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Torna is the first fort captured by Shivaji Maharaj at the age of 16 years which was also his first capture. It is the highest fort in Pune district. It is located at a distance of 80.2 km from Decathlon Wagholi which was our meeting point.
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It's a normal practice at Decathlon to venture outdoors once in a while. Sports enthusiasts here can't tolerate the indoors for too long. When we head out, we like to take our users along. Here's a story of one such venture to the Torna Fort at Sahyadri organised by Decathlon Wagholi. From Decathlon Wagholi, we headed to Torna for a breath of fresh air and inspiration for all lovers of mountains, sport and travel. That's the kind of people our group was made of.
Let's hear about the experience from some of our participants! :)
The hike was spectacular, just to put it in simple terms.
Each and every hiker there admired the initiative taken by Decathlon and thanked them. The main thing according to me was, not a single hiker, even if he/she was slow, were left behind. We went together, came together, like a real team. We pushed each other at hard times, we made friends and that’s what made this hike memorable.
Here are a few essentials I took with myself:
We took a Traveler bus for 80.2 km till Velhe, a village from where the hike towards the fort started. We were accompanied by 8 Decathletes.
After crossing fields, we had to hike through steep slopes. This is where we found ourselves taking frequent breaks after which there were comparatively easier patches with a scenic landscape of starry skies.
We worked as a team under the leadership of the expert hikers and helped each other overcome the difficult paths.
After the hard climb, we finally reached. The first thing we saw was the Binni Darwaza (the main entrance) followed by the Kothe Darwaza and finally the Mengai Goddess Temple. We felt a sense of satisfaction and happiness on achieving our goal. It was 2 am by the time we reached the top. The view was mesmerizing which I often remember when I try to sleep.
We were 21 people. We divided the tasks accordingly into three groups. Cooking, pitching the tents and gathering wood for the fire.
With the help of Harsh and Vishal, Decathlon employees, we were able to pitch the tents without any hassle. This was also the first time I've ever pitched a tent and a shelter.
While our cooks, Kunal and Sonali were cooking, some of us rested in the tents or in the temple, while the others stargazed. By the time we were done eating, it was 5 am and we were ready to witness the sunrise.
Harsh suggested viewing the sunrise from Zunjar Machi, the strongest part of the fort, to be able to enjoy the sunrise to its fullest. It was a tough climb, so some of the hikers opted out of it. However, it was a mesmerizing view, and I highly recommend it.
After the beautiful sunrise, we wrapped up. Some of us started cleaning, while others were taking out tents and then we started our descend.
Crisp crack of dawn, drowsy eyes, chilled breeze, rising heartbeat and the breathtaking summits of the Sahyadris. That’s what it feels like to watch the sunrise from atop the Torna fort.
To the entire Decathlon-team and all the crazy hikers and trekkers who were with me, I cannot thank you enough for effortlessly making this hike so memorable.
I CAN'T WAIT TO HIKE AND TREK WITH THE DECATHLON TEAM AGAIN!
Coming from a background of travel and hiking, I thought, I knew relatively enough about running around hills and mountains. But as I was descending from the hike, I actually had a smile on my face on realizing the number of things I’d learned from the team.
Staring down at my shoes and wondering when I should head to Decathlon next and get the soft cushioned sole with the right grip, was not something I wouldn't have realized had I not been made aware that I was using old-tech shoes all this time. Did I know I should wear stretchable track pants for hikes? Nope. Or that each Decathlon product I wore had actually gone through an intensive series of trials before it hit the stores? Nope. Or that every team member no matter the hierarchy actually calls their boss “Coach”? (Which is too cool)
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