One Day Trek To Ratangad Fort

ADVENTURE CLUB PUNE invites you to Fireflies Festival at Ratangad to Witness the natural glooming light amidst the mountain and dense forest, a perfectambiance created by the twinkling little fireflies for their mating ritual.Summer is the perfect time when we can experience synchronous twinkling of hundreds of fireflies- one of the most beautiful phenomena in nature Fireflies : Fireflies or lightning bugs are structured with specialized cells in their abdomen which emit light. This process is called bio luminescence and is shared by many other organisms, mostly sealiving or marine organisms. Pre-monsoon climate is the ideal period for fireflies and glow-worms for mating, they light up to attract their mate. Hundreds of fireflies gather together on a tree displaying their bio-luminescent lights in the dark nights. Ratangad fort has an excellent cave on the top big enough to accommodate about a 30-40 people at a time. Apart from this big cave there are several small caves too. Very few forts has a geological feature called as "Nedha" or "needle hole" which means a natural hole in the mountain where you can actually sit in and enjoy the high speed wind. Amruteshwar temple which is located at the base of Ratangad fort in the Ratanwadi is one of the old "hemadpanthi" temples with fascinating stone carvings. Summary:- Type: Hill Fort Height: 4255 ft. Region : Igatpuri More about Ratangad fort :- “Ratan” means Jewel in Hindi. This hill fort is indeed jewel in all the hill forts here in Sahyadri. Geographically Ratangad is on the banks of Bhandardara lake in Ahmednagar district at a height of 4255 feet above sea level. With views of lake and highest mountains in Sahyadri looks very much lost in time.A 1000 years old temple of Lord Shiva, the Amruteshwar Temple at Ratanwadi, is an absolute paragon of high class architecture of our ancestors, is at the base of this fort. Ratangad has still the remains of fortress with bastions and stone walls. Caves on the top is cut from the rock face and can easily accommodate 25 people at a time. Water cistems are usually filled with water throughout the year and trekkers use them as water source. Eastern side of the fort has some fortification left; one can see Rani Mahal here. From the southern side on can see Katrabai and Ajoba fort very close. This side has also some fortification left, but most of it is damaged. Climbing up on the northern side, one can see natural orifice (hole in rock, locally called nedhe) in the rock

face, mostly made by wind. Strong winds can be experienced at this orifice. Decend to the western end of the fort leads closest to the Khutta Pinnacle via Trimbak Darwaja. Itinerary : Travellers from Mumbai are supposed to join us at kasara railway station by 2 pm. Travel up to Kasara by Local Train. Day 1 -

For Pune :

Departure: 11:00 am. from Pune

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. For Mumbai : Participants from Mumbai will depart from Kasara Railway Station by 2 PM. ( Kasara to Base village is 2hrs journey By Private Vehicle ) . Catch fast train from CSTM to Kasara. Meet our leaders at ticket counter of Kasara railway station. After roll count, proceed by private transportation towards the base village Ratanwadi. Fireflies Trek, Dinner.

Day 2 - Breakfast Start trek by 06:00 am. Lunch after trek Enjoy the view of the surrounding Start the return Journey towards Pune/ kasara railway Station by 2:00 pm. Reach Pune by 6:00 pm. And kasara by 4 pm. We may come an hour early or late. Tour Concludes with Happy Memories :) What included in Fees : ? Private Transportation from Pune to Pune OR Kasara to Kasara by Bus/Jeep. ? Meals on tour (1 Breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 Dinner,) tasty local food. ? Accommodation in tents (2-3 person in one tent)/ house of local people if it rains. ? Expertise & Guide Charges, ? Basic First-Aid kit. ? Camping, Trekking, Chasing Fireflies. ? Once in a l Whats Not included in Fees : ? Cold drinks, mineral water, fast food articles, biscuits etc. ? Anything not included in the whats included list.

Things to Carry : ? Luggage packed in big good trekking sack. ? Complete spare set of extra clothes & socks if required. ? Water bottle (2-3 litres) compulsory ? Electral/ Glucon-d /energizers and personal Medicine. ? A sweater/warmwear/rainwear. Wear comfortable clothing during treks (full sleeves). ? Good trekking/sports shoes (sandles, slippers, floaters not permitted). ? Torch with Extra pair of Batteries (must) during night trek. ? Camera, Binocular (Optional) ? Identity proof (must). Toiletries (Napkin, facewash, tissue paper etc.). ? Cap, goggles, sunscreen, moisturizer, mosquito repellent etc.

Advisory : ? Pay attention to the tour leaders or instructors in order to enjoy a safe and sound experience. ? Do not consume alcohol or any other intoxicants during the tour. No Smoking during the trekking or other adventure activity. ? Roaming during the nights is not permitted without our permission. ? Participants have to fill undertaking form given by Adventure Club Pune. Remember that this is Adventure related activity, means you are away from comfort zone . We are here to provide you with a best experience & 100% safety ? Heavy rains are expected in monsoon season (june-september) in Maharashtra so please double pack your valuables to save them from getting wet. ? Wear good trekking shoes & clothing. ? Due to the monsoon season and various rock patches in this route, we recommend you to please take care while walking / climbing / trekking. ? Wearing of any valuables, ornaments, jewellery etc. is prohibited. ? Rock Climbing, Rappelling, Trekking or any adventure activity is potentially risky. ? For all such a events, you are at your own risk. ? Organizers are not responsible for any accident or compensation in whatsoever manner. ? You should strictly follow the code of conduct, to avoid troubling our fellow trekkers or other people from our group or outside. ? Do not misinterpret it as a PICNIC or LEISURE TOUR. ? We all are going for an adventurous and interesting trekking expedition. ? Note, this trek route may or may not have any fixed/proper/appropriate washrooms or bathrooms.

Refunds And Cancellation Policy : • If cancellations are made 15 days before the start date of the trip, 5% of booking value will be charged as cancellation fees. • If cancellations are made 7-15 days before the start date of the trip, 40% of booking value will be charged as cancellation fees.

• If cancellations are made within 0-7 days before the start date of the trip, 100% of booking value will be charged as cancellation fees. • In case of unforeseen weather conditions or government restrictions, certain activities may be cancelled and in such cases the operator will try his best to provide an alternate feasible activity. However no refund will be provided for the same.

508 total visits