Rajmachi

Rajmachi is an all-time favourite trekking destination for many cyclists. It is a part of the Lonavala region. Lonavala needs no explanation for Pune or Mumbai trekkers. I myself have done this trek more than five times in various seasons.

To reach Rajmachi, you must travel to Lonavala either by own vehicle or by the train. From Pune you can catch the local train and carry your bike in the train.

Once you reach Lonavla, there are two routes from where you can start your trek. The first one is from Khandala. This road goes from the adventure club resort. The second one and my personal favourite is the one from the Tungarli dam. It is the closest route.

You can park your vehicle at Lonavala or at Tungarli village. The benefit of parking at Tungarli village is that you don’t have to climb the peak of Tungarli village on bike.

I planned this ride during peak monsoon, and intentionally, on a weekday to avoid the crowd. If you plan this trek on any weekend (especially in the monsoon) then be prepared to face the crowd throughout this trail. If you are going for first time then you can prefer weekend as road goes through very lone place and a deep forest.

There is a single trail that goes towards Rajmachi, so there are no chances of losing the trail. There is only one junction, but it has a clear sign board that will direct you to Rajmachi. This beautiful route goes through many water streams and has many uphill and downhill climbs all the way till the end. During monsoon the track often gets slippery at few spots. Nevertheless the ride is totally worth it.

I recommend that you take a break at the following points:

·        - The first point is just 15 minutes after you start, near the water stream which falls directly in to the valley. This is on top of the Pune waterfall. 

·         - The second spot is the U turn junction, where you have to cross a big stream (almost knee to waist length water). 

·         - The third point is the one from where you can see the Pune waterfall in the valley. This is a must. You have to watch this because the view from here is very beautiful.

Once you reach the village you can take your bike to the ancient lake and the temple that is on left side of the village. The road to the temple is now renovated by MTDC. It also has lot of stairs. You can ride your bike on these stairs to reach the temple, just for fun J.

You can also choose to go for hike on the fort. You must park your bike in the village for the same. You can carry your bike up to temple point on the way to fort, but be prepared to carry it on your shoulders at few spots.

Overall, you can do this trail in any season. Note that this is strictly an MTB trail. You can use other bikes as well, but that won’t be fun.  And be prepared to get mud all over your bike and yourself. Enjoy! J

Track details:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwSHWX__mzvoVXNMMmdZM1Z2Wm8/edit?usp=drivesdk

Name: Rajmachi
Activity type: driving
Description: -
Total distance: 11.75 km (7.3 mi)
Total time: 1:34:21
Moving time: 1:33:34
Average speed: 7.47 km/h (4.6 mi/h)
Average moving speed: 7.53 km/h (4.7 mi/h)
Max speed: 23.62 km/h (14.7 mi/h)
Average pace: 8:02 min/km (12:56 min/mi)
Average moving pace: 7:58 min/km (12:49 min/mi)
Fastest pace: 2:32 min/km (4:05 min/mi)
Max elevation: 632 m (2074 ft)
Min elevation: 514 m (1687 ft)
Elevation gain: 868 m (2847 ft)
Max grade: 17 %
Min grade: -120 %
Recorded: 7/11/2014 10:07