1% Battery, 100% Adventure

Sep 14, 2025
7 min read

Updated: Jan 3

I was idly sitting in my hostel room on a Friday evening after a good sleep of 12 hours. When I woke up, my friends were sitting and chit-chatting. I got up, brushed my teeth, came back, sat on my chair, and suddenly had this feeling of getting out and doing something crazy. I don’t know where it came from or what caused it, but I followed my instinct. I packed my bag. I had a vague idea of where to go, but I was not sure whether I would reach there or get fed up in between and leave it behind.

I went out through the main gate and had dinner at a nearby restaurant. While I was sitting there ordering a Benne Dosa and a Nescafe, there was an elderly woman sitting two tables apart from me, wearing a “know-it-all” face. I enjoyed my overpriced dinner. The two dosas were arranged in half-circles, divided at the middle, and there was butter on top of them. I was always a big fan of mouth-watering dosas and a good hot coffee when it’s raining. I was looking at the rain through the glass window behind the “know-it-all” woman, who was in fact completely unaware of the rain.

My cell phone was stuck at 1% for a long time. Upon finishing dinner, I tried to get a cab. The cab arrived, and I needed to charge my phone, so I asked the driver whether I could charge it or not. He was more than happy to assist me. He asked me where I wanted to go. I said I wanted to reach Lonavala by tomorrow. He became chatty after finding out that I was going to Lonavala. He suggested he could take me to the railway station, and I could catch a train to Kalyan and switch to another train that would take me to Lonavala.

I checked the IRCTC website for train timings. It was late, and there was no train to catch that day. He agreed to take me to Kalyan, where I booked a room while charging my phone. We reached the location at midnight, and he told me to be cautious because the area was a shady place. He even gave me his number and asked me to call him anytime if I felt any discomfort.

I went to the hotel reception. A pleasant smell filled the room, clearing the clutter I had from my conversation with the cabbie. I went up to the lobby located on the first floor. There was a long corridor filled with doors on either side, which reminded me of the “shady” talk I had. The room boy opened a door, and I went inside. The room was cozy and had the feel of a contemporary bedroom. There was hot water and an unusually large mirror in the bathroom. I had a hot bath and went to bed. I slept like a baby until Saturday morning.

I checked out of the hotel after having the complimentary breakfast and headed towards Lonavala. I reached there around 4 in the evening and took a wooden cottage all for myself, completely soaked in rain. The wind was blowing in the southwest direction. I fell asleep very fast after finding the number of a rickshaw wala who could take me to hiking spots nearby. He reached in the morning, and we had tea and started the long journey to Lohagad Fort.

The trail looked easy, but the heavy rain made it difficult. I started the hike in the morning around 10:30. It was raining like a cloudburst right above me. I had a raincoat with me, but it was not necessary to shield my bag. I managed and did not stop until I reached the very peak point. The trail was difficult, but the view and the fog after reaching the top were mesmerizing.

The fog covered the path, and the view from the fort took my breath away.

There are four gates to Lohagad Fort, each with arched entrances strengthened by masonry bastions. The Ganesh Darwaja is the first gate, with an image of Ganpati on either side and a lotus medallion on its spandrel. Maha Darwaja is the second gate, having a plain pointed arch. Third in order is Narayan Darwaja, which has a pointed arch entrance and a pilaster on either side, with its sandsel depicting an image of a lion. The Hanuman Darwaja (the final and more ornate one) is designed with a useful arch and lotus medallion on either side. With an image of Hanuman attached to the gateway, there is a guardroom with one arch.

After I reached the top, I returned to the entry point to the hills, where the steps end. It gives a viewpoint from above, and the depths of the hills were covered in thick fog. I saw a snake up in the fort during my way back to the entry point. I was not surprised—somehow I knew I would end up with something like this. I returned completely drained in heavy rain.

I called the rickshaw bro. He came to pick me up, and we went to Bhaja Caves. There is a small waterfall at the starting point of the hike. I bought tea and Maggi from a nearby shop, where I also charged my phone and power bank. I saw a bunch of people enjoying the waterfall and a group of youngsters bathing in it. It looked dangerous because the rock on which they sat was very slippery, and there was heavy rain falling while the waterfall current was strong. I ignored the falls and started the next hike.

There were steps all around, and it was a good short trail to the top of the hill where the caves were located. But my enthusiasm suddenly dipped when the gatekeeper asked me for a ticket that had to be bought from the starting point. I was about to spend an additional hour and a half to get this, but he was kind enough to take the money for the ticket from there itself. I saw the beautiful caves and explored till the end, where there was a waterfall and a room that looked like a prison cell—and if so, it would easily be the best cell with a view.

I came back to the starting point. The rickshaw bro was waiting for me, and I dared to ask him whether I could go to Visapur and be back before sunset. I had already hiked for almost 4 straight hours, but I needed more of a natural dopamine hit. He looked at me in disbelief, but I insisted I wanted to reach Visapur. He dropped me at the nearest point where the trail begins. I started my 4-hour trail at 3 o’clock in the evening. Visapur Trek is one of the most challenging and arduous treks near Lonavala. There was heavy rain when I started and it was getting dark. There used to be sightings of wild animals on the path. I took my bags and put my hoodie over my head, and found a good-shaped stick that I could use during the trek, and started the journey. It was getting dark, and the path was muddied to the point where I couldn't see. The journey was a lonely one, and there was nobody else on the path. I didn't know what motivated me, but I kept on moving and moving through the muddy trail through thick forest alone. It was nearly 6 o' clock, and I reached the final part of the trail. From here onwards, the trail follows a rocky very slippery mountain which is more slippier with the heavy rain pouring from the open sky. I looked above to the peak of the mountain where Visapur fort is located. It looks like a giant green fort from below. I stopped for a second, and that was the time I saw a small shed where tea is served. I took 2 teas from there because I was craving for something warm in this harsh weather. The lady and her daughter were the only humans in the vicinity. I started the adventure part of the trek. There were round rocks formed from the constant flow of water from the mountain. It was more slippery at that time. On the right side, there was a steep valley. I used my stick to and put it between the rocks to get a grip. I saw a girl of my age walking down from the mountain. I looked behind her and didn't see anyone else. She was about to fall when we crossed each other, but she was able to get a grip on the nearby rock. I helped her and asked are you okey and she smiled and continued the journey. I continued my upward trek and it was very difficult to climb these rocks. One wrong step, and you'll break your neck. At a juncture, I took a deviation with a more dangerous path, but another local who was coming down saw me and told me to take the alternative route. I followed her advice blindly when I saw the hand-knit bag on her back. After a very difficult trek, I reached a part of the trek where I met with other people. They were a group and coming down very slowly. I remember the first girl I saw in the beginning. This might be the group she was part of. I passed them and started up the stairs. Water was flowing down the stairs, and I took each and every step very carefully. I reached the top, and the first thing I saw was a white snake in the water. I didn't panic since I was overwhelmed by the fact that I completed a very dangerous solo trek. I went to the famous lake at the top and sat there for quite some time all alone with fulfilled heart !!

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1% Battery, 100% Adventure

The fog covered the path, and the view from the fort took my breath away.

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