TORANA BHUTONDE TORANA: A TRUE TREK TEST

 

LtoR: Anant,Vishal,Manojay,Anirudh,Ram,
Ashwini, Chandan & Sagar

It has been long since we planned any treks. This time Chandan takes initiative. He announces two treks back-to-back. I missed the first trek of Jor Mahabaleshwar. The next one is Torana Rajgad Torana which is then modified to Torana Bhutonde Torana. I am a little skeptical in the beginning, however due to Chandan’s encouragement I embark on it.

The messages pop up on the group on the previous day. Logistics are planned and things to bring are listed. I am nervous yet excited.

On the Saturday Morning at 3.30 am Good Morning messages start popping up. After meeting Anirudh, Vishal and Anant we hop into our car at 4.00 am and reach Rajaram Bridge at 4.10 am. Ram, Sagar and Manojay join us in their car. We take the Pabe Ghat route to reach Velhe. The route is nice but foggy. Chandan finds it difficult to drive. He patiently maneuvers the route, and we reach the foot of Torana at 5.30 am. After having Pohe and Tea, we enthusiastically embark on our trek. I am completely unaware that I am going to find this trek never ending.

The plan is to climb Torana, go to Budhala Machi, descend Budhala Machi, trek towards Rajgad, reach Bhutonde pass (this point is just about one hour away from Rajgad) and get back on the same route to Torana. It seems hectic to me since I have not been practicing these days. My last long trek was Fachu Kandi Pass about 18 months ago.

Sunrise

We start climbing Torana in the Dark. As we reach half the distance, we are able to see the Sun rising. The torch we were using is put to sleep. We enjoy the Sun Rise and start climbing again. I am already lagging. Vishal comes close and tries to find out whats wrong. He has always known me as a seasoned trekker. I am not the best however I have never been this slow. I tell him about being out of practice. His words of encouragement give me confidence. I try to climb as fast as possible.

In an hour or so we finish climbing Torana. It is reasonably good timing indeed.

We pass Mengai Devi Temple and reach Budhla Machi. Budhla Machi is the toughest of all. As we stare at the machi, we know it is welcoming us. We descend the machi safely and head towards Rajgad. It is already 8.00 am. We sip water from our bottles as we walk the trail. The view is amazing. Rajgad stands still and watches us from the far. We stare at this gigantic fort and appreciate the morning view. Birds chirp and welcome us to their world.

Vishal is our pro trekker. He has trekked on this route more than 35 times in the past few years. Ram has been on this trek last month. I have completed Rajgad Torna with Chandan twice and Ananat and Anirudh have joined us once. We are experienced trekkers however we can’t match Vishal by any yardstick.

We meet a group of trekkers who are heading to Torana from Rajgad. Chandan tells them about our plan and says we will catch them enroute Torana. We have a good laugh over it as all of us know it is next to impossible.

Chandan and I are already contemplating other possibilities. Is it better to just go to Kachare Mama’s house (this is one hour before Bhutonde) and return? Or is it better to go to Rajgad and take a bus to Torna? We are not sure.

As we think about our options we keep walking. It is already 9.30 am as we reach Kachare Mama’s place. This is a small hut where Kachare Mama lives with his cattle. We open our stock of dry snacks and take buttermilk and Lemonade from Kachare Mama. He is very welcoming. As we rest for a few minutes we are discussing other possibilities. However, none of us come to any conclusion.

At Bhotonde

We head to Bhutonde now. It is a walk of another 45 minutes. The trail is covered with trees and we enjoy the greenery. As we hit Bhutonde Pass we are able to see the motorable road. We click photographs. I see one car coming and I hail at it jokingly.  All others thinking that I am giving up, shake their head in disapproval.

As Chandan proposes to go to Rajgad, Anant convinces us to stick to the plan. We are skeptical yet we go by the group’s opinion.

As we head back to Kachare Mama’s place, I am already lagging. The distance between me and the last person is increasing. I start reciting my favorite poems to pass time. The Sun is active at its full capacity now. He is bestowing his affection however I am not used to this kind of affection at all. I wear my Sunglasses and try to protect myself from the Sun. Chandan has already covered himself with his scarf. We reach Kachare Mama’s place again and have our grab of parathas and other snacks. As we finish our lunch it is 11.45 am already.

I try to start early to keep up with the pace of other people. I do not want to hold the group up.

I am ahead for some time and then Ram, Anant and Sagar overtake. Chandan keeps pace with me by walking slightly ahead. He turns back time to time and checks on me.

Vishal,  Anirudh and Manojay have not reached yet. Probably, they waited for a little longer to give me company.

The same trail which we walked with ease, seems too difficult now. The climb is under the blazing Sun, which makes it difficult and different. We can get some shade in intervals. However, most of it is under the mid-day Sun.  

As the Sun roasts me, I keep looking for Budhla Machi. After much struggle with the blaze, finally I get the sight of Budhla Machi and here I see Vishal coming behind me. He tells me that he recently climbed Sinhagad by lifting his cycle in his arms. I am elated. I immediately tell him that I am just about a few kilos heavier than his bicycle. Why does he not experiment on climbing with me on his back? He is already repenting his wait.

He knows I am tired, but also aware that I can do it with a little push. He finds a boy selling Lemonade enroute and forces me to eat lemon with salt. I keep myself hydrated and the salt shows its magic. I am climbing again. Manojay and Vishal now walk carefully behind me. As I reach the foot of Budhla Machi, Anirudh overtakes. Chandan has already climbed the machi.

Vishal offers me Limbu Sharbat. I am hesitant; however, I drink the glass of

Budhala Machi

sharbat. Manojay comes close. He has had a cramp in his leg. He chews lemon and salt which gives him instant relief. I again urge Vishal again about  thinking of taking me on his back. He laughs and says that he will do that if I am injured. I again try to convince him that I weigh like feathers. And he laughs again. He guides me on the rock patch and the ladder. I now tell him that my legs are short hence the trouble. Otherwise I would have climbed very fast like Chandan did. He ignores all the nonsense and guides me through. Manojay is waiting behind us patiently.

We cross Budhla machi and I see another climb welcoming us. I am on the verge of giving up. But Vishal starts showing me several other routes to climb Torana. As he diverts my attention, I keep climbing. I now feel as if I am going to drop right there.

I am climbing at snail’s pace. Very slow but determined to reach. We somehow reach Pune Darwaja. I drop next to Chandan. Drop dead. The entire group cheers me on. After a bit of rest, stretching and sarbat prepared by Manojay, we start our descent. Though not easy we somehow reach the parking lot on time. It turns out to be a trek of 22.5 kms and 11 hours. As the Sun sets our meeting with the nature ends with the hope of a new beginning. The beginning of a journey with short legs, feather like weight and insane mind. 

Trek	Torana-Bhutonde-Torana
Day and Date	Saturday November 8th 2025
Total Distance	22.5 Kms
Total Time	11 Hours
Moving Time	10 Hours
Starting and End Point	Torana Parking from Velhe