Kalsubai Monsoon Trek - Everest of Maharashtra

 

Journey Date : 24-Jun-2018

Per head cost : 700 Rs

Mode of Transport : Train / Jeep

Short Information about Kasubai Peak

    Kalsubai is a mountain in the Western Ghats, located in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Its summit situated at an elevation of 1646 meters (5400 feet) is the highest point in Maharashtra. The mountain range lies within the Kalsubai Harishchandragad Wildlife Sanctuary. It is visited throughout the year by avid trekkers, Kalsubai temple devotees, and wildlife enthusiasts alike. Kalsubai is a 6.6 KM long trek.

Travel and Trek Experience

Our Mumbai to Kalsubai Trek Itinerary: The Journey to Bari Village

    Our Kalsubai trek adventure began at Dadar Railway Station in Mumbai. We boarded the 12:15 AM train heading to Kasara and arrived comfortably by 4:15 AM.

    To ensure a seamless transit, we had pre-booked a jeep from Kasara Railway Station to Bari village the official base camp for the Kalsubai mountain trek. We gave our driver a quick heads-up 10 minutes before pulling into the station. He was waiting for us right outside, and we hit the road immediately. The scenic drive from Kasara to Bari village takes about 45 to 50 minutes, putting us at the base village by 5:30 AM. One of the best parts about trekking to Maharashtra's highest peak is the warm local hospitality. The villagers in Bari arrange amazing homestyle meals for trekkers, which our driver had kindly coordinated for us in advance. After fueling up with a hearty breakfast and a hot cup of tea, we hit the trail at 6:30 AM.

    Pro-Trekker Tip: Before starting your ascent, give the locals your lunch order (both veg and non-veg options are available). By doing this, a hot, well-deserved meal will be ready and waiting for you the moment you return from the summit!

Gate - Kalsubai trek starting point

Hitting the Trail: Fog, Plateaus, and the Kalsubai Monsoon Trek

    Thanks to the rainy season, the weather was absolutely incredible, setting the stage for what we instantly knew would be an unforgettable Kalsubai monsoon trek. Just a few minutes into our walk, we arrived at a small Lord Hanuman temple. The gate right next to it officially marks the Kalsubai trek starting point. As we pushed forward along the Kalsubai trek route, it wasn't long before we reached our first plateau. You will quickly notice that the mountain offers these flat, welcoming stretches at regular intervals throughout the climb, making them perfect spots to catch your breath. After a quick rest, we resumed our ascent. By the time we reached the midway point of the mountain, dense fog and low-hanging clouds completely enveloped us. The mist was so thick that the trail ahead vanished, making it thrillingly impossible to see the route or guess how much distance was left between us and the summit!

Lord Hanuman Temple, at base village Kalsubai

    Soon enough, we reached the first of the famous Kalsubai trek ladders and carefully made our way up, one by one. There are a total of four steep iron ladders on this route, making the ascent both thrilling and accessible. By the time we conquered the third ladder, we had reached an impressive altitude of around 1,300 meters.

    At this point, we decided to take a well-deserved break to refuel. Thankfully, finding food on the Kalsubai trek is easy! There are several small mountain stalls set up by locals serving up hot Maggi, crispy pakodas, and steaming tea. The hot tea and pakodas were exactly what we needed to keep our bodies warm against the biting cold wind and rain, giving us the perfect energy boost to tackle the final stretch to the summit. Honestly, enjoying piping hot Maggi and pakodas while surrounded by monsoon clouds is easily one of the best experiences you can have in the Sahyadris!

4th Metal Ladder

Reaching the Summit: Standing on the Everest of Maharashtra

    By the time we reached the fourth and final ladder, we hit a bit of a bottleneck. We had to wait for about 30 minutes because the summit was completely packed. To keep things safe and manageable, those of us climbing up waited for descending trekkers to clear out and free up space at the top.

    Trekker's Note: Be prepared for heavy foot traffic! During the monsoon season, this trail is incredibly popular. It is not uncommon to see massive trekking groups of 200 to 300 people tackling the mountain at once.

    We carefully climbed up one side of the ladder while the descending crowd used the other. Finally, we stepped onto the Kalsubai peak summit—the absolute highest peak in Maharashtra. Standing at the very top of what is rightfully known as the Everest of Maharashtra is a truly surreal experience. The view from Kalsubai peak is breathtaking. Surrounded entirely by dense, rolling clouds, it felt like we were standing in heaven, or on an isolated island floating in an endless sea of mist. The summit area is actually quite narrow, comfortably accommodating only about 45 to 50 people at a time. At the very center sits the revered Mata Kalsubai temple. We offered our prayers, took some incredible photos, and soaked in the magic for about 15 to 20 minutes before beginning our descent.

Bari village view from top

Rock Steps - a way to heaven

The Descent and the Journey Home: Wrapping Up the Kalsubai Trek

    Navigating the Kalsubai trek descent requires extra caution. Thanks to the heavy monsoon rains, the muddy trails become incredibly slippery. In fact, at certain steep and slick sections, the safest and most fun strategy is simply to sit down and slide!

    For those keeping track of the average Kalsubai trek time, it generally takes about 4 hours to conquer the ascent and roughly 2.5 hours to carefully make your way back down to the base. We successfully reached our host's village house in Bari around 12:30 PM. After freshening up and changing out of our damp trekking gear, it was time to eat. As mentioned earlier, pre-ordering our meal before the hike was a game-changer—a hot, comforting lunch was ready and waiting for us the exact moment we returned.

    Post-lunch, we hopped back into our pre-arranged jeep for the return trip to Kasara Railway Station. Unfortunately, we narrowly missed the 5:00 PM Kasara to CSMT local train. We waited about an hour, eventually boarding the 6:00 PM local, and finally pulled into Dadar station by 10:00 PM, completely exhausted but full of unforgettable memories.

   

Places to see nearby

Bhandardara Dam

Ratangad

Harishchandragad

Prabalgad

Harihargad

Hide and Seek of mountain into the clouds

Milestone

Group photo