TheFreeBird
Niraj, why do you call it The Horizon Ridge ? As the trail crosses the Prabalgad jungle we are surrounded by canopy of trees. As we move out of Prabalgad forest we can see the endless views of surroundings and the beauty of the long ridgeline towards Irshalgad. From Prabalgad to Irshalgad greenery & flowers takes over every part of the trail making it a very thrilling and refreshing trail.
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🔵 The Horizon Ridge details
- Sunday 12 Oct 2025 – (Whatsapp 7507078470 to check availability)
- ₹ 1699 + ₹ 1 Monkey tax
- Grade-Medium
- Endurance– 11kms flat with one ascend to 400m
- Elevation gain: 400m
- Max: 12 people
- Time: 6-7 hours required over undulating hills crossing multiple water streams through dense jungle & traversing ridgelines .
- Meeting point: 6:30am Panvel station
- Departure point: 5-7pm Panvel station or 4-6pm Karjat station . Panvel is the primary drop point. If enough people opt for it a Karjat drop might be arranged. You can fill this option in the google form for the trek. For any assumption consider Panvel to be the fixed end point with chances of Karjat drop very low.
- We would be trekking from Prabalgad to Irshalgad but wont be visiting either forts as we have time constraint
🔵 Food
- TheFreeBird would be a very unique organiser as we would provide freshly prepared food on trek including breakfast, small brunch and lunch which would all be home made locally as against the packed food which others provide. Expect traditional Maharashtrian veg food.
- I wont be using plastic plates & spoons but using steel plates wherever possible to reduce plastic footprint
- Sustainable trekking is the only way to enjoy The Horizon ridge from Prabalgad to Irshalgad traverse
🔵 How to book The Horizon Ridge trail ?
- Msg me on Instagram or Whatsapp 7507078470 to check seat availability
- Make payment & fill the google form for the trek
- Pack your backpack and reach Panvel station on time
TheFreeBird’s motto :
TheFreeBird with the nature-first & support-local agenda has started off with offbeat treks. We travel to lesser known places to enjoy nature at its peaceful best. The point is not just to enjoy nature & recharge our souls but also support local community in anyways possible. The other focus would be to steer away from plastic usage throughout the trek thus laying the foundation of sustainable trekking.
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+The Horizon Ridge itinerary
- Reaching Panvel station on time by 6:30 am is the most important thing. Missing the train means you just missed the trek. Better be on time and everything else would fall in place.
- FROM MUMBAI: Take the 05:06am CSMT-Panvel local: 0506hrs CSMT – 0524 Vadala – 0535 Kurla – 0555 Vashi – 0612 Belapur- 0616 Kharghar – 0627 Panvel. Check m-Indicator for exact train timings.
- Reach our vehicle parked outside the Panvel railway station (West) besides the car parking & start towards the trek start point
- 0715 hrs – Reach trek start point and ascend 450m to reach the base village
- 0800 hrs – Have breakfast at the base village
- 0830 hrs – Start the jungle trail through Prabalgad forest
- 1030 hrs – Complete the jungle trail and reach the Ridge to have brunch
- 1100 hrs – Start from Prabalgad to Irshalgad over ridge & reach Irshalgad plateau
- 1300 hrs – Have lunch amidst flower beds
- 1400 hrs – Start descend towards the base
- 1600 hrs – Take taxi to Panvel / Karjat railway station to reach station in 45-60minutes. The Horizon Ridge trek from Prabalgad to Irshalgad has concluded.
- Frequent CSMT trains are available from Panvel and Karjat station
- Take your train, set your drop off alarm so as to make sure to not fall asleep when train reaches your station
- It would be advisable to keep a buffer of 2 hours due to unforeseen circumstances.
+ Things to carry
- Wear full-sleeved t-shirt & track pants for protection against heat, insects, & thorns. No short clothes allowed. This is not a picnic but a trek, and you are responsible for protecting yourself. Avoid wearing black clothes- atleast wear a vibrant coloured tshirt
- Proper trekking shoes are a must to enjoy the trek safely.
- Raincoat & sun cap are essential as the weather is unpredictable these days, even during monsoon.
- Ensure your raincoat covers your backpack to prevent it from getting wet. Otherwise, pack all your belongings in a separate plastic bag inside your main backpack to keep them dry.
- Your lifeline—your mobile—deserves a separate plastic bag to protect it from monsoon showers.
- Carry 2 litres of water, preferably natural lemon juice to beat the heat if the rain clouds are missing and it’s hot. Glucon-D, ORS, Tang, Gatorade sachets are good alternatives if squeezing lemons is too tiring for you.
- Also carry dry fruits, energy bars as backups.
- Carry your identity proof (Aadhaar card). A minor must also bring a NOC from parents.
- A proper backpack is essential to carry all your belongings and keep your hands free.
- Don’t carry unnecessary weights, which will slow you down and make the climb tiring. Only carry things you can comfortably manage and still enjoy the trail.
- Optional: Light towel & changing clothes. Changing rooms availability will depend on the trek
- Personal first aid and personal medication are a must.
- A good torch and a whistle would be great additions to your TREK GEAR
+ Inclusion, exclusion , refunds
Cost includes:
- Pick up from Panvel station to base
- Drop to Panvel/ Karjat station after the trek
- Breakfast & Lunch
- Trek Lead Expertise & local taxes.
Cost DOESN’T include:
- Any personal expenses on food & beverages
- Any unexpected costs due to unforeseen unavoidable circumstances & natural calamities.
- Any medical / emergency evacuations
- Anything that you lose on treks or monkeys steal from you 😋 Joking. Not joking
- If a person doesn’t wish to continue on trek, they have to arrange their own transport
Cancellation, transfer & refund:
- For a cancellation 3 days before trek Rs 200 would be deducted. Eg. For a Sunday morning trek, for cancellations till Thursday 11:59 pm Rs. 200 would be deducted and remaining would be refunded
- For a cancellation 2 days before trek Rs 500 would be deducted. Eg. For a Sunday morning trek, for cancellations till Friday 11:59 pm. Rs. 500 would be deducted and remaining would be refunded
- For a cancellation 1 day before trek NO REFUNDS will be done. Eg. For any cancellation after Friday, NO REFUNDS will be done. The money CANNOT be adjusted against future treks as all the payments for the trek would have already been made to the involved people.
- The trek seat can be transferred to any of your friends.
- Missing the train and not being able to reach the trek start location on time means you would miss the trek. The entire trek cannot be put on hold as a delay would mean the entire team gets frustrated. Plus waiting results in the sun getting hotter, making the trek tougher for everyone. Hence, a late participant won’t be entertained and has to return home on their own. The trek will start without the late people. No refunds will be provided.
+ Guidelines and rules
- NO SPEAKERS ALLOWED, no headphones. Enjoy nature & birds and let others enjoy as well.
- No drinking, no smoking. No tobacco, no hookah, no drugs. Just get high on nature & reach your stress-free nirvana.
- NO LITTERING: If you create any plastic waste you will need to carry it back with you.
- Don’t wear any jewelry on treks if you value it.
- DON’T anger the monkeys: Don’t look directly at monkeys, no aggression to be shown, no food should be offered. Wait for the trek lead to help you.
- Avoid perfumes as they attract bees to attack.
- No excessive photography which will delay the group.
- Don’t argue with locals.
- No swimming without permission
- Though we assure utmost safety & would take all the necessary precautions, mountains can spring surprises. We won’t be responsible for any injuries or accidents on treks.
- Trek lead’s decision will be final & binding.
About TheFreeBird ?
Hello, I am Niraj – Engineer & MBA certified in Basic mountaineering & Basic rock climbing. I have completed 150+ sahyadri forts & summitted 20,000 ft peak. More about me. After trekking & blogging about sahyadris for a decade and receiving endless messages to organize treks , here we are. Since I don’t like crowds I will mostly organise offbeat treks with lesser crowds . With peaceful treks you learn a lot about yourself, you lose self doubts & though your legs might be tired you would come back with a renewed energy to take on any thing that the life throws. If you any queries feel free to contact me on handles below. Happy trekking !
