Into the Sahyadris,

Into the Sahyadris: Nakhind Ridge Trek

21:45:00 Charles Wood 0 Comments



Nakhind ridge is medium grade scenic trek just 2 hours away from Mumbai. There is no fortification on the top but the "Nedhe" or a hole in the mountain makes this trek rather interesting. The trek offers brilliant views from the top and will definitely interest a lot of shutter bugs.

[table color="theme1"]
[row] [col]Location[/col] [col]Vangani, Maharashtra[/col] [/row]
[row] [col]Base Village[/col] [col]Bedis[/col] [/row]
[row] [col]Height[/col] [col]2300 ft[/col] [/row]
[row] [col]Difficulty Level[/col] [col]2/5[/col] [/row]
[row] [col]Duration[/col] [col]2 1/2 Hrs[/col] [/row]
[row] [col]Season[/col] [col]Post-monsoon/Winter[/col] [/row]
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[item title="History"]
As there is no fortification on this trek, there's little or no history associated.
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[item title="How to Reach"]
By Train: Reach Vangani station on the Central Railway Line. Reach the highway, cross it and take the small path to reach the Bedis village. It is approximately 5 kms from the station and taking a rickshaw is an option as well.
By Car: Bedisgaon is approximately 80kms from Mumbai and can be reached via the Badlapur - Katai road or the Neral - Badlapur Road. The latter has good roads albeit about 8 kms longer. You can park the car at Bedisgaon and continue your trek from there.
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[item title="The Trek"]
The Trek starts from the Bedis Gaon. There is an intermittent village between Bedisgaon and Nakhind ridge called the "Vaghinichi Wadi". Anyone at Bedisgaon will be able to direct you to this village. It is only accessible by foot and the way is a mud track which gains elevation quite quickly. Enroute you can also find a waterfall which is a regular spot for one day picnics. After about an hour on this trail you will reach the village on a plateau which is similar to Irshalgad's Irshalwadi. Vaghinichi Wadi is a very simple village with a school, a few brick houses and farms. The village does not have electricity. You may be able to find a guide to take you on the Nakhind Ridge top here for anywhere about 200-300 INR.

The way from here is a steep uphill climb of an hour on a trail of mud track till the point that you reach the ridge. This way is full of dense vegetation, thorny shrubs and sharp leaves. It is advisable to wear full sleeves and long pants for this trek. Once you reach the ridge, you have to continue walking towards the Nedhe on your left. There are deep valleys on either side. One has to be cautious on this part. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the "Nedhe" (hole in the mountain) from this point, which can be accessed from a trail on the left side of the mountain.

The Nakhind ridge top can be reached by continuing this trail further for 10 minutes and then taking a sharp left that brings you to a rock patch. This rock path can be climbed without the use of ropes. The climb is risky and exposed with little or no hand holds. The Nakhing ridge top is pretty narrow and small but offers good panoramic views of the Neral and Panvel regions. There are a few more holes in the mountain which can be reached from the right side of the Nedhe, but the route is very tricky, exposed and risky.


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[item title="View from the top"]The Nakhind ridge offers splendid views of the mountains on the Panvel and Neral region. You can easily spot Matheran towards the south, Irshalgad, Prabalgad and Kalavantin Durg towards the South-West and Chanderi, Mhasmal, Haji-Malang, Navra-Navri pinnacles and Tahuli towards the North. The view of Chanderi and Mhasmal from the Nedhe as well as the top is mesmerising.
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[item title="Things to note"]
As there's no potable water at the top, it is advisable to carry atleast 3-4 litres of water, if you are attempting this trek in the summers. One needs to wear full track pants (preferably synthetic) as the trail is full of thorny shrubs. The ridge is enticing yet lethal, one has to be very careful when walking through the ridge as both the sides are exposed. This trek is not recommended during the monsoons.
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