One of the best things about living in the Mumbai – Pune belt is the easy access to the Western Ghats (Sahyadri mountain range) which make for great weekend getaways. The monsoon months of June to August is the best time to visit the Western Ghats as one gets to experience the freshness of these hills. The rains give birth to a number of seasonal waterfalls which disappear soon after the monsoons. Tour groups in the region have capitalized on this and offer all kinds of packages for adventure activities including hiking and waterfall rappelling. Having done rappelling a few times in the Himalayas, one Sunday I decided to give waterfall rappelling a try.
Dudhiware waterfall is near Lonavala, in the middle of Mumbai and Pune
A short 1.5 hour ride from Pune and we met our tour group at the Lonavala train station. From here we headed to the last motorable village and started hiking towards Dudhiware waterfall. It was a fairly cloudy day and we hiked in the rain navigating through soaked fields and a slippery terrain.
The rains give a freshness to the air that one doesn’t come across everyday
It is a short 15 – 20 minute hike to the twin waterfalls
A close-up of the 135 ft. Dudhiware waterfall
The landscape facing the waterfall is even more stunning
Zoom in and you will find a large number of narrow streams and waterfalls
After successfully rappelling down the waterfall
To get an idea of the surroundings and what rappelling down the waterfall actually was like, you can check out the video below. Yes, that’s me rappelling down the waterfall.
It was a tremendous feeling descending down the refreshing flow of cold water. The difficult and scary part, especially if you are scared of heights, is getting yourself to start the descent. After that, it is deceptively easy and enjoyable. The force of the water hitting your body feels like a natural head and shoulder massage! It’s not necessary to have prior rappelling experience before attempting waterfall rappelling. More than half the group were beginners, rappelling for the first time.
Despite it being a cloudy day and spending most of the day getting drenched, this short trip to Dudhiware was a perfect getaway, providing a nice mix of nature & landscape, adventure, and a much needed escape from the city life. There are plenty of other options for waterfall rappelling in this region. For those who prefer hiking, the options are even more (Rajmachi and Lohagad fort instantly come to my mind) and these hikes can be done any time of the year.
If you are in the Mumbai-Pune belt, I would certainly recommend this place for a day trip. And if you do visit any of these popular locations, kindly remember to practice responsible tourism when out in such natural surroundings. Such places attract many picnic groups who make sure they leave their mark by leaving behind plastic bags and bottles behind. The least we can do on our part is keep these places clean and not add any more litter.
Sashikant Dash 
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