Chanderi fort trekking

Date: January 2021
Trek type: Jungle fortress, 714 m
Difficulty: Walking on moderate to difficult terrain (no rock-climbing)
Availability of water: At the top, from water tank
No amenities available at the base village nor at the top. 

The mountain tamers united after a really really long break of almost five years. People got hitched, some people on their way, some people moved for work etc. Bryan Adams in his 'Summer of 69' says "Me and some guys from school, had a band and we tried real hard; Jimmy quit and Jody got married, I shoulda known we'd never get far" But unlike him, our group had really got far in terms of what we started - Everything Outdoors - Trekking, Expeditions, Birding, Historical explorations and many more. And one such meeting happened due to Ninad getting hitched and inviting us all to Badlapur city. It was the Rajgad group again - Ninad, Nikhil, Aaditya and me.

The most popular way to hike Chanderi is via Chinchavali village, from Badlapur/Vangani central railway train station. The 5 km trail leads right to the top, near mouth of a huge cave. Another 500m scrambling to reach the summit of the pinnacle. For detailed route explanation click here. The second most popular route is via Panvel, Tamsai village and is less trodden. The trail could be completed self-guided in one day and does not require serious planning or booking a tour with a tour company (who sometimes do not have technical experience themselves). My GPS route can be accessed by clicking here. Compared to previous monsoon visit to Chanderi, summer/winter experience was equally refreshing and navigation was flawless.

 

The mountains Chanderi (left) and Mahismaal (right) are separated by a col. The route climbs through the boulders and bushes till the col, and along the ridge till the top of Chanderi. Scree makes quite frequent appearance on the trail. The route till col might require some jungle navigation skills to find the route. Pro-tip: If you think you are lost, then search for arrow marks on the boulders or the tree trunks. There are also saffron bands and similar markings on the trees which can be helpful. If not, GPS route can be accessed by clicking here.

The water tank at the top has clean source of drinking water. Colorful fishes are an attraction. To reach the top of pinnacle, traverse to the far end of the pinnacle and climb to the top, navigating through the extreme scree, exposure to valley and scrambling way to the summit. Broken ruins and rock-steps can be seen at the beginning of the pinnacle climb. At a midway point, water from fresh water tank can be used for drinking. All in all, three hours are sufficient to climb the Chanderi fort from the base village. Ninad made some amazing bird-spotting while on our way (Verditer flycatcher, black shouldered kite).

 

Some more information:
Height of Chanderi fort is 2343 ft. (714 m). Chanderi fort is considered a tough fort (not as tough as Alang-Madan-Kulang). Accidents due to stones falling from the top are quite known here. Always be alert when near waterfalls as the water tends to move a lot of stones along the way. Ruins of 'fort' can be seen in form of broken wall (तटबंदी). For monsoon visit to Chanderi click here. GPS route can be accessed by clicking here.