KOHOJ FORT TREK: KISSING MR. DUMBLEDORE.

Almost it’s been two weeks that I haven’t trekked; it was due to my dad’s illness, he was down with flu. Now as he was back to normal, it was time for me to look for some interesting place for this weekend. Also my bump on my big toe on the left leg has recovered 90% after a lot of antibiotics. My search on web ended on Wednesday when I read about Kohoj Fort and saw the image of a Human shaped Pinnacle on it. I checked with few of my trek-maniac colleagues and they agreed after I elaborated about the place.




With the final confirmation team strength rounded to eight “Datta, Kevin, Srini, Varun (colleagues), Datta’s neighbours Pradnya & Rasika (both sisters) and Tushar (Pradnya’s collegemate)”. As planned Datta would drive his car with five of them and Kevin would drive his bike with me as pillion. Datta started from Bandra. Kevin picked me from Thakur Complex at 5:35 AM. It was decided that both teams would meet at the spot where we had to take a right turn towards Wada Road. This point was around 100 KM on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway.





As the bike crossed Dahisar check point we were welcomed with slight drizzles. Ride on the highway was worth enjoying since are eyes were blessed with lush green cover on both ends; Kevin was driving at his best, even though he had never been to such a long drive before. We halted to feed the bike at Virar and drove further 2 KM and halted again, now to feed our self. But we were unlucky to know that the hotel had just started and he had only tea to offer. Kevin gulped tea and me a glass of milk. With milk in hand, I checked with Srini to know their whereabouts, he informed that they had just crossed the place we were. With some relief to the stomach we started again, on the way we saw lot of vehicle’s turtled.Finally we reached the meeting point, but couldn't find our team, when Srini was contacted we were told that they had reached the spot and we were on the wrong right and they have confirmed with a tea stall owner. We moved ahead and met them all. Now the team kept moving, but the road never ended with doubts we checked with few people and finally came to a conclusion that we had taken the wrong right, the turn which we both had taken was right. Without much regrets we moved to the right path. Few mistakes in life give us such joy; the mistake of taking the wrong right was a blessing in disguise since I haven't seen such a beautiful landscape which we all witnessed on the wrong route.

Back to the right path we reached the base village “Vaghote”, parking our wahan’s we enquired to the villagers for arranging a guide, importantly since none of us have done this trek before. Their reply was you won't need one, since few trekkers have just moved ahead you could follow them. We felt relief with this news, but we didn’t find anyone ahead. I had read that we would need to move along a heart shaped lake & we moved ahead, a five minute walk and we were at the amazing lake. Further trail took us through few paddy fields and then we heard the farmers asking us to take a right turn and to cross a dam. Following the farmers words we reached a lake called Paazhar, It had two paths going in different directions which put us in a jumble. I decided to check the map which I had downloaded from the web as a backup plan incase we don't find a guide I was keeping the Ganesh Festival in mind my assumptions was that they would be busy with preparations, so getting a guide would be difficult. Following the print we took the left route and crossed a very small dam, we were then in a forest with no signs of marks. It was full of crisscrossed paths. Datta & I decided to look for a route and tried different paths, the path which I had chosen was difficult and a vertical rock patch. Meantime Datta had discovered the actual path. Since I had almost climb 40 %; I had a choice of returning or climbing the 60%. Initial 40 % was a thrilling experience so I wanted to complete 60% complete, I conveyed the same to the team and they agreed.

Climbing the mountain vertically through some rock patches was getting difficult with grass growth up to knee height,I used a stick to move the grass to see the rock floor, meantime others moved from the proper trail and we both merged at the col where we could see a concrete slab bearing the name of a trekker who had died lies on the right. We refreshed with water and further the way from the col was to turn right and keep walking along the spur of the ridge that descends from the top of Kohoj. A further climb over a small hillock of about half an hr and u reach the plateau where there’s a Ganesh temple and a few water tanks. Walking straight across this plateau, one finds the path going a little to the right. There is a small and easy rock patch just before one reaches this smaller plateau from which the top of Kohoj seems very close now. Off the path, on the left, there is a small pond and a renovated Shiva temple further ahead. The temple has just a somewhat broken shivling inside which seems to date back to the times when the fort was constructed. As we were nearing the Shiva temple it started pouring heavily and we enjoyed the rain which Mumbai is still struggling for. Rain stopped and we started moving towards the fort. This fort has almost 4 to 5 temples around it, haven't seen any fort which has such numbers of temples. Temples of Lord Hanuman, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh and surprising Lord Krishna (this is rare). Highest point of the fort is the human faced pinnacle (MR. DUMBLEDORE), best name I could give looking at its formation. I couldn’t resist myself; yes I climbed it and gave it a huge kiss. View from here was amazing with the cold breeze giving you the much needed touch and climbing the pinnacle from the left side was easy hence many of us managed to do it. After all the photo session we were back at the fort entrance and munched our lunch, after some rest and communion with nature, we finally decided to descend since it would be dark if we go slow, while returning again we lost our way multiple times, it was very slippery I remember Tushar falling flat and banging his head, Pradnya trying a difficult and falling with some bruises on her knee. Even I had got a small bruise on my left knee but we managed to reach the upper lake before dark after and throwing our backpacks, we jumped into the lake for a much needed bathe to clean our wounds and dirt. During the lake fun, Varun noticed a snake behind me which made me jump out of the lake and of course others too followed. While jumping out I hit my bumped toe, and I was in deep pain. It had got dark and we still had to cross those paddy fields, with few torches we started moving ahead, when suddenly Tushar complained that he had forgotten his watch at the lake, search team tried their best but they couldn’t find it. It was a painful walk for me towards our parked vehicles. Varun & Kevin went to get our bottles filled from the locals. Meantime I & Datta checked my bag & found the watch stuck in my cap, which we had used to keep our belonging during the lake bath. Tushar got a relief and the water had arrived too. Saying Good Bye to the MR. DUMBLEDORE, we started our vehicles and moved on.




Drive back was very hurting; first the toe was giving me the worst pain & rain made it worst i.e. every drop was hitting my toe hard, even water from the under the tires were hitting me. Even my ass was feeling the pain, for travelling on a bike so long. Even Kevin was feeling the pain on his back. But the feeling of conquering Kohoj made us forget those pains. We halted twice once to give a break for our painful ass and second to refill the bike. Datta & Team had halted at Vasai for Dinner, we decided to move and eat at home. We reached Thakur Complex around 2300.

I would love to call the Fort as “KHOJ” not “KOHOJ”; really it’s an unknown fort and place which is full of interesting nature’s gift.

Thanks to Kevin for his wonderful ride, I have finally seen someone riding a bike so cleanly with little amount of risk.