Ganichi Vaat Dhak Gaaldevi Ghat Bhivgad
A trek of small but ancient hill fort near Karjat built as a watch tower and two less trodden Ghat routes.
Route Details
The trek starts from Gaurkamat (Base Village of Bhivgad). After a gradual ascent of 2.5 kms from the base the route reaches a col (khind). On the right side, there is Bhivgad fort and on the left there are two routes to Dhak Plateau.
We ascended from Ganichi vaat and descended from Gaaldevi ghat. Both are well trodden routes. The routes are through tree cover, boulders and dirt track.
Bhivgad fort, also known as Bhimgad fort, was used as a strategic watch tower built during Satavahana period. It is at an elevation of 200 metres. The fort is compact, with remnants of stone-carved steps, twelve to fifteen water tanks, along with the remains of a house foundation and a small temple. About half an hour was sufficient to explore the entire fort.
Dhak Plateau is around 700 metres. There are two temples on the plateau, Chedoba Devasthan and Garu Aai Mandir.
From Dhak Plateau, one gets stunning views of Dhak fort, Rajmachi, Dukes Nose etc.
The trek is 12-13 km long with an elevation gain of roughly 600 metres.
In those seven to eight hours, we experienced everything that makes a trek special—dense forests, endless wildflowers, Sahyadri ridgelines, a challenging descent, cool plateau winds, and above all, great companions who made the journey even more enjoyable.
Read more..
