Durg (Mount) Lingana

Overview

What stands out most about this mountain?
- "Chattrapati Shivaji is the person who is known to have started the warfare technique of "Guerrilla Warfare", better suited to the mountaineous and dense jungle regions of western Maharashtra. His technique is still taught as an inspiring lesson, in the regular curriculum of the training of British Army Special Forces. Shivaji ruled this region by building forts on top of mountains, from where the his armies could keep an eye on its territory. He had hundreds of forts in this region, each one with an equally interesting story behind it. Usually, the hikes up these forts are to the order of 1500 - 4000 ft. elevation gain. These forts are called "Durg" in Marathi - the local language of Maharashtra. So, that makes "Mount" Lingana (to the western world) "Durg Lingana"
- This mountain, rather a fort during earlier times when "Chattrapati Shivaji" was the king in the state of Maharashtra, was being used by him to keep prisoners. It was strategically located near the capital of Shivaji, called "Durg Raigad", another fort. It is a pinnacle, which thrusts out in the air to a height of about 3000 feet, out of which approximately 2500 is to be climbed.

Do many people climb it?
- Unavailability of highly technical equipment, and a relatively easy climb (although at an extremely high exposure) makes this climb as a starting point for amateur rock climbers in Maharashtra. You do need the basic technical equipment to climb it though. You can't just hike it up.

How hard is the easiest route?
- The easiest route is not very hard, but it does involve climbing in scree (loose rock and sand), not to mention at pretty high exposures of about 2000 feet or so.

Getting There

- One can get to the base of the mountain via the state transport system in Maharashtra. From the city of Pune, one can board a bus to Mahad, then another one to Dapoli, which is the last stop. One has to hike for about 2-3 hrs. to reach the base of the pinnacle, called "Linganamachi"
- Linganamachi is the place where people camp overnight. From Linganamachi, one has to hike up even further to the base of the pinnacle. There is no place for camping here. A local might assist in getting to the base.

Red Tape

- No permits required. Almost all the mountains and forts in Maharashtra are accessible to everybody, and there is plenty to see.
- There are no use or summit fees.
- The rainy season in this region is the most spectacular for hiking up other forts. The whole of "Western Ghats" called the "Sahyadris" are lush green, and is a visual treat to the eyes. BUT, Lingana is not advised to be climbed in rainy season, as it would be almost impossible for people to reach the base. And, if by chance, somebody reaches the base, it would be very risky to climb the pinnacle, which becomes very slippery.
- The best season to climb are the dry seasons (All year round, except June to November)

When To Climb

The rainy season in this region is the most spectacular for hiking up other forts. The whole of "Western Ghats" called the "Sahyadris" are lush green, and is a visual treat to the eyes. BUT, Lingana is not advised to be climbed in rainy season, as it would be almost impossible for people to reach the base. And, if by chance, somebody reaches the base, it would be very risky to climb the pinnacle, which becomes very slippery.
- The best season to climb are the dry seasons (All year round, except June to November)

Camping

- Linganamachi is a small village, of about 30 odd huts. One can camp there at night, pretty much anywhere.
- Like in the western countries, in India, there is no such thing as "camping ground". So, you have the whole nature to yourself, and you can go and do anything out there, without restrictions, and obviously, without harming nature, in any way possible.

Mountain Conditions

- If you type "Lingana" in google, you should be able to get some good pictures of the pinnacle, although ther are not very many of the climbing route though.
- I will be uploading the pictures I have of the climb. But, this climb being the first one in 1999, I did not have access to a digital camera, so have taken pictures from my age-old Pentax SLR, and have scanned these images. Please bear with me, in case you find the picture quality not as sharp as you find nowadays.

Images

View Durg (Mount) Lingana Image Gallery - 39 Images