Talegad - Base Village: Tala
Ghoshalgad – Base Village: Ghoshale
Birwadi – Base Village: Birwadi (Chanera)
Avchitgad – Base Village: Medha
Date: 1st and 2nd Aug’ 09
All above forts and around Roha a town situated on banks of Kundalika river in Konkan.
1st Aug’ 09: I started from home early morning and went and got a ticket for Diva-Sawantwadi passenger, which leaves Diva station at 6.17 A.M. But to reach Diva itself was a challenge. 3 early morning locals were cancelled. I got a 6.07 A.M. local and just managed to reach in nick of time for the passenger. I met other Chakram members and our leader Parag and got into train. Initially I had no place to seat but other members told me that there was sufficient place in bogies ahead. So we 3-4 people moved ahead and settled down on vacant seats. I had not slept properly earlier night so dozed off. But local tea, samosa vendors were troubling. Towards end of my journey lot of vegetable vendors boarded train and then it was chaos as there was continuous vendors coming in for different vegetables and fruits. Train reached 9.00 A.M. sharp at Roha. We booked a Tata Magic from one local guy to travel to base villages of fort. He said he will come by 10.15 as he had some scholl kids to be dropped and we were fine as we all needed a breakfast.
We had a good breakfast at Hotel Vrindavan, opposite ST Stand. But to continue with our troubles, the drives did not turn up till 10.30 A.M. Finally we staretd looking for some one else. We interacted with other locals , tempos and drivers but none was ready. We got a number of one Mangesh who had a red color Magic. We called him and he agreed. By the time we started it was 12.15 P.M. Our plan was to cover Talegad, Ghoshalgad and Birwadi today. So we immediately moved towards Tala. Tala is approximately 26 K.M. away from Roha. 
We reached base in an hour and started the climb. The climb is easy and you can reach the top in 25 mins flat. There are good remains on the Tala end of fort and some flag posts. There was also a water tank near entrance of fort. We then moved to other end of fort. The greenery of plateau was mesmerizing. We moved ahead and found some large water tanks. There was one ‘khamb taki’ too. We further moved ahead and reached other end of fort where there is a buruj. After some photography we decided to climb down.
We came down in 15 mins and then decided immediately to go to Ghoshalgad. Ghoshalgad is some 5 KM away from here. We could not see Kuda Caves which are near Talegad. We reached base of Ghoshalgad in half an hour and began climbing. Ghoshale village has a ‘Svayambhu 
Ganpati Mandir’. Good place for a stay. There is way from right of the temple which directly goes to entrance of Ghoshalgad. But we missed this and took a left. I went ahead looking for road and reached exactly behind Ghoshalgad. Before me was a simple looking but a slippery rockpatch of 15 feet to be scaled to get to top. So I returned and found Hardikar uncle, Hemant and others waiting for me. We immediately returned and came across a villager who put us on a right track. We scaled the mountain and reached entrance where there are some steps and a bastion. Fort was spread on both sides of this entrance. We first decided to take right towards a Buruj and a narrow trunk of mountain. Reache end, had a good view and photography and asked who ever wishes can join us to go to left side of fort where there some climb was remaining. Some of us moved fast ahead for the left side. We scaled steps on bastion and reached a water tank. We walked towards back side but could not find route reaching top. We again came back and met some village kids near another water tank. They were fishing in the tank. They showed us a way which was leading to rock patch which I had seen earlier. The kids told it will be slippery to climb right now so we dropped that idea and started scaling down Ghoshalgad. We were at the base by 4.15 P.M. We asked our driver to move fast towards Birwadi. We had lunch in the vehicle itself and saved some time. Birwadi was some 40 KM away from Ghoshalgad. Our drives really drove fast and made us reach by 5.15 P.M. to base of Birwadi fort. Sky was still lighted though there were dark monsoon clouds. I had read that Birwadi could be scaled in half an hour.
At the base of fort is a temple. The temple is too clean and is a good place to stay for night. We took right from temple and found there was no way ahead so we came back and thought of getting a villager to show us the way as It will be dark soon and we will miss
today’s target of scaling 3 forts in a day. But as we came back to temple we say a way going from left and saw a Shivaji Statue there. We immediately followed that path. Shivaji Rajeanna amhi salaami keli and followed mud path. In few minutes we were near a small rock patch to be climbed to reach top. The rock patch was very easy and we made it to top by 6.00 P.M. We looked around fort and did some photography. By 6.30 we were at base and in our vehicle. We halted at Chanera for tea. After this 
we moved to Roha for night halt. Nearing Roha we passed a store where a advertisement was put up for tablet named ‘Sulti’ – ‘Ulti Thambavnyasathi Sulti gya’ We found it too funnly. We stayed in a flat of Ganesh Utsav Mandal and had dinner at Bartakke restaurant in the bus stand complex. Food was amazing specially ‘Bhakri ani Mirchi cha Thecha’ We had a nice sleep at night. We were relaxed that next day we need to do only Avchitgad.
2nd Aug’09: We woke up early morning and did our chores. We left the flat and had breakfast at Hotel Suruchi near bus stand. We then booked a 6 Seater tum tum and got our bags from flat moved towards Medha for Avchitgad. We started climbing by 9.00 A.M. There are 2 wells near the base, one is large. We have to take a straight mud path from this well and keep climbing little from left side and cross from valley and reach a col between Avchitgad and other mountain. From col take right to Avchitgad. After some easy climb you reach top. It takes 1.15 mins to reach top and climb is continuous and hence tiring. Above that there was no wind on this side of mountain. We met another group just near entrance of fort. We had so
me timer shots near entrance and then we started exploring fort. The wind on top was soothing and cooling. The view to Medha and surroundings was too scenic. We could spot Nidi railway station from top. We came across cannon on fort and a buruj where we had lot of photography. Then we went to other side of fort and came across a man made large pond on top. We moved ahead and came across a temple and climbed down from mountain to some water tanks. They were seven in all or 
‘saptakund’. Me and Hardikar uncle moved to other end of fort and came across one more buruj and entrance to fort. Just then Parag gave a call on Uncle’s mobile and we moved back to water tanks. Then we decided just to chill out as we had lot of time and have some snacks. We came down by 12.30 P.M. back to well. Girls were still behind. Parag and Hardikar uncle got ‘pohra’ for drawing water from well. We had a amazing bath at well and changed in fresh clothes. I was cursing rain as through the trek there was no rain and it was supposed to be monsoon trek. But after getting fresh on well, I felt better as Avchitgad climbing had really made me sweat and my Tshirt was wet completely. Bo sooner we changed and were waiting for girls and others to come down it started raining. It was ridiculous. We decided now not to get wet and settled in out tum tum. Then we reached Roha back by 1.50 P.M. and had tea. We caught a bus for Pen and from there a different ST to Panvel. It was raining cats and dogs in Panvel. We got a bus to Dombivli and I reached home by 6.30 P.M.
I will have to go back again to see the Kuda Caves and top of Ghoshalgad. May be this winter we can do tht.
