My first trek to Sinhagad Fort

I am going back 9 year to write this article and it gives me great pleasure to recall all those wonderful memories.

It was a Saturday morning in the month of August 2005 when I and friends decided to trek Sinhagad Fort. I moved to Pune from Chennai in 2004 and from the time since I joined my Job I was hearing about all the forts and trekking places in and around Pune.

Well I could not control my curiosity more than a year. Finally, along with four of my friends we decided to go for a trek. We picked Sinhagad as it was considered as a relatively good trek for starters.

We packed our bags with a couple of water bottles, biscuits and a towel. We went on three bikes. We started at 5 AM in the morning. We reached the foothills at 6:30 AM.

Though not an ideal start for the trek we could not resist having hot vada pav before we start our trek. We started around 7 with a pleasant breeze and warm sun. We had a few groups going in front of us and following us as well. So there was a secured feeling that we will not get lost. But to surprise it was a very clear path all the way. 

We stopped in another half an hour for some rest. A young boy was selling butter milk. I was very inspired at the kid’s stamina. He lifts this bucket of butter milk every day twice up this hill to make a living apart from his studies.

We rested for 10 minutes chatting and then continued our trek. We reached the top of the fort at 9 AM. What a wonderful feeling of achievement. My first trek completed successfully. We had a nice breakfast at the top in those huts.

We spent some time hearing great stories of Shivaji maharaj and Tanaji from the locals. The wind point was amazing. Looking at the cliff I wondered how Tanaji with a few people climbed up this steep fort wall and won the fort for Shivaji. Shivaji rightfully remarked on the death of Tanaji that “I won the Lion fort but lost my Lion”

My first trek and after reaching back home it was sure in my mind that there are more treks to come.