Sea.The edge of the deccan plateau and the areas to the east of it are called the Ghats or Desh. The narrow strip of about 40 or 50 km between the sea and the rise of the Sahyadri is known as the Konkan. It is fertile, with rivers cutting through it and it is flat with few hills rising in it's expanse. Bombay lies in the Konkan.

Strictly speaking, these areas do not forma part of the sahyadris. But they are convenient and easy of approach and have great natural beauty. Most of the places are good for a drive, family outings and some for rugged climbs.

For the sake of convenience, the region is divided into three regions taking Bombay as the center.

o Kamandurg (652m-2140ft)
A Dome-Shaped peak near Tungareshwar. From Vasai station take a bus to Kaman village. Ahead, across the river , walk to devkundi village (3km). A little ahead a route turns to the right in the forest and leads to the top of the prominent ridge. The ridge climbs to a col and from here , plenty of scree and loose rock will be encountered on the way to the top.

o Tungareshwar (664m-2177ft)

This is the highest plateau in this region. It is thickly wooded and is a great delight in the monsoon. From the Vasai station catch a bus to Kaman and get down at tungareshwar phata. After crossing the highway, walk on a cart track which leads to a popular temple of Shiva (3km). Ahead the track climbs up a further 10km to the flat top. On the Northern end of the tungareshwar plateau, giant walla offers rock-climbing opportunities.From the Ahmedbad highways one can reach the bifurcation directly by car or bus.

o Tak-Mak (610m-2001ft) A formidable looking small hill fort on the Ahmedabad highway. Reach the village Sakwar or Bharol (near 80km stone) from Bombay or by a bus from Vasai going to Manor. An easy, but steep track through thick forest. Two flat tops with little fortification. Nearby are two separate rocky pinnacles, called lingi, which are also approachable

o Asherigad.

This little known fort lies on the Bombay-Ahmedabad highway. Reach Manor naka (102km) from Bombay. 10 km ahead is the village Khadkona at the base of the fort. There are two ways to the top, and once you get there a cave, water tanks and a lake (only in the monsoon). Good opportunities for rock climbing.

o Mahalaxmi Pinnacle The Mahalaxmi temple on the Ahmedabad highway is 128km away from Bombay. It can be reached by buses from Dahanu to charoti naka (24km) and 4km ahead is the temple .It is regularly served by buses. A peculiarly shaped pinnacle near the temple is interesting to climb. A fairly good track leads to the cave at the base of the pinnacle 100 m high Traverse ahead to the northwest and reach the start of the climb. lots of scree and exposure . The rock is loose and steep .The route goes along ledges and the last 40m are not too difficult. Rope essential. One has to be very careful and not to take any chances on these easy-looking slopes. A few accidents have taken place here and people have died .No drinking water available anywhere on the mountain

This is based on the book 'Trek the Shyadris' By Harish.Kapadia.