Lohagad Fort & Pawna Lake

This was our 2nd trip for the monsoons of 2016. We visited Lohagad Fort near Lonavala as a day trip. The drive to the place is quite easy and with google maps there is no chance of getting lost. Vehicles can go right up to the base of the fort. Ample parking is available but it does get crowded in the weekends due to its proximity to Lonavala. Stock up some water on the way up as don't remember seeing any shops selling them on the way up. 

The climb is a pleasant one of about 300-350 steps with lot of photo opportunities on the way. Especially during the monsoon, the place is a great with moss covered fort walls presenting a pretty picture. In many places the water just flows down the steps and hence some people may find it slippery but there is nothing to worry about. Few stretches in the climb are tricky due to the broken rocks. So if you have small kids, do hand hold them. 

The day we visited the top, clouds had engulfed the entire area and hence visibility was only a few metres. The wind was beating on us as well. My daughter - 6 years old was happily struggling against the wind to move forward but its supremely pleasurable. There is nothing much of the actual fort left on the top or may be they were just no visible to us on the day. On a clear day, the locals told me, you get panoramic views upto the Pawna Lake, Tung and Tikona fort as well. There is the famous scorpions tail at Lohagad which is a single long stretch of the fort which resembles a scorpions tail but due to the weather conditions we didn't make it there but the photos I have seen online are amazing. 

There are no shops on the top. A small temple is there where people can rest for some time. Not sure if its safe for camping. Another piece of advice is to reach the place early if you want some quiet moments. By 12-1 pm the place is just bustling with people. Climb down is quicker for obvious reasons. 

At the base of the fort there are enough shops serving a variety of food and snacks. There are lot of monkeys around especially during the initial stretch from the base of the fort. So don't go around munching away on a pack of chips unless you are keen for their attention. Many people also trek upto the base of the fort and the road in google shows as Lohagad trek road. This is a longer option and if you are with friends definitely something to do especially in the monsoon. The place is also best visited during that time only. 

For people with a little more time, once you drive down from Lohagad fort, the straight road takes you to Lonavala but the left takes you to Pavna lake and the start of this road is Dudhware Khind which is a small stretch of road cut through mountains. It presents a great sight during monsoons. An absolute green drive of about 6-7 kms will take you right to the banks of the Pavna lake where you can catch on a few photo opportunities with the Tung / Tikona fort in the background. A further drive would take you to the Pavna dam which would present a great sight when full during monsoons. You can then reverse and take the same road back to Lonavala.