PB: Kulang Fort Trek & Camp 21-22nd Dec 2024

*PARVAT BUDDIES:*
KULANG Fort Trek & Camping 21st-22nd Dec 2024 (Fri night to Sun eve)_

*Some Info about the place:*
KULANG FORT (1470m/4825ft) is one of the mightiest hills in the Sahyadri situated in the Kalsubai mountain range. Usually trekkers combine it with the neighbouring Madangad & Alang forts as a part of the popular ‘AMK trek’– we would instead be taking a lesser explored route and camp on top of this giant mountain so as to offer a unique winter trekking cum camping experience to our participants. The climb is a challenging involving an exposed rocky staircase which is the highlight of the adventure.

The fort has a large cave, numerous water tanks and ruined fortwall structures. The view of sunset and sunrise is just breathtaking from the fort. One can also witness wonderful views of neighbouring peaks like Madangad, Alang, Kalsubai, Shipnur Dongar etc. Moreover, one gets a clear view of the starry night sky from here. Winter nights are cold especially with the wind adding to the chill factor – making it an exciting experience to stay in tents!

*Grade:* Moderate-Difficult.
*Endurance:* High.

*Why PARVAT BUDDIES?*
Extensive painstaking preparations have been carried out by our team of experienced leaders in planning and organising this trek for you. Our leaders are well versed with the terrain and have a trekking experience of about a decade in the Sahyadri. Your safety is our prime goal so rest assured that we will take good care of you during the trek. Our USP is that we prefer to trek in small sized groups so as to have a better bonding and interaction among our participants. The average group size of our events is around 15 people making our events much more enjoyable and memorable. We maintain a reasonable Leader to Participant ratio which is about 1:10 on an average. We also have a good number of female participants joining our events. On an average around 40% of our participants in the past have been females, proving that we are a gender friendly group. Wherever feasible, we try our best to arrange private transport from Mumbai for your comfort. We always carry a basic first aid kit with us. We also provide outdoor insurance cover for our trek participants. We follow a ‘Leave No Trace’ Policy and try our best to leave a minimum possible impact on our ecology while conducting the treks. We respect the Mountains and follow a set of rules to ensure discipline in our outdoor activities.

*Some Trek Rules:*
Climbing the Mountain is definitely an enjoyable adventure, provided we all follow some discipline. Please get yourself acquainted with our trekking rules here:
https://parvatbuddies.blogspot.com/p/trekking-rules.html

One must follow these basic rules strictly so that the outdoors can be enjoyed in a safe way.

*Tentative Itinerary:*
_(These are approximate timings)_

_Friday 20th Dec 2024_
2245 hrs: Board local train for Kasara.

_Saturday 21st Dec 2024_

0130 hrs: Start journey from Kasara to base village in pvt non-AC vehicles

0400 hrs: Arrival in village and rest for 2hrs
0600 hrs: Wake up call. Freshen up. Get ready for the trek.
0730 hrs: Breakfast
0830 hrs: Start the trek ~6hrs of climb including lunch break
1500 hrs: Reach the fort plateau and set up our camp. Rest, explore the caves etc.
1730 hrs: Settle to watch the sunset with a cuppa tea.
1930 hrs: Soup & Dinner.
2030 hrs: Sky gazing, camp stories and games
2200 hrs: Goodnight

Sunday 22nd Dec 2024

0530 hrs: Wake up & freshen up
0630 hrs: Hike to the topmost point for Sunrise View
0800 hrs: Breakfast & Tea
0900 hrs: Wind up the campsite.
1000 hrs: Start descending
1400 hrs: Reach base village and have a dip in the waters
1500 hrs: Lunch
1600 hrs: Depart for Kasara
1800 hrs: Take the next available local train to Mumbai

** Trek ends **

*Things you should carry (COMPULSORY):*
In order to have an enjoyable time in the mountains, one needs to be well equipped with the following things:

*Mains*
1] Identity Proof.
2] Rucksack (~50L) (preferably with rain-cover).
3] TREKKING SHOES (must be in good condition) Carry extra socks and laces.
4] TORCH / HEADLAMP with extra batteries.
5] SLEEPING BAG & Carry Mat
6] Sweater/Jacket/Hoodie

*Food & Hydration*
7] WATER (at least 4 litres, Prefer metal bottles over plastic ones OR Carry Water bladder)
8] Light SNACKS like biscuits, energy bars, candies, dry fruits & nuts, ORS, some juicy fruits as per your liking.
9] Plate, Spoon, Mug (to prevent plastic waste generation)

*Clothing & Accessories*
10] Wear Full length track-pants & full sleeves Shirt (preferably dry-fit) to protect oneself from insects, thorns, cold and sunburn.
11] CAP / HAT, Sunglasses, Sunscreen
12] Extra pair of clothes, a lightweight towel, and flip-flops to put on after the trek is over.

*Miscellaneous*
13] Toiletry Kit, Wet Wipes, Paper Soap, Sanitizer.
14] Dry bag/plastic bag to store your used clothes & Shoes.
15] Garbage bag to dump all wrappers, tissues etc.

*Optional (recommended):*

• Trekking pole. (Strongly recommended)
• Small Knife, Whistle, Matchbox, Diary & pen.
• Camera.
• Personal Medicines.

_Extra Luggage items can be kept in the village/Jeep_

*Cost:*
Rs. 3000/- (non-refundable)

*Inclusions:*
Insurance
Travel from Kasara to base village & vice versa in pvt non-AC vehicle
Tented accommodation on the fort
Veg meals (Breakfast, Packed Lunch & Dinner on Saturday. Breakfast & Lunch on Sunday)
Basic First Aid Kit
Local Route Guide & staff
Experienced PB Trek Leader

*Exclusions:* Packaged drinking water, cold-drinks, any sort of personal expenses, tips, any other thing not mentioned under ‘Inclusions’

*Registration Process:*
No. Of Seats: Min 6 and Max. 11 participants.

_(First Pay First Serve)_

_(Trek is subject to minimum participation)_

Certain important offerings like Insurance etc cannot be provided last minute; so please register before the following date:

Last Date for registrations & payment: 9pm, 17th Dec 2024, Tuesday.

Your seat will be booked only when we receive complete participant details along with the confirmation (transaction id/screenshot) of the online payment. Please call us on the below-mentioned number to know the Bank Details for Funds Transfer.

*IMP INSTRUCTIONS:*
 Any outdoor activity is physically demanding and should NOT be confused with picnic. Do not expect home like comforts in the outdoors. Be open to raw and rugged experiences!

 It is important to be in good health and to have a basic level of physical fitness to ensure a happy time during the event. Consult your doctor before joining the event if you’re suffering from any ailment/injury.

 Smoking, Consumption of Alcohol, Intake of Drugs/Narcotics, Littering, Creating Noise and playing music is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.

 It is important for all participants to abide by the instructions of the team leader from time to time. Any violation of Event Rules or misbehaviour will be dealt with strictly and the participant will be expelled from the group immediately without any refund.

 The time schedule for the event has to be followed strictly by every participant so as to have a timely and safe execution of the event.

 Avoid Jeans/Belts/Sling bags as it is important to walk freely in the outdoors. Shorts, 3/4ths and Sleeveless tops are strictly NOT allowed. Avoid applying Deodorant/fragrances as it might attract honeybees/insects etc.

 Trim your nails 2 days before the trek. Ensure you get proper sleep before the trek day.

 Avoid bringing costly gadgets/devices and valuables like jewellery etc. Carry only sufficient cash. Try to keep the weight of your bag as less as possible. Wrap your belongings in dry bags to protect them from dust and/or rains.

 Read the itinerary, rules and checklist thoroughly. Lastly, leave a brief note about this plan at home.

*For any queries, feel free to Contact us:*
Parin H Shah
9869173138 (Whatsapp & GPay)
7718075422 (Call)
parvatbuddies@gmail.com

*About Us:*
PARVAT BUDDIES is a Mumbai based group of adventurers and nature lovers established in the year 2014. We organise outdoor activities like trekking, camping, cycling, outdoor Yoga, leisure trips, tree planting, etc. We have successfully conducted 219 enjoyable events!

*Disclaimer:*
While utmost care will be taken by the organisers, all participants shall be responsible for their own safety and belongings. Organisers will not be responsible for any injury, casualty, death or any other untoward incident. Decision of the trek leader shall be final and binding on all participants._