Love Challenges:
Alang Madan Kulang is termed the “Toughest Trek of Maharashtra”. Although there might be many more hikes tougher than AMK, this is the only tough hike that is conducted commercially by all the leading organisers of Maharashtra.
Need a long break from the routine:
This trek requires at least 3 days (including traveling) from Pune as well as Mumbai. You will be gone away from the daily hustle for a long time.
Want to experience rappelling & rock climbing:
AMK trek involves a lot of rock patches where you will be fixing ropes, climbing, and rappelling. This will be a huge adrenaline rush and an unforgettable experience if you’re doing it for the first time.
There are multiple ways in which you can take for this trek. AMK trek basically includes covering 3 different mountains which are connected by ridges and other features. All 3 mountains have entry/exit points.
Base Village:
Alang Fort (4852 ft) - Ambewadi
Madan Fort (4500 ft) - Samrad
Kulang Fort (4825 ft) - Kurungwadi
You can enter and exit from any of the base villages that seem fit as per your travel plans.
The best way to do this is to start from Ambewadi and finish in Kurungwadi or vice versa to avoid hiking back and forth.
The trek route is covered under thick forest for the majority part and the paths are really confusing. The climb to Madan fort as well as Kulang fort requires technical expertise as the rock-carved steps are destroyed now.
Ambewadi Village
This is the base village usually preferred by most hikers to start the hike due to its proximity and accessibility to Kasara Railway station on the Central Railway Line of Mumbai Locals.
How to reach Ambewadi village?
The best way to reach Ambewadi village for people traveling from Mumbai as well as Pune by local transport is by taking a local train on Central Railway line till Kasara Station and hiring a shared Jeep from there. Hiring a Jeep will cost you about ₹4500 for a return journey for 10 people. You can find the contact details of the local taxi drivers in the local contacts section below.
Do check the schedule of the train on the m-indicator app (Android / iPhone) before leaving because typically there’s just 1 train every hour.
The same vehicle can then be arranged to pick you up from Kurungwadi on day 2 or day 3 depending on your plan.
How to reach AMK with Private transport?
If you take private vehicle for this hike, and assuming you do not have an extra person to be driving around from one village to another when you go hiking, you will have to cover twice the distance on foot.
You can park your vehicle at any of the villages mentioned above and come back to the same village after covering all three peaks.
Bear in mind that this is a technical hike and you will need some serious rock climbing and rope fixing experience if you’re doing this all by on own. Alternatively, you can take assistance from the locals who regularly do the super-human job of fixing ropes and helping the trekkers climb these forts with as much convenience as possible.
Drinking Water
There are a few water cisterns along the trek to Alang fort but none of them are potable.
We suggest you to carry at least 5-6 litres of water per person before you start the trek. Fully refill your bottles whenever you get the chance - assistance of the locals is paramount here.
Food
Traditional maharashtrian food can be arranged by the locals. If you contact a local guide (number attached in the “Local Contacts” section) they will arrange a delicious home-cooked meal at your request on the top.
Accommodation
There are 2 caves on the Madan fort and 1 cave on the Kulang fort where you can spend the night. Madan fort also has a huge plateau which can be used for set up your camp if you have your own tents. You can take help from the locals to set up camps on Malang fort
Local guides for technical setup
Ganpat More: +91 8055695521
Food and Refreshments
Tuka: +91 9930801634
Transport from Kasara
Ramesh Bhangare: +91 9922655116
Ananda: +91 9823761312
Sunset from Kulang Fort
Alangad Cisterns
Trek to Alang Fort
Alang Madan Kalang
November to February
Since this trek involves a lot of rock climbing, it is best to visit this place during Maharashtra’s climbing season.
During monsoons, this place receives very heavy rainfall and this could make the trek really slippery and risky. Summers, on the other hand, heat up the rocks so much that it gets really difficult to hold on to them while climbing if you do not have special gloves.
This is the most convenient itinerary that you can follow if you opt for local transport and, thus, have someone to drive the car from one base village to another:
Day 0: (Friday)
09:32 PM - Leave from Mumbai CST by train (96409 CSMT to Kasara)
Day 1: (Saturday)
12:15 AM - Reach Kasara and leave for Ambewadi
03:00 AM - Reach Ambewadi and take some rest
06:00 AM - Wake up, get breakfast, and leave for Alang Fort
12:00 PM - Reach Alang fort and have lunch
01:00 PM - Start hiking towards Madan fort
07:00 PM - Reach Madan fort, and have dinner, get some rest
Day 2: (Sunday)
05:00 AM - Wake up, get breakfast, and leave for Kulang Fort
11:00 AM - Reach Kulang fort, have lunch, and start descending towards Kurungwadi
02:30 PM - Reach Kurungwadi and leave for Kasara railway station
- 5 Liters of water (compulsory)
- Torch with extra batteries (Do not rely on your phone’s torch) - preferably buy a headlamp
- Sun hat or cap
- Blankets, sleeping mats, and sheets / sleeping bag
- Warm clothes during winter (Temperature could drop below 10° Celsius)
- Trekking shoes or trail running shoes (strictly no sandals or chappals)
- Comfortable t-shirt (preferably dry-fit and full sleeves)
- Comfortable trekking pants (no jeans or shorts)
- Extra pair of clothes and a hoodie (weather gets chilly)
- Electrolyte powder (such as Electral, Enerzal, etc.)
- Light snacks to munch on during breaks
- Fresh fruits / Dried fruits such as dates, figs / Nuts mix, etc for eating along on the trail
- A small day pack to carry all the above (Kindly avoid handbag/sling bag)
- Personal medications, if any
- Optional items: sun goggles, wet tissues, hand sanitizer, cameras, etc.
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