GPS-based Sahyadri Trekking Maps & More

This site started off as a collection of maps of the Sahyadri mountain range that I had created using the Global Positioning System or GPS. It has since been expanded to include other interesting material related to the Sahyadris, such as aerial photos, satellite imagery, other maps, books and a whole lot more.

GPS technology, which utilizes signals from orbiting satellites, enables an accuracy of within 15 feet or 5 meters anywhere on the surface of the globe. Such an unprecedented level of accuracy had never been available until just a few years ago. Without this technology, the maps on this website would not exist.

This website has been created as a free resource to the general trekking/hiking community. The maps presented here can be freely downloaded from this website and distributed, provided the original maps are not altered in any way. You can also display these maps at your website if you wish to do so. The use of these maps is restricted to non-commercial use only.

Maps are being added periodically to this website. If you wish to be notified by e-mail whenever an addition is made, contact me (Mahesh Chengalva) at DrChengalva@hotmail.com so that you can be added to the mailing list.

Note that you may sometimes get a message saying "Download limit exceeded" or "Site temporarily unavailable" while browsing or downloading information from this website. Because this is a free website, Geocities imposes an hourly limit on the number of megabytes that can be downloaded each hour from this site. If there are too many users on this site simultaneously, this limit can easily be reached. If you encounter such a message, simply come back to this site after a couple of hours or so.

	GPS-based Maps of the Sahyadris These Sahyadri maps have been created using GPS technology. Their main feature is that the trails and some landmarks are mapped very accurately.
	GPS Tracks of the Sahyadris Never get lost again! These are original GPS tracks consisting of thousands of points which can be downloaded to your GPS to make your next trek/hike very interesting.
	More Sahyadri Maps Can't find the map you are looking for? Here are a lot more maps of the Sahyadris, although these are not created using GPS.
	Sahyadri GPS Database A huge collection of GPS data points (latitudes, longitudes and altitudes) of places of interest in the Sahyadris is now available for download here.
	GPS Distance Calculator Using this tool, you can find the EXACT distance between any two Sahyadri landmarks that have GPS coordinates! Use this tool to plan your next trek.
	Introduction to GPS Need to learn more about this fascinating technology called GPS? Start here!
	Aerial Photos of the Sahyadris The Sahyadris look impressive not just from the ground, but from the air too. Check out these pictures and decide for yourself!
	Soar into the Sahyadris These daring individuals have taken adventure to new heights and are getting views of the Sahyadris that others only dream of!
	Base Jumping in the Sahyadris This extreme sport involves leaping off cliffs with nothing but raw courage and a parachute. This site is about Base Jumping exploits in the Sahyadris.
	The Sahyadris and Google Earth Fly through the Sahyadris in amazingly realistic 3D animations on your own computer using the data on this website combined with the Google Earth software!
	Books on the Sahyadris Check out these books on the Sahyadris and get the detailed information that you don't get anywhere else.
	Great Photographs of the Sahyadris The trekking community consists of many excellent photographers too. Select your trekking area and take a virtual trip before you make the actual one.
	View the Sahyadris from Mumbai All you need is a tall building (plentiful) and clear visibility (rare) and you will be amazed by how much of the Sahyadris are visible from just about anywhere in Mumbai!
	The Danger Zone This is a compilation of serious trekking accidents in the Sahyadris, in the hope that some lessons will be learned from the safety perspective.
	Trekking Power Calculator This handy calculator enables you to find your trekking power capability, which you can then use for planning future treks.
	Satellite Watching Did you know that man-made earth satellites are clearly visible to the unaided eye? Find how you can take advantage of the amazingly clear night skies of the Sahyadris.
	Mystery Caves Although desolate and in ruins today, these caves in the Sahyadris once attracted some of the brightest minds over 2000 years ago. But what did they do there?
	The Mailing List Would you like to be informed by e-mail whenever a major addition (new GPS map, etc.) is made to this site? If so, welcome to this ever-growing mailing list.
	Why do you Trek? If you have ever asked yourself that question and find that you are unable to come with a convincing reply, then you may find some answers here.

Now that you have had a look at at least some of the maps, the question may come up: Why create these maps? The answer is as simple as "Why not?!". I love trekking and creating these maps provides me with another opportunity to re-live the experience, particularly when it takes longer to make a map than to trek the corresponding terrain!

Besides, this is a way for me to give back something to the general trekking community and spreading the message of responsible trekking. It is particularly disappointing to see ancient monuments being damaged or defaced by irresponsible trekkers. Many trekking spots have significant quantities of litter of all types. It is a pity that some trekkers do not follow the 'leave no traces' principle. The Sahyadris have an unmatched wealth of natural beauty and historical importance that needs to be preserved forever. Since the maps on this website are being downloaded and distributed widely, these form the ideal vehicle to convey the message of preservation.

The idea of creating maps first came to my mind after a trek to the Duke's Nose area near Khandala when I was an undergraduate at IIT Mumbai. The train from Mumbai got delayed and we reached Khandala at 3 am. It was then decided that we trek through the night and hopefully reach Duke's Nose summit to watch a great sunrise. Nobody in our group of a dozen trekkers had ever been to Duke's Nose before. We could not even find anyone to ask for directions so early in the morning. To make a long story short, we ended up climbing the WRONG mountain and realizing it only when we reached the summit and saw Duke's Nose right across the valley, so near and yet so far! (If you see the map of the Duke's Nose area, you'll know which mountain we climbed mistakenly).

It is one thing to want to make accurate maps, but yet another to be actually able to do so. During most of my approximately 100 treks in the Sahyadris, the most I could do was to make crude sketches for maps. Along came a technology a few years ago that changed this entirely. It is called the Global Positioning System (or GPS), which utilizes 22 special satellites in low-earth orbit that continuously transmit signals all over the globe. A portable GPS receiver can determine its position anywhere on the planet to an accuracy of within 15 feet or 5 meters! This technology has enabled numerous applications previously unheard of, including the maps shown on this website.

I hope you find the maps and other information at this website useful. Your contributions to this site are welcome and will be acknowledged here. You can copy the maps presented here and freely distribute these around, including putting them up on your own website too. If you have friends who are interested in trekking, you may want to send them this web site address since they may also find the information useful. The only thing I expect in return is for you to spread the message of responsible trekking to your fellow trekkers and beyond. Your feedback is most welcome (e-mail: DrChengalva@hotmail.com). Other than this, there is little more I can say, other than HAPPY TREKKING!

Like this website? Check out my other website by clicking here.