My father served in the Army and got transferred to the National Defence Academy back in 1996, a place filled with forests, lakes, hills and dozens of Sahyadri trails, I fell in love with the place instantly. Weekends and summer vacations were spent going for long hikes and treks within the Military campus. As I grew up, I realized these trails were only offshoots to the bigger treks Pune has to offer. Over the years I realized trekking around Pune is more of a culture, and personally I haven’t seen a trekking culture like this in any other city in India.

I still remember I did my very first trek around Pune to the Torna fort more than 20 years back in the year 1999.  It was in the monsoon season, we reached the base of the fort in our school bus and when I looked up, all I could see was lush green forests, dozens of waterfalls and a thick cloud covering the fort, I was completely mesmerized by the beauty of the Sahyadri ranges. I knew I was going to have a long-standing relationship with these hills and mountains surrounding Pune, so much so that somewhere without realizing these Treks around Pune will become a major reason of me climbing Everest one day.

Back then we were around 40 boys from our class who went for this trek and I still remember it as one of the most memorable trips of my life. It was the first time most of us experienced walking through the mist & clouds, showering under a gigantic waterfall, almost got blown away passing through the wind tunnel at Torna and most importantly experienced the feeling of reaching the top of a big mountain. Amazingly, I and some of my classmates still talk about this.

I climbed Everest in 2018 and while I was doing some research about the statistics of people from India who have climbed Everest, I realized that Pune possibly has the highest number of Everest summiteers in India. A small city like Pune and has over 20 climbers who have climbed Everest, an interesting and surprising statistic, isn’t it. However, I wasn’t as surprised by this number because I knew the exact reason behind this. It was nothing else but the Kind of amazing trails and Treks around Pune and the unmatched trekking culture this city has.

In my knowledge and experience, Pune has over 50 + recognized treks and trails around the city and there would be dozens more which are not on the main trekking map. I happen to know at least half of these Everest climbers from Pune and without an exception, all of them started their trekking journey with treks around Pune and used the Sahyadri ranges as their training ground. For me & Samir, it was no different. For the run-up to our Everest expedition, we did dozens of treks in and around Pune and are always so grateful to have these Treks and forts in our backyard. In fact, the closest trek is only about a 20-minute drive from my house.

The Sahyadri ranges almost form a ring around Pune city and whatever direction you go in, You can find a beautiful trek to do. Every outdoor enthusiast in Pune is truly blessed to have so many treks around Pune. Another amazing thing is that there are treks which can be done by all age groups, I have personally seen 4-year-olds do a trek and as old as 75 years old also doing treks around Pune, it has something for every trekking enthusiast. With over 20 years of Trekking experience in the Sahyadri,

Here is my list of the top 10 treks around Pune I did while I was growing up and would recommend this for all Trekking enthusiasts:

Sinhagad Fort:

The Sinhagad fort trek around Pune is undoubtedly the most popular. Its almost as if it’s a synonym to this city.  Its located within the city limits and can be reached within an hour of where you are. It’s an easy trek and can be done in about 2-3 hours going up and down. If you are visiting Pune and want to spend your morning hiking, then Sinhagad is the best option.

Rajgad Fort:

Located around 1.5 hours from Pune towards Khed Sivapur, the Rajgad trek is a good starting point for someone who wants to get into longer hikes. At a comfortable pace, this about 5 hours going and up and down but a fairly easy hike. The base village to start this trek is the Gunjavane village.

Torna Fort:

If you are up for some adventure and a trek which is considered slightly on the tougher side, then you should definitely go for the Torna trek. It’s slightly tougher than the Rajgad trek with some rocky patches towards the end. If you are going in the monsoon then make sure you are going with a group of friends. A couple of years back the administration has built a road almost till the first ridge, thus reducing the trek duration by almost an hour. But in my opinion, to enjoy the trek completely, park your car at the base village of Velhe and trek up all the way up and down.

Lohagad:

This is one of the easier treks around Pune. Its located quite close to Lonavala around the famous Karla caves. The closest train station is Malavali and the base village is Lohagadwadi. Similar to Torna, the administration has built a road which is almost halfway up to the Fort thus reducing the trekking time considerably. However, I would suggest leaving your vehicles at the pay and park on the bottom of the fort and walk up and down all the way. It’s an easy and beautiful trek and can be done by family and children as well.

Visapur Fort:

Visapur and Lohagad are twin forts in the same way. They have the same entry points and the trail is common almost 70% of the way. The Visapur is a famous trek around Pune especially in the monsoon as the final approach of the trek is through a gorgeous waterfall. It’s an easy and beautiful trek and can be done by family and children as well.

Rohida Fort:

Also known as Vichitragad. This is a short hike, about 1 – 1.5 hours to reach the top and the kind of hike children will love. The Rohida fort is located near the Bhor village and is famous for its wind tunnels and the Rohideshwar temple on the top of the fort.

Irshalgad:

Located between Mumbai and Pune, closer to Panvel, The Irshalgad fort is famous for the Pinnacle on top which can be seen from a distance. It’s also walking distance from the Chouk railway station. It’s a beautiful trek and can be done in about 4-6 hours up and down. The view from the top is absolutely spectacular. The trek is of medium difficulty and not recommended for young children.

Kalsubai Trek:

The Kalsubai trek is one of the most famous treks in Maharashtra as its highest peak in Maharashtra. Located at a height of 1646 meters, its definitely a dream trek for most of the young trekkers in Maharashtra to be able to reach the highest point in their state. The trek is of difficult grade and the best time to do it is in Monsoon and winter. It has a lot of artificial metal steps towards the top and one should be really careful, especially in the monsoon season.

Tikona Fort

The Tikona fort, just like the Sinhghad fort is a very famous trek around Pune and is located only 60 km’s from the city. It’s a short trek and can be done in about 2-2.5 hours up and down. It’s a fairly easy trek and highly recommended for families and children who want to start trekking. Its located close to Kamshet and is beautiful in the monsoon.

Prabalgad Trek

The Prabalgad Fort is a twin fort to Irshalgad and is closer to Mumbai than Pune. But because of the expressway connectivity, one can reach the base of the fort in less than 2 hours. The Prabalgad fort is famous for the Kalavantin Durg, a vertical tower located at 2250 feet. The fort trek is of medium difficulty, but the Kalavantin Durg climb can be very risky and should be done under the supervision of experts only.

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