Kalasubai Trek
Kalsubai is a mountain in the Western Ghats, located in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Its summit situated at an elevation of 1646 metres (5400 feet) is the highest point in Maharashtra.The mountain range lies within the Kalsubai Harishchandragad Wildlife Sanctuary. It is visited throughout the year by avid trekkers, Kalsubai temple devotees and wildlife enthusiasts alike.
The trek starts from Bari village. Walk through the village on the path that leads straight through it, without taking any of the turns that you come across. Once you leave the village behind, the trek begins with a walk through some fields. Take a right after you reach the end of the hutments. In monsoon, it’s likely that there will be a stream flowing here. You will need to cross this and continue walking through the fields.The path naturally turns upwards to the left after the fields. The trail now becomes a little rocky. It is well shaded by trees. The first small ascent leads you to the temple of a local deity. This is an ideal place for some quick rest. The summit is visible from this point and looks deceptively close but you’re at least 2.5-3 hours away. The trail ahead is marked almost throughout with no scope of getting lost. It continues to ascend from here and the terrain is rocky. The tree cover disappears in around half an hour.After an hour of trekking, you reach the first set of iron steps. Be careful while climbing this. It becomes a little slippery in monsoon. There are four such climbs ascents. Each of these is a quick and steep. The descent might induce knee pain. These steps are only at spots where climbing the rock surface is difficult for a layperson. Each of the ladder sections is followed by an ascending trail which flattens out in small sections. It’s mostly grassy here. If there are many trekkers in monsoon, the path tends to get slushy.After close to 3 hours of climbing, you reach a ridge-like area when you might believe you have reached the summit. However, there’s still a small last climb left. The final ascent is again facilitated by steel stairs. People with vertigo/mild vertigo need a lot of courage to complete this one! The descent can get scarier.Panoramic views of the different mountain forts and the Kalsubai-Harishchandragad range makes the summit worth the demanding trek. Make sure you spend enough time to absorb what the mountain views offer! From the ridge are to the summit, you are likely to face very strong winds. Secure your bags and any lose items you might be carrying. The descent is down the same trail and takes 2.5 – 3 hours.