Wherever there are mountains, there are bound to be trekkers, rock climbers, nature lovers
shoulder to shoulder with amateurs and the insanely dedicated, the mountain climbers.
Trekking is a wonderful sport that blends adventure with nature. The physical
demands made by this sport are overcome by the immense pleasure one draws from the great sense of achievement one experiences. This is a sport which requires no competition, yet it brings into play all qualities
of a man at its best and develops him into an all around personality. To a trekker
the Sahyadri is a gift of nature.
The Sahyadri mountain range (Western Ghats)
begining from Dang area in Gujrat rippling through Maharashtra down to Goa runs parallel to India's west coast, and is unique in many ways. It demarcates the coastal plains of Konkan from the high plateau of Deccan, forming a 'crest' along the
line separating the two. The Sahyadris,
the central belt of the western ghats, the steep cliffs and pinnacles, the deep valleys within, the dense forests, the variety
of plants and animals lure trekkers. Trekking is the art of living, travelling
and surviving in the outdoors and being one with nature. The treks in the Sahyadri
mean climbing the mountains to reach to the medieval forts. Maharashtra has a long history of warriors and the most important and revered is
Chhatrapati Shivaji. He carved out the state of Maharashtra from almost nothing using primarily guerilla warfare.
The unique feature of Sahyadri for trekkers is almost 300 forts
spread all over the state and done to these extremely interesting and historical
forts. Some are well maintained, but most are in a dilapidated state. But though there are no snow laden peaks, Sahyadri is
truly a trekkers paradise.