Rajgad to Torna Trek

On the 27th of September, I took a flight to Mumbai. At the airport, I met my trek buddy Divyesh who had taken a train from Ahmedabad the same day. I was meeting him after 2 years, so it was kind of a reunion. On our way to Kurla railway station, we caught up on the updates. At Kurla junction, I found myself a Bhojanalay and had some good meal. We then went to the railway platform and waited for our trek organisers to contact us. 

I have trekked with Offbeat wanderers before and prefer them when I trek in Maharastra. Siddesh was our organiser this time. He reached at around 8:00PM and so did other trekkers. We boarded the Tempo traveller and picked more trekkers along the way. We were around 10 trekkers. Everyone got along well from the very beginning; so it seemed like a great team. 

The overnight journey was obviously a bit uncomfortable. Before we reached the village, we got lost and the tyre got stuck in sludge. A village tractor was asked to come and help move the vehicle. After that adventure, we finally reached the base camp. It is a small village at the foothills of Rajgad fort. We quickly freshened up, had breakfast and began our long trek. 

The climb to Rajgad fort is not very difficult. It is about 4-5km long trail. At the summit we took sometime to explore the fort. 

The main attraction at this fort is the Sanjivini machi. A bed of green grasses covered it during monsoon, making it look spectacular. I think these pictures speak for themselves. 

From here, we took the long 15km ridge walk to Torna fort. This is a long walk, though not steep, it can be tiring for beginners. But the trekking in the sahyadris during monsoon is a treat. The entire place turns lush green. 

We stopped at a village house to have our packed lunch. IT appeared to me as though this was the only house up in the mountains. The villagers helped us with water and allowed us to sit inside their house to have lunch. 

We continued our walk towards Torna. The final climb is a bit steep but manageable. There are some interesting steep climbs in this trip that adds to the thrill of trekking in the Sahyadris. The ridge walk of course is the highlight of the Rajgad to Torna trek.

By the time we reached Torna fort, it was 5PM. Few villagers had gathered there to celebrate an auspicious day at the temple. On top of Torna fort, there is a temple and few rooms for devotees. I believe these have to be pre-booked. For us, it was done by the trek organisers. We went to the room we were allocated and rested there. 

A local cook was arranged to make fresh meal for the team. After an early dinner, we went to sleep. 

Next morning, I woke up early and headed towards Torna fort view point. I was mesmerised by what I saw. Strong winds swayed the clouds against the pointed end of Torna fort creating a magnificent sight. Here are a few pictures from this moment. We also got to witness a indravajra (Circular rainbow).

After a good breakfast on a misty morning, we began our descent. The final stretch was around 6-7km. 

It is an easy trek down Torna fort. We stopped to have some fresh lime juice served by a villager, midway down the hill. 

We got down by noon and stopped for lunch on the way. I got off at Panvel to reach my sister’s house. 

I truly enjoyed this Rajgad to Torna trek. Everything about it was perfect - The location, the views, the experience, the team and the planning. Rajgad to Torna is a perfect range trek if you want to experience the untouched Sahyadris. 

Checkout my video on this trekking experience -