Exploring the Sahyadris

hey!! come weekends and I am always on the look out to get out of this city to explore the hill forts of Maharashtra or go cycling along the Westren Ghats in the Sahyadris (The Deccan Plateau of Maharashtra). It amazes me to note that there are so many people i know in Mumbai who are not aware of the Sahyadris and the places around Mumbai to go trekking or for any outdoor activity during the weekends.
The Sahyadri, with its rugged topography, rocky mountains, pinnacles, great historic hill forts (most of which were conquered by Shivaji), huge lakes and rivers and extencive forest region are a virtual paradise for trekking, climbing, rappelling, Cycling ( Its great on the ghats and fun) and camping. This range preceds the Himalayas by a 100 million years. The caves and forts are great places of visit here. Some of the caves have paintings that dates back to times BC. The Monsoon especially is a great time to trek in the Sahyadris.
It is its most beautiful during this time of the year with its numerous waterfalls cascading down the slopes. A great time to do waterfall rappelling. Thus, monsoons add a special charm to your whole trip. So if you are an outdoor person and adventurous too then go exploring the Sahyadris. believe me you will not regret it.
read along my experiences in the Sahyadris.and other trips in my travelogues............